The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Niels Mueller

Writers:

Kevin Kennedy (written by)
Niels Mueller (written by)

Release Date:

22 October 2004 (Greece)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

The mad story of a true man.

Plot:

Based on real life events, Assassination is set in 1974 and centers on a businessman who decides to take extreme measures to achieve his American dream.

Plot Keywords:

Richard Nixon | Salesman | Divorce | Tire | Watergate

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Samuel J. Bicke
Naomi Watts	...	Marie Andersen Bicke
Don Cheadle	...	Bonny Simmons
Jack Thompson	...	Jack Jones
Brad William Henke	...	Martin Jones (as Brad Henke)
Nick Searcy	...	Tom Ford
Michael Wincott	...	Julius Bicke
Mykelti Williamson	...	Harold Mann
April Grace	...	Mae Simmons
Lily Knight	...	Receptionist
Jared Dorrance	...	Sammy Jr.
Jenna Milton	...	Ellen
Mariah Massa	...	Julie
Eileen Ryan	...	Marie's Mother
Derek Greene	...	Joey Simmons
Joe Marinelli	...	Mel Samuels
Robert Kenneth Cooper	...	Irate Driver
Tracy Middendorf	...	Businesswoman (as Tracy Lynn Middendorf)
Kenneth White	...	Customer
Brett Rickaby	...	Customer
James Morrison Reese	...	Customer
Frank Brown Jr.	...	Customer
James Carraway	...	Customer (as James D. Carraway)
Jay Jacobus	...	Customer
J.C. MacKenzie	...	Co-Pilot
Kathryn Howell	...	Hostage
Denise Balthrop Cassidy	...	Bank Teller
Gary L. Mack	...	Security Man (as Gary Mack)
Melissa Saltzman	...	Boarding Agent
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ian Baptiste	...	Bus boy
Salvador Allende	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pete Boughn	...	Old Fisherman (uncredited)
Brandon Brizendine	...	Boy in Airport (uncredited)
Doug Campbell	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
James Cotner	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Johnny Drocco	...	Passenger on skyway (uncredited)
Ryan Else	...	Airplane Passanger (uncredited)
Sam Ervin	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tim Halpin	...	Co-Pilot (uncredited)
David Hilliard	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Donald Lett II	...	Airport Passenger (uncredited)
Janean Christine Mariani	...	Cocktail Waitress (uncredited)
Russell Means	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Augusto Pinochet	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tony Rocha	...	Airport Security (uncredited)
AnnieScott Rogers	...	Jack's Wife (uncredited)
John Patrick Shulak	...	Busboy (uncredited)
Teresa Anne Volgenau	...	Travel Agent (uncredited)
Cindy Warner	...	Dinner date (uncredited)
Sherrie La'Marr Wheeler	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Matthew Wood	...	Pedestrian outside Bank (uncredited)

Directed by
Niels Mueller

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kevin Kennedy		written by
Niels Mueller		written by

Produced by
Doug Bernheim	....	co-producer
Alfonso Cuarón	....	producer
Carlos Cuarón	....	associate producer
Leonardo DiCaprio	....	executive producer
Arnaud Duteil	....	executive producer
Debra Grieco	....	line producer
Avram 'Butch' Kaplan	....	executive producer
Kevin Kennedy	....	executive producer
Jason Kliot	....	executive producer
John Limotte	....	co-producer
Emmanuel Lubezki	....	associate producer
Kurt Mueller	....	associate producer
Alexander Payne	....	executive producer
Frida Torresblanco	....	executive producer
Jorge Vergara	....	producer
Joana Vicente	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Steven M. Stern

Cinematography by
Emmanuel Lubezki

Film Editing by
Jay Cassidy

Casting by
Mali Finn

Production Design by
Lester Cohen

Set Decoration by
Barbara Munch

Costume Design by
Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Makeup Department
Karen Bradley	....	key makeup artist
Martial Corneville	....	wig maker
Gretchen Davis	....	additional makeup artist (as Gretchen Davis-Motron)
Stephan Dupuis	....	additional makeup artist
Peggy Forcellini	....	assistant hair stylist
Rick Glassman	....	dental special effects: Sean Penn (as Dr. Rick Glassman)
Erwin H. Kupitz	....	wig maker (as Erwin Kupitz)
Robin Mathews	....	key hair stylist: Omaha
Yvette Rivas	....	additional hair stylist
Gail Rowell-Ryan	....	personal hair stylist: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn
Rick Stratton	....	makeup artist: Mr. Penn
Rick Stratton	....	makeup department head
Laurel Van Dyke	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Debra Grieco	....	unit production manager
Celeste Healy	....	production supervisor
Avram 'Butch' Kaplan	....	unit production manager
Carole Terranova	....	unit production manager: Los Angeles Crew

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nandi Bowe	....	additional second second assistant director
Stuart B. Hagen	....	second assistant director (as Stuart Hagen)
Van Hayden	....	first assistant director
Staci Lamkin	....	second second assistant director
Roland Manarin	....	assistant director: Omaha
Frank Simeone	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Sopher Allez	....	set dresser
Kelly Bagby	....	art department assistant
Nate Belove	....	on-set dresser
David Bjorngaard	....	set decoration buyer
Stephanie Cain	....	art department coordinator
Scott Cobb	....	assistant art director
Paul de Lumen	....	art department assistant
Dale Haugo	....	lead scenic artist
Mike Helbig	....	leadman
Lawrence Hornbeck	....	set dresser
Sean House	....	assistant property master
Geoffrey Lake	....	greensman
Patrick Ludden	....	property master
John Micheletos	....	set dresser
Ben Nichols	....	carpenter
Trish Place	....	painter
Tom Richardson	....	painter
Roel Robles	....	storyboard artist
Gretchen Scharfenberg	....	props
Louis Visco	....	set dresser
Tom Vukmanic	....	propmaker
Doug E. Williams	....	construction coordinator
Virginia Hopkins	....	painter (uncredited)
Gilbert Johnson	....	draughtsman (uncredited)
Annie Mueller	....	props buyer (uncredited)
Mark Warren	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bob Bowman	....	first assistant sound editor
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer
Dino Dimuro	....	sound effects editor
Ezra Dweck	....	sound effects editor
Marc Fishman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Flinchbaugh	....	digital assistant sound editor
Jonathan Fuh	....	boom operator
José Antonio García	....	sound mixer
Don Givens	....	foley mixer
Tony Lamberti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lee W. Lebaigue	....	digital assistant sound editor (as Lee Lebaigue)
Anna MacKenzie	....	supervising sound editor
Victoria Rose Sampson	....	dialogue editor (as Vickie Sampson)
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Tami Treadwell	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Frank Ceglia	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Erik Dehkhoda	....	digital compositor
Dennis Fitzsimmons	....	digital compositor
Adam Hawkey	....	lead compositor: iOFilm (as Adam S. Hawkey)
Michael John Koetter	....	digital compositor: iOFilm
Kevin Lin	....	quality control coordinator, digital intermediate: Efilm/Panavision
Diane Macke	....	visual effects coordinator
Christopher Dusendschon	....	I/O supervisor: iO FILM (uncredited)
Thomas Mathai	....	data manager (uncredited)

Stunts
Robin Lynn Bonaccorsi	....	stunt performer
Rocky Capella	....	stunt coordinator
Thomas M. Ficke	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
James Beaumonte	....	dolly grip
Pete Bowman	....	grip
Phil Bray	....	still photographer
Dave Childers	....	key grip
Gregory Collis	....	rigging grip
Jonathan Doff	....	video assist operator
Patrick Figueroa	....	best boy grip
Sean Flood	....	electrician
Tim Guffin	....	camera loader
Brook Johnson	....	grip
Ngoc Lam	....	camera intern
Patrick Loungway	....	camera operator
Patrick McArdle	....	first assistant camera
Starrs McBurney	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Robert 'Boomer' McCann	....	grip (as Robert McCann)
Mark Nakahara	....	electrician
Oriana Newton-Leopold	....	camera intern
Dayton Nietert	....	gaffer
Bobby Powell	....	best boy electric
Robert Powers	....	rigging gaffer
Calvin Roberts	....	video playback operator
Duane Robinson	....	rigging grip
Mark Sheets	....	rigging crew
Terry Sullivan	....	electrician
Jerzy Zielinski	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
Nina Henninger	....	local casting
Sarah Kliban	....	background casting
Jonathan Leeder	....	casting associate
David Rapaport	....	casting associate
Maureen Whalen	....	casting associate: San Francisco

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Becker	....	costumer
Judy Feil	....	costume supervisor
Tabitha Johnson	....	wardrobe intern
Mary Elizabeth Still	....	costumer
Valerie White	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Steve Bowen	....	digital color timer
Ben Estrada	....	digital colorist assistant
Joe Fineman	....	post-production consultant
Ian Kezsbom	....	post-production assistant: Mr. Mueller
Curtis Lindersmith	....	digital intermediate editor
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Dov Samuel	....	first assistant editor
Lorene Simpson	....	digital intermediate producer

Music Department
Bunny Andrews	....	music editor
Doug Bernheim	....	additional music supervisor
Lucinda Carmichael	....	additional music supervisor
James Fitzpatrick	....	music contractor
Liza Richardson	....	music supervisor
Jack Smalley	....	conductor
Jack Smalley	....	orchestrator
Michael Stern	....	scoring mixer
Steven M. Stern	....	music producer: classical music
Harold Cane	....	music coordinator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Bromstead	....	driver
Jaime Chapparo	....	driver
Mac Cook	....	driver
Diana Curtis	....	driver
David Joseph	....	driver
Leonard Lemas	....	driver
Dany Lenz	....	driver
John Levi	....	driver
John R. Lopez	....	driver: Sean Penn
Eli Lozano	....	driver
Sandra Ninham	....	transportation captain
Phil Payette	....	driver
Howard Richards	....	driver
Frank Rocha	....	driver
Marco Ruiz	....	driver
Nathan Strom	....	driver
Anne Valentine	....	driver
Bob Weaver	....	driver

Other crew
Deborah Alexander	....	photo double
Mira Bailey	....	location scout
Karen Baker	....	set production intern
Steve Bannatyne	....	assistant to writers
Kanta Barrios	....	assistant: Mr. Cuaron
Rich Bokides	....	production assistant
Owen Carver	....	production office intern
James Chandler	....	craft service
Tora Chung	....	assistant production coordinator
Mary Clutts	....	location scout
Christa Collins	....	assistant: Mr. Penn
Sara Cortinas	....	assistant: Mr. Vergara
Lora Davis	....	production assistant
Sharlene Duale	....	production coordinator
Christine Dye	....	first assistant accountant
Linda Emmons-Cunningham	....	location manager: Sacramento
Sharonda Faison	....	location scout
Max Fink	....	set production assistant
Mandy Goldberg	....	assistant: Ms. Torresblanco
Dana Gong	....	location scout
Michael Greggans	....	stand-in
Mark E. Hough	....	location scout
Saisie M. Jang	....	assistant location manager
Yaron Kaplan	....	set production assistant
Dan Kemp	....	key assistant location manager
Julie Landholt	....	title designer (as J. Kathryn Landholt)
Rocky LaRochelle	....	stand-in
Ellen Lent	....	key location manager
Annaliese Levy	....	assistant: Ms. Watts
Sara Lichterman	....	assistant: Mr. Kliot/Ms. Vicente
Sato Masuzawa	....	assistant: Mr. Penn
Karla Moles	....	production coordinator: Mexico
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Dave Moorer	....	set medic
Kurt Mueller	....	archival footage coordinator
Paul Muldrow	....	key set production assistant
Patrick Musni	....	gun wrangler
Noah Newman	....	set production intern
Deborah Ricketts	....	archival footage researcher
Matthew Riutta	....	assistant location manager
Renee Rosenfeld	....	script supervisor
Brian Sampson	....	stand-in
Scott Sandine	....	set medic
Anna Shkolnikov	....	office production intern
Alex Stapleton	....	assistant: Mr. Mueller
Kana Takahashi	....	accounting clerk
Markandrew Terry	....	location assistant
Juan Tovar	....	development manager
Scott Trimble	....	location scout
Christine Wilcock	....	office production assistant
Stu Yoder	....	stand-in
Ami Zins	....	film commissioner
Chad Bishoff	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Cory Johnson	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Dennis Post	....	Production Assistant: Sacramento (uncredited)
Deacon Reed	....	production assistant: Sacramento (uncredited)
Nikolas Zasimczuk	....	set production intern (uncredited)

Thanks
Walter Cronkite	....	special thanks
Werner Herzog	....	special thanks
Kurt Mueller	....	acknowledgment: archival footage provided by
Gary Winick	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Anhelo Productions (presents)
• Appian Way (in association with)
• Esperanto Filmoj

Distributors

• Senator International (2004-2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Audiovisual (2004) (Greece) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Arn Productions LLC
• Art Port (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinema Parisien (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Group Power (2006) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Gulf Films (Middle East)
• Independent Films (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Lucky Red (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Monolith (2005) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Movie Plus (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• New Line Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Noah Films (2005) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Pony Canyon (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Wise Policy (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• iO Films (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• Clearance Domain  clearances
• Corbis  special thanks
• DJ Audio  optical soundtrack
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color timing (as Deluxe)
• EFilm  digital intermediate
• Jeremy Walker + Associates  publicity
• Laser Pacific Media  electronic laboratory (as Laser Pacific)
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative conforming
• Paskal Lighting  lighting equipment
• Soundelux  sound editing
• Soundfirm  adr
• Suave Records  soundtrack released by
• The Studio Symphony Orchestra Prague  music performed by
• Title House Digital  end title crawl
• Todd-AO Hollywood  adr
• Todd-AO Studios  sound re-recording services
• Wilder Brothers Recording Studio  special thanks
• Wilshire Stages, The  adr

Also Known As:

Attentat auf Richard Nixon (Germany) (DVD title) [de]
Attentat på Nixon (Denmark) [da]
Attentatet mot Richard Nixon (Sweden) [sv]
El asesinato de Richard Nixon (Spain) [es]
I dolofonia tou Richard Nixon (Greece) [el]
L'assassinat de Richard Nixon (Belgium: French title) (dubbed version) [fr]
Richard Nixonin salamurha (Finland) [fi]
The Assassination (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and a scene of graphic violence. (also edited version)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | Mexico

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Malaysia:18PL | Malaysia:U (cut) | Germany:12 | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:MA | Finland:K-15 | Ireland:15A | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40689) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Alameda, California, USA

Company:

Anhelo Productions

Trivia:

Sean Penn was attached to this project for six years before they found the financing for it.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Julius Bicke is shown wearing a wedding ring. He is a fervently Orthodox Jew, and such Orthodox males do not wear wedding rings as a matter of religious principle.

Quotes:

Samuel Bicke: Certainty is the disease of kings.

Movie Connections:

Features "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite" (1962)

Soundtrack:

Girl I Love You

In short recommended.

Thanks to my keen eye, I (one of few, I believe) caught that free tickets to above movie were being given away, and would be followed by a Q & A with the director, producer (the guy behind Y Tu Mama Tambien) and Sean Penn, who is the lead of the movie, and takes a large majority of the screen time. The movie comes to select U.S. theaters on Dec. 29th, and the widens. I'll mention the questions later, but first the review.

A very good, yet flawed film. I use the term film not to be pretentious, but because it is primarily a film, not a movie in the blockbustery sense. It was produced independently, with the documenting the assassin, Sam Byck (Sean Penn.) It focuses on the year before he attempted (true story) to kill President Nixon in February, 1974 by flying a plane into the White House. However, the main thrust of the film was not politics, but character development.

Sean Penn is clearly one of the best actors today, very much in his prime. He once again proves it here. Byck is a man separated from his family, unsuccessful in his careers, and is marginalized from his life. We watch him obtain a sense of hopelessness, as he watches his dreams crumble away, as he blames the American system for his demise. Similar to Taxi Driver, in a lot of ways. Outstanding portrayal.

The only negative was the short span of the movie. It was 95 minutes, and left too little time for back story. There is not nearly enough exploration of how Byck got to the point where he could be pushed to kill. Another half hour of explaining his character would have made for a pantheon-level movie, instead of just a rather good one.