Dear Wendy (2005)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Thomas Vinterberg

Writer:

Lars von Trier (written by)

Release Date:

23 September 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

One shot is all it takes.

Plot:

A young boy in a nameless, timeless American town establishes a gang of youthful misfits united in their love of guns and their code of honor.

Plot Keywords:

Gun | Pacifist | Mining Town | Pacifism | Weapon

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Jamie Bell	...	Dick Dandelion
Bill Pullman	...	Krugsby
Michael Angarano	...	Freddie
Danso Gordon	...	Sebastian
Novella Nelson	...	Clarabelle
Chris Owen	...	Huey
Alison Pill	...	Susan
Mark Webber	...	Stevie
Trevor Cooper	...	Dick's Dad
Matthew Géczy	...	Young Officer
William Hootkins	...	Marshall Walker
Teddy Kempner	...	Mr. Salomon
Thomas Bo Larsen	...	Customer

Directed by
Thomas Vinterberg

Writing credits
Lars von Trier		(written by)

Produced by
Gillian Berrie	....	co-producer: UK
Bettina Brokemper	....	co-executive producer
Bo Ehrhardt	....	executive producer
Marie Cecilie Gade	....	co-producer
Peter Garde	....	executive producer
Birgitte Hald	....	executive producer
Marianne Jul Hansen	....	line producer
Peter Aalbæk Jensen	....	executive producer
Sisse Graum Jørgensen	....	producer
Marianne Slot	....	co-executive producer
Juliane Thevissen	....	line producer: Germany
Vibeke Windeløv	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Benjamin Wallfisch

Cinematography by
Anthony Dod Mantle

Film Editing by
Mikkel E.G. Nielsen

Casting by
Avy Kaufman
Joyce Nettles

Production Design by
Karl Júlíusson
Jette Lehmann

Art Direction by
Jette Lehmann
Peter Menne

Costume Design by
Annie Périer

Makeup Department
Pascale Bouquière	....	makeup designer
Mai-Britt Haurholm	....	additional makeup artist
Dorte Jacobsen	....	additional makeup artist (as Dorthe Jacobsen)
Morten Jacobsen	....	special makeup effects artist
Susanne Søbye	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Pia Nielsen	....	post-production supervisor
Carsten Sparwath	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Kirk	....	first assistant director
William Westh-Lillesøe	....	third assistant director (as William Vest-Lillesøe)

Art Department
Sebastian Bacquaert	....	set props
Christine Bechameil	....	painter
Jean Roch Bechameil	....	painter
Uwe Belke	....	painter
Michael Böttger	....	set construction
Uwe Brauer	....	painter: Germany
Lotte Kryger Broe	....	assistant to the art director
Mieke Casal	....	painter
Frantz Dahl	....	set dresser
Lene Ejlersen	....	set props
Simon Empt	....	set dresser
Tom Forger	....	set construction
Tony Grob	....	property master: US
Karsten Holst	....	set dresser
Morten Isbrand	....	property master: Denmark
Søren Jochumsen	....	construction manager
Magnus Kasting	....	assistant property master
Daniel Kolarov	....	property master: Germany
Kajsa Kvaale	....	painter
Matthias Lerch	....	props
Matthew McLemore	....	painter
Peter Menne	....	art director: Germany
Liselotte Møller	....	painter
Lars Munck	....	artist
Rolf Rexhausen	....	set construction
Sune Saabye	....	property master: second unit
Benjamin Salomon	....	set dresser
Julia Schacky	....	art department crew
Vivian Bak Sørensen	....	painter
Uli Tegetmeier	....	set dresser
Rasmus Thjellesen	....	set designer
Anja Wessel	....	property assistant: second unit
Claus Zier	....	set designer

Sound Department
Kristian Eidnes Andersen	....	sound designer
Coll Anderson	....	sound effects recordist
Ray Beckett	....	sound mixer
Anne Jensen	....	foley editor
Per Dybdal Jensen	....	sound assistant (as Per Dybdal)
Vincent Maloumian	....	foley assistant
Peter Murphy	....	boom operator
Julien Naudin	....	foley artist
Eddie Simonsen	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Slack	....	adr mixer
Rasmus Winther	....	additional sound effects recordist (as Rasmus Winther Jensen)

Special Effects by
Kim Blidorf	....	special effects technician
Søren Skov Haraldsted	....	special effects assistant
Hummer Høimark	....	special effects supervisor
Søren Hvam	....	special effects technician
Christian Kitter	....	special effects technician
Ilja Jonbak Nielsen	....	special effects technician (as Ilja Nielsen)

Visual Effects by
Stefan Ciupek	....	digital colorist
Niels Valentin Dal	....	digital matte painting
Sune Elskær	....	storyboard artist

Stunts
Stig Günther	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Alsted	....	clapper loader: second unit
Torben Borup Madsen	....	best boy
Felix Buchholz	....	additional electrician
Alexander Damaschke	....	additional electrician
Thue Garde	....	clapper loader
Felix Keuck	....	electrician
Jeppe Lassen	....	grip assistant
Aslak Lytthans	....	electrician
Maike Maier	....	grip assistant
Thomas Neivelt	....	gaffer
Jens Nolte	....	video operator
Mogens Otte	....	lighting technician
John Frimann Rasmussen	....	focus puller
Claus Rosenløv Jensen	....	focus puller: second unit
Michael Rosenløv Jensen	....	focus puller: second unit
Roman Schauerte	....	clapper loader
Jens Schlosser	....	director of photography: second unit
Markus Wiebecke	....	best boy
Astrid Wirth	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Cody P. Beke	....	casting assistant
Constance Demontoy	....	casting: France
Elizabeth Greenberg	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandrine Bernard	....	costumer
Lotte Dandanell	....	wardrobe assistant
Grith Deleuran	....	wardrobe: second unit
Anne-Dorthe Eskildsen	....	key costumer (as Anne Dorthe Eskildsen)

Editorial Department
Sune F. Andersen	....	assistant editor
Stefan Ciupek	....	digital colorist
Carsten Dyhr	....	assistant editor: avid
Peter Harry	....	assistant editor: avid
Julie Klitgaard	....	post-production assistant: second unit
Charlotte Mazzinghi	....	intermediate color grader
Nicolaj Monberg	....	assistant editor: second unit
Nanna Rosenstock	....	post-production coordinator: second unit
Cecilie Rui	....	post-production assistant: second unit
Ludivine Saes	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Mikael Carlsson	....	executive soundtrack producer
Mikkel Maltha	....	music coordinator
Tony Stanton	....	music copyist
Paul Talkington	....	musical director
Anders Valbro	....	music coordinator
Benjamin Wallfisch	....	conductor
Nick Wollage	....	score recordist
Alison Wright	....	music score coordinator

Other crew
Svend Abrahamsen	....	consultant: Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond
Samanou Acheche	....	assistant to producer
Lina Bach Christensen	....	production coordinator
Morten Bundgaard	....	production assistant: director
Andrea F. Cannistraci	....	legal services
Thomas Caspersen	....	digital preparation
Stefan Ciupek	....	technical supervisor
Mikael Colville-Andersen	....	script translator
Carrie Comerford	....	production executive: UK
Kerstin Dick	....	production accountant
Anna Duffield	....	assistant to producer: UK
Laura Einmahl	....	production coordinator
Lillian Rype Fokdal	....	continuity: second unit
Morten Grunwald	....	consultant: Danish Film Institute
Camilla Hammerich	....	consultant: TV 2/Danmark
Jarl Axel Hansen	....	production assistant
Caspar Heider	....	production assistant
Anders Jacobsen	....	production coordinator
Anders Thomas Jensen	....	script consultant
Mikkel Kastberg	....	assistant to producer
Matthias Krause	....	assistant to producer: Germany
Anders Lexne	....	armorer
Dan Loghin	....	high definition operator
Hans Lönnerheden	....	completion bond
Xénia Maingot	....	assistant to producer: France
Zoe Morgan	....	script supervisor
Emma Murphy	....	post production assistant
Mikael Olsen	....	script editor
Levke Palm	....	set manager
Adam Price	....	consultant: TV 2/Danmark
Howard Samuelsohn	....	dialect coach
Sofie Saxild	....	production assistant: Denmark
Valérie Sieye	....	accountant
Charlotte Vinther	....	production controller
Ann Vognsen	....	key accountant
Sarah Wells	....	accountant
Walter Wißmann	....	weapons coordinator
Emil Tralov	....	runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Lucky Punch
• Nimbus Film Productions
• Zentropa Entertainments
• TV2 Danmark (co-production)

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2007) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Cinequanon (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Les Films du Losange (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Nordisk Film Biografdistribution (2005) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2006) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Eagle Pictures (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• Gateno Films (2006) (Peru) (all media)
• Legend Films International (2005) (Germany) (all media) (rights)
• Nordisk Film Video (2005) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• SPI International (2006) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Sir Film (2005) (Turkey) (all media)
• Trust Film Sales (2005) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Wellspring Media (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Wise Policy (Japan)
• With Cinema (Korea)

Special Effects

• Dansk Speciel Effekt Service (special effects: Denmark)
• Flash Art GmbH (special effects: Germany)

Other Companies

• Det Danske Filminstitut  financing
• Digital Film Lab  HDTV to 35 mm transfer
• EF Rental  equipment
• Eurimages  financing
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Mac Million Ltd.  post-production facilities
• Malde & Co.  auditor
• MovieScore Media  soundtrack
• Nordisk Film Biografdistribution  financing
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond  financing
• Sound One  adr studio
• Widget Post Production  sound post-production

Runtime:

105 min | Argentina:102 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Denmark | France | Germany | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:18 | Philippines:R-13 | USA:Unrated | Brazil:18 | Finland:K-15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Portugal:M/16 | Czech Republic:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13 | Denmark:15 | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:16 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Company:

Lucky Punch

Trivia:

Director Nicolas Winding Refn stated in an interview with Mads Brügger on "Den 11. time" (2007), that Lars von Trier offered him the chance to direct this film, but he declined (6th September, 2007).

Quotes:

[Huey has just shot Marshall Walker in the head]
Huey: Officer d-d-down, I'm afraid!

Movie Connections:

References Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Soundtrack:

A Thousand Miles

Criticism maybe, hardly anti-American.

I liked "Dear Wendy". It was well photographed, had good cast and the rocking soundtrack provided the light icing on a film that is both sad and happy from the inside.

It is a bit puzzling that this film has been seen as anti-American propaganda. It does criticise the American values - but so do many American films that are hardly described as anti-American. The message is even softened by placing the film in surreal, small mining town that is so detached geographically that you can almost feel the fiction. In some sense it bears resemblance to the village set on Brechtian stage in "Dogville" (compare for example the "stageness" of main street) by Lars von Trier, whose touch can be seen in "Dear Wendy", too.

It can be also seen as an anti-gun lecture - but that is just one perspective to it and in my opinion also possible to ignore.

The only turnoff is the somewhat annoying narration by the main character, that explains too much and leaves less for the viewer to ponder. I might be also giving one star too much, because the end scene, where the film picks up the pace left such a strong impression on me, and not just because of being so well shot action.