Prime (2005)

Director:

Ben Younger

Writer (WGA):

Ben Younger (written by)

Release Date:

28 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A therapeutic new comedy.

Plot:

A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst.

Plot Keywords:

Painter | Love | Therapist | Jew | New York City

Cast

Uma Thurman	...	Rafi Gardet
Meryl Streep	...	Lisa Metzger
Bryan Greenberg	...	David Bloomberg
Jon Abrahams	...	Morris
Adriana Biasi	...	Bay Ridge Blonde
David Younger	...	Brother #1
Palmer Brown	...	Brother #2
Zak Orth	...	Randall
Annie Parisse	...	Katherine
Aubrey Dollar	...	Michelle
Jerry Adler	...	Sam
Doris Belack	...	Blanche
Ato Essandoh	...	Damien
David Anzuelo	...	Bodega Counterman
Naomi Aborn	...	Dinah Bloomberg
John Rothman	...	Jack Bloomberg
Jonathan Roumie	...	Bakery Counterman
Tadhg O'Mordha	...	Bakery Counterman #2
Madhur Jaffrey	...	Rita
Gil Deeble	...	Security Guard
Jason McDonald	...	Photographer / Basketball Player
Mitchell Green	...	Bouncer (as Mitch Green)
Lotte Mandel	...	Bubi
Eboni Cooper	...	Radjina (as Eboni Summer Cooper)
Mick de Lint	...	Fashion Shoot Client
Mini Anden	...	Sue
Tina Farris	...	Rafi's Assistant
Stretch Armstrong	...	House Party DJ
Susie Kantar	...	Carla
Sebastian Sozzi	...	Friend #1
Jade Yorker	...	Friend #2
David Costabile	...	Jason
Will McCormack	...	Palmer
Alex Webb	...	Art Collector
Seth Herzog	...	Rafi's Friend
Anne Joyce	...	Young Mother
Beth Skipp	...	Salesperson
Christopher Innvar	...	Rafi's Date
Jennifer Marlowe	...	Il Buco Bartender
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michalina Almindo	...	Dinner guest (uncredited)
Stacy Asencio Sutphen	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Jerry Baxtron Jr.	...	Bartender (uncredited)
James Coyle	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Ernest Dancy	...	Basketball Player (uncredited)
Vinny DeGennaro	...	Street Thug (uncredited)
Dennis Funny	...	Tower Records Window shopper (uncredited)
Maria Gundy	...	Girlfriend in a Club (uncredited)
Shevy Berkovits Gutierrez	...	Event Server (uncredited)
Julie Jei	...	Club Girl (uncredited)
Rick Kain	...	Yuppy Dad (uncredited)
Adam LaFramboise	...	Bar Patron / Window Shopper (uncredited)
Chester Riley	...	Sky Cap (uncredited)
Cameron Stevens	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Ben Younger

Writing credits (WGA)
Ben Younger		(written by)

Produced by
Mark Gordon	....	executive producer
Bradley Jenkel	....	co-producer (as Brad Jenkel)
Anthony Katagas	....	co-producer
Jennifer Todd	....	producer
Suzanne Todd	....	producer
Bob Yari	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Ryan Shore

Cinematography by
William Rexer

Film Editing by
Kristina Boden

Casting by
Ellen Lewis

Production Design by
Mark Ricker

Art Direction by
Paul D. Kelly

Set Decoration by
Carol Silverman

Costume Design by
Melissa Toth

Makeup Department
J. Roy Helland	....	hair stylist: Meryl Streep
J. Roy Helland	....	makeup artist: Meryl Streep
Wayne Herndon	....	additional hair stylist
Lori Hicks	....	additional makeup artist
Michelle Johnson	....	additional hair stylist
Claus Lulla	....	additional makeup artist
Kyra Panchenko	....	makeup artist: Uma Thurman
Nuria Sitja	....	key makeup artist
Ryan Trygstad	....	hair stylist: Uma Thurman (as Ryan Trygsdad)
Anthony Veader	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Anthony Katagas	....	unit production manager
Robert Katz	....	executive in charge of production
Susan Lazarus	....	post-production supervisor
John Portnoy	....	post-production executive
Louise Runge	....	post-production manager
Robin Sweet	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Lerman	....	first assistant director
Murphy Occhino	....	second assistant director: additional crew
Gary S. Rake	....	second second assistant director (as Gary Rake)
Demian Resnick	....	second second assistant director
Peter Thorell	....	second assistant director (as Pete Thorell)
David 'Wex' Wechsler	....	first assistant director: additional photography

Art Department
James C. Allen	....	key carpenter
Bob Arietta	....	charge scenic artist: additional unit (as Robert Arietta)
Anthony Baldasare	....	on-set dresser
Meredith Barchat	....	scenic artist
Coburn Boyd	....	set dresser
Russell Bullock	....	scenic artist
Kelley Burney	....	art production assistant
Jennifer Buturla	....	scenic artist
John J. Ciccimarro	....	co-construction coordinator
Jeffrey Czaja	....	scenic artist
Amy Fritz	....	art department coordinator
Joseph Garzero	....	charge scenic artist (as Joe Garzero)
Emily Gaunt	....	camera scenic artist
Gerald Gloster	....	key construction grip
Paul W. Gorfine	....	scenic artist (as Paul Gorfine)
Alex Gorodetsky	....	scenic artist
Joanna Hartell	....	leadman
Henry Kaplan	....	set dressing foreman
Renee Kilden	....	scenic artist
Timothy Main	....	shop craftsman (as Tim Main)
Eric M. Metzger	....	set dresser (as Eric Metzger)
Ann Miller	....	property master
Ron Miller	....	second carpenter
Tim Okamura	....	artist: paintings
Ralph Perri	....	construction grip
David Poses	....	shop craftsman
Jeffrey Rollins	....	set dresser
Daniel Rosenfeld	....	scenic shopman
Pierre Rovira	....	construction coordinator
Elizabeth Schlitten	....	assistant property master
Cathy Scorsese	....	third property assistant (as Catherine Scorsese)
Keith Steinberg	....	construction grip
Larry Steinberg	....	key construction grip
Hector Toledo	....	construction grip
James Whelan	....	set dresser
Ian Zdatny	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Dan Edelstein	....	foley editor (as Daniel Edelstein)
Kenton Jakub	....	adr editor
Bobby Johanson	....	adr engineer
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
Paul Koronkiewicz	....	boom operator: additional unit
Brian Langman	....	sound effects editor
Avi Laniado	....	sound mix engineer
Kim Maitland	....	utility sound
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound mixer
James Nichols	....	sound consultant: Dolby (as James P. Nichols)
Bob Olari	....	sound re-recordist (as Robert Olari)
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Mike Poppleton	....	first assistant sound editor (as Michael Poppleton)
Mathew Price	....	sound mixer: additional unit
Michael Scott	....	boom operator
Timothia Sellers	....	utility sound: additional unit (as Timothea Sellers)
Paul P. Soucek	....	supervising sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr engineer
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Reilly Steele	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel Ward	....	assistant sound editor
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr engineer (as Paul Zydel)

Special Effects by
Drew Jiritano	....	special effects director
Andrea Swistak	....	special effects technician
Thomas Viviano	....	special effects assistant (as Tom Viviano)

Visual Effects by
Danny DeVincent	....	digital color timer (as Daniel Devincent)
John Kuramoto	....	compositor
Gary Leib	....	compositor: main titles
Janos Pilenyi	....	optical supervisor
Ariel Enriquez Saulog	....	digital supervisor

Stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Joseph Baccari	....	company electrician
Michael F. Barrow	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, additional unit (as Michael Barrow)
Kelly Britt	....	dimmer board operator
Michael Cambria	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Paul Candrilli	....	best boy grip
Caesar Carnevale	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Andrew Cheung	....	company grip
Ted Chu	....	camera operator
John Donohue	....	key rigging grip
Jeffrey A. Eplett	....	generator operator (as Jeffrey Eplett)
Jay Feather	....	first assistant camera: additional unit
Bill Floyd	....	assistant camera: second unit
Ray Flynn	....	rigging gaffer
Rebekah Frankel	....	company electrician (as Reba Frankel)
Jim Galvin	....	electrician
Christopher F. Graneto	....	grip
Dennis Green	....	24 frame video operator
Joseph Grimaldi	....	company electrician (as Joe Grimaldi)
Matthew Guarriello	....	rigging grip
Thomas Hocking	....	company grip
Amy Albano Jachyra	....	additional camera loader
Nils Johnson	....	video assist operator: additional unit
Anne Joyce	....	still photographer: additional unit
Keith Kalohelani	....	rigging electric
Daniel Keck	....	second assistant camera: additional unit
Jeremy Knaster	....	electrician
John Krause	....	company grip
Roberto Lopez	....	company grip
Andrew Lowe	....	additional electrician
Charlie Marroquin	....	company grip (as Charles Marroquin)
Rick Marroquin	....	dolly grip
Michael J. Maurer	....	best boy
Peter McEntyre	....	shop electrician
Michael A. McFadden	....	rigging grip
Kevin McKenna	....	video assist operator
Charles Meere III	....	additional electrician (as Charles Meere)
Doug Meils	....	shooting electric
Billy Miller	....	key grip
William Moore	....	additional electrician
Jeff Muhlstock	....	Steadicam operator
Jeff Muhlstock	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Malcolm Murray	....	rigging electric (as Malcolm C. Murray)
Sean O'Brien	....	company grip
Joseph M. Ori	....	company electrician
George Potter	....	generator operator: base camp
Scott H. Ramsey	....	gaffer
Steve Ramsey	....	company electrician
James A. Riley IV	....	rigging grip
Gary Ronn	....	additional electrician
Steve Rosen	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, additional unit
Michael Rudolph	....	additional electrician (as Mike Rudolph)
Chris Scarfi	....	additional electrician (as Christopher Scarfi)
Andrew D. Schwartz	....	still photographer
John Schwartz	....	rigging electric
Mark Schwentner	....	rigging best boy
Paul Steinberg	....	shop electrician
Eric Swanek	....	Steadicam assistant
Eric Swanek	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Joshua Van Praag	....	electrician
Rebecca Venezia	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Franz Yeich	....	company grip

Casting Department
Jennifer Euston	....	casting associate
Meredith Jacobson	....	extras casting
Sondra James	....	adr voice casting
Barbara McNamara	....	extras casting
John Papsidera	....	casting consultant
Laura Verbeke	....	background casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephanie Biear	....	seamstress
Kevin P. Faherty	....	costume supervisor: additional crew (as Kevin Faherty)
Leah Katznelson	....	costume shopper
Cheryl Kilbourne-Kimpton	....	set costumer
Jill Kliber	....	assistant costume designer
Joseph La Corte	....	costumer: Ms. Thurman
Ellen Mahlke	....	additional costumer
Meredith McLaughlin	....	key costumer: additional unit
Colleen Morris	....	head tailor
Diana Pappas	....	costume intern
Christy Rilling	....	costume intern
Deirdre N. Williams	....	costume supervisor (as Deirdre Williams)

Editorial Department
Danny DeVincent	....	digital color timer (as Daniel DeVincent)
Fred Heid	....	color timer
Victoria Lang	....	apprentice editor
David Rogow	....	first assistant editor
Aidan Stanford	....	laboratory color timer
Tim Stipan	....	spirit colorist: video mastering
Stan Sztaba	....	negative cutter
Adriaan van Zyl	....	post-production assistant
Adriaan van Zyl	....	post-production intern
Joe Violante	....	color timer: dailies (as Joey Violante)

Music Department
Jim Black	....	music supervisor
Linda Cohen	....	music consultant
Dan Evans Farkas	....	music editor
Richard Glasser	....	music executive
Sam Hyde	....	music consultant
Lawrence Manchester	....	score mixer
Lawrence Manchester	....	score recordist
Kathy Nelson	....	executive in charge of music: Universal Pictures
Ryan Shore	....	conductor
Ryan Shore	....	music producer
Ryan Shore	....	orchestrator
Andrew Silver	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Nick Grzan	....	driver
Peter Tavis	....	transportation captain (as Pete Tavis)

Other crew
Sunny Antrim	....	production assistant
Joseph Aquino	....	location assistant
Laura Atkins	....	assistant accountant
Joanna August	....	assistant: Jennifer Todd
Brian Bergdoll	....	stand-in: Jon Abrahams
Pamela Bertini	....	production secretary
Tatiana Bouchain	....	production assistant
Stephanie Byer	....	adr loop group
Blanca Camacho	....	adr loop group
Salvatore Carino	....	production auditor
David Coburn	....	adr loop group
Carol A. Compton	....	script clearance
Ralph Costanza	....	print coordinator
Michael Damski	....	set production assistant
Jason Dean	....	assistant production coordinator
Gleanna Doyle	....	animal trainer
Adena Edelstein	....	assistant: Ben Younger
Erin Eggers	....	production executive
Erin S. Ellescas	....	assistant: Anthony Katagas
Hester Farabee	....	assistant: Ben Younger
Ryan Ferguson	....	location scout
Dylan Gallagher	....	stand-in: Bryan Greenberg
Dave Gare	....	production liaison
Matt Gavin	....	production assistant: additional crew
Chris George	....	assistant location manager
Kelli Gillam	....	post-production accountant
Graham Goetz	....	location scout
Rick Gold	....	assistant: Neil Sacker (as Richard Gold)
Matthew Gordon	....	key set production assistant
Matthew Gordon	....	production assistant
Mitchell Greenberg	....	adr loop group
Rinaldo Guerra	....	set production assistant
Andrea Hanson	....	assistant: Bob Yari
Jonathan Hova	....	adr loop group
Benjamin Joseph	....	production assistant
Louis Katz	....	production physician
Richard Keeshan	....	production assistant: additional unit (as Richard P. Keeshan)
Elizabeth Klenk	....	location scout
David Koch	....	production assistant
Paul Kramer	....	location manager
Patricia LaMagna	....	assistant: Uma Thurman (as Patty LaMagna)
Thomas K. Lee	....	production assistant
Gary Leib	....	title designer
Hari Leigh	....	adr loop group
Amy Leigh Johnson	....	unit publicist
Vanessa Lemonides	....	adr loop group
Kendra Levenberg	....	key craft service
David Levine	....	office production intern
Michael J. Linowes	....	legal counsel
Marcus Maurice	....	adr loop group
Caitlin McGinty	....	office production secretary: additional unit
Ernest McKinney	....	projectionist
Christie Moreau	....	adr loop group
Howard Neustadt	....	projectionist
Michael Nickodem	....	location scout
Ali Norad	....	set production assistant
Tim Okamura	....	technical advisor
John Perez	....	location scout
Jua Perez	....	set production assistant
Pauline Piechota	....	office production assistant
Chauency Reese	....	payroll accountant
Aaron Resch	....	location assistant
Demian Resnick	....	location manager: additional unit
Kim Rideout	....	stand-in
Carmen Rodríguez	....	first assistant accountant
Nynne Rosenkrantz	....	stand-in
Jonathan Roumie	....	location scout
Adam Shazar	....	office production intern
Julie Solomon	....	location scout
Marce Sterner	....	location coordinator
Shelly Strong	....	production executive
Zachary Stuart-Pontier	....	unit production assistant
Daniel Stutz	....	business and legal affairs executive
Anita Sum	....	production coordinator
Michael Taylor	....	script supervisor
José Tejada	....	parking coordinator
Jim Titus	....	adr loop group (as James T. Williams II)
Vivian Tse	....	assistant: Ben Younger
Ian Watermeier	....	staff coordinator
Melissa Wells	....	assistant: Jennifer Todd
Deborah Wettstein	....	finance executive
Janice Williams	....	production coordinator: additional unit
Kori E. Wilson	....	assistant: Meryl Streep (as Kori Wilson)
Derek Wimble	....	set production assistant
Catherine Zappa	....	assistant: Daniel Stutz and Meredith Grindlinger
Zachary Haynes	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Joanna Ray	....	assistant: Jennifer Todd (uncredited)

Thanks
Mike Spera	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Prime Film Productions LLC
• Stratus Film Co.
• Team Todd
• Focus Features
• Younger Than You

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Bazuca Films (2005) (Chile) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Independent Films (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2005) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Shaw Renters (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• TOBIS Film (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Paradise Group (2005) (Russia) (all media)
• SND (2005) (France) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Universum Film (UFA) (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cineric (opticals)

Other Companies

• ARRI  cameras and lenses
• Avatar Studios  music mixed at
• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animal handler (as Birds and Animals Unlimited)
• Bloomberg L.P.  news footage courtesy of (as Bloomberg)
• Camera Service Center  camera equipment provided by
• Cineric  titles and opticals
• Dawn Animal Agency  animal handler
• IndieClear  script clearance
• K.A.S. Lighting  lighting equipment (as K/A/S Lighting, New York City)
• Kaufman Astoria Studios  stage facility
• Linowes & Burkin  legal counsel
• Manhattan Center Studios  music recorded at
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities (as The Post Factory)
• Sonoton Musik-Verlag  music
• Sound One Corporation  adr recorded at
• Sound One Corporation  sound editing and mixing
• Technicolor Creative Services  video dailies
• Technicolor  color
• The McKenna Brothers  craft service
• Todd-AO Studios  adr recorded at
• Twinkle  main titles
• Xeno Lights  grip equipment

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content including dialogue, and for language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:12A | Taiwan:R-12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Ireland:15A | Germany:o.Al. | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:U | France:U | Finland:K-7 | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-13 | USA:PG-13 (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Prime Film Productions LLC

Trivia:

Rafi is 37 years old; Dave is 23. This may be a joke on the movie's title, as 37 and 23 are both prime numbers (i.e., numbers that are divisible only by themselves and by 1).

Goofs:

Continuity: Two obviously-different red Chrysler convertibles are used in the early sequence of David and Morris driving to Morris' ex-girlfriend's house. Close-up dialogue scenes filmed in the car show a large, conspicuous high-mount brake lamp on the car's trunk in the middle background, but exterior driving shots of the convertible show a different model, with no trunk light at all.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lisa Metzger: Oh, I'm sorry. It's so hot in here, and I can't figure this stupid thing!

Movie Connections:

References Blowup (1966)

Soundtrack:

YOU'RE NO GOOD

Feels like real life on screen

I happened to catch the second half on HBO one night. I saw the entire movie a few nights later. I could easily watch it through again -- I was really drawn into the movie. I had to look it up on IMDb just because I was thinking about it so much.

There's a lot of negative reviews here, much more than the movie deserves. Movies are like people -- some you despise, many leave you indifferent, and some just really *click*. My roommate came back from "Saw III" hyper and proclaiming it the "BEST movie EVER!!!" -- I can guarantee you he wouldn't care for this. "Prime" also doesn't have any of the typical emotional manipulations found in your average rom-com. It makes do with much subtler if still dramatic material. For example: the meeting between Rafi and David is low-key, slightly awkward, nothing like, say, the Ferris wheel scene in "The Notebook". Ryan Gosling threatening suicide to get a date is certainly entertaining, but it also leaves me slightly detached, too aware this is a story for my viewing pleasure.

"Prime" is the anti-"Grease". There's nothing STYLIZED about it; no fairy-tale ending. If you can do with such accoutrements you'll be sucked in, especially if you can relate to the very upper-middle-class New York viewpoint that permeates it. Another reviewer was quite insightful in comparing it to "Annie Hall".

As for the relentless disparagement of Bryan Greenberg in the male lead: you've got to be kidding me!!!! He doesn't play the role the way, say, a young Al Pacino would play it. His persona is understated, relaxed almost to the point of passivity, slightly unsure, sarcastic and naive and vulnerable all at once. Completely believable as a 23-year-old who would appeal to and be attracted to a 37-yr-old divorcée. A more typical male lead his age wouldn't be dating Uma Thurman, he'd be charming Natalie Portman or Jessica Alba. Take the scene where he's trying to connect with the stoic doorman -- I totally cracked up and at the same time couldn't help but admire how true-to-life it felt. Everything about that scene bespoke an upper-middle-class 20-something living with his grandparents and lacking direction.

Not to mention that the intimacy between Rafi and David felt so natural that I felt convinced that Uma and Bryan had something off-screen during filming. The way they looked at each other, shared each other's space... the lust didn't seem acted, I'll put it that way.

To Ben Younger: despite all the people out there who don't get it, there are some of us who do. You really did an amazing job, and I doubt I'll ever forget "Bubbe" knocking herself with that frying pan... Lol.