$5 a Day (2008)

The son of a thrifty conman begrudgingly joins his father on the road.

Director:

Nigel Cole

Writers:

Neal H. Dobrofsky, Tippi Dobrofsky

Stars:

Christopher Walken, Alessandro Nivola, Sharon Stone

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Walken	...	Nat Parker
Alessandro Nivola	...	Ritchie Flynn Parker
Sharon Stone	...	Dolores Jones
Dean Cain	...	Rick Carlson
Peter Coyote	...	Burt Kruger
Amanda Peet	...	Maggie
Luis Avalos	...	Martinez
Beth Bailey	...	Real Estate Lady
Marya Beauvais	...	Realtor
Frank Bond	...	Bar Manager
Vic Browder	...	Salesman
Gregory Chase	...	Reporter (as Greg Chase)
Christopher Dempsey	...	Tim Webber
Judith Greentree	...	IHOP Waitress
Christopher Hagen	...	Marty

Storyline

In L.A., Flynn Parker loses his job as a health inspector when his time in prison comes to light, his girlfriend Maggie moves out because of his prevarications, and his ne'er-do-well father, Nat, summons him to Atlantic City with a tale of a malignant cancer. Flynn doesn't like Nat, a small-time hustler and the cause of Flynn's jail time, but Nat cajoles his son into a cross-country trip through family memories toward New Mexico where an experimental treatment awaits. The trip is not just about the past, but whether either can tell the truth - and then what to do with those truths. From time to time, Flynn calls Maggie to leave messages. And what about Flynn's mother?

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Plot Keywords:

undressing | unconsciousness | getting undressed | father and son talk | phone conversation | 

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Taglines:

The best things in life are free!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Five Dollars a Day

Filming Locations:

Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capitol Films, Aramid Entertainment Fund, Carol Baum Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

That's not Steve McQueen's real jacket in the movie.

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Goofs

Nat Tells Richy, he is taking a picture of him beside a '63 Corvair. The 63 Corvair has a straight vertical front end. The corvair hulk they are standing by has a curved front like the 67 corvair.

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Quotes

Ritchie Flynn Parker: You were right, It hurts me to say this, but the only person who really knows me is him. And that scares the hell out of me. Anyway - I don't know, maybe it's too late. But even if you hate me, I want you to know who you're hating.

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Connections

References The Great Escape (1963)

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Soundtracks

Seminaris Patris Domine
Written and Performed by 'DIako Diakoff'
Produced by Phil Hernandez

User Reviews

only Christopher Walken here

Flynn Parker (Alessandro Nivola) is a corrupt health inspector who loses his job for not disclosing his criminal past. His girlfriend Maggie (Amanda Peet) moves out for keeping too many secrets. His con artist father Nat (Christopher Walken) tells him he's dying of cancer, and they go on a cross-country trip to New Mexico for an experimental treatment. Nat is proud of living on no more than $5 a day.

There isn't any real tension in this. I can't really understand why Flynn would go on the trip. He must be thinking his father is lying. It's completely out of character that Nivola has already laid out for Flynn. It seems much more likely that he would put his father on the Greyhound.

That aside, it's still nice to see Christopher Walken chew up the screen in this indie. Nivola is a completely low energy dude. He's not very compelling. There is a desperate need for funnier jokes to make this a fun dark comedy. It just isn't funny. Some of it is mildly cute.