Palindromes (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz (written by)

Release Date:

21 January 2005 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

Aviva is thirteen, awkward and sensitive. Her mother Joyce is warm and loving, as is her father, Steve, a regular guy who does have a fierce temper from time to time. The film revolves around her family, friends and neighbors.

Plot Keywords:

Innocence | Suburb | New Jersey | Kansas | Suicide

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Matthew Faber	...	Mark Wiener
Angela Pietropinto	...	Mrs. Wiener
Bill Buell	...	Mr. Wiener
Emani Sledge	...	'Dawn' Aviva
Ellen Barkin	...	Joyce Victor
Valerie Shusterov	...	'Judah' Aviva
Richard Masur	...	Steve Victor
Hillary B. Smith	...	Robin Wallace
Danton Stone	...	Bruce Wallace
Robert Agri	...	First Judah
Hannah Freiman	...	'Henry' Aviva
Stephen Singer	...	Dr. Fleischer
Rachel Corr	...	'Henrietta' Aviva
Stephen Adly Guirgis	...	Joe / Earl / Bob
Will Denton	...	'Huckleberry' Aviva
Sharon Wilkins	...	Henrietta Aviva
Alexander Brickel	...	Peter Paul
Ashleigh Hertzig	...	Barbara
Risa Jaz Rifkind	...	Trixie
Dontae Huey	...	Shazaam
Debra Monk	...	Mama Sunshine
Walter Bobbie	...	Bo Sunshine
Tyler Maynard	...	Jiminy
Courtney Walcott	...	Crystal
Joshua Eber	...	Skippy
Khush Kirpalani	...	Ali
Sydney Matuszak	...	Ell
David Castro	...	Carlito
Richard Riehle	...	Dr. Dan
Shayna Levine	...	'Bob' Aviva
Ebrahim Jaffer	...	Motel clerk
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	'Mark' Aviva
Andrea Demosthenes	...	Gwyneth's mom
John Gemberling	...	Second Judah
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Maggie Moore	...	Christian Narrator (voice)
Ricky Ashley	...	(uncredited)
Frank L. Goodyear	...	Abortion clinic protester (uncredited)

Directed by
Todd Solondz

Writing credits
Todd Solondz		(written by)

Produced by
Timothy Bird	....	associate producer
Mike S. Ryan	....	producer
Derrick Tseng	....	producer

Original Music by
Nathan Larson

Cinematography by
Tom Richmond

Film Editing by
Mollie Goldstein
Kevin Messman

Casting by
Ann Goulder
Addison McQuigg

Production Design by
David Doernberg

Set Decoration by
Sara Parks

Costume Design by
Victoria Farrell

Makeup Department
Elizabeth Daley	....	makeup artist assistant
Karl Giant	....	hair stylist
Karl Giant	....	makeup artist
Arsen Gurgov	....	hair stylist: Ellen Barkin
Kabuki	....	key hair stylist
Kabuki	....	key makeup artist
Tania Ribalow	....	makeup artist: Ellen Barkin

Production Management
Christopher Edwards	....	post-production supervisor
Cherry Montejo	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Heather Grierson	....	first assistant director
Keith Jones	....	second assistant director
Sanford McCoy	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jesse Cain	....	leadman
Molly Page	....	set dresser
Nick Patnaude	....	prop assistant
Josephine Shokrian	....	set dresser
Inbal Weinberg	....	art department coordinator
Scott Zweizen	....	property master

Sound Department
Dominic Bartolini	....	foley engineer
Jerry Cox	....	additional sound mixer
Christof Gebert	....	dialog editor
Christof Gebert	....	production sound mixer
Eric Milano	....	foley artist
Eric Offin	....	supervising sound editor
Tom Paul	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel Perlin	....	sound effects designer
Brion Regan	....	boom operator
Brion Regan	....	foley artist
Brion Regan	....	sound effects editor
Paul Sacco	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Jinmo Yang	....	sound assistant
Mark Garcia	....	additional sound designer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Peter Kunz	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Luke DiTommaso	....	visual effects
Jennifer Russomanno	....	title designer
Jason Stoff	....	title designer
Keith Yurevitz	....	visual effects
Charlie Kirby	....	MTI artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Ward	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Wylda Bayron	....	second assistant camera
Nicola Benizzi	....	second assistant camera
Kip Bogdahn	....	camera operator: second camera
Oliver Cary	....	additional first assistant camera
Tony Cohen	....	grip
Russell Drake	....	third electrician
Eddie Lee Flandez	....	additional electrician
Avra Fox	....	best boy electric
Connor Gaudet	....	grip
Matthew H. Giordano	....	best boy grip
Matthew H. Giordano	....	grip (as Matt Giordano)
Melissa Guimaraes	....	key grip
Matthew Hale	....	gaffer
Andrew B. Hansen	....	additional gaffer
Carlos Haynes	....	electrician
Steve Huber	....	additional gaffer
Arianna La Penne	....	camera loader
Jody Lee Lipes	....	electrician
Marcus Lehmann	....	best boy electric
Mike Morini	....	grip
Kit Pennebaker	....	camera loader
Macall B. Polay	....	still photographer
Craig Pressgrove	....	first assistant camera
Ross Sebek	....	first assistant camera
Linda Slater	....	second assistant camera
George Su	....	additional grip
Justin Whitaker	....	best boy electric
Toshiro Yamaguchi	....	additional first assistant camera

Animation Department
Sarah Birns	....	animator

Casting Department
Anna Bohichik	....	extras casting assistant
Julie Schubert	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nancy Deihl	....	wardrobe assistant
Cindy DiPrima	....	costumer
Maya Fineberg	....	costumer
Jennifer Jones	....	wardrobe assistant
Catherine Osborne	....	additional wardrobe supervisor
Michelle Elaine Teague	....	costume assistant
Antonia Xereas	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Chad Beck	....	assistant editor
Steve Calalang	....	dailies colorist
Minnea Lin	....	assistant editor
Dan O'Grady	....	negative cutter
Julie O'Grady	....	negative cutter
David Pultz	....	color timer

Music Department
Garth Bardsley	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Jonathan Ameli	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Susan Ahn	....	production assistant
Patricia Almeida	....	dog trainer
Alex Cannon	....	office production assistant
Yale Chasin	....	assistant production coordinator
B.J. Cresciman	....	location assistant
Shannon Dennard	....	location coordinator
Hope Dickson Leach	....	assistant to director
Luke DiTommaso	....	title designer
Payton Dunham	....	location manager
Lance Edmands	....	assistant to producers
Adam Nathaniel Greene	....	production assistant
Carlos Haynes	....	production assistant
Jaime Iglehart	....	office production assistant
Markus Janner	....	title designer
K.E. Johnson	....	location assistant
Nat Livingston Johnson	....	craft service (as Nathaniel Johnson)
Dan Knechtges	....	choreographer
Albert Krause	....	production accountant
Ken Kristensen	....	assistant location manager
James Luce	....	film runner
Andrew Lush	....	office production assistant
Cherry Montejo	....	production office coordinator
Cate Nelson	....	production assistant
John Nickel	....	script supervisor
Jean Pesce	....	location assistant
Jennifer Russomanno	....	title designer
Kristy Ryan	....	promotions manager: Australia
Dukyoung Song	....	assistant production coordinator
Katie Stern	....	product placement and clearances
Katie Stern	....	production assistant
Jason Stoff	....	title designer
José Tejada	....	parking coordinator (as Jose Tejada)
Alicia Van Couvering	....	assistant to producers
Loretta Wallace	....	production assistant
Barbara Whan	....	dog trainer
Keith Yurevitz	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Extra Large Pictures

Distributors

• Alamode Film (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Albatros Film (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Bio Rex Distribution (2006) (Finland) (theatrical) (DVD)
• Diaphana Films (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Dolmen Home Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Fox Lorber (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• THINKFilm (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Wellspring Media (2005) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Du Art Digital  titles and opticals
• Final Frame  post-production facilities
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Ovasen  post-production services and facilities
• Tandem Sound  sound post-production

Also Known As:

Palindrome (Germany) [de]
Palindromer (Denmark) [da]
Palindromes (Greece) (festival title) [el]

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-15 | New Zealand:R18 | Germany:12 | Singapore:M18 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Hungary:16 | Argentina:13 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:16 | Japan:R-15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:Not Rated | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Company:

Extra Large Pictures

Trivia:

Heather Matarazzo turned down reprising the role of Dawn Wiener in this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Aviva is cradling a baby doll in her hands, then her mother comes in and they talk, and Aviva puts the doll down on the bed. During the conversation the doll's clothes change and the doll's position also changes a few times during the scene.

Quotes:

Joyce Victor: Am I terrible mother?
'Mark' Aviva Victor: Everybody makes mistakes...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cavities (2004)

Soundtrack:

Lullaby

Solondz Has Certainly Not Taken the Easy Option

Seen at the London Film Festival, 27/10/04.

I've seen a lot of strange films in my life, but this has to be right up there. Compared to this, "Happiness" was a crowd-pleasing knockabout comedy. I have to say that I found "Palindromes" hard going, even boring at times, although there was definitely a slow burn quality and by the end I was pretty much drawn in.

The film plays rather like a cross between Luis Bunuel and a live action "South Park". The multiple-actress technique pioneered in "That Obscure Object of Desire", deadpan style and flat picture quality on the one hand, taboo-breaking humour, song 'n' dance and perverse exploration of moral issues on the other.

I wonder what a conservative audience would make of this film. My guess is that it's aimed squarely at a liberal audience, but it absolutely refuses to pander to liberal prejudice, instead laying into the "pro-choice" position in a manner which can only be described as destruction testing. I get the feeling that Solondz is challenging his own opinions on the issue, as much as ours. Pro-lifers might see the storyline as vindicating their beliefs, but I dare say would be so horrified by other aspects of the film that they wouldn't make it to the end.

This is probably Solondz' bleakest movie to date, despite moments of (very dark) humour. Scientific rationalism is weighed against religious fundamentalism and both are found utterly wanting.

Incidentally there is no rape in this film, despite comments elsewhere, although there are certainly very disturbing scenes.

A brave movie, overall. I'm sure Solondz could take the David Lynch/John Waters route towards the (relative) mainstream with considerable success, but "Palindromes" sees him driving determinedly in the opposite direction, in every respect.