Closing Escrow (2007)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Directors:

Armen Kaprelian
Kent G. Llewellyn

Writers:

Armen Kaprelian (characters)
Armen Kaprelian (story)
(more)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A comedy about Real Estate

Plot:

Three quirky families seeking to buy their next home collide when trying to purchase the same property. The bidding war tests the limits of their marriages and the resolve of their agents. |

Plot Keywords:

Unplanned Pregnancy | Dead Animal | Dog | Rabbit | Mockumentary

Awards:

1 win

Cast

April Barnett	...	Tamika
Rob Brownstein	...	Allen
Colleen Crabtree	...	Mary
Andrew Friedman	...	Tom
Wendi McLendon-Covey	...	Hillary
Kirstin Pierce	...	Kelly
Ryan Smith	...	Richard
Bruce Thomas	...	Peter
Patty Wortham	...	Dawn
Cedric Yarbrough	...	Bobby
Jillian Boyd	...	Mindy Watt - Agent
Gabe Estrada	...	Restaurant Manager
Brian Habicht	...	Ernie
Samantha Holt	...	Julie Jacobsen
Leah Price	...	Log Cabin Wiener Cheese House Agent
J.W. Wolterman	...	Car Salesman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Elizabeth Kouri	...	Interested Buyer
James Llewellyn	...	Dude Walking
Cricket the Chihuahua	...	Chihuahua (uncredited)
Max	...	Max the chihuahua (uncredited)

Directed by
Armen Kaprelian
Kent G. Llewellyn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Armen Kaprelian		characters
Armen Kaprelian		story
Kent G. Llewellyn		screenplay

Produced by
Kristen Cox	....	producer
Randall P. Dark	....	executive producer
Armen Kaprelian	....	executive producer
Kent G. Llewellyn	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Scott Billups

Film Editing by
Armen Kaprelian
Kent G. Llewellyn

Set Decoration by
Josh Rose

Makeup Department
Tammy Talbot	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
L. Marie Foley	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mollie Stallman	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Jesse Cairnie	....	boom operator
Glen Frazier	....	foley recordist
Seth Gilbert	....	sound mixer
Monique Reymond	....	foley artist
Brooke Lowrey	....	foley apprentice (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Scott Billups	....	visual effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Sean Fairburn	....	camera operator
Trish Haremans	....	gaffer
Tom McDonnell	....	camera operator
James Plaxton	....	key grip

Transportation Department
Rick Lovoy	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Sarah Clifford	....	animal wrangler

Production Companies

• Awkward Silence Productions
• 16x9 Productions
• HD Vision Studios

Distributors

• Magnolia Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• HDNet Films (2007) (USA) (TV)
• Magnolia Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, language, crude humor and incidental smoking.

Runtime:

USA:93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Awkward Silence Productions

uneven but often funny faux-documentary

The All-American dream of home ownership comes in for some gentle ribbing in "Closing Escrow," a pseudo-documentary written and directed by Armen Kaprelian and Kent G. Llewellyn. The film follows three quirky couples and their equally zany realtors as they endure the trials and tribulations of buying and selling a home.

In all honesty, it takes awhile for "Closing Escrow" to work its way into the audience's affections. The humor, in the early stages, comes across as overly broad and arch, and the movie feels too derivative of all those Christopher Guest films like "Waiting For Guffman," "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind." to be entirely original. Yet, long about the midway point of the story, the concept begins to pay off and the movie glides smoothly to its conclusion. Moreover, the actors elevate the humor with their marvelously deadpan performances and impeccable sense of timing.

"Closing Escrow" is no barnburner of a comedy, but it does succeed in providing us with a decent number of good-hearted and good-natured laughs by the time it's over - not too shabby an accomplishment for any comedy these days.