Stuck (2007)

Director:

Stuart Gordon

Writers (WGA):

John Strysik (screenplay)
Stuart Gordon (story)

Release Date:

12 September 2008 (Turkey)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Two Destinies Are About To Collide

Plot:

A young woman commits a hit-and-run, then finds her fate tied to her victim.

Plot Keywords:

Hit And Run | Garage | Taxi Driver | Nudity | Leg Spreading

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Mena Suvari	...	Brandi Boski
Stephen Rea	...	Thomas Bardo
Russell Hornsby	...	Rashid
Rukiya Bernard	...	Tanya
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon	...	Petersen
Lionel Mark Smith	...	Sam
Wayne Robson	...	Mr. Binckley
R.D. Reid	...	Manager
Patrick McKenna	...	Joe Lieber
Sharlene Royer	...	Tiffany
Bunthivy Nou	...	Gloria
Suzanne Short	...	Receptionist
Wally McKinnon	...	Beat Cop (as Wally MacKinnon)
John Dartt	...	Cop
Liam McNamara	...	Thin Young Man
Shuko Akune	...	Hospital Voice Menu (voice)
John Dunsworth	...	Cabbie
Marguerite McNeil	...	Mrs. Pashkewitz
Jeffrey Combs	...	911 Operator (voice)
Martin Moreno	...	Pedro
Lorena Rincon	...	Estela
Mauricio Hoyos	...	Luis

Directed by
Stuart Gordon

Writing credits (WGA)
John Strysik		(screenplay)
Stuart Gordon		(story)

Produced by
Christian Arnold-Beutel	....	executive producer
Jay Firestone	....	producer
Ken Gord	....	producer
Stuart Gordon	....	producer
Sam Grana	....	executive producer
Robert Katz	....	producer
John F.S. Laing	....	executive producer
Tim McGrath	....	executive producer
Julie G. Moldo	....	associate producer
Zenon Yunko	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bobby Johnston

Cinematography by
Denis Maloney

Film Editing by
Andy Horvitch

Casting by
Ferne Cassel
Lisa Parasyn

Production Design by
Craig Lathrop

Set Decoration by
Alan MacLeod

Costume Design by
Carol Cutshall

Makeup Department
Linda Flynn	....	key hair stylist
Kathrine Gordon	....	hair braiding: Ms. Suvari
Sylvie Mazerolle	....	key makeup artist
Mike Measimer	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Greg McDougall	....	makeup artist: second unit (uncredited)

Production Management
Andrew Barnes	....	assistant production manager
Andy Horvitch	....	post-production supervisor
Rob Urquhart	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Cotterill	....	second assistant director
Alexandra LeGuerrier	....	trainee assistant director
B. Scott Senechal	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Matt Likely	....	assistant art director
Elizabeth Moran	....	art department coordinator
Robert Richard	....	draftsman

Sound Department
Justin Bates	....	sound editor
Richard Burton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Burton	....	supervising sound editor
Thierry J. Couturier	....	sound editor
Corey Eccles	....	sound editor
Georges Hannan	....	sound mixer
Damian Reynolds	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
Laird McMurray	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
David Alexander	....	CG animator: Switch VFX
Jon Campfens	....	visual effects supervisor
Gudrun Heinze	....	digital compositor: Switch VFX
Steven Nevius	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Bill Grimmer	....	animal stunts
Cheryl Quiacos	....	stunt performer
Sharlene Royer	....	stunt performer
John Stoneham Jr.	....	fight coordinator
John Stoneham Jr.	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Darcy Fraser	....	second assistant camera
Mark Hemmings	....	still photographer
Reza Tabrizi	....	additional first assistant camera: pick-ups

Casting Department
Liza Gagnon	....	extras casting
Donna Rae Gibbs	....	co-casting director
Debbie Kwan	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fileena Bahris	....	jewelry designer
Brenda McLeese	....	set costumer
Chris J. O'Neil	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Ester Brymova	....	assistant editor
Luis Ortiz Guillen	....	assistant editor
Rui Martins	....	telecine operator
Tom Mayclim	....	negative cutter

Music Department
John Krovoza	....	musician: cello

Other crew
Jacquie Anderson	....	location manager
Rick Constantineau	....	production accountant
Ken Dhaliwal	....	legal counsel
Joanne Duguay	....	production coordinator
Gary Allen Ferguson	....	gun wrangler (as Gary Ferguson)
Liza Gagnon	....	accommodation coordinator
Mary Louise McCloskey	....	script supervisor
Steven Nevius	....	title designer
James Ordonez	....	production consultant
Tim Turnell	....	stand-in: male lead

Production Companies

• Prodigy Pictures
• Amicus Entertainment
• Tumidor

Distributors

• THINKFilm (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• All Interactive Distribution (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• Focus Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (DVD)
• HBO Hungary (2009) (Hungary) (TV) (Cinemax)
• Image Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Rigel Entertainment (2007) (non-USA) (all media)
• Seville Pictures (2008) (Canada) (all media)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, disturbing content, sexuality/nudity, language and drug use.

Runtime:

85 min | Canada:94 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Canada | USA | UK | Germany

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A | USA:R | Australia:MA (DVD release) | Australia:MA (2008) | UK:15 | Singapore:M18 | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Company:

Prodigy Pictures

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Stuart Gordon]The resident who gets yelled at by Rashid's girlfriend in the apartment hallway.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Bardo is seen walking down the street, you can see the visible breath of a crumbier on the right side of the shot. This is apparently due to the cold temperature on the night this was filmed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[At the care facility, a patient offscreen calls for Brandi]
Mr. Binckley: Brandi! I want Brandi!
Gloria: He did it again.
Brandi Boski: He did?
Gloria: I tried helping, but he keeps asking for you.
Brandi Boski: Yeah, he does that.

Movie Connections:

Version of Hit and Run (2009) (V)

Stranger than Fiction!

STUCK is one of those films that creeps up on you, teases you into thinking a comedy is in the making, then slowly reveals itself as what seems to be an exposé of our current manner of getting through life, of competing in the workplace, and of self absorption to the point of endangering those around us. The fact that the film is based on a true story as adapted by director Stuart Gordon and transformed into a bitingly satirical screenplay by John Strysik increases the impact of this well-crafted little low budget film. Watch it once for the gritty content of the story, then watch it again to appreciate all of the very dark (and very pointed!) humor in what at first appears to be a grisly tale.

Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari) works as a Nurse's Aid in a nursing home of senile elderly patients, giving some of the finest care for those entrusted to her talents. Brandi's compassionate work is noted by the supervisor Peterson (Carolyn Purdy-Gordon) who manages to trick Brandi into an even heavier work schedule by suggesting a raise in position. Excited about her possible promotion Brandi and her working partner Tanya (Rukiya Bernard) celebrate that evening with Brandi's boyfriend/drug supplier Rashid (Russell Hornsby) who gives Brandi a pill of Ecstasy and the mixture of the drug with the alcohol creates a mess of Brandi's mind.

The parallel story involves one jobless Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) who lives in a tenement, is evicted because of past due rent, and becomes a street person, treated with cold (but satirical) mechanical responses at the Department of Unemployment. Left to sleep in the park he is befriended by another homeless person, given a shopping cart, and makes his way toward a midnight mission.

Brandi cum altered thought processes drives home, hits Thomas who comes sailing through her windshield badly injured, and out of fear and distress Brandi merely takes the 'stuck' Thomas home to park him in her garage, knowing that her boyfriend Rashid will help her. Thomas is conscious, unable to climb out of the glass of the crushed windshield and begs for help. How the stranded and injured Thomas is treated by the desperate but self-centered Brandi, by the frightened but macho Rashid, and by neighbors who fear intervention because of reporting an incident that would encourage police intervention and threaten their deportation as illegal immigrants results in an ending that shows how 'justice' can prevail!

The cast is first rate - especially Rea, Suvari, Hornsby and Bernard. The direction is tight and maintains credible characters in incredible situations and holds the audience attention every moment. This is a fine example of how a low budget film, in the hands of pros, can be more successful that the big budget, less thoughtful movies that crowd our marquis. Grady Harp