Just Add Water (2008/I)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

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
Danny DeVito	...	Merl
Justin Long	...	Spoonie
Jonah Hill	...	Eddie
Anika Noni Rose	...	R'ch'lle
Brad Hunt	...	Denny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emily Arlook	...	Candy
Lindsey Axelsson	...	Chrisy
Penny Balfour	...	Charlene
John Balma	...	Elmo
Lucy DeVito	...	Wanda
Chelsea Field	...	Cathy
Lee Garlington	...	Penny
Michael Hitchcock	...	Mark Tuckby
Lu Jenks	...	Driver in Parking
Joey Kern	...	Scotty
Scott Kinworthy	...	Car Customer
Melissa McCarthy	...	Selma
David Merheb	...	Driver in Parking
Nate Mooney	...	Stan
Ahna O'Reilly	...	Tammy
Will Rothhaar	...	Dirk
Jonathan Sachar	...	John
Ashley Sherman	...	Shakwanda
Cerina Vincent	...	Merl's Wife
Tracey Walter	...	Clem
Sewell Whitney	...	Restaurant Customer
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

Instant classic. I hate comparing, but it's this year's Juno...

I absolutely loved this film. It's endearing from beginning to end. Seeing it tonight at the DGA was a great way to spend the evening. I had no idea what I was walking into beyond the stellar cast comprised of Dylan Walsh, Tracy Middendorf, Danny DeVito and the ever beautiful Cerina Vincent. Rounding out the cast were a couple cameos including a great turn by uber-slacker Justin Long.

Funny. That's the underlying truth. But without the over-the-top syrup that comedies like this strive for. Dylan's stretching his legs into a new category of his career...a fine actor beyond the scope of Nip/Tuck. I'm anxious to see his role as the psychotic dad in The Stepfather remake lensing right now.

DeVito's voice-over carried the comedic scenes into a hilarious threshold and I found myself clapping while busting a gut at some of the sequences...including a nod at Blazing Saddles with a meth'd out woman punching a dog.

And Hart Bochner. What can I say? He forever left an image opposite Alan Rickman trying to broker a deal in the original Die Hard playing Ellis...well, chalk up his resume to a writer/director to watch in the coming years. He's transitioned quite well and created a gem of a little film.

Brilliant. Not to miss.