Bernard and Doris (2007)

Director:

Bob Balaban

Writer:

Hugh Costello (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The story of the twilight years of tobacco billionairness Doris Duke and her relationship with her gay butler, to whom she left her entire fortune.

Plot Keywords:

Gay Themed | Chauffeur | Tobacco | 1990s | Maid

Cast

Susan Sarandon	...	Doris Duke
Ralph Fiennes	...	Bernard Lafferty
Peter Asher	...	First Butler
Don Harvey	...	Security Guard
Chris Bauer	...	Chef
Monique Curnen	...	Paloma (as Monique Gabriela Curnen)
Marilyn Torres	...	Nancy
Nick Rolfe	...	Ben
James Rebhorn	...	Waldo Taft
Dominick Dunne	...	Board Member
Thomas J. McGrath	...	Board Member
Gene Parseghian	...	Board Member
Henry S. Schleiff	...	Board Member (as Henry Schleiff)
Calvin Trillin	...	Board Member
Kunnath P. Namboodiri	...	Swami
David Kuhn	...	Dinner Guest
Neal Huff	...	Dinner Guest
Jim Bracchitta	...	Patrolman (as James Bracchitta)
Robert Penotti	...	Masseur
Bruce MacVittie	...	Doctor
Ed Onipede Blunt	...	Second Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vincent Bagnall	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Corey Hibbert	...	Security Guard #2 (uncredited)
Eliot Sash	...	Cop #1 (uncredited)
John Schuman	...	Cop in Cruiser (uncredited)
April Yvette Thompson	...	Ms. Chang (uncredited)

Directed by
Bob Balaban

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hugh Costello		writer

Produced by
Bob Balaban	....	executive producer
Dana Brunetti	....	executive producer
Jonathan Cavendish	....	executive producer
Adam Kassen	....	executive producer
Mark Kassen	....	executive producer
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	associate producer (as Cory McCrum Abdo)
Mark Olsen	....	co-executive producer
Kevin Spacey	....	executive producer
Glen Trotiner	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alex Wurman

Cinematography by
Mauricio Rubinstein

Film Editing by
Andy Keir

Casting by
Kim Moarefi
Nina Pratt

Production Design by
Frankie D.

Art Direction by
Dirk Braeger

Costume Design by
Joseph G. Aulisi

Makeup Department
Milton Buras	....	hair stylist: Mr. Fiennes
Milton Buras	....	wig stylist: Mr. Fiennes
Stacey Butterworth	....	wig maker: Ms. Sarandon
Lynn Campbell	....	makeup artist: Mr. Fiennes
Marilyn Carbone	....	makeup artist: Ms. Sarandon
Verena Cristofaro	....	additional makeup artist
Waltaya Culmber	....	additional makeup artist
Robin Day	....	hair stylist: Ms. Sarandon (as Robin Maginsky Day)
Robin Day	....	wig stylist: Ms. Sarandon (as Robin Maginsky Day)
Paul Huntley	....	wig maker: Mr. Fiennes
Kristen Infield	....	additional makeup artist
Colleen Liddy	....	hair stylist: additional photography
Erica Lytton	....	additional makeup artist
Melissa A. Yonkey	....	wig consultant (as Melissa Yonkey)

Production Management
Mike Harrop	....	post-production supervisor
Alexis Hudgins	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stephen A. Glanzrock	....	first assistant director
Eric Richard Lasko	....	assistant director: additional photography
Eric Richard Lasko	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Curtis Pollock	....	property master
Elvis Strange	....	graphic designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lora Hirschberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lukasz Janik	....	sound mixer
Zach Martin	....	sound recordist
Carey Milbradt	....	foley mixer
Brandon Proctor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Monique Reymond	....	foley artist
Ronald G. Roumas	....	sound re-recordist
Geoffrey G. Rubay	....	supervising sound editor
Ignacio Valero	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Donnie Creighton	....	digital intermediate producer
Mark Intravartolo	....	senior Inferno artist

Stunts
John Schuman	....	stunt coordinator (as John-Eric Schuman)

Camera and Electrical Department
Carter Bissell	....	electrician
Steve Briante	....	first assistant camera
John Corso	....	camera operator: additional photography
DeWitt Davis	....	grip
David George Ellis	....	steadicam operator
Frederick C. Galfas	....	key grip
Derek Gross	....	gaffer
Kate Larose	....	additional second assistant camera
Daniel Luebke	....	best boy grip
Wayne Paull	....	additional camera operator
Thomas Petersen	....	best boy grip
Travis Tomlinson	....	grip
Casey Wooden	....	best boy electric

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Johanna Argan	....	wardrobe supervisor
James Deanes	....	costumer
Juliet Ouyoung	....	costume shopper
Autumn Saville	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
William Lehman	....	assistant editor
Harry Muller	....	color timer
Lee Percy	....	additional editor
Renannah Weinstein	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tom Calderaro	....	orchestrator
Heather Clark	....	musician: flute
Steve Durkee	....	score recording engineer
Ray Espinola Jr.	....	associate music supervisor
Larry Goldings	....	musician: piano
Evyen Klean	....	music supervisor (as Evyen J. Klean)
Michael Lang	....	musician: piano
Janet Lopez	....	music coordinator
Ellen Segal	....	music editor
Perry Smith	....	musician: guitar
Alan Steinberger	....	musician: piano
Bob Thiele Jr.	....	composer: original songs and additional music (as Bob Thiele)
Robert Wolff	....	scoring crew
Alex Wurman	....	musician: flügelhorn
Gina Zimmitti	....	orchestra contractor

Other crew
Linda Algozer	....	medical consultant
Emily Baron	....	production assistant
Brett Batty	....	butler consultant
Stefan Bozydaj	....	assistant: Ralph Fiennes
Greg Butler	....	dance instructor
Eugene Choe	....	production assistant
Craig Cohen	....	production counsel
Randi M. Cohen	....	production accountant: re-shoots
Randi M. Cohen	....	production coordinator: re-shoots
Peter Duchan	....	assistant: Mr. Balaban
Mark Edlitz	....	assistant: Ms. Sarandon
Michael Fabiani	....	assistant: Mr. Fiennes, additional photography
Stephen Gabis	....	dialect coach
Jim Garvey	....	key on-set production assistant
Kara Janeczko	....	assistant: Ms. Sarandon, additional photography
Cynthia Kao	....	associate production supervisor
Eric LaFranchi	....	production assistant
Grace Lee	....	production assistant
Kelly Messias	....	assistant: Mr. Fiennes, UK
Patrick Petrocelli	....	assistant: Adam & Mark Kassen
Charlie Pinto	....	assistant location manager
Dr. Jennifer Rhodes-Kropf	....	medical consultant
Susie Ross	....	production office assistant
Kate Schumaecker	....	assistant: Mr. Balaban
John Schuman	....	location manager
Craig Shilowich	....	additional production assistant
Amy Teitter	....	production assistant
Martha Trachtenberg	....	research assistant
Becky Veduccio	....	assistant: Mr. Fiennes, New York
Jacob Wasserman	....	production assistant
Sharon Watt	....	script supervisor
Taj Whitesell	....	production assistant
Derek Yip	....	production accountant
Cory Monden	....	senior engineer (uncredited)

Thanks
Andy Arons	....	thanks
Marilyn Cooperman	....	thanks
Madeline Day	....	thanks
Paul Hunchak	....	thanks
Donna Karan	....	thanks
Eric Wheeler	....	thanks
Diahn Williams	....	thanks (as Diahn McGrath)

Production Companies

• Trigger Street Independent
• Little Bird Productions

Distributors

• HBO Films (2008) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Modern VideoFilm (inferno work)

Other Companies

• Cinetic Media  sales agency
• Goldcrest Post Production New York  audio mixing
• Goldcrest Post Production New York  on-line editing
• Wilshire Stages, The  ADR recording facility
• yU+Co.  titles

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Trigger Street Independent

Trivia:

After being shown at a film festival, "Bernard and Doris" was sent directly to cable television rather than premiering in movie theatres.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: "She said it was important. 'Perhaps I will get the feeling back ..." It's the same body of a newspaper article for two different articles. Around 23 minutes into movie. One article had headline of Doris Duke attending opening with Leonard Bernstein. The second headline was her buying a Boeing 737 for $25 million.

Movie Connections:

Version of Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

I Love the Way You're Breaking My Heart

more entertaining than I was expecting

This movie was OK. I don't know much about Doris Duke, so I don't know how accurate it was. But what I do know is that I found this HBO movie entertaining and a lot better than a lot of movies that get released in theaters. Susan and Ralph were very good in their roles. The movie shows Doris in her later years. She chases younger men and drinks a lot and moves between all her homes and fabulous vacations. She becomes friends with her butler Bernard. She probably likes the fact he likes to drink too and loves to kiss her @ss. She doesn't even mind when she catches him stealing her boos when she states any help stealing from her will get fired. Her death was controversial as to weather Bernard played a role in it and if he had anything to do with her will changing. He got 5 million plus control over her estate and foundation. But he didn't live to many more years after she died.

FINAL VERDICT: Interesting, amusing. Susan and Ralph were good together and what made this film work.