Ken Park (2002)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Directors:

Larry Clark
Edward Lachman

Writers:

Larry Clark (stories)
Harmony Korine (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (Austria)

Genre:

Adult | Drama

Tagline:

Who are you?

Plot:

It's about several Californian skateboarder's life and relationships with and without their parents.

Plot Keywords:

Teenager | Skateboarder | Alcoholic Father | Sex | Masturbation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Adam Chubbuck	...	Ken Park
James Bullard	...	Shawn
Seth Gray	...	Shawn's Brother
Eddie Daniels	...	Shawn's Mother
Zara McDowell	...	Zoe
Maeve Quinlan	...	Rhonda
Stephen Jasso	...	Claude
Wade Williams	...	Claude's Father (as Wade Andrew Williams)
Tiffany Limos	...	Peaches
Julio Oscar Mechoso	...	Peaches' Father (as Julio Oscar Mochoso)
James Ransone	...	Tate
Patricia Place	...	Tate's Grandmother
Amanda Plummer	...	Claude's Mother
Mike Apaletegui	...	Curtis
Harrison Young	...	Tate's Grandfather
Ashley Crisp	...	Rebekah (as Ashley E. Crisp)
Lazavier James	...	Rebekah's Friend
Daniel Helwick	...	Friend #1
Gabe Nava	...	Friend #2
Sam Baptista	...	Friend #3
Shanie Calahan	...	Hannah
Chelsey Earlywine	...	Hannah's Girlfriend
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Bob (as Bill Faggerbakke)
Richard Riehle	...	Murph
Caroline Kristiahn	...	Prostitute
Loranne Maze	...	Ken Park's Girlfriend
Luna	...	Legs
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Larry Clark	...	Hot-dog seller (uncredited)
Elvis Strange	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Larry Clark
Edward Lachman		(as Ed Lachman)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Larry Clark		stories and characters by
Harmony Korine		screenplay

Produced by
Olivier Brémond	....	executive producer
Pascal Breton	....	executive producer
Victoria Goodall	....	line producer
Kees Kasander	....	producer
Jean-Louis Piel	....	producer
Wang Wei	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Larry Clark
Edward Lachman		(as Ed Lachman)

Film Editing by
Andrew Hafitz

Casting by
Carmen Cuba

Production Design by
John DeMeo

Costume Design by
Michele Posch

Makeup Department
Sabina Bonvillain	....	hair designer (as Sabine M. Bonvillain)
Sabina Bonvillain	....	makeup designer (as Sabine M. Bonvillain)
Jamie Escarra	....	additional hair stylist
Stacey Panepinto	....	hair stylist assistant
Stacey Panepinto	....	makeup artist assistant

Production Management
Charlie Vogel	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jennifer Fragoso	....	second second assistant director
Chad Rosen	....	first assistant director
Dawn Stewart	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Reed Bernstein	....	property master
Krit Fagtongpun	....	swing
Craig Getman	....	lead man
Jim Kingslan	....	swing

Sound Department
Dennis Grzesik	....	sound mixer (as Dennis 'Big D' Grzesik)
Malaika Langa	....	audio post coordinator
Dominick Tavella	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roland Vajs	....	additional sound mixer
Roland Vajs	....	sound editor
Magdaline Volaitis	....	sound editor
Stacey A. Washer	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Kam Cooney	....	special effects (as Cam Kooney)
P. David Miller	....	special effects crew (as Paul D. Miller)

Visual Effects by
Reinier van Brummelen	....	digital effects

Stunts
Lou Simon	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicolas Amato	....	best boy electric
Bennett Cerf	....	assistant camera (as Bennet Cerf)
Dale Cole	....	grip
John W. DeBlau	....	lighting
Jeff Dyer	....	first assistant camera (as Jeff Dryer)
Scott Eades	....	best boy grip
Gayle Hilary	....	camera loader
Courtney Jones	....	key grip
Julie Kovermusz	....	grip: second unit
Miek Krajci	....	second assistant camera
Leigh Ledare	....	still photographer
Dean Lent	....	additional camera operator
Dean Lent	....	additional camera operator: second unit
James McMillan	....	key grip: second unit (as Jim McMillan)
Steve Mulcahey	....	key grip
Steve Mulcahey	....	key grip: second unit
Tuan Nguyen	....	video operator: second unit
Kevin Blair Rogers	....	additional camera loader (as Blair Rogers)

Casting Department
Natasha Cuba	....	casting assistant
Joey 'Pain' Young	....	extras casting: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jasmine Kostraba	....	assistant costume designer (as Jasmine Christina Kostraba)
Michael Maize	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Seth Anderson	....	assistant editor
Brent Joseph	....	assistant editor
Jeff Marcello	....	assistant editor
James Palumbo	....	assistant editor
Chris Weber	....	negative cutter
Lee Wimer	....	color timer

Music Department
Matt Clark	....	music consultant
Howard Paar	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
George M. Geminiano	....	driver (as George Geminiano)
Doug S. MacLean	....	transportation captain
Mark E. Mobley	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Rhonda Bingham	....	paymaster
Maxine Brooks	....	studio teacher
Krenton Caudle	....	emergency medical technician
Dwight Hovey	....	studio teacher
Brent M. Jones	....	production consultant
Leslie Kharma	....	production office assistant
Max Kraus	....	assistant location manager
Kent Linker	....	studio teacher (as Kent Lanker)
Jay Mason	....	script supervisor
Barb Maze	....	baby wrangler
Jonathan McCoy	....	production coordinator
Joe McGraw	....	location manager
Maggie Means	....	production accountant
Mark Moore	....	set medic
Jane Nisselson	....	title designer
Irwin M. Rappaport	....	production attorney (as Irwin Rappaport)
Leslie Rogers	....	assistant production coordinator
Steven Ruecker	....	assistant to director
Gerry Villareal	....	title designer
Dan Riley	....	legal assistant (uncredited)
Lou Simon	....	fight choreographer (uncredited)

Thanks
Bruce Bennett	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Busy Bee Productions
• Cinéa
• Kasander Film Company
• Lou Yi Inc.
• Marathon International

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2003) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fine Films (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Independent Partners (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Mont-Blanc Distribution (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Neue Visionen Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (video)
• CP Classics (Russia)
• Clyde Films Inc. (Japan)
• Divisa Home Video (2005-2006) (Spain) (DVD)
• Fortissimo Film Sales
• Impuls Home Entertainment (2005) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Legend Films International (2004) (Germany) (all media) (rights)
• Metro Tartan Distribution Ltd. (UK)
• Pan Européenne Distribution
• Universum Film (UFA) (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Vitagraph Films (USA)

Other Companies

• Action Payroll  payroll company
• Dee-Lite Catering  catering
• Dee-Lite Catering  craft services
• Image Resolution, The  title and opticals
• Planet 10 Post  post-production sound facilities
• Sande Alesai Casting  extras casting
• Sound One Corporation  post-production sound facilities

Also Known As:

Ken Park (Argentina) (festival title) (Spain) [es]
Ken Park (Italy) [it]
Ken Park (Austria) [de]
Ken Park (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

96 min | Argentina:98 min (Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema) | Sweden:97 min

Country:

USA | Netherlands | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby SR

Certification:

Canada:R (Alberta) | Iceland:16 | Hungary:18 | France:-16 (video) | France:-16 | France:-18 (court decision) | Singapore:(Banned) | Argentina:18 | Australia:Refused Classification | Brazil:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | Italy:VM18 | Japan:R-18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 (with restriction) | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Busy Bee Productions

Trivia:

The film was refused classification by The Office of Film and Literature Classification and is currently banned for screening in Australia as of June 2003.

Quotes:

Claude's father: You can pick your friends but you can't pick your family.

Movie Connections:

References "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Out of Hand

A disturbing yet worthwhile artistic statement

Anyone who finds pornography disturbing will find "Ken Park" disturbing for both the wrong and the right reasons.

Its not pornography, but it will be confused with it easily since it contains many of the same powerful ingredients: nudity and explicit sexual behavior. What separates it from pornography is that "Ken Park"'s intent is not to arouse but to provoke an emotional response by placing these same powerful ingredients within a troublesome relational context. Unfortunately that's also the problem with "Ken Park".

An average viewer can't witness explicit sexual behavior and be unaffected by it. We are all sexual (mostly) and (most of us) respond to visual stimuli. "Ken Park" demands that the viewer suspend that response, look beyond any arousal or outrage generated from the explicit sexuality and focus on the relationships in the film (of which sex is merely the expression). This asks of the average cinema viewer much more sexual maturity than most films ever hope to ask.

We may demand more pressure on the envelope as a viewing public, but the cumulative effect of pushing the envelope is still in the realm of speculative sociolology. Also, the extreme youthful appearance some of the characters in the film will cause some companies to avoid distribution risks. Free speech is one thing; defending accusations of spreading pedophilia is quite another, and few companies can afford that kind of publicity.

Personally, I think that the Clark and Lachman have made a great film; its a moral and compassionate statement. The characters feel very real; in their banality there is real pathos. In fact, the bland dialogue and delivery explains why sex holds such a powerful lure for these kids. They have access to rare delight and comfort with sex and, weirdly enough, a sense of peace. It rings true. The tragedy plays out that they are all compromised by clueless or pathological parent figures and the sexuality reflects a history of thwarted attachment. The final scene with the three main characters together struck me as very bittersweet since it plays more as a fantasy than a likely scenario.

Art enjoys such a complex, troubled relationship with the American public. We are such a rapidly changing audience with a huge appetite for challenge, yet we don't necessarily absorb the changes we witness. As an audience, we expect far more cultural sophistication than our capacity for balanced interpretation. "Ken Park" is evidence of that.