King of California (2007)

An unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there's Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.

Director:

Mike Cahill

Writer:

Mike Cahill

Stars:

Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, Willis Burks II

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Douglas	...	Charlie
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Miranda
Willis Burks II	...	Pepper
Laura Kachergus	...	Rita
Paul Lieber	...	Doug
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Kelly
Anne L. Nathan	...	Applebee's Manager (as Anne Nathan)
Arthur Santiago	...	McDonald's Manager
Ashley Greene	...	McDonald's Customer
Ian Hopps	...	Boy
Anna Khaja	...	Officer Contreras
Will Rothhaar	...	Security Guard
Annie O'Donnell	...	Greeter
Greg Davis Jr.	...	Joseph
Jeanie Hackett	...	Teacher

Storyline

A fresh-out-of-the-mental institution father and his emancipated teenage daughter venture together on a quest for an ancient Spanish treasure buried beneath their local Costco in this take on the modern family and the American dream.

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Plot Keywords:

spanish | treasure | dream | american dream | mental institution | 

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Taglines:

We're All Searching for Something ...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, mature thematic elements and brief drug references

Details

Official Sites:

3L Filmverleih [Germany] Millennium Films [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

12 September 2007 (France)

Also Known As:

El rey de California

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,814, 16 September 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$263,674, 26 October 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO Films), King of California Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Michael Douglas, the film was shot in 31 days.

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Goofs

Young Miranda is left handed while older Miranda is right handed.

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Quotes

Miranda: Animals were popping up in the most unlikely places. Someone at work said she saw a deer in the cosmetics aisle at Target.

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Crazy Credits

Carroll Kales Cahill 1925-2006

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Connections

Referenced in Impossible Dreams (2011)

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Soundtracks

California Stars
Written by Woody Guthrie, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett
Performed by Billy Bragg and Wilco
Published by Woody Guthrie Publications (ASCAP), Titanic Majesties Music (ASCAP)
administered by Bug, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing , o/b/o itself
Ver Music and Words Ampersand Music (BMI)
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film and TV Licensing

User Reviews

Too silly to be serious,too wistful to be dismissed

Fifteen-year old Miranda(Evan Rachel Wood,luminescent!!) has had to grow up fast,since her mother left her and her father and said father,Charlie(Michael Douglass,in a word:WOW!) was institutionalized for reasons not entirely made clear but discernible through observation. When Charlie is de-institutionalized,he returns to his daughter with a grand plan to find gold in the hills along the Pacific Coast Highway. She is,in a word,skeptical.

Director and writer Mike Cahill makes a movie that is both at once full of quirk and melancholy,with the daughter as somewhat of a de facto narrator. The quest for finding the treasure,while ridiculous and unquestionably irresponsible,is still almost noble and pure. Wood and Douglass shine very nicely as the estranged,mentally delicate father and daughter duo who haven't stopped loving each other,even if they get each other even less than they did before. A simple story,framed by quirky music(jazz?folk?) and a nearly poetic filming of contemporary California coastline as it contrasts the 16th century maps that Charlie references. Lost in the sea of fall releases from last year,this film is a very pleasant find on the rental shelves.