The Box (2009/I)

Director:

Richard Kelly

Writers (WGA):

Richard Kelly (screenplay)
Richard Matheson (short story "Button, Button")

Release Date:

6 November 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

You Are The Experiment

Plot:

A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know.

Plot Keywords:

Box | Button | Young Child | Mysterious Stranger | 24 Hours

Cast

Cameron Diaz	...	Norma Lewis
James Marsden	...	Arthur Lewis
Frank Langella	...	Arlington Steward
James Rebhorn	...	Norm Cahill
Holmes Osborne	...	Dick Burns
Sam Oz Stone	...	Walter Lewis
Gillian Jacobs	...	Dana
Celia Weston	...	Lana Burns
Deborah Rush	...	Clymene Steward
Lisa K. Wyatt	...	Rhonda Martin
Mark S. Cartier	...	Martin Teague (as Mark Cartier)
Kevin Robertson	...	Wendel Matheson
Michele Durrett	...	Rebecca Matheson (as Michele Durett)
Ian Kahn	...	Vick Brenner
John Magaro	...	Charles
Ryan Woodle	...	Jeffrey Carnes
Basil Hoffman	...	Don Poates
Robert Harvey	...	NASA Executive #1
Gentry Lee	...	Chief Engineer
Andrew Levitas	...	Black Op
Gabriel Field	...	Waiter
Frank Ridley	...	Detective Starrs
Daniel Stewart Sherman	...	Police Officer #1
Matthew C. Flynn	...	Police Officer #2
Patrick Canty	...	Police Officer #3
Sam Blumenfeld	...	Timothy
Kevin DeCoste	...	Malcolm
Mary Klug	...	Female Neighbor
Allyssa Maurice	...	Suzanne Weller
Danny DeMiller	...	Estelle
Michael Zegen	...	Garcin
Rachael Hunt	...	Inez
Cheryl McMahon	...	Female 911 Operator
Evelina Oboza	...	Deborah Burns
Bill Buell	...	Dr. Earl Stupe
Sal Lizard	...	Santa Claus
Donald Warnock	...	Doctor Y
W. Kirk Avery	...	Doctor Z
Don Hewitt	...	Employee #1
Floyd Richardson	...	Employee #2
David R. McDonough	...	Employee #3 (as Dave McDonough)
Rick L'Heureux	...	Chase Employee #1
Nicholas Cairis	...	Chase Employee #2
Robert Denton	...	Chase Employee #3
Paul Locke	...	Chase Employee #4
Danielle Heaton	...	Chase Employee #5
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Johnny Carson	...	Himself (archive footage)
William Conrad	...	Himself (voice) (archive footage)
John Currie	...	Nosey neighbor's grandson (uncredited)
Jenna Lamia	...	Diane Carnes (uncredited)
Tina Mann	...	Nasa Scientist (uncredited)
Jason Mulcahy	...	Edgy & Hip Family Guest (uncredited)
Ed O'Keefe	...	Norma's Abductor (uncredited)
Greg Paul	...	NASA Engineer (uncredited)
Marc Vos	...	Banquet Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Kelly

Writing credits (WGA)
Richard Kelly		(screenplay)
Richard Matheson		(short story "Button, Button")

Produced by
Sue Baden-Powell	....	executive producer
Terry Dougas	....	executive producer
Ted Field	....	executive producer
Ted Hamm	....	executive producer
Richard Kelly	....	producer
Paris Kasidokostas Latsis	....	executive producer
Dan Lin	....	producer
Kelly McKittrick	....	producer
Sean McKittrick	....	producer

Original Music by
Win Butler
Régine Chassagne
Owen Pallett

Cinematography by
Steven Poster		(director of photography) (as Steven B. Poster)

Film Editing by
Sam Bauer

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Billy Hopkins
Venus Kanani
Suzanne Smith		(as Suzanne Crowley)
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Alec Hammond

Art Direction by
Priscilla Elliott

Set Decoration by
Tracey A. Doyle

Costume Design by
April Ferry

Makeup Department
Marleen Alter	....	makeup artist
Coni Andress	....	hair stylist
Jerry DeCarlo	....	hair department head
Paula Dion	....	hair stylist
Anna Fleiner	....	assistant makeup department head
Robin Fredriksz	....	makeup artist: Cameron Diaz
Louis Lazzara	....	makeup department head
Craig Lyman	....	makeup artist
Jennifer McCollom	....	makeup artist
Sandra S. Orsolyak	....	additional makeup artist
Sara Seidman	....	assistant makeup artist (as Sara Seidman Vance)
Jason Willis	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Wendy Cox	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Crisoforo Aguilar	....	second second assistant director
Jason Altieri	....	second second assistant director
Dieter 'Dietman' Busch	....	first assistant director
Mark Carter	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bobby Anderson	....	picture car coordinator
Joshua Barnatt	....	greensperson
John D. Bert	....	assistant props
Jamie Bishop	....	co-leadman
Richard Blankenship	....	construction coordinator
Rachel Burgio	....	art department assistant
Aimee Butterfield	....	props
Jason Case	....	set dressing gang boss (as Jason Pontes)
Jessica Case	....	set dresser
Christina Chandler	....	set dresser
Danica Chipman	....	set buyer
Cosmas A. Demetriou	....	set designer
Joe Gagnepain	....	set dresser
Zack Gorman	....	set dresser
Jane Gulick	....	property master
Keith S. Jackson	....	set dresser
Dave Major	....	set dresser
Etienne Martine	....	set dresser
Brian McKenzie	....	set dresser
Beth Morris	....	props: Virginia
Lisa Nagid	....	property assistant
Katrina Parsons	....	set dresser
Jeremy M. Pereira	....	scenic artist
John Pungitore	....	set dresser
Rick Reeder	....	set dresser
Peter Rippe	....	carpenter
David Rotondo	....	construction coordinator
John Ryder	....	set dresser
Richard Salinas	....	scenic charge: VA
Shauna Sanchez	....	set dresser
Robert Schleinig	....	leadman
Michelle Sherwood	....	assistant property master
Katie Tower	....	graphic designer
Peiyi Wong	....	art department staff assistant
Andréa Ciraldo	....	greens (uncredited)

Sound Department
Daniel Brennan	....	adr mixer
Scott Cannizzaro	....	adr engineer
Jenna Dalla Riva	....	foley recording assistant
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Dunlop	....	foley editor
Christopher Eakins	....	supervising dialogue & adr editor
David Esparza	....	sound designer
David Esparza	....	supervising sound editor
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brooke Graeff	....	foley assistant
Kevin Jette	....	adr mixer
Goro Koyama	....	foley artist
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Douglas Murray	....	adr mixer
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr mixer
Kevin S. Parker	....	boom operator
Joel Reidy	....	boom operator
Gabriel J. Serrano	....	sound recordist
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Callie Thurman	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Tirone	....	adr recordist
Don White	....	foley recording mixer
Tom Williams	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Christian Beckman	....	makeup effects producer: Quantum Creation FX
Judson Bell	....	special effects coordinator
James Champoux	....	special effects technician
Jeremy Dominick	....	special effects technician
Phil H. Fravel	....	special effects
David Hill	....	special effects
William Purcell	....	special effects
Morgan McMath Rogers	....	special effects technician: Langley research center
Kenneth Salter	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Ian T. Barbella	....	visual effects
Patrick J. Barry	....	visual effects editor
Mannix Bennett	....	matte painter: Pixel Liberation Front
Francis L. Camacho	....	matchmove artist
Ray Chang	....	digital compositor: Gradient Effects
Chris Christman	....	CGI supervisor
David Cole	....	supervising digital colourist
Shane Cook	....	compositor
Sean Coonce	....	digital compositor: Gradient FX
Donnie Creighton	....	digital intermediate producer
Sean Cushing	....	visual effects producer
Raffael Dickreuter	....	digital artist
Megan Dolman	....	digital artist: Gradient Effects
Jay Frankenberger	....	compositor
Philip Fraschetti	....	digital compositor: Gradient Effects
Brad Gayo	....	visual effects
Brian Genna	....	matchmover: Gradient FX
Joanna N. Goslicka	....	tracking artist
Ryan Helsley	....	digital intermediate producer
Dylan Highsmith	....	visual effects editor
Ben Howard	....	visual effects production assistant
Josiah Holmes Howison	....	digital compositor
Josiah Holmes Howison	....	lighting supervisor
Jan Huybrechs	....	3D scanning: Eyetronics
Christopher Ide	....	post production assistant
Sadie D. Johnson	....	digital intermediate assistant producer
R. Karthik	....	visual effects artist
Thomas Kernan	....	digital modeler
Nineli Khanian	....	digital compositor
Ji Young 'Gina' Kim	....	lighter
Mark Kolpack	....	visual effects producer
Gary Laurie	....	matchmove technical director: GradientFX
Anita Naufal	....	lighter
Pouyan Navid	....	digital effects artist
Andrea Paolino	....	rigger
Andrea Paolino	....	visual effects artist
James Polk	....	character pipeline programmer
Tanissa Potrovitza	....	visual effects producer
Raphael Protti	....	digital artist
Karthic Ramesh	....	visual effects artist
Ryan Reeb	....	digital artist
Rick Sander	....	cg supervisor: Gradient Effects
Rene Segura	....	digital artist: Gradient FX
Kent Seki	....	visual effects supervisor: Pixel Liberation Front
Thomas Tannenberger	....	visual effects supervisor
Olcun Tan	....	digital effects supervisor
Rodrigo Teixeira	....	consultant technical director: Pixel Liberation Front
Cameron Thomas	....	compositor: Gradient FX
Andres Vitale	....	compositing supervisor: Pixel Liberation Front
Diana Marie Wells	....	compositor (as Diana M. Wells)
Shane Christopher Wicklund	....	digital compositor: Gradient Effects
Jason Wilson	....	visual effects artist
Bob Froehlig	....	lead systems engineer: Gradient Effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Blaise Corrigan	....	stunt coordinator
Jeffrey Lee Gibson	....	stunt rigger
Paul Marini	....	stunt driver
Brieann Rich	....	stunt driver
Kid Richmond	....	stunts
Nicholas Rich	....	stunt driver
Steve Ritzi	....	stunt coordinator
Aaron Vexler	....	stunt double: James Marsden
Robert Wiley	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Darlene Anastas	....	theatrical lighting designer
Beth Anderson	....	camera loader
Robert Beinhocker	....	rigging electric
Ray Brown	....	key rigging grip: Virginia
Al Bruce	....	rigging grip
Rick Cardillo	....	rigging electrician
Mark J. Casey	....	rigging electric best boy
Doug Cordonier	....	grip
Geoff Dann	....	rigging electrician
Scott D. Davis	....	rigging gaffer
Michael DiIeso	....	key rigging grip
James Dombey	....	rigging electrician
Tim Driscoll	....	key grip
Brian Dwiggins	....	rigging electrician
Patrick D. Fields	....	rigging grip
Jamie Fitzpatrick	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Alan Gitlin	....	digital imaging technician
David Shane Guild	....	rigging electrician
Terrence Hayes	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Terrence Hayes	....	director of photography: second unit
Elizabeth Heslep	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Dan Hutchinson	....	rigging electrician
John R. Kaplan	....	grip
Zach Lazar	....	lighting technician
Jody Miller	....	camera operator: "a" camera
James R. Mitchell	....	generator operator
Heather Norton	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
James H. Pair III	....	dolly grip: "a" camera
Michael Peterson	....	electrician
Dave Provenzano	....	electrician
James A. Ray	....	electrician: VA
Michael Rich	....	grip
Dale Robinette	....	still photographer
Edwin Rubio	....	grip
Chuck Rudolph	....	electrician
Dave Rudolph	....	grip
Chris Silano	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Wayne Simpson	....	rigging gaffer
S. Benny Smyth	....	generator operator: VA crew
Robert Spencer	....	best boy rigging electric
Julian Sternthal	....	best boy rigging grip: Virginia
Hektor Stockton	....	electrician
Jeff Tanger	....	rigging electric
Christopher A. Thompson	....	electrician
Travis Trudell	....	rigging electric
Aaron Tyburski	....	additional electric
Carl A. Vidnic	....	electrician
Tim Wicks	....	grip
Greg Wimer	....	first assistant camera: "c" camera
Elan Yaari	....	gaffer
Fred Young	....	electrician

Animation Department
Karthic Ramesh	....	digital paint artist

Casting Department
Matt Bouldry	....	casting assistant
Shannon Cain	....	extras casting
Lindsay Graham	....	casting associate
Henry Jaderlund	....	extras casting assistant
Jessica Kelly	....	casting associate
Marisa Kushner	....	extras casting
Carolyn Pickman	....	location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Donna Berwick	....	assistant costume designer
Laurie Buehler	....	head tailor
Michael Burke	....	set costumer (as Mike Burke)
Elizabeth Clifford	....	key costumer
Carrie Davis	....	additional costumer
Hillary Derby	....	costumer
Sheila Gentile	....	costumer
Virginia Johnson	....	costume supervisor
Alexandra Krost	....	set costumer: Virginia
Clinton E. O'Dell	....	additional costumer
Maggie Ronck	....	costume assistant
Barbara Dalton Rotundo	....	additional costumer
Dana Schaefer	....	wardrobe shopper
Tina Ulee	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Patrick J. Barry	....	first assistant editor
Darrin Roberts	....	additional editor

Music Department
Christopher Mollere	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Teresa Haney	....	transportation
Billy Kane	....	transportation coordinator
Dave Winair	....	transportation

Other crew
John Albrecht	....	first assistant accountant
Natalie Angel	....	production coordinator
Maxine Bergen	....	script supervisor
Jennifer Bydwell	....	product placement
Jeff Culotta	....	production executive
Ramses Del Hierro Ericstam	....	key set production assistant
Jeff Dionne	....	location assistant
Kimbette Fenol	....	assistant: Richard Kelly
Ethan Fox	....	assistant craft service
Christina Garnett	....	assistant production coordinator: Virginia crew
Stephen Gilchrist	....	production executive
Elizabeth Ridley Hagan	....	assistant accountant: Virginia
Julie Hansen	....	post-production accountant
Katherine Shine Hery	....	production assistant
Hannah Hoover	....	production assistant
Marc Hormuth	....	production assistant
Ryan McCoy Johnson	....	production assistant
Scott Levine	....	unit publicist
Faleshia Lo	....	post accounting
Jeffery Mannarini	....	production assistant
Jack McCullough	....	key set medic
Nora Minnich	....	production assistant
Susan Murphy	....	assistant accountant
J.P. Ouellette	....	assistant: Richard Kelly
Katie Packard	....	production secretary
Joe Piasecki	....	location assistant
Christopher Plummer	....	location assistant
Luke Ramsey	....	location manager
Brieann Rich	....	set medic
Nicholas Rich	....	set medic
Jane Sakowski	....	craft service assistant
Andrew Sarno	....	assistant production coordinator
Krista Selvaggio	....	set teacher
Kristina Soderquist	....	auditor
Tracy Spiegel	....	head craft service
Sonya Tateosian	....	assistant: cast, Frank Langella
Anthony Torres	....	production assistant
Tom Trigo	....	location manager: Virginia
Stuart Valberg	....	production assistant
Ali Walker	....	production assistant (as Alison Walker)
John West	....	set production assistant
John M. White	....	production assistant
Charlotte Anne Dore	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Darko Entertainment
• Lin Pictures
• Media Rights Capital (financial support)
• Radar Pictures

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Eureka (2009) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Pictures (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2009) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Odeon (2010) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2009) (Switzerland) (all media)
• Deltamac Entertainment (2009) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Future Film (2010) (Finland) (all media)
• Imagem Filmes (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Midget Entertainment (2009) (Denmark) (all media)
• Noble Entertainment (2009) (Sweden) (all media)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2009) (Romania) (all media)
• Turner Network Television (TNT) (2011) (USA) (TV)
• Wild Bunch Distribution (2009) (France) (all media)

Special Effects

• Gradient Effects (visual effects)
• Quantum Creation FX (prosthetics)

Other Companies

• Casting VA  casting
• Eisner & Frank  production legal
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Gradient Effects  visual effects
• K Don Marketing Group  signs & decals
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  honeywagon, star trailers hair & make-up trailers, wardrobe trailers
• MS-Pro/MusicSupervisor.com  post-production (music services)
• Paramount Transportation Services  transportation services
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  junxion box rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  walkie rentals
• Runway  post-production
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Transportation Resources  transportation equipment
• Wildfire Studios  adr recording facility
• Wildfire Studios  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44919) | Finland:K-13 | UK:12A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boston Public Library - 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Darko Entertainment

Trivia:

This marks the first feature-length film scored by members of the Canadian band Arcade Fire (Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and Owen Pallett)

Goofs:

Continuity: When being followed down through the corridors of the library, they enter a main hallway where it shows his followers coming from two different directions. Yet just a second before all five of them were coming from the same direction as he was.

Quotes:

Dana: Somebody pushing your buttons?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Angela and Friends: (#1.19)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Deck the Halls

Uneventful

A box with a button provides a couple with the opportunity to be financially free, but the cost is the life of someone they've never met. This is a very tedious film to watch. Richard Kelly, who wrote and directed it, decided to make a film without any payoff. You are taken on a ride of slow build ups, one after the other with minor revelations at best. At certain moments, I thought to myself, this will have major significance at the end, but nothing does. The film just leaves one thinking, "This story could have been told in 30 minutes, without all the stretched out nonsense." I will hope you avoid this god-awful film and maintain your sanity by doing so.