The Myth of Fingerprints (1997)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Bart Freundlich

Writer:

Bart Freundlich (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

An ambitious debut for writer/director Bart Freundlich charting the unrest with a family who gather together for thanks giving.

Plot Keywords:

Thanksgiving | Exhibitionism | Family Relationships | Dysfunctional Family | Mustard

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Randee Allen	...	Waitress
Arija Bareikis	...	Daphne
Justin Barreto	...	Young Jake
Chris Bauer	...	Jerry
Nicholas Bourgeois	...	Young Warren
Tom Cumler	...	Man at Train Station
Blythe Danner	...	Lena
Hope Davis	...	Margaret
Christopher Duva	...	Tom
Kelsey Gunn	...	Young Leigh
Laurel Holloman	...	Leigh
Brian Kerwin	...	Elliot
James LeGros	...	Cezanne
Julianne Moore	...	Mia
Polly Pelletier	...	Young Mia
Pam Jack	...	Bookstore Woman (as Pamela Polhemus)
Michael Rupert	...	Warren's Psychiatrist
Roy Scheider	...	Hal
Michael Vartan	...	Jake
Noah Wyle	...	Warren

Directed by
Bart Freundlich

Writing credits
Bart Freundlich		(written by)

Produced by
Howard Bernstein	....	associate producer
Anthony Bregman	....	associate producer
Bart Freundlich	....	producer
Ted Hope	....	executive producer
Victoria McGarry	....	line producer
Tim Perell	....	producer
James Schamus	....	executive producer
Mary Jane Skalski	....	producer
Noah Wyle	....	associate producer

Original Music by
David Bridie
John Phillips

Cinematography by
Stephen Kazmierski		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ken J. Sackheim
Kate Williams

Casting by
Douglas Aibel
Christine Sheaks

Production Design by
Susan Bolles

Art Direction by
John McFarlane

Set Decoration by
Catherine Pierson

Costume Design by
Lucy W. Corrigan

Makeup Department
Deborah Cross	....	additional makeup assistant
Gianna Sparacino	....	key hair designer
Tracy Warbin	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Ross Katz	....	post-production supervisor
Jake Myers	....	unit manager
Natascha Tillmanns	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jolyon Handler	....	second assistant director
Marco Londoner	....	second second assistant director
David 'Wex' Wechsler	....	first assistant director (as David Wechsler)

Art Department
Pamela Berkeley	....	charge scenic
Brian Buteau	....	set dresser
Pamela Chodosh	....	scenic artist
Lisa Frantz	....	property master
Hector M. Gonzalez	....	scenic artist (as Héctor González)
Shannon Hart	....	scenic artist
Paul Hausman	....	carpenter
Mame James	....	assistant set decorator
Dianne Kalemkeris	....	assistant props
Cailin Kavanaugh	....	art department intern
Mary Jane Schepers	....	scenic artist
Jeff Taylor	....	lead man
Nate Thibodeau	....	art department intern

Sound Department
Stephen Altobello	....	assistant sound editor
Tim J. Carroll	....	stereo sound engineer: Dolby
Jesse Feigelman	....	location sound mixer
Steve Hamilton	....	supervising sound editor
Andrew Kris	....	adr engineer (as Andy Kris)
Leo Madrazo	....	foley artist
Kelly Neese	....	additional boom operator
David Novack	....	post-production sound mixer
James Palumbo	....	apprentice sound editor (as James M. Palumbo)
Jennifer Ralston	....	sound effects editor
Peter Schneider	....	location sound mixer
Juan Carlos Zaldívar	....	dialogue editor

Stunts
Christopher Derek Lee	....	stunt coordinator (as Christopher Lee)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Arcidiacono	....	assistant camera
Joe Arcidiacono	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Janice Arthur	....	Steadicam operator
David Bryant	....	best boy grip
Casey Campbell	....	best boy electric
Jason Carter	....	additional assistant camera
Trish Clark	....	second assistant camera
Scott Crawford	....	additional assistant camera
Bill Foley	....	still photographer (as William Foley)
Michael Fornasiero	....	grip
Matt Foster	....	additional electrician
J. Alan Hostetter	....	gaffer (as Alan Hostetter)
John Kiley	....	additional electrician
Peter Letzelter-Smith	....	additional electrician
Jayson Lobozzo	....	additional grip
Manuel Malle	....	still photographer
Charles Papert	....	Steadicam operator
Antonio Rossi	....	second assistant camera
Kurt Schwarz	....	key grip
Jason Summers	....	third electrician
John Tanzer	....	camera loader

Casting Department
Jordan Beswick	....	casting associate
Dee Cooke	....	local casting
Laurie Gershon	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie Abma	....	wardrobe supervisor
Pamela Kezal	....	wardrobe assistant
Laura Jean Shannon	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Laurie Butler	....	first assistant editor
Dalton Helms	....	first assistant editor
David Pultz	....	color timer
Hurin Veis	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
David Abuiso	....	musician: double bass
David Bridie	....	musician: piano, keyboard and vocals
Andrew Carswell	....	musician: mandolin and tin whistle
Hannah Cooper	....	musician: oboe
Robin Gador	....	musician: bass
Steve Hamilton	....	music editor
Zar Hanley	....	assistant music engineer
Michael Hill	....	music supervisor
Peter Luscombe	....	musician: drums
Tracy McKnight	....	music supervisor
Helen Mountfort	....	musician: cello and harmonica
Greg O'Shea	....	assistant music engineer
John Phillips	....	musician: acoustic and electric guitars
Simon Polinski	....	music engineer
Simon Polinski	....	music mixer

Transportation Department
William McGrath	....	driver
William O'Brien	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Dave Bennett	....	office intern
Gregory Blois	....	electronic press kit crew
Vanessa E. Cooper	....	set intern
Nicole Duryea	....	additional production assistant
Rick Eichler	....	office intern
Alfa Erma	....	office intern
Paola Freccero	....	unit publicist
Cliff Fuller	....	office production assistant
Bill Garvey	....	additional production assistant
Laurie Gershon	....	product placement/clearances
Hilary Duval Hall-Allred	....	stand-in
Douglas Hall	....	location assistant
Melissa Hanson	....	set intern
Elizabeth Heeden	....	film conform assistant
Greg Hudson	....	electronic press kit crew
Katie Hutchins	....	office intern
Chiemi Karasawa	....	script supervisor
Anne Kauffman	....	assistant: Mr. Freundlich
Myron I. Kerstein	....	film conform assistant (as Myron Kerstein)
Michael Kimball	....	stand-in
Michele Larocca	....	film conform assistant
Sig Libowitz	....	assistant to producers
Chip Liscombe	....	office intern
Harley Forrest Logan	....	production assistant
Joline Lord	....	stand-in
Pietro Lorino Jr.	....	production accountant
Jon Marcus	....	assistant production coordinator
Jennifer Murphy	....	craft service
Neil Orlowski	....	production assistant
William Perkins	....	production coordinator
Guy H. Rocourt II	....	production assistant (as Guy Rocourt II)
Andrew Saxe	....	location manager
Patrick Sheedy	....	post-production accountant
Tracy Skillin	....	location scout
Amanda Slater	....	key set production assistant
Joan Stein	....	office intern
Noreen Ward	....	post-production accountant
Christine Welker	....	assistant location manager
Shawn Wilson	....	assistant accountant

Production Companies

• Eureka Pictures
• Good Machine

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• First Independent Films (UK)
• Sony Pictures Classics
• Sony Pictures Video

Other Companies

• Axium Entertainment Group  payroll
• Bureau  titles
• Cafe de Cocoa  catering
• Clein & White  unit publicity
• Disc Insurance Services  production insurance
• Effects House, The  opticals
• Film Finance  completion bond
• Frankfurt, Garbus, Kurnit, Klein & Selz  legal counsel
• Goodedit  picture post-production services
• Hand Held Films  camera equipment
• High Output  grip and lighting equipment
• Kiss Studios  music recording studio
• Maraquita Films  picture post-production services
• Noëlle Penraat  negative matching
• Periscope Studio  music recording studio
• Republic National Bank of New York  production banking
• Sound One Corporation  re-recording studio
• Spin Ciclo Post Inc.  audio post-production services
• Xeno Lights  grip and lighting equipment

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | France:U | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Andover, Maine, USA

Company:

Eureka Pictures

Quotes:

Jake: I know your true passion theory about two people destined to be together, but we can't all be filled with that much faith, trust and emotion. It just means if you have someone you're not alone. You're not going to find that in some fairy tale romance. Sometimes you have to sit through low times where you don't necessarily feel overwhelmingly, totally in love all the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Law & Order: Myth of Fingerprints (#12.7)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Don't Be That Way

Surprisingly honest with no sell out at the end!

As those who can personally relate to this story well understand, not all stories about damaged families can have resolution and closure. The Myth of Fingerprints is quite honest in that regard. The story provides some explanation of what happened but not why, much like real life. What we do get is richly painted characters provided by strong performances, good writing, and good direction who tell us their story and allow us to draw our own conclusions. It's well worth the effort for those who appreciate a drama that doesn't take short cuts and permits the characters to tell their own stories instead of spoon feeding the audience and neatly wrapping everything up like an unwanted birthday present.