Best Laid Plans (1999)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Mike Barker

Writer (WGA):

Ted Griffin (written by)

Release Date:

14 May 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Ever feel like the world is conspiring against you... You don't have to tell me where you've been... Everyone sucks, but us... keeping a relationship alive can be murder.

Plot:

A seemingly simple plan to steal money goes increasingly awry.

Plot Keywords:

Neo Noir | Blackmail | Burglar | Scheme | Independent Film

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Oct. 12	2:00 PM	Fox
Wed. Oct. 15	10:00 AM	FX

Cast

Alessandro Nivola	...	Nick
Reese Witherspoon	...	Lissa
Josh Brolin	...	Bryce
Gene Wolande	...	Lawyer
Jonathan McMurtry	...	Vet
Father Terrance Sweeney	...	Priest
Rebecca Klingler	...	Diner Waitress
Rocky Carroll	...	Bad Ass Dude
Kate Hendrickson	...	Bar Waitress
Owen Bush	...	Vagrant
Jesse Woodrow	...	Roach Coach Clerk
James Marsh	...	Barry (as Jamie Marsh)
Michael McCleery	...	Recycling Owner
Terrence Howard	...	Jimmy (as Terrence Dashon Howard)
Sean Nepita	...	Freddie
Jody Wood	...	Bruhfire Cop
Teddy Vincent	...	Lawyer Secretary
José Mendoza	...	Renaldo
Mike Hagerty	...	Charlie (as Michael G. Hagerty)
Jane Morris	...	Realtor
David Mandel	...	Evangelist
Alec Berg	...	Phone Guy No. 1
Jeff Schaffer	...	Phone Guy No. 2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dirty Denny	...	Man under hood (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Barker

Writing credits (WGA)
Ted Griffin		(written by)

Produced by
Sean Bailey	....	producer
Betsy Beers	....	producer
Alan Greenspan	....	producer
Chris Moore	....	producer
Mike Newell	....	executive producer
Nancy Paloian	....	co-producer (as Nancy Paloian-Breznikar)

Original Music by
Craig Armstrong

Cinematography by
Ben Seresin

Film Editing by
Sloane Klevin

Casting by
Mali Finn

Production Design by
Sophie Becher

Art Direction by
John Zachary

Set Decoration by
Nicki Roberts

Costume Design by
Susan Matheson

Makeup Department
Brenda Blatt	....	key hair stylist
Sherilyn Stetz	....	assistant makeup artist
Brad Wilder	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
P. Todd Coe	....	post-production supervisor
Payton Dunham	....	production manager
Bruce Everett	....	post-production supervisor: UK
Dwayne L. Shattuck	....	unit production manager: Fox 2000 Pictures

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Basil Grillo	....	second second assistant director (as Basil Bryant Grillo)
Paul Martin	....	first assistant director (as Paul N. Martin)
L. David Silva	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tijana Agic-Gaudio	....	on-set dresser
Ernie Andrasik	....	propmaker
Rob Anton	....	art department production assistant
Ben Barreraz	....	art department production assistant
Nancy M. Bates	....	assistant property master
Leon Bean	....	art department production assistant
Dennis R. Bianchi	....	signwriter
Ben Bumatai	....	propmaker
Tom Cole	....	art department production assistant
Greg Daly	....	propmaker
John 'Moe' Davis	....	propmaker
Jerome Deaver	....	art department production assistant
Andres Del Cid Hernandez	....	laborer
Dan Dorfer	....	paint foreman
Kevin Egeland	....	graphic designer
Susanna Eggli	....	assistant scenic artist
Elan Evans	....	painter
Hector Fernandez	....	painter
David L. Fitch	....	propmaker
Jennifer Flygare	....	assistant art director
Daniel Frey	....	propmaker (as Daniel S. Frey)
Casey B. Garrett	....	propmaker
Patti Grant	....	lead scenic artist
Mark Haber	....	propmaker (as Mark L. Haber)
Josh Hadley	....	swing gang
Rob Howeth	....	propmaker (as Robert Howeth)
John K. Izumi	....	construction foreman
William Jackson Jr.	....	propmaker
Maria Jaramillo	....	painter (as Maria M. Jaramillo)
William Kelly	....	assistant property master
Susan King	....	assistant property master
John Knox	....	propmaker
Larry L. Lamb Jr.	....	propmaker
Jeff Leahy	....	painter (as Jeffrey Carl Leahy)
Tommy Lewis	....	swing gang (as Tom Lewis)
Carlos Lima	....	propmaker
José López	....	painter
Kurt Lowe	....	art department production assistant
Patrick J. Marchese	....	additional swing (as Pat Marchese)
Rangel Mata	....	painter
Carlos H. Monroy	....	laborer
Gay Perello	....	property master
Paul Porter	....	construction foreman
Charles James Randalls	....	art department production assistant
John Reider	....	additional swing
Steve 'Kampus' Reynolds	....	additional swing
John Saiger	....	propmaker
Fred Salinas	....	propmaker
Fernando Antonio Sanchez	....	laborer
David Sandefur	....	assistant art director (as David R. Sandefur)
Robby Schellenberg	....	propmaker
Paul Schori	....	propmaker
Waseem Shahla	....	art department production assistant
Doug Shaw	....	construction coordinator (as Douglas A. Shaw)
Ann Shea	....	art department coordinator
Rodney Sheriff	....	assistant art director
John Shull	....	art department production assistant
Frank G. Silvestri	....	propmaker
Tim Sprague	....	propmaker
Shawn Stephenson	....	propmaker
Jerome H. Stolley	....	additional swing (as Jerome Stolley)
Sean Sult	....	stand-by painter
Diane Taylor	....	painter
Sloane U'Ren	....	assistant art director
Arnold A. Urquidez	....	propmaker
Scot T. Waldon	....	propmaker (as Scot Thomas Waldon)
Jim York	....	painter
Dominique Jaramillo	....	construction medic (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ross Adams	....	supervising sound editor
John Bateman	....	adr recordist: UK
David Beres	....	cable person (as David J. Beres)
Paula Boram	....	foley artist
James Boyle	....	sound assistant
Martin Cantwell	....	sound effects editor
Ed Colyer	....	foley mixer
Iain Eyre	....	sound assistant (as Ayre Iain)
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley artist
Matt Grimes	....	dialogue editor
Peter Holt	....	foley editor
Kevin Hyde	....	boom operator
Andy Kennedy	....	sound editor
Andy Kennedy	....	sound effects editor
Dominic Lester	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Julian Pinn	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Robert Polich	....	boom operator: reshoot
Michael P. Redbourn	....	dialogue editor (as Michael Redbourne)
Reinhard Stergar	....	production sound mixer
Richard Street	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stuart Morton	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Philip Bartko	....	special effects (as Phil Bartko)
Jay Bartus	....	special effects
Gary D'Amico	....	special effects coordinator
Lucinda Foy	....	special effects propmaker
Dawna Hammond	....	special effects
Randy Krohmer	....	special effects
Jeff Miller	....	special effects assistant
Louis Michael Nigro Jr.	....	special effects foreman
Eric Coon	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Alan Church	....	digital effects producer
Sally Clayton	....	effects compositor
Peter Connelly	....	effects compositor
Jason McDonald	....	animator
David Sewell	....	visual effects artist
Matthew Twyford	....	effects compositor
Trevor Young	....	effects compositor

Stunts
Spike Silver	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Amy Alarian	....	electrician
Nickolas Anderson	....	key rigging gaffer
John A. Burke	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Joel Bystrom	....	company grip
Michelle Crenshaw	....	first assistant camera (as Michelle J. Crenshaw)
Sean Patrick Crowell	....	key grip
Jeffrey A. Cunningham	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (as Jeffrey Allen Cunningham)
Ralph Del Castillo	....	rigging grip
Valeska Difrieri	....	grip
Clayton Fowler	....	rigging grip
Lonnie S. Gatlin	....	gaffer (as Lonnie Gatlin)
Michael Goldman	....	additional rigging grip
Nathaniel Goodman	....	camera operator
Jeffrey B. Gregg	....	rigging key grip (as Jeff Gregg)
Dan Hawking	....	rigging electrician (as Daniel P. Hawking)
Allison Hickerson	....	additional camera loader (as Allison M. Hickerson)
James J. Hughes	....	rigging grip (as James Hughes)
Rickey Kelly	....	additional rigging grip (as Rickey L. Kelly)
Susa Kohlstedt	....	assistant camera
Susa Kohlstedt	....	camera loader
John Koth	....	best boy grip (as John R. Koth)
Owen Mablutzel	....	additional rigging grip
Glen Magers	....	electrician
Robert Magnano	....	second assistant camera
Robert W. Morgenroth	....	video supervisor (as Bob Morgenroth)
Steve Owen	....	additional rigging grip
Chris Roundtree	....	company grip
Steve Ruffing	....	dolly grip
Jim Sheldon	....	still photographer
Eric Smith	....	best boy electric
Gregory W. Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Jeff Smith	....	rigging electrician
Mark Smith	....	additional rigging grip
Jaimie Stevens	....	additional camera loader
Mark Strasburg	....	first assistant camera
Jerald L. Wilson	....	electrician
Jerald L. Wilson	....	lamp operator
Douglas Wood	....	additional rigging grip (as Douglas R. Wood)

Animation Department
Jason McDonald	....	animator

Casting Department
Sherry Aude	....	extras casting: Bakersfield
Wendy Howell	....	extras casting: Los Angeles
Emily Schweber	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tara Gasparian	....	wardrobe production assistant
Jeila Gueramian	....	key costumer
Beth Rogers	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Kevin Ahern	....	first assistant editor: UK
Zoe Cain	....	effects film scanner
Jo Dale	....	assistant editor: UK
Keith England	....	editorial production assistant
Paul Ensby	....	color timer
Tracey Gibbons	....	post-production coordinator: UK
Paul Knight	....	first assistant editor: UK
Catriona Richardson	....	assistant editor: UK
Pattye Rogers	....	first assistant editor: USA
Peter Talbot	....	film scanner

Music Department
Craig Armstrong	....	conductor
Craig Armstrong	....	musician: piano
Craig Armstrong	....	orchestrator
Adam Brown	....	assistant music recording engineer
Rupert Coulson	....	music mixer
Rupert Coulson	....	music recordist
Matt Dunkley	....	music preparation
Sandy Dworniak	....	music production manager
Nicola Fletcher	....	music coordinator
Ricky Graham	....	assistant music recording engineer
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Nick Harris	....	assistant music recording engineer
Stephen Hilton	....	musician: keyboards and programming
Paul Keogh	....	musician: guitar
Ali McLeod	....	musician: guitar
Perry Montague Mason	....	orchestra leader
Richard T. Norris	....	musician: keyboards and programming (as Richard Norris)
Graham Sutton	....	music editor
Keith Udin	....	assistant music recording engineer
Cecilia Weston	....	conductor
Gavyn Wright	....	orchestra leader

Transportation Department
Jason Ballard	....	transportation captain
Matthew Ballard	....	transportation coordinator
Guy J. Graves	....	transportation captain
Bill Isaacson	....	driver: camera car
Greag Waldrop	....	transportation
Tobi Wurth	....	driver

Other crew
Jeff Balis	....	assistant to director
Jeff Balis	....	producer: video segment (as Jeffrey M. Balis)
Susan J. Bonno-Buckner	....	post-production accountant
Diane Branigan	....	animal trainer
Chip Brantley	....	assistant: Ms. Beers
Gina-Raye Carter	....	double: Reese Witherspoon (as Gina-Raye Swensson)
Sue Chipperton	....	animal trainer
Jacqueline R. Clay	....	script supervisor (as Jacqueline Clay)
Brett Cody	....	video coordinator
Jason Cutler	....	location assistant (as Jason D. Cutler)
John Ensby	....	laboratory liaison
Cecilia Escobar	....	second assistant accountant
Rob Fegen	....	location production assistant (as Robert Fegen)
Hugh Fitzpatrick	....	assistant: Mr. Newell
Diane Friedman	....	location manager
Simon Giles	....	title designer
Devorah Herbert	....	assistant: Mr. Greenspan
Mary Holliday	....	production assistant
Kenneth Hunter	....	locations: Los Angeles
Dominique Jaramillo	....	construction medic
Horst Jung	....	catering chef
Christopher Kahn	....	assistant production coordinator
Bryan Kelly	....	location production assistant
David O. Krupnick	....	construction medic (as David Owen Krupnick)
Joyce Lavell	....	catering cook
Curtis Lelash	....	set production assistant
Harvey Malkin	....	production accountant
Shaun M. McGovern	....	first assistant accountant (as Shaun McGovern)
Danny Morris	....	craft service
Jill Naumann	....	location scout
Jaime Oria	....	video conversions
J. Christopher S. Pike	....	office production assistant
Chad Skala	....	stand-in: Josh Brolin
Lisa Smith	....	animal trainer
Art Snyder	....	catering cook
Jeffrey D. Stevens	....	location medic
Linda Warrilow	....	production coordinator
Brooklyn Weaver	....	office production assistant
Amanda White	....	assistant to producer
Peter Christian White	....	set production assistant (as Peter C. White)
Sarah Yang	....	production secretary
Gabriel Ynda	....	assistant location manager
Emma Ford	....	personal assistant (uncredited)
Jeffrey Shepherd	....	location manager: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dogstar Films
• Fox 2000 Pictures

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
• 20th Century Fox (Far East)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (Argentina)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (Germany)
• Columbia TriStar Egmont Film Distributors
• Fox Searchlight Pictures
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (France)

Special Effects

• The Film Factory at VTR (digital effects)

Other Companies

• Air Lyndhurst Studios  music recorded at
• Axium Casting Agency  extras casting: los angeles
• Ca Va Studios  music recording studio
• Cine Image Film Opticals  end titles
• Cine Image Film Opticals  opticals
• Custom Film Effects  opticals
• E=mc²  stage production
• E=mc²  video displays
• Edit Hire (New Technology) Ltd.  editing equipment
• Matrix Sound Studios  music recorded at
• Millenium Casting  extras casting: bakersfield
• Olympic Studios  music recorded at
• Rogers & Cowan  unit publicity
• Santa Clarita Studios  thanks
• Shepperton Sound  sound re-recording at
• Sound Design Co.  sound facilities
• Studios CTS  music recorded at
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• The Film Factory at VTR  main titles
• Virgin Records  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (bw) | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R13 | Singapore:R(A) | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Spain:13 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company:

Dogstar Films

Quotes:

Nick: I love you.
Lissa: Why do you think I'm doing this?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Ted Griffin (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Worried Eyes

Terrific story, good directing, mediocre acting

I really enjoyed this film noir story about hopeless people taking desperate measures to try to wriggle out of the trouble wrought by their bad luck and foolish acts. Ted Griffin's screenplay is first rate with numerous unexpected plot twists and ironies. I defy anyone to outguess all the curves he throws. What is noticeable about the plot is that it was very realistic. The schemes were hair brained, but it was believable that the numbskull characters portrayed would cook up these kinds of cons.

Mike Barker's direction was very good. He was visually daring and unconventional with liberal use of tight shots and extreme close-ups that were mostly effective. He was a little too enamored with these techniques though, and used them to excess. Such shots are good to emphasize certain emotions or to add impact, but Barker has the viewer in the actors' faces more often than your average teenage lovers. After a while the whole film has the feeling of watching characters with giant heads. Yet, this is a minor criticism for what was mostly a very good directorial effort.

The weakest aspect of the film was the acting which was mediocre though not terrible. Alessandro Nivola gave a lifeless performance as the hapless Nick desperately scheming for a way out of his small town. He came across too wimpy and flaccid for the daring character who was planning this elaborate rip off.

Reese Witherspoon was mostly window dressing in this film. Though she did a reasonable job with her character, the part did not have much meat to it as she was relegated to the role of sycophantic girl friend, a victim of her own weakness and bad judgment.

Josh Brolin was the weak link. His interpretation of his character's emotion is mostly measured by how loud he yells at the camera. Since his character was in hot water through most of the film, he was mostly screaming his lines at the top of his lungs. His portrayal was like surgery performed with a chain saw.

The best performance of the film goes to Rocky Carroll as the intimidating drug dealer who threatens to kill Nick for swiping his money. Carroll stole every scene he was in with high energy performances.

Overall, I gave this film a 7/10. The acting was not compelling but it was not so dreadful that it detracted from a terrific story and a well crafted film by Barker.