The Devil and Daniel Webster (2004)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Alec Baldwin

Writers (WGA):

Stephen Vincent Benet (story)
Archibald Macleish (play)
(more)

Release Date:

17 August 2007 (Kazakhstan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

the devil is in the details.

Plot:

A down-and-out writer sells his soul to the devil in exchange for fame and fortune.

Plot Keywords:

She Devil | Quirky | Writer | Remake | Based On Short Story

Cast

Anthony Hopkins	...	Daniel Webster
Alec Baldwin	...	Jabez Stone
Jennifer Love Hewitt	...	The Devil
Ken Murton	...	Daniel's Agent
Frank Sivero	...	Luigi
Dan Aykroyd	...	Julius Jenson
Gregg Bello	...	Rick Fusco
Kim Cattrall	...	Constance Hurry
John Savage	...	Johnny
Al Palagonia	...	Anthony
Barry Miller	...	Mike Weiss
Jason Patric	...	Ray
Paul Thornton	...	James Joyce
Kevin Olson	...	Tommy Anderson
Bill Corsair	...	Aging Writer
Jonathon Gentry	...	Marlon
John Hines	...	Bob Miller
Alice Johnson	...	Reporter
Canedy Knowles	...	Webster's Assistant
Karlie Mossman	...	Sylvia Plath
Luis Pedron	...	Constance's Assistant
Philippe Vonlanthen	...	Philippe
Marni Lustig	...	Jabez's Normal Woman
Julie Lamb	...	Jabez Stone's 1940's Book Character
Katherine O'Sullivan	...	Charlotte Bronte (court scene)
Bobby Cannavale
Jhon Doria
Mike Doyle	...	Luke
Monte Farber
Darrell Hammond
Bill Montgomery
Amy Poehler	...	Molly Gilchrest
Frank Sepe
Calvert DeForest	...	Bailiff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mary Ashton	...	Production assistant
Bill Boylan	...	Ernest Hemingway
Jane DeNoble	...	Jabez's Crony
Stephanie Elliot	...	Lillian Hellman
Ranardo Domeico Grays	...	Photographer's assistant
John Hills	...	Truman Capote
Freddie L. Robinson Jr.	...	Henry Johnson
Victor Velez	...	Stagehand #2
Christine Jones	...	(uncredited)
Jason Evans Lee	...	Guy fighting for cab (uncredited)

Directed by
Alec Baldwin		(as Harry Kirkpatrick)

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen Vincent Benet		(story)
Archibald Macleish		(play "Scratch")
Peter Dexter		(screen story) (as Pete Dexter)
Peter Dexter		(screenplay) (as Pete Dexter) and
Bill Condon		(screenplay) &
Nancy Cassaro		(screenplay)

Produced by
Alec Baldwin	....	producer
Tony Cataldo	....	executive producer
Terry Chase Chenowith	....	associate producer
Jonathan Cornick	....	producer
Katie Daily	....	associate producer
Craig Darian	....	executive producer
Randall Emmett	....	associate producer
Randall Emmett	....	co-executive producer
George Furla	....	associate producer
George Furla	....	co-executive producer
Patrick F. Gallagher	....	executive producer
Carol Gillson	....	producer
David Glasser	....	producer
Michael Z. Gordon	....	co-producer
Michael S. Grayson	....	executive producer
Brian R. Keathley	....	executive producer
Dessie Markovsky	....	associate producer
Clint Morris	....	consulting producer
Adam M. Stone	....	producer (as Adam Stone)
Scott G. Stone	....	executive producer
Jeff G. Waxman	....	line producer
Jason Zelin	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Adam Holender

Film Editing by
John Carter
Mark Winitsky
Jeff Wood

Casting by
Anna Maniscalco
Grant Wilfley

Production Design by
Edward Pisoni

Set Decoration by
Beth Kushnick

Makeup Department
Robin Day	....	additional hair stylist
Todd Kleitsch	....	makeup department head
Heidi Kulow	....	makeup artist
Christine Leiter	....	assistant makeup artist
Rick Provenzano	....	key hair stylist
Gianna Sparacino	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jeff G. Waxman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alyson Latz	....	second second assistant director
Michael Lerman	....	first assistant director
Peter Thorell	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joseph Alfieri	....	construction coordinator
Eric Cheripka	....	assistant property master
Jason De Bari	....	art department coordinator
Alex Gorodetsky	....	charge scenic artist
Judy Gurr	....	assistant set decorator
Paul Herndon	....	storyboard artist
Addison Pettit	....	graphic designer
Michael Scarola	....	key construction grip

Sound Department
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer
Mark Ettel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound mixer
Paul Menichini	....	sound editor
Paul Ratajczak	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Ratajczak	....	sound supervisor
Emile Razpopov	....	sound designer
David Schumacher	....	sound recordist
Michael Scott	....	boom operator
Xavier Sol	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
John Stifanich	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Derry Frost	....	director of production: Amalgamated Pixels
Rob Meyers	....	title animations
Michael Morreale	....	executive producer: Amalgamated Pixels Inc.
Jeremy Oddo	....	visual effects
Phillip Palousek	....	visual effects coordinator
Cristiana Rumori	....	production coordinator
Carlo Scaduto	....	visual effects
Alessandro Tibiletti	....	visual effects coordinator: Mediacube
Eric Person	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Chris Colombo	....	stunt double
Kristopher Medina	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Will Arnot	....	Steadicam operator
Ralph Brandofino	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Phil Cohen	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
James W. Finnerty	....	key grip
Patrick Fontana	....	electrician
Peter Girolami	....	rigging gaffer
Jendra Jarnagin	....	additional electrician
Tom Kerwick	....	key grip: second unit
David Knox	....	camera operator
David Larue	....	best boy grip
Thomas O'Connor	....	electrician
Noah Prince	....	electrician
Adam Putnam-Thomas	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Leon Sanginiti	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
William M. Weberg	....	grip

Casting Department
Anna Maniscalco	....	extras casting associate
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frank Avanzo	....	set costumer
Careen Fowles	....	wardrobe supervisor
Winsome G. McKoy	....	costume supervisor
Barbara Presar	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Donna Donato	....	associate editor
Nancy Hirami	....	post-production consultant
Blaine Hope	....	editing intern

Music Department
Larry Brown	....	composer: additional music
Ramin Djawadi	....	composer: theme music
David Giuli	....	scoring coordinator
Richard Glasser	....	music supervisor
Michael Z. Gordon	....	music producer
Ian Honeyman	....	additional music editor
Ciaran Hope	....	music editor
Robert Puff	....	music preparation
Vlad Solovey	....	scoring coordinator

Other crew
Alan Alters	....	senior technical advisor
Kevin Baird	....	production assistant
Blair Barnette	....	production assistant
Katie Daily	....	assistant to producers
Gino Falla	....	second assistant accountant
Patrick Floyd	....	set production assistant
Richie Gibbs	....	production assistant
Kathrina Miccio	....	body double
Meredith Mills-Cavalluzzo	....	assistant production coordinator (as Meredith Mills)
Jennifer Quesenbery	....	location scout
Emile Razpopov	....	technical director
Brieann Rich	....	craft service
Nicholas Rich	....	set medic
David C. Roehm Sr.	....	body double: D. Stipkin
Jonathan Roumie	....	assistant location manager
Holly S. Rymon	....	production office coordinator
Kris Schackman	....	location scout
Leigh Henley Sorge	....	production assistant
Trish Vengoechea	....	payroll accountant
T. Vincent	....	assistant to director
Dixie D. Walker	....	production accountant
Rebecca White	....	first assistant accountant

Production Companies

• Cutting Edge Entertainment
• El Dorado Pictures
• Emmett/Furla Films
• Miracle Entertainment

Distributors

• Cutting Edge Entertainment (non-USA)
• Gelvars (2006) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Pyramid (2007) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Starz! Network (2007) (USA) (TV)
• Yari Film Group Releasing (2007) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Act One Script Clearance  script research
• Americana Films  funding

Also Known As:

Shortcut to Happiness (USA) (new title)
The Devil (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bethpage, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Cutting Edge Entertainment

Trivia:

According to Alec Baldwin, the film was extensively re-edited after it came into the possession of Bob Yari Productions, and no longer bears any resemblance to its original form or to the Benet short story, hence the title change. Baldwin has since requested that his name be removed from the credits as director and producer.

Goofs:

Continuity: When buying the house, Jabez Stone sees the Devil on the beach. He runs to her with his shirt's collar over his jacket. But when he is there and talks to the Devil the collar is carefully tucked under.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Stuck Together, Torn Apart (#3.19)" (2002)

There Is no Shortcut to Happiness

In Manhattan, the aspirant writer Jabez Stone (Alec Baldwyn) is a complete loser: he is not able to sell his novels, he lives in a lousy apartment and he does not have success with women. When one of his friends Julius Jenson (Dan Aykroyd) sells his novel for US$ 190,000.00 to an editor, Jabez fells envy and promises to sell his soul to the devil for success and accidentally kills a woman with his typing machine. The Devil (Jeniffer Love Hewitt) knocks on his door, fixes the situation and seals a contract with Jabez. His low quality novels have bad reviews but become best-sellers; Jabez enriches; has success with women, but has no time for his friends. Jabez meets with the publisher Daniel Webster (Anthony Hopkins) who offers him a chance to break the contract with the devil.

"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is an original and delightful version of Faust, alternating comedy and drama and giving great messages in the end. The lovely and cute Jeniffer Love Hewitt "steals" the movie with her interpretation of a sexy and smart devil. Anthony Hopkins has another top-notch performance. Kim Cattrall is very comfortable performing Constance Hurry that recalls Samantha, from "Sex and the City". Dan Aykroid shows talent in his dramatic interpretation and is a good surprise. Alec Baldwyn has a good performance too in spite of some bad reviews, and I did not know that the director Harry Kirkpatrick is actually a pseudonym of Alec Baldwyn. In the end, this movie is a pleasant and worthwhile entertainment. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Julgamento do Diabo" ("The Trial of the Devil")