Just Add Water (2008/I)

Director:

Hart Bochner

Writer:

Hart Bochner (writer)

Release Date:

18 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

An offbeat romantic comedy about a decent guy, Ray Tuckby, with a dead-end life in the dead-end town of Trona, CA. After encouragement from a stranger whom he happens upon, Ray begins to dream again. He sheds the parasites in his life, musters the nerve to pursue his childhood love, and finally takes back his community by toppling the local teenage Meth-baron.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | California | Rural

Cast

Dylan Walsh	...	Ray Tuckby
Tracy Middendorf	...	Nora
Jonah Hill	...	Eddie
Justin Long	...	Spoonie
Brad Hunt	...	Denny
Melissa McCarthy	...	Selma
Will Rothhaar	...	Dirk
Joey Kern	...	Scotty
Anika Noni Rose	...	R'ch'lle
Danny DeVito	...	Merl Striker
Penny Balfour	...	Charlene
Lee Garlington	...	Penny
Michael Hitchcock	...	Mark Tuckby
Tracey Walter	...	Clem (as Tracy Walter)
June Squibb	...	Mother
John Balma	...	Elmo
Chelsea Field	...	Jeanne
Lucy DeVito	...	Wanda
Cerina Vincent	...	The Mrs.
Ahna O'Reilly	...	Tammy
Emily Arlook	...	Candy
Chris Owen	...	Will
Nate Mooney	...	Stan
Jonathan Moore	...	Ray's Boss
Sewell Whitney	...	Restaurant Customer
Scott Kinworthy	...	Car Customer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lindsey Axelsson	...	Chrisy
Jonathan Sachar	...	John
Ashley Sherman	...	Shakwanda
Lu Jenks	...	Driver in Parking (uncredited)
David Merheb	...	Driver in Parking (uncredited)
Jedediah Shoemaker	...	Garage Patron in Aztek (uncredited)

Directed by
Hart Bochner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hart Bochner		writer

Produced by
Joe Amodei	....	executive producer
Mary Pat Bentel	....	co-producer
Robin Bissell	....	producer
Hart Bochner	....	executive producer
Jeffrey D. Erb	....	executive producer
Richard Klubeck	....	executive producer
Katie Mustard	....	line producer
Joe Nicolo	....	executive producer
Jonathan Sachar	....	executive producer
Jonathan Sachar	....	producer
F.X. Vitolo	....	associate producer
Clifford Werber	....	producer

Original Music by
John Swihart

Cinematography by
Aaron Barnes

Film Editing by
Alan Cody
James Renfroe

Casting by
Kathleen Tomasik		(as Kathleen Black)

Production Design by
Dean Backer

Art Direction by
Steven V. Clark

Costume Design by
Corrine Larson

Makeup Department
Monica Alvarez	....	assistant hair stylist
Monica Alvarez	....	assistant makeup artist
Fiona Distefano	....	additional makeup artist
Elizabeth Fox	....	assistant hair stylist
Elizabeth Fox	....	assistant makeup artist
Jennifer Greenberg	....	additional hair stylist
Jennifer Lee	....	additional makeup dailies
Kelley Mitchell	....	key makeup artist
Lorna Reid	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Brian J. Garland	....	production supervisor
Yari Schutzer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
M.C. 'Max' Berryhill	....	second assistant director
Aaron Billet	....	first assistant director: second unit
Julia Foresman	....	second unit director
Rachel Garza	....	second second assistant director
Louis Hagney	....	first assistant director (as Louis W. Hagney)
Charity Ozarowski	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Scott Evans	....	property master
Shane T. French	....	property master
Erick Garibay	....	property master
S. Todd Whitaker	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Jonathan Coomes	....	sound effects editor
Brandon Espinoza	....	boom operator
Robert Getty	....	supervising sound editor
Danielle Ghent	....	dialogue editor
Frederick Howard	....	sound effects editor
Bill Jenkins	....	additional sound mixer
Ronald Kelly	....	digital transfer engineer
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer
Wil Masisak	....	additional sound mixer
Wil Masisak	....	boom operator
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Eric Raber	....	sound effects editor
Kevin Skaggs	....	digital transfer engineer
Brian Slack	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alec St. John	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lucy Sustar	....	foley mixer
Eugene E. Thompson	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Erich Martin Hicks	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Sean Geer	....	visual effects
Diane Wright	....	digital asset manager: Laser Pacific

Stunts
Steve Hart	....	stunt coordinator
Chip Mefford	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Matthew Bellamy	....	second assistant camera
Matthew Berger	....	second assistant camera
Brian Fletcher	....	electrician
Brian Griffith	....	grip
Brad Grimmett	....	Steadicam operator
Bryan Hong	....	grip
Christopher Kidder	....	key grip
Lawrence Montemayor	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Kyle Newacheck	....	grip
Jeremy Noggles	....	best boy grip: additional photography
Michael Roberts	....	still photographer
Jedediah Shoemaker	....	best boy grip
Dwight Elliott Stone	....	key grip: additional photography
Jeffrey Ray Strong	....	gaffer
Ben Watkins	....	grip and electrical equipment supplier

Casting Department
John McAlary	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nora Phillips Pedersen	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Julia Foresman	....	post-production coordinator
David M. Perkins	....	colorist: dailies
Christopher Ryder	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Robin Urdang	....	music supervisor
Andrea Zavareei	....	assistant engineer

Transportation Department
Aaron Billet	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Heather Askew	....	script supervisor
Aaron Billet	....	key set production assistant
Carol A. Compton	....	script clearance
Cory Cope	....	assistant production coordinator
Julia Foresman	....	assistant to director
Josephine Hunt-Korn	....	production assistant
Shannon Kern	....	production assistant
Brian Lewis	....	production assistant
Stanley Longstreet	....	location manager
Lisa McNeil	....	script supervisor: additional photography
Christiana Rubin	....	production assistant
L. La Mar Stewart	....	production assistant
Cédric Troadec	....	production coordinator

Production Companies

• Bleeding Hart Films
• Dewey Beach Films
• Morningstar Films
• One Part Sugar

Distributors

• Indies Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Circles From The Center

Other Companies

• IndieClear  script clearance
• PES Payroll  payroll services
• Widget Post Production  sound post-production

Also Known As:

One Part Sugar (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and drug material.

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bleeding Hart Films

Soundtrack:

Cuts Like A Blade

Nice guys finish first.....

Danny DeVito lends his presence to what is essentially minimalist entertainment. The acting and character development are totally acceptable, but the story is very simplistic, and is further weakened by unnecessary voice overs. There are moments of black comedy, romance, and action, but the film suffers from an identity crisis, because none of the above features are very strong, leaving "Just Add Water" with sort of a questionable genre. Marginally recommended for those who like isolated desert towns, with goofy characters. The closest similar movies I can think of would be "Sordid Lives" or "Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me" - MERK