Box of Moonlight

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Box of Moonlight
Boxofmoonlightposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tom DiCillo
Written byTom DiCillo
Produced by Thomas Bliss
Marcus Viscidi
Starring John Turturro
Sam Rockwell
Catherine Keener
Lisa Blount
Annie Corley
Dermot Mulroney
Cinematography Paul Ryan
Edited by Camila Toniolo
Music byJim Farmer
Production
companies
Distributed by Trimark Pictures (United States)
Largo International (International)
Release dates
  • August 30, 1996 (1996-08-30)(Italy)
  • July 25, 1997 (1997-07-25)(U.S.)
Running time
112 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Japan
LanguageEnglish
Box office$782,641

Box of Moonlight is a 1996 American independent deadpan buddy comedy-road film directed and written by Tom DiCillo and produced by Thomas Bliss and Marcus Viscidi. [1] [2]

Contents

Set in the East Tennessee countryside, the film follows everyman Al Fountain (portrayed by John Turturro), an uptight electrical engineer who is assigned by his employer as the construction foreman of a factory under construction in Tennessee, leaving his estranged son Bobby and wife Deb (portrayed by Annie Corley) behind in their Chicago home. [3] [4]

The factory project is later called off shortly after Al's arrival in Tennessee. Al returns to his hotel room to discover a strand of gray hair, prompting him to breakdown. He later drives a rental car to nearby lake from his childhood and encounters a young hillbilly, the Kid (portrayed by Sam Rockwell), that takes Al on an adventure through the nearby countrysides and towns to help Al find a new perspective in life. [5]

Filming took place on location in and around the city of Knoxville, Tennessee during a 35-day period in the fall of 1995, on a budget of $3.5 million. [6]

The film premiered on August 30, 1996 at the Venice International Film Festival and opened to American audiences at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. [7] [8]

Plot summary

Al Fountain is a methodical and somewhat neurotic engineer. On the way home from work after leaving his construction site, he takes a side trip for nostalgia's sake in the woodland area. There he meets Buck "The Kid", an eccentric character who gives him a new perspective on his life. The two men bond with two women with similar personalities. The pair swap stories and ideas. The kid lives outside with many items and furniture in the woods. They rob a man's tomatoes from his garden and vandalize the factory that Al works at. The two part ways with Al having a different and freer outlook.

Cast

Production

Production was done mostly in autumn of 1995 in and around Knoxville, Tennessee on a thirty-five day shooting schedule and a budget of 3.5 million dollars. [9] [10]

The motel that Turturro's character stays at during his trip is a now closed but still[ when? ] there is a motel in Maryville, Tennessee, that is named the 411 Motel, on Hwy 411 in Maryville, TN( 35°42′53″N84°01′13″W / 35.714640°N 84.020166°W / 35.714640; -84.020166 ).

The strip club used was "Bambi's" on the Alcoa Highway which is now[ when? ] called Ball Gentlemen's Club in Knoxville, TN( 35°54′34″N83°57′22″W / 35.909554°N 83.956060°W / 35.909554; -83.956060 ).

Many of the scenes were shot in South Knoxville near Seymour, Strawberry Plains, Greenback, and Norris Lake and have been drastically changed since shooting due to mining, suburban development, and culture. [11]

The wrestling scenes that Al and The Kid watch were filmed during an actual Smoky Mountain Wrestling event with Buddy Landell as the good guy and Headbanger Thrasher as "Saddam Insane" in 1995.

Most of the in-town driving scenes were filmed in East and North Knoxville, Maryville, and Alcoa. Many of the routes are not consistent.

Influence and reputation

Box of Moonlight has a cult following among Tom DiCillo and counterculture fans. Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote in July 1997 that "the 1970s-style premise of Box of Moonlight is so dated and fanciful that this quixotic film winds up seeming amazingly fresh." [12] On a July 26, 1997 episode of Siskel & Ebert , it received two thumbs up from Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. [13]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 59% of 17 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. [14]

DVD release

The 1998 Lions Gate release includes a "secret" commentary by Tom DiCillo that is not listed on the packaging.

References

  1. ↑ Rooney, David (August 30, 1996). "Review: Box of Moonlight". Variety . Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  2. ↑ Baumgarten, Majorie (September 19, 1997). "Box of Moonlight". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  3. ↑ Maslin, Janet (July 25, 1997). "Film Review: Box of Moonlight". The New York Times . Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  4. ↑ Ebert, Roger (August 8, 1997). "Box of Moonlight". Roger Ebert. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  5. ↑ Hemblade, Christopher (January 1, 2000). "Box of Moonlight - Review". Empire . Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Moonlight Dawning Sixth Try Gets Film Out of Box for Tom DiCillo". The Morning Call. November 7, 1997. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  7. ↑ DiCillo, Tom (December 20, 2023). "Moonlight in Venice". Tom DiCillo. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Box of Moonlight". Mubi. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  9. ↑ American Cinematographer. United States, ASC Holding Corporation, 1996.
  10. ↑ Projections. United Kingdom, Faber & Faber, 1996.
  11. ↑ "PopCult article". 2 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "Box of Moonlight".
  13. ↑ Ebert, Roger; Siskel, Gene (26 July 1997). Air Force One/Good Burger/Cafe Society/In the Company of Men/Box of Moonlight. Buena Vista Television.
  14. ↑ "Box of Moonlight | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
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