The Nines (2007)

Director:

John August

Writer (WGA):

John August (written by)

Release Date:

30 November 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Y9u never kn9w when y9ur number is up

Plot:

A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.

Plot Keywords:

Theology | Family Relationships | Woman Producer | Number Game | TV Show

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ryan Reynolds	...	Gary / Gavin / Gabriel
Melissa McCarthy	...	Margaret / Melissa / Mary
Hope Davis	...	Sarah / Susan / Sierra
Elle Fanning	...	Noelle
David Denman	...	Parole Officer / Agitated Man
Octavia Spencer	...	Streetwalker
Ben Falcone	...	Himself
Dahlia Salem	...	Herself
John Gatins	...	Himself
Andy Fielder	...	Moderator
Jodi Sellards	...	Piano Player
Greg Baine	...	Delivery Boy
Martin Yu	...	Focus Group Participant #1
Gregg Naaman	...	Focus Group Participant #2
Lorene Scafaria	...	Game Night Guest
Jim Rash	...	Game Night Guest
Rawson Marshall Thurber	...	Game Night Guest
Dan Jinks	...	Game Night Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sean Andrews	...	Officer Cooper (uncredited)
Nicholas Garren	...	Russian Drug Dealer (uncredited)
Malia Herrick	...	Check-in girl (uncredited)
Ellen Treanor	...	Christine Walsh (uncredited)

Directed by
John August

Writing credits (WGA)
John August		(written by)

Produced by
Bruce Cohen	....	producer
Dan Etheridge	....	producer
Dan Jinks	....	producer
Todd King	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Alex Wurman

Cinematography by
Nancy Schreiber

Film Editing by
Douglas Crise

Art Direction by
E. Colleen Saro		(as Colleen Saro)

Set Decoration by
Christopher Marsteller

Costume Design by
Molly Grundman

Makeup Department
Romy Fleming	....	hair department head
Paula Jane Hamilton	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Brigitte Mueller	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard Butler	....	day player second second assistant director
Shelly Heyward	....	second second assistant director
Mark Mathis	....	first assistant director
Ryan Ramos	....	second assistant director
Anneke Scott	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Matt Center	....	additional swing
Ara Darakjian	....	additional swing
Gregory M. Edgar	....	property master
Vincent Lucido	....	storyboard artist
Rebecca Rosenthal	....	on-set dresser
Ilya Seperich	....	additional property assistant
Russell Tamashiro	....	additional swing

Sound Department
Richard Adrian	....	sound designer
Kevin Becker	....	boom operator
Michael Brown	....	foley supervisor
Monroe Cummings	....	sound mixer: video unit
Rene Defrancesch	....	additional boom operator
James Dehr	....	sound mixer
Mark Ettel	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Fairlamb	....	field recordist
Darrell Hanzalik	....	adr supervisor
Yagmur Kaplan	....	adr mixer
Anthony Krajchir	....	sound engineer
Sylvain Loiseau	....	post-production audio manager
Matthew Nicolay	....	sound mixer
Phillip Perpich	....	field recordist
Jeff Prosser	....	foley mixer
Christopher Sheldon	....	supervising sound editor
David Warburton	....	post facility coordinator
Stacey A. Washer	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Kevin R. Browne	....	digital artist
Marie Victoria Denoga	....	digital compositor
Buddy Gheen	....	visual effects
Danny S. Kim	....	visual effects
Vincent Lavares	....	data manager: Laser Pacific
Migs Rustia	....	visual effects editor
Doug Witsken	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Hiro Koda	....	stunt coordinator
Larry A. Lee	....	car stunt rigging

Camera and Electrical Department
Waide R. Allen	....	additional electrician
Joseph D. Beam	....	electrician
Arthur Borquez	....	additional grip
Stuart Campbell	....	camera loader
Mark Cane	....	additional electrician
Marie Chao	....	first assistant camera: video segments
Marie Chao	....	second assistant camera
Rick Davidson	....	camera operator
Rick Davidson	....	steadicam operator
Michele De Lorimier	....	additional first assistant camera: preparation
Michael Eaton	....	additional camera operator
Michael Everett	....	gaffer
Donald Francis	....	additional electrician
Robert Gagnier	....	first assistant camera
G. Barak Humphrey	....	additional grip
Thomas Hurn	....	additional electrician
Matthew Irving	....	cinematographer: additional photography unit
Jason Kies	....	grip
Brian Kinzey	....	electrician
Carisa Koh	....	camera intern
Paul Lambiase	....	additional grip
Will McGarry	....	still photographer
Joel Michalak	....	additional grip
Ty Mitchell	....	additional camera loader
Mike Morales	....	best boy grip
Rory Muirhead	....	first assistant camera
John R. Priebe	....	gaffer
Curtis Smith	....	dolly grip
Keith Talley	....	key grip
Tim Walker	....	additional first assistant camera
David Watson	....	best boy electric
David Winner	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Samantha Schwartz	....	wardrobe intern
Kia Tyrrell	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Kenny Becker	....	color timer
Denise Crise	....	assistant editor
Mike Sowa	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Christine Bergren	....	music clearance
Julianne Jordan	....	music supervisor
Jen Pray	....	music clearance
John Rodd	....	music mixer: song "Is That All There Is"

Transportation Department
Andrea Clemente	....	driver
Paul Feddersen	....	transportation coordinator
Gary Lowrance	....	driver
Dennis Matsuoka	....	driver
Colleen Rea	....	driver
Craig Shenk	....	driver

Other crew
Sean Andrews	....	stand-in
Carina Angeli	....	additional stand-in
Ruth Auerbach	....	studio teacher
Ben Bernard	....	additional production assistant
Eva Bloom	....	stand-in
Tom Brickner	....	key set production assistant
Judith M. Brown	....	studio teacher
Aimee Burton	....	craft service
Lisa Collins	....	script supervisor
Greg Cooper	....	production assistant
Chad Gomez Creasey	....	assistant: John August (as Chad Creasey)
Patrick Duchesne	....	caterer
Michael J. Escobar	....	assistant production coordinator
Alex Farrington	....	set medic
Ray Fortman	....	additional production assistant
Paizley Kirk	....	additional stand-in
Catie Laffoon	....	additional production assistant
Ket Lamb	....	photo double
Ket Lamb	....	stand-in
Mark Leone	....	production assistant
Don Mann	....	location manager
Mike Mannino	....	production assistant
Lisa McNeil	....	script supervisor: re-shoots
Gary Mitchell	....	additional production assistant
Tyjuan Mitchell	....	additional production assistant
Gregg Naaman	....	production assistant
J.C. Oburgh	....	key accounting assistant
James Payne	....	production accountant
Jessica Plautz	....	location assistant
Hailey Reid	....	additional stand-in
Tim Rogier	....	assistant: Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen
Linde Sayles	....	production assistant
Julie Solomon	....	location manager: New York
John Parker Sullivan	....	production assistant
Clio Tegel	....	production coordinator
Ryan Throckmorton	....	additional production assistant
Ivan Van Norman	....	additional production assistant
Brett Williams	....	location assistant
Ryan Witherspoon	....	production assistant
Warner Loughlin	....	acting coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Destination Films
• Jinks/Cohen Company

Distributors

• GreeneStreet Films International (2007) (worldwide) (all media) (international sales)
• Newmarket Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• NonStop Entertainment (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Optimum Releasing (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Television (2008) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• LOOK! Effects

Other Companies

• Departure Studios  post-production audio services
• Falco Ink.  publicity
• GreeneStreet Films International  international sales
• United Talent Agency (UTA)  sales

Also Known As:

Untitled John August Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug content and sexuality.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:15A | Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cafe Susina - 7122 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Destination Films

Trivia:

In the third segment 'Knowing', Gabriel's car has the license plate which reads '54P-X63'. The numbers 5+4 and 6+3 both equal nine. P and X are nine letters apart in the alphabet.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Gary: Hey, do you sell crack?
[drug dealer looks confused]
Gary: No, it's cool. I only play a cop on TV.

Movie Connections:

References Misery (1990)

Soundtrack:

Alive Transmission

A predictable 9 for The Nines

I wrote this without reading any of the other reviews, mostly cos i didn't want them to influence my own, and partly cos i'm lazy. This was a very interesting film that left some to the imagination and a lot to interpretation (but not too much).

The film consists of 3 stories: the first about a house-arrested destructive TV star, the second a TV show writer with a new show in the works and the third a computer game creator stuck in the woods with his family. All three are played expertly by Ryan Reynolds. He is supported by two women, Hope Davis and Melissa McCarthy, who are also very good at enforcing the bizarre yet irresistible vision of John August, who has a good track record of writing screenplays, most notably with Tim Burton (it's worth ignoring the Charlie's Angels jobs though). The three leads play different parts in each. That alone should prepare you for the world he has created in The Nines.

It is difficult to talk of the story without giving too much away, John August has found a great concept and worked it brilliantly into a interpretable screenplay and image. The world he has created seems very real, with characters that operate in abnormal situations, but ones in which i think we all can relate, given our excessive access to reality TV and celebrity.

The direction is good, you know from the very start that the green woollen wristband holds significance, and the witty, experienced, inflective screen writing is a joy (though at times August gives a little more away than is necessary).

The film is a fantasy and the nines are a mystery, both collaborating in a way that captures the imagination. The three stories intersect and overlap with themes that confuse and inspire, which will leave many audiences pondering for awhile. But it is not as confusing as it may appear as the plot unfolds fairly intricately to those paying attention. All of the stories hold explanations, and the last explains it all.

I saw this with a friend who i wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but surprisingly they did. I giggled, guffawed and gasped, while we exchanged plot ideas and interpretations, throughout. Sometimes it became a little dry, but on the whole this a very well thought out drama mystery thriller with an excellent philosophy.