Off the Map (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Campbell Scott

Writers (WGA):

Joan Ackermann (play)
Joan Ackermann (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 April 2007 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A Very Powerful Place

Plot:

An 11-year-old girl watches her father come down with a crippling depression. Over one summer, she learns answers to several mysteries and comes to terms with love and loss. |

Plot Keywords:

Depression | Countryside | Boat | Anti Depressant | Coyote

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Amy Brenneman	...	Adult Bo
Valentina de Angelis	...	Young Bo
Joan Allen	...	Arlene
Sam Elliott	...	Charley
J.K. Simmons	...	George
Boots Southern	...	Rusty
J.D. Garfield	...	Romero
Jim True-Frost	...	William Gibbs
Matthew E. Montoya	...	Store Clerk
Kathy Griego	...	Consuela
William Hart McNicholas	...	Interpreter
Timothy Martinez	...	Priest
J.D. Hawkins	...	Jack
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kevin Skousen	...	Don

Directed by
Campbell Scott

Writing credits (WGA)
Joan Ackermann		(play)
Joan Ackermann		(screenplay)

Produced by
Paul E. Cohen	....	executive producer
Jonathan Filley	....	executive producer
Martin Garvey	....	executive producer
Ron Gell	....	executive producer
Nesim Hason	....	executive producer
Sezin Hason	....	executive producer
David Newman	....	executive producer
Campbell Scott	....	producer
George VanBuskirk	....	producer

Original Music by
Gary DeMichele

Cinematography by
Juan Ruiz Anchía

Film Editing by
Andy Keir

Casting by
Laylee Olfat

Production Design by
Chris Shriver

Set Decoration by
David Schlesinger

Costume Design by
Amy Westcott

Makeup Department
Katie Douthit	....	assistant makeup artist
James Sarzotti	....	makeup department head

Production Management
John A. Machione	....	unit production manager
Kelly Miller	....	post-production supervisor
Wendy Shuey	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dennis Crow	....	second assistant director
Cas Donovan	....	first assistant director
Nate Grubb	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Mark Alan Duran	....	lead man
Mark Hansen	....	co-leadman
Johnny Long	....	greensman
Ben Lowney	....	set dresser
Cee Moravec	....	set dresser
Swift Moseley	....	key greensman
Keith Walters	....	property master
John N. Ward	....	gang boss
John N. Ward	....	set dresser
Joan Winters	....	graphic designer
Jeri Woodward	....	scenic foreman
Randal Woodward	....	lead scenic

Sound Department
Chad Birmingham	....	assistant sound editor
David Brownlow	....	boom operator
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Darryl L. Frank	....	boom operator
Darryl L. Frank	....	cable person
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound effects editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	supervising sound editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound effects editor
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
William Sarokin	....	sound recordist
Ira Spiegel	....	supervising sound editor

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

Camera and Electrical Department
Theodore Y. Bott	....	electrician
Chris Espeset	....	key grip
Jamie Garcia	....	electrician
Robert Heine	....	assistant camera
Trevor Howe	....	grip
Neil Jacobs	....	still photographer
John Joleaud	....	gaffer
John McEveety	....	assistant camera
Ryan Sholin	....	dolly grip
John Stearns	....	best boy
John Stearns	....	electrician

Animation Department
Jim Boulden	....	animatronics and puppets creator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jo Edna Boldin	....	casting: New Mexico

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aleah Ames	....	costumer
Lisa Marzolf	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Beth Moran	....	first assistant editor
Misako Shimizu	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Marc Campbell	....	music supervisor
John M. Davis	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Dan O. Wiseman	....	driver: honeywagon

Other crew
Stan Berning	....	drawings and paintings
S. Todd Christensen	....	location manager
Mark Andrew Clark	....	production executive
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Peter Darchuk	....	production secretary
Andrea Ferguson	....	stand-in
Karen A. Harris	....	production coordinator
Michael Jaeger	....	consultant: script/research
Joanna Kennedy	....	script supervisor
Marie A. Kohl	....	production assistant
Kathie E. Norris	....	payroll accountant
Chris Painter	....	assistant location manager
Alan Swain	....	assistant location manager: Albuquerque
Aaron Yanes	....	edit room assistant

Production Companies

• Holedigger Films
• New Films International

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (200?) (Brazil) (VHS) (DVD)
• Distribution Company (2007) (Argentina) (all media)
• Manhattan Pictures International
• New Films International (2005) (non-USA) (all media)

Special Effects

• Animal Makers

Other Companies

• Keslow Cameras  camera equipment provided by
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for nudity and thematic elements.

Runtime:

108 min (Sundance Film Festival) | USA:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Holedigger Films

Quotes:

Arlene: You're up. You look much better. You got some color.
William Gibbs: Mrs. Grodin...
Arlene: Would you like to wash yourself? Would you? There's a pool in the stream above the goat pen.
William Gibbs: Mrs. Grodin, I...
Arlene: There's a junked Mercury out at the dump, same model as yours. I'm sure we can get a lot of parts.
William Gibbs: I love you.
Arlene: Oh. Well, that's nice.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Anatomy of a Scene: Off the Map" (2004)

Prozac Southwest

Worth watching, plain and simple.

I was torn somewhat between the precocious kid and the depressed dad. It was a little too much and yet the simple beauty of the New Mexico landscape offset their performance. A tighter conflict would have helped the pacing.

Everything seemed to balance itself out though, and most should find something to like about this movie.

I adore Joan Allen. She is built like a leading lady, looks, walks and talks like a leading lady yet is a great character actor as proved here. I had to look a little close to recognize her and I love that in great acting talent.

Sam Elliott, a veritable man's man, held steady. I think his effort was commendable though having been around persons afflicted with various types of depression, his seemed a bit vague, and uneven. It was like a functioning catatonia with bouts of chattering. I didn't get it. Since his mental illness was,in essence, the spine of the story, the spine was a bit bent. Still,handsome Sam is still watchable and worthy of our respect as he does not seem uncomfortable with his gray hairs or his wrinkles. Very anti-Hollywood.

Of the ensemble cast, I really enjoyed J.K. Simmons. Simmons who seems to have put most of the food on the table career-wise by playing nasties (especially in OZ) as well as disaffected authority figures, was refreshing as George, an everyman with a simpleness that was most enjoyable.

In closing, I think I would have liked the movie better if they had given proper treatment to the depressive issues affecting Charlie, Sam Elliott's character. Mental illness advocates might agree.

Still it was a bit like Walden Pond, New Mexico with more people.

Again, my criticisms aside, there is plenty to like about this. It's worth the time to watch this movie.