Children on Their Birthdays (2002)

Director:

Mark Medoff

Writers:

Truman Capote (short story)
Douglas Sloan (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Sometimes extraordinary things happen in the most ordinary places

Plot:

12 year old Lily Bobbit moves to Medda, Ala, and immediately makes an impression on the residents when she and her friends team up to outsmart a con man, the town is changed forever.

Plot Keywords:

Mother Son Relationship | Americana | 1940s | Widow | Friendship

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Sheryl Lee	...	Elinore Murphy (as Sheryl Lee Diamond)
Joe Pichler	...	Billy Bob Murphy
Jesse Plemons	...	Preacher Star
Tania Raymonde	...	Lily Jane Bobbit
Christopher McDonald	...	Speedy Thorne
Tom Arnold	...	Lionel Quince
Phyllis Frelich	...	Mrs. Bobbit
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cynthia Baker	...	Ada Willingham
Tom Brainard	...	Comedian
Brazhal Brewer	...	Rosalba Cat
Ritch Brinkley	...	Acey Trump
Emily Clibourn	...	Cora Mae
Freeman Coffey	...	Mr. Cat
Caitlin Collins	...	Janice
Susan Coolidge	...	Cowgirl Singer
Marilyn Dodds Frank	...	Mrs. Quince
John Judd	...	Jeb
Weston Mueller	...	Butch
Lucina Paquet	...	Mrs. Sawyer
Alexander Piccolo	...	Malcolm Doralle
Paul Quaintance	...	Reverend
Joe Van Slyke	...	Mr. Dixon
Megan Frances	...	Churchgoer / Flower Show Contestant (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark Medoff

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Truman Capote		short story
Douglas Sloan		writer

Produced by
Howard Baldwin	....	executive producer
Karen Elise Baldwin	....	executive producer (as Karen Baldwin)
Billy Higgins	....	co-producer
William J. Immerman	....	producer
Ginger T. Perkins	....	producer
Paul Pompian	....	executive producer
Ray Simmons	....	associate producer

Original Music by
J.D. Hinton
Ross Vannelli

Cinematography by
Steven Shaw

Film Editing by
Sidney Levin

Production Design by
Gary Baugh

Art Direction by
Angel Acosta

Set Decoration by
Lisa Wolff

Costume Design by
Jay Hurley

Makeup Department
Aimee Lippert-Bastien	....	assistant makeup artist
Dominic Mango	....	key hair stylist
Tony Mirante	....	assistant hair stylist
Suzi Ostos	....	key makeup artist
Vicki Vacca	....	additional makeup artist
Chip Williams	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Billy Higgins	....	unit production manager
Barrett Taylor	....	post-production supervisor
Mike Vogler	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Thomas Coe	....	second second assistant director
Richard S. Lederer	....	second assistant director
Eric Mofford	....	first assistant director
Ron Rapiel	....	first assistant director

Art Department
J.D. McCarthy	....	set dresser
Robert R. Volpe	....	props (as Bob Volpe)
Rob Yale	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	supervising sound re-recording mixer
Jake Collins	....	sound mixer
Lisa Hannan	....	sound editor
Robert L. Harman	....	sound effects
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rod O'Brien	....	supervising sound editor
Dave Rowe	....	sound editor
Ken Strain	....	boom operator: second unit
Stephen Tibbo	....	sound mixer: second unit
Patrick Giraudi	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
James D. Tittle	....	digital visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title (uncredited)

Stunts
Tobiasz Daszkiewicz	....	stunt bus driver
James Fierro	....	stunts
Tom Lowell	....	stunts
Jeff Marchluk	....	stunts
Deborah L. Mazor	....	stunts
Natalie M. Meyer	....	stunt double
Sean R. Padlo	....	stunt double
Brian Peters	....	stunts
Daniel Maldonado	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Faires Anderson	....	camera operator
Thomas S. Ciciura	....	additional assistant camera
Bob Gomez	....	best boy electric
Dean M. Simmon	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera, steadicam
Alan Thatcher	....	camera operator
Billy Wauer	....	electrician

Casting Department
Jane Alderman	....	casting: Chicago
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrea E. Weaver	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Lee Wimer	....	color timer

Music Department
Jay Bolton	....	music editor
Susan Coolidge	....	composer: additional music
Christopher S. Parker	....	music clearance

Transportation Department
Michael R. Cairo	....	driver

Other crew
Bob Beltz	....	special advisor
Tom Brainard	....	production associate
Jennifer Byrne	....	assistant production office coordinator
John Chisholm	....	studio teacher
Susan Coolidge	....	stand-in
James Currie	....	production secretary
Larry Donahue	....	caterer
Joseph R. Fitzgerald	....	production assistant
Pat McCarthy	....	production coordinator
Sean R. Padlo	....	stand-in
Lisa Marie Quillinan	....	office production assistant/runner
N. Sandberg	....	senior consultant: film production
N.L. Sandberg	....	senior consultant: film production
Heather Sharpe	....	production assistant
Peter F. Smith	....	craft service
Monica Timmel	....	stand-in
Nick Zuvic	....	line producer: second unit

Production Companies

• Frantic Redhead Productions
• Crusader Entertainment
• Salem Productions

Distributors

• Artisan Entertainment
• Crusader Entertainment
• Koch Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Moonstone Entertainment

Other Companies

• Chicago Studio City  grip and lighting equipment
• Chicago Studio City  production facilities
• Chicago Studio City  production services
• Chicago Studio MovieMakers  cast trailers supplied by

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief language.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Germany:o.Al. | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Aurora, Illinois, USA

Company:

Frantic Redhead Productions

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Sweet Potato Pie

A great movie that captures the essense of good filmmaking.

It's hard to say what any deceased writer would do, but this very much alive viewer felt the movie was beautifully made with simple style and gentle awareness towards its subjects. I loved watching this movie and escaping into the world of Lilly Jane Bobbitt. After seeing this movie, I re-read the short story by Capote and enjoyed remembering what I had seen recreated by the producers and director. Hollywood thinks if you blow it up they'll come. But, I believe if you make a wonderful film, they'll not only come, but they will leave wanting more - and that's how I felt about Mark Medoff's movie "Children on Their Birthdays."