King of California

Last updated

King of California
King of California.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMike Cahill
Written byMike Cahill
Produced by Michael London
Alexander Payne
Avi Lerner
Randall Emmett
Starring Michael Douglas
Evan Rachel Wood
Willis Burks II
CinematographyJim Whitaker
Edited byGlenn Garland
Music byDavid Robbins
Production
companies
Distributed by A24 Films LLC
Release dates
  • January 28, 2008 (2008-01-28)(Spanish)
  • October 8, 2008 (2008-10-08)(United States)
Running time
96 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$10 million [2]
Box office$1.03 million [1]

King of California is a 2008 American comedy-drama film written by Mike Cahil and directed by Ron Shelton, in his debut as a screenwriter and director. [3] It premiered on VHS January 28, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival [4] and opened in limited release in North America on September 14, 2008. It stars Michael Douglas as a mentally ill man who thinks he has discovered buried treasure, and Evan Rachel Wood as his weary daughter.

Contents

Plot

16-year-old Miranda has been abandoned by her mother, and has dropped out of school. She supports herself working at McDonald's while her father, Charlie, is in a mental institution.

When Charlie is released, Miranda finds the relatively peaceful existence she's built for herself disrupted. Charlie is supposed to have recovered, but he rambles on with strange theories. For example, he tells her that naked Chinese men are swimming ashore so they can live in California. He is also obsessed with the idea that the long-lost treasure of Spanish explorer Father Juan Florismarte Torres is buried near their suburban California house in the Santa Clarita Valley. Armed with a metal detector and a stack of treasure-hunting books, he finds reason to believe that the gold is underneath the local Costco, and encourages Miranda to get a job there so they can plan a way to excavate it.

Initially skeptical, Miranda finds herself joining in Charlie's questionable antics to give him one last shot at accomplishing his dreams. She starts working at Costco and ingratiates herself with the manager and his "swingers" group, giving her a chance to steal a master key. She, Charlie, and their friend Pepper use the key to enter the Costco after hours, setting off an alarm—but Pepper quickly reprograms it to make it seem it was triggered by a propane leak. They hide inside until firefighters have come and gone, then begin drilling through the floor, where they find a smelly underground river. Charlie dons scuba gear, dives into the river, then emerges, claims it is indeed where the treasure is buried. Meanwhile, Pepper, standing watch outside, is spotted by a police patrol. Worried that they will notice lights inside the store, he speeds off to divert them. When they catch up with him and arrest him, they find the walkie-talkie he was using to communicate with Miranda and Charlie, and deduce that a robbery is taking place at the store.

Charlie emerges from the river. He gives Miranda a tag and tells her not to lose it. When the police arrive at the Costco, Charlie is seen carrying a small, heavy chest, hiding from the police. He jumps into the river again, swims farther, and sees a bright light and swims towards it. Miranda's off-screen voice says that Charlie's body was never found, although he is seen still alive, swimming in the river.

The next day, Miranda visits Costco and finds the product the tag belongs to, a dishwasher different than the one which she had previously admired. Using a credit card Charlie obtained for her, she buys it and takes it to the beach in her old car. When she opens it, she is seen bathed in a golden glow and a slow smile spreads across her face, implying that Charlie has cached the gold inside it. Hearing a commotion on the beach, she finds naked Chinese men coming ashore.

Cast

Production

Director-screenwriter Mike Cahill wrote a draft of the script in the mid-1980s, but wasn't pleased with it and put it away, focusing instead on writing novels. He turned down an offer to finance the film because he refused to shoot it in Albuquerque. [5] [6]

According to Michael Douglas, King of California was filmed in only 31 days. [7] Cahill said Douglas became interested in the project when he was sent the script. [6] Co-star Evan Rachel Wood said that Douglas was so funny on the shoot, he often incapacitated the cast and crew with laughter, requiring scenes to be reshot. [8]

Release

The film premiered on January 28, 2008 in Sundance Film Festival and on October 8, 2008 in United States. [9]

Box office

At the end of its box office run, King of California grossed $268,461 in North America and $759,238 in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1,027,699. [1] It earned a weekend gross of $35,814 playing in 5 theaters, with a per-theatre average of $7,162 and ranking #58. [1] Its biggest overseas markets were Italy, Germany and France, where it grossed $300,080, $143,683 and $121,140 respectively. [10]

Critical response

As of January 6, 2008 on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 68 reviews with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's critics' consensus reads: "A quirky and often touching comedy about a mature teenager and her manic depressive father, King of California is a charming tale of familial relations and treasure hunting". [11] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 63 out of 100, based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [12]

New York Times film critic Stephen Holden described King of California as "a sequel of sorts" to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), noting the similarity between the characters of Charlie and Randle McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson). Praising Michael Douglas' acting as "his strongest screen performance since Wonder Boys ," Holden concluded that the film "is really a Don Quixote-like fable about nonconformity and pursuing your impossible dream to the very end." [13]

Ted Fry of The Seattle Times also extolled Michael Douglas' acting as "one of his stronger performances", and called King of California "a strong effort by first-time writer/director Mike Cahill that will keep you bemused for its idiosyncratic voice." [14]

Home media

King of California was released on DVD in the U.K. in early June 2008.

Related Research Articles

<i>Adaptation</i> (film) 2002 American film

Adaptation is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman. It features an ensemble cast led by Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper, with Cara Seymour, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston and Maggie Gyllenhaal in supporting roles.

<i>Tadpole</i> (film) 2002 film by Gary Winick

Tadpole is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Gary Winick, written by Heather McGowan and Niels Mueller, and starring Sigourney Weaver, Bebe Neuwirth, Aaron Stanford, John Ritter, Robert Iler, and Kate Mara.

<i>Cutthroat Island</i> 1995 film by Renny Harlin

Cutthroat Island is a 1995 adventure swashbuckler film directed by Renny Harlin and written by Robert King and Marc Norman from a story by Michael Frost Beckner, James Gorman, Bruce A. Evans, and Raynold Gideon. It stars Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, and Frank Langella. It is a co-production among the United States, France, Germany, and Italy.

<i>Wristcutters: A Love Story</i> 2006 American black comedy movie

Wristcutters: A Love Story is a 2006 dark comedy film written and directed by Goran Dukić. It stars Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Shannyn Sossamon as denizens of a strange afterlife way-station that has been reserved for people who committed suicide. It is based on Etgar Keret's short story "Kneller's Happy Campers." A graphic novel version was titled Pizzeria Kamikaze. The film was produced on an estimated budget of $1 million. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed in limited release on October 19, 2007, before being expanded into wide release on November 2, 2007. Lionsgate Home Entertainment released it on DVD on March 25, 2008. The film received positive reviews and has since garnered a cult following.

<i>Little Miss Sunshine</i> 2006 American dark tragicomedy road film

Little Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American tragicomedy road film directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris from a screenplay written by Michael Arndt. The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, and Alan Arkin, all of whom play members of a dysfunctional family taking the youngest (Breslin) to compete in a child beauty pageant. It was produced by Big Beach Films on a budget of US$8 million. Filming began on June 6, 2005, and took place over 30 days in Arizona and Southern California.

<i>The Heartbreak Kid</i> (2007 film) 2007 film by the Farrelly brothers

The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 American romantic dark comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name and stars Ben Stiller in the main role, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Åkerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia, Scott Wilson, and Danny McBride. It tells the story of a sports shop owner who ends up in a rushed marriage with a woman and meets a true love interest during a trip to Mexico.

<i>Choke</i> (2008 film) 2008 film by Clark Gregg

Choke is a 2008 American black comedy film written and directed by Clark Gregg, based on the 2001 novel by Chuck Palahniuk. It stars Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. It tells the story of a man who works in a colonial theme park, attends sexual addiction recovery meetings, and intentionally chokes on food in upscale restaurants so his "rescuers" give him money out of sympathy and thus cover his mother's Alzheimer's disease hospital bills.

<i>Tetro</i> 2009 film by Francis Ford Coppola

Tetro is a 2009 drama film written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich and Maribel Verdú. Filming took place in 2008 in Buenos Aires, Patagonia, and Spain. An international co-production between the United States, Argentina, Spain and Italy, the film received a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on June 11, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gingger Shankar</span> American singer-songwriter

Gingger Shankar is an American singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. She has scored several films, including Circumstance.

<i>A Complete History of My Sexual Failures</i> 2008 British film

A Complete History of My Sexual Failures is a 2008 British documentary film directed by Chris Waitt who also starred as the main character and composed some of the music. The film was part of the "World Cinema Documentary Competition" at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>Twelve</i> (2010 film) 2010 film

Twelve is a 2010 teen crime drama film directed by Joel Schumacher from a screenplay by Jordan Melamed, based on Nick McDonell's 2002 novel of the same name. The film follows a young drug dealer whose luxurious lifestyle falls apart after his cousin is murdered and his best friend is arrested for the crime. It stars Chace Crawford, Rory Culkin, Curtis Jackson, Emily Meade, and Emma Roberts.

<i>Happythankyoumoreplease</i> 2010 American film

Happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film features Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, in the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to balance love, friendship, and their encroaching adulthoods.

<i>Our Idiot Brother</i> 2011 film by Jesse Peretz

Our Idiot Brother is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jesse Peretz and starring Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer. The script was written by Evgenia Peretz and David Schisgall based on Jesse and Evgenia Peretz's story, and tells the story of a dimwitted but idealistic and well-meaning man who intrudes and wreaks havoc in his three sisters' lives.

<i>Another Earth</i> 2011 film by Mike Cahill

Another Earth is a 2011 American science fiction drama film directed by Mike Cahill and starring Brit Marling, William Mapother, and Robin Lord Taylor. It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival in January, and was given a limited theatrical release on July 22, 2011, by Fox Searchlight Pictures. The film earned two nominations at the 38th Saturn Awards for Marling's performance and for Cahill and Marling's writing. The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes calls it slow paced but soulful.

<i>Smashed</i> (film) 2012 film directed by James Ponsoldt

Smashed is a 2012 American drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, written by Ponsoldt and Susan Burke, and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul. Winstead and Paul play a married couple, Kate and Charlie Hannah, both alcoholics. After a series of embarrassing incidents caused by her drinking habit, Kate decides to get sober with the help of a coworker and a sponsor from Alcoholics Anonymous.

<i>Charlie Countryman</i> 2013 American film

Charlie Countryman is a 2013 romantic drama film directed by Fredrik Bond in his directorial debut, written by Matt Drake, and starring Shia LaBeouf, Evan Rachel Wood and Mads Mikkelsen.

<i>The Kings of Summer</i> 2013 American film

The Kings of Summer is a 2013 American independent coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts and starring Nick Robinson, Moisés Arias, Gabriel Basso, and Nick Offerman. The film premiered under its original title Toy's House on January 19, 2013, at the Sundance Film Festival and was given a limited release on May 31, 2013, by CBS Films.

<i>I Origins</i> 2014 film by Mike Cahill

I Origins is a 2014 American science fiction romantic drama film written and directed by Mike Cahill. The independent production premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014. It is distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures, and opened in limited release on July 18, 2014. It won the Best Feature Length Film Award at the Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya on October 11, 2014.

<i>Return to Sender</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

Return to Sender is a 2015 American rape and revenge psychological thriller film directed by Fouad Mikati and starring Rosamund Pike, Shiloh Fernandez, and Nick Nolte.

<i>Zoe</i> (film) 2018 American science fiction film

Zoe is a 2018 American romantic science fiction film directed by Drake Doremus and starring Ewan McGregor, Léa Seydoux, Christina Aguilera, Rashida Jones, and Miranda Otto.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "King of California" . Retrieved March 31, 2012.
  2. ↑ Adams, Sam (9 September 2007). "This avenue is no 'Wall Street'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 29 March 2011. The roughly $10-million shoot was a brisk 32 days, including five nights after hours in a Costco.
  3. ↑ Goldstein, Gregg (26 January 2007). ""King of California" rules at Sundance". Reuters . Retrieved 29 March 2011. It marks the debut effort of writer-director Mike Cahill.[ dead link ]
  4. ↑ "King of California". history.sundance.org. Sundance Institute . Retrieved 29 March 2011. With an energy that both disarms and delights, Cahill transforms the stereotypical image of the California eccentric and the even-more-familiar tale of pursuing your dreams into a dramatically powerful and imaginative fable that explores both the difficulties of a father/daughter relationship and the excesses of people and societies run amok.
  5. ↑ Lytal, Cristy (11 September 2007). "With a little help from his friends". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 March 2011. At least two deals fell apart, one because Cahill didn't want to substitute Albuquerque for Southern California. 'It just doesn't look like California. Nothing does,' says the San Francisco-born Cahill, who collects California artifacts and reads extensively about the state's history.
  6. 1 2 Mandelberger, Sandy (21 January 2007). "Interview With Mike Cahill, Director of KING OF CALIFORNIA". fest21.com. Sundance Online Dailies. Retrieved 2 April 2011. I wrote a draft of the script fifteen years ago and it was no good, so I put it away and wrote some books and other things." "We simply sent him the script.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Douglas, Michael (15 September 2007). "The Role Of A Lifetime". newsweek.com. Newsweek . Retrieved 29 March 2011. I still go to work, but now only on projects I really care about. I have a new movie coming out called 'King of California.' We filmed it in only 31 days, not like some of the 90-day shooting schedules of the past.
  8. ↑ Germain, David (27 September 2007). "Douglas digs for comic gold in 'King'". USA Today . Retrieved 29 March 2011. Douglas' antics were so successful, he had the cast and crew doubling over in laughter, co-star Wood said.
  9. ↑ "King of California release". imdb.com. IMDB. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ "King of California". boxofficemojo.com. IMDB. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ "King of California - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  12. ↑ "King of California (2007): Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  13. ↑ Holden, Stephen (14 September 2007). "A Determined Bipolar Dad in Search of Buried Treasure". The New York Times . Retrieved 29 March 2011. The forces of oppression, instead of being distilled into a single authoritarian enemy like Nurse Ratched, are spread out. Everywhere Charlie goes in his search, he is interrupted and questioned by the police and security guards. The Southern California environment itself, where orange groves give way to strip malls, is portrayed as spiritually suffocating.
  14. ↑ Fry, Ted (28 September 2007). "'King of California': Her father's keeper". The Seattle Times . Retrieved 29 March 2011. This is a strong effort by first time writer/director Mike Cahill that will keep you bemused for its idiosyncratic voice.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.