Phoenix, Oregon (film)

Last updated
Phoenix, Oregon
Directed byGary Lundgren
Written byGary Lundgren
Produced byChristine Sheaks
Anne Lundgren
CinematographyPatrick Neary
Distributed byJoma Films
Release dates
  • April 11, 2019 (2019-04-11)(Ashland Film Festival)
  • March 20, 2020 (2020-03-20)(United States)
Running time
108 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$41,969 [1]

Phoenix, Oregon is a 2019 American comedy-drama film directed by Gary Lundgren. The film led the United States box office for three non-consecutive weeks in 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when nearly all movie theaters in the country were closed.

Contents

Plot

A failing comic book artist and a chef working in a dead-end restaurant quit their jobs to restore a bowling alley and pizza parlor.

Production

The film was shot in Klamath Falls, Oregon. [2]

Release

The film debuted at the Ashland (Oregon) Film Festival in April 2019, and received a digital release in March 2020. Box Office Mojo reported it as the number-one box office film the weeks of March 20–26, April 3–9, and April 4–16, 2020, [3] during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when virtually all movie theaters in the country were in a mandatory shutdown. This was due to an online streaming access campaign led by the distributing studio; a limited release had been planned on March 20, 2020, and Joma Films instead made the film available to stream at the price of $6.50, which received enough reported revenue to top the box office. [2] Portions of the proceeds from the film's streaming release were directed towards the support of local movie theaters that had been slated to screen the film. [4] The film was made available on Blu-Ray and DVD on June 24, 2020. [5]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Cast

References

  1. "Phoenix, Oregon (2019)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Klamath Falls film “Phoenix, Oregon” through fluke timing becomes tops in domestic box office. Herald and News , April 3, 2020.
  3. Domestic box office weeklies for 2020. Box Office Mojo . Accessed December 6, 2024.
  4. An Independent Film Shot in Southern Oregon Is the No. 1 Movie in the Country. Willamette Week , April 7, 2020.
  5. San Antonio actor Jesse Borrego talks about ‘Phoenix, Oregon,’ an unlikely No. 1 movie in an unusual time. San Antonio Express-News , June 24, 2020.
  6. Review, Hollywood Reporter
  7. Review, Variety
  8. Review, Los Angeles Times
  9. Review, New York Times
  10. Review, RogerEbert.com