The Door in the Floor (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Tod Williams

Writers (WGA):

John Irving (novel)
Tod Williams (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 September 2004 (Norway)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The most dangerous secrets are the ones we're afraid to tell ourselves.

Plot:

A writer's young assistant becomes both pawn and catalyst in his boss's disintegrating household.

Plot Keywords:

Assistant | Writer | Sex | Caught Masturbating | Teenager

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Elle Fanning	...	Ruth Cole
Jeff Bridges	...	Ted Cole
Kim Basinger	...	Marion Cole
Jon Foster	...	Eddie O'Hare
Larry Pine	...	Interviewer
John Rothman	...	Minty O'Hare
Harvey Loomis	...	Dr. Loomis
Bijou Phillips	...	Alice
Mimi Rogers	...	Evelyn Vaughn
Mike S. Ryan	...	Reception Fan
Libby Langdon	...	Woman at Reception
Louis Arcella	...	Eduardo Gomez
Robert LuPone	...	Mendelssohn
Rachel Style	...	Bookstore Assistant
Amanda Posner	...	Frame Shop Clerk
Donna Murphy	...	Frame Shop Owner
Marion McCorry	...	Bookstore Customer
Kristina Valada-Viars	...	Effie
LeAnna Croom	...	Glorie Mountsier
Claire Beckman	...	Mrs. Mountsier
Tod Harrison Williams	...	Thomas Cole
Carter Williams	...	Timothy Cole
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lisa Burrascano	...	Girl at Bon-Fire (uncredited)

Directed by
Tod Williams

Writing credits (WGA)
John Irving		(novel "A Widow for One Year")
Tod Williams		(screenplay)

Produced by
Anne Carey	....	producer
Michael Corrente	....	producer
Julie Fischer	....	post-production producer
Ted Hope	....	producer
Amy J. Kaufman	....	executive producer (as Amy Kaufman)
Roger Marino	....	executive producer
Marisa Polvino	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Marcelo Zarvos

Cinematography by
Terry Stacey

Film Editing by
Affonso Gonçalves

Casting by
Ann Goulder

Production Design by
Thérèse DePrez

Art Direction by
Nicholas Lundy

Set Decoration by
Nick Evans

Costume Design by
Eric Daman

Makeup Department
Jane English	....	body makeup artist: Ms. Basinger
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist: Mr. Bridges
Lori Hicks	....	key makeup artist
Thomas Nellen	....	makeup artist: Mr. Bridges
Valli O'Reilly	....	makeup artist: Ms. Basinger
Aaron F. Quarles	....	key hair stylist
Sacha Quarles	....	hair stylist
Ronnie Specter	....	makeup artist: Ms. Basinger
Mitchell Stone	....	hair stylist: Ms. Basinger (as Mitch Stone)

Production Management
Lori Johnson	....	production supervisor
Susan Lazarus	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jesse Falewicz	....	second second assistant director
Bernadette Lee	....	second assistant director
Chip Signore	....	first assistant director
Meryl Stavitz	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Bridges	....	illustrator
Gary Cergol	....	art department coordinator
Gary Cergol	....	graphic artist
Brent Godek	....	set dresser
Dierdre Kane	....	on-set dresser
Jennifer Santucci	....	art department assistant
Danielle Webb	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Leslie Bloom	....	foley artist
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Flynch	....	foley editor (as Dave B. Flynch)
Paul Hsu	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Hsu	....	supervising sound editor
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
George A. Lara	....	foley recordist
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound mixer
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Bob Olari	....	sound recordist (2004)
Nicholas Renbeck	....	supervising adr editor
Nicholas Renbeck	....	supervising dialogue editor
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	adr editor (as Victoria Sampson)
Michael Scott	....	boom operator
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Lila Yomtoob	....	first assistant sound editor
Allan Zaleski	....	sound effects librarian
Kyle Godbey	....	sound effects intern (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Connie Brink	....	special effects coordinator (as Conrad F. Brink)
Conrad V. Brink Jr.	....	special effects foreman (as Conrad V. Brink)
Edward Drohan	....	special effects (as Ed Drohan)
Charlie Simunik	....	special effects (as Charles Simunek)

Visual Effects by
Janos Pilenyi	....	opticals
Adam Stern	....	digital compositor
Alex Thiesen	....	visual effects producer: main title sequence, THDX

Stunts
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
Peter Bucossi	....	stunt coordinator
Loyd Catlett	....	stunts
Frank Ferrara	....	stunts
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunts
Keith Siglinger	....	stunts
D.J. Surgent	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Kip Bogdahn	....	camera operator
Oliver Cary	....	first assistant camera
John Clifford	....	still photographer
Jeffrey Dutemple	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Robert K. Feldmann	....	grip
Gary Jackiewicz	....	grip
Tim McAuliffe	....	best boy electric
Sean McCardell	....	electrician
Hernan Michael Otaño	....	camera operator
Steve Ramsey	....	gaffer
Chris Reynolds	....	additional assistant camera
Jon W. Rosenbloom	....	best boy grip
Tom Vulliez	....	dolly grip

Casting Department
Sage Lehman	....	casting assistant
Michelle Levitt	....	casting assistant
Terri Tracy	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marta Font	....	costumer
Nancy Mayer Allan	....	costume assistant: Ms. Basinger
Christopher Peterson	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Fred Heid	....	color timer
Craig Seti	....	telecine operator
Katy Skjerping	....	assistant editor (as Katherine Fisher)
Stan Sztaba	....	negative matcher
Ben Urquhart	....	post-production assistant
Joe Violante	....	dailies supervisor
Martin Zeitler	....	telecine operator

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	assistant music editor
Gary Chester	....	music contractor
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator
Lawrence Manchester	....	score mixer
Lawrence Manchester	....	score recordist
Suzana Peric	....	music editor
Pavel Pranil	....	music contractor
Beth Rosenblatt	....	music supervisor (as Beth Amy Rosenblatt)
Jiri Simunek	....	copyist (as Jiri Simunek)
Marcelo Zarvos	....	score producer

Other crew
Adi Amit	....	assistant: Mr. Williams
Abby Bailey	....	assistant accountant
David Bausch	....	production coordinator
Danielle Blumstein	....	production secretary
Jenn Bubka	....	production assistant
Tomas Cabral	....	production assistant
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Anthony Demarinis	....	security: Ms. Basinger
Joan Devilla	....	payroll accountant
Kimberly Feinman	....	location scout
Pablo Ferro	....	title consultant
Simona Fish	....	production intern
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant: Trevanna Post
Rich Glassey	....	assistant: Michael Corrente
Mitchell Gutman	....	production assistant
Nicola Hulme	....	assistant: Mr. Bridges
Andrew Kassov	....	production intern
Julie Landholt	....	graphic artist: titles
Christine Leaman	....	assistant location manager
Annie Marter	....	assistant: Ms. Polvino
Kim Noble	....	assistant location manager
Kathy Orloff	....	unit publicist
Claire Pacacha	....	assistant: Anne Carey
Eric Papa	....	assistant: Mr. Hope
Martha Pinson	....	script supervisor
Ashley Rudden	....	assistant: Ms. Carey
Ray Sullivan	....	stand-in
Tom Yeager	....	location manager
Samara Yeshaiek	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Focus Features
• This Is That Productions
• Revere Pictures
• Good Machine

Distributors

• Focus Features (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Dendy Films (2005) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• DeA Planeta Home Entertainment (200?) (Spain) (DVD)
• Eagle Pictures (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• Imagem Filmes (2005) (Brazil) (VHS) (DVD)
• Paradise Group (2004) (Russia) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cineric (opticals)

Other Companies

• ARRI  camera equipment provided by
• C-5  post-production sound facility
• Cineric  opticals
• Donna Daniels Public Relations  publicity
• Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz & Weinstein  legal services
• Manhattan Center Studios  score mixed at
• Manhattan Center Studios  score mixed at (as Manhattan Center)
• POP Sound  adr recorded at
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Pivotal Post  editing facilities
• Pivotal Post  post-production facilities
• Smécky Studios  score recording
• Sound One Corporation  adr recorded at (as Sound One Corp.)
• Sound One Corporation  sound re-recording (as Sound One Corp.)
• Technicolor  color timing
• Technicolor  color
• Technicolor  dailies
• The Image Group  telecine transfers
• Title House Digital  main and end credits
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting
• Wilshire Stages, The  adr recorded at

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality and graphic images, and language.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Japan:R-15 | Iceland:14 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:R | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Ireland:16 | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40314) | Argentina:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Bridgehampton, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

The last minute of the movie was filmed in the United Methodist Church in Pleasantville, NY. The crew built a two story racquetball court in order for Jeff Bridges to open to door in the floor and walk down the stairs

Goofs:

Continuity: The flashback scene in the car with the boys is supposed to take place during a heavy snow fall, and the back window and tail lights of the car are supposed to be covered with snow, but the window is completely clear.

Quotes:

Ted Cole: I hired you, Eddie because you look like Thomas.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

I Really Miss

Wonderfully complex film

My wife and I just got back from "The Door in the Floor", and I have to say that I found the film to be complex, deep, and intense. We will be hearing about nominations at Oscar time. There are many, many ways that people react to tragedy, and withdrawing the way that Marion Cole did is certainly common. We have friends that lost their eldest daughter to a congenital heart problem a year and a half ago, and I can tell you that he (the dad) reacted just that way, although he went down the alcoholic route, along with distancing himself from his other two children, because he couldn't face his daughter's death. He finally walked out on the entire family much like Marion did. If you think that it can't happen the way that it did in the film, think again.

The performances by Jeff Bridges and Kim Basinger were spot-on perfect. Henry Fonda once said the secret of great actors was that they never let the audience see the wheels turning. I thought that Jeff's performance was one of his best, maybe even better than he was in "Fearless", although that is certainly arguable. I still liked Kim Basinger better in "L.A. Confidential", but this performance is certainly up there at the top.

I certainly intend to see this again, and will end up buying the DVD for my video library. I just love well-written character-driven dramas, and this is certainly one of the better ones.