The Shipping News (2001)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers (WGA):

Annie Proulx (novel)
Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 January 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Dive Beneath The Surface

Plot:

An emotionally-beaten man with his young daughter moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland to reclaim his life.

Plot Keywords:

Newfoundland | Newspaper | Car Crash | Outsider | Capsize

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Kevin Spacey	...	Quoyle
Julianne Moore	...	Wavey Prowse
Judi Dench	...	Agnis Hamm
Cate Blanchett	...	Petal
Pete Postlethwaite	...	Tert Card
Scott Glenn	...	Jack Buggit
Rhys Ifans	...	Beaufield Nutbeem
Gordon Pinsent	...	Billy Pretty
Jason Behr	...	Dennis Buggit
Larry Pine	...	Bayonet Melville
Jeannetta Arnette	...	Silver Melville
Robert Joy	...	EMS Officer
Alyssa Gainer	...	Bunny Quoyle
Kaitlyn Gainer	...	Bunny Quoyle
Lauren Gainer	...	Bunny Quoyle
John Dunsworth	...	Guy Quoyle
Anthony Cipriano	...	Quoyle - Age 7
Kyle Timothy Smith	...	Quoyle - Age 12 (as Kyle Smith)
Ken James	...	Newspaper Boss
Roman Podhora	...	Muscular Man
Luke Fisher	...	Barfly
Terry Daly	...	Hunky Guy
Gary Levert	...	Newspaper Employee
Stephen Morgan	...	Bartender Dave
Katherine Moennig	...	Grace Moosup
Daniel Kash	...	Detective Danzig
Will McAllister	...	Herry Prowse
Marc Lawrence	...	Cousin Nolan
Kathryn Fraser	...	Daycare Mom
Nancy Beatty	...	Mavis Bangs
R.D. Reid	...	Alvin Yark
Deborah Grover	...	Edna Buggit
Jon Whalen	...	Big Guy
Nicole Underhay	...	Beety Buggit
Emma Taylor-Isherwood	...	Agnis Hamm - Age 12
Andrew Fowler	...	Guy Quoyle - Age 15
John MacEachern	...	Drunken Guy
Jonathan Creaser	...	Paramedic

Directed by
Lasse Hallström

Writing credits (WGA)
Annie Proulx		(novel) (as E. Annie Proulx)
Robert Nelson Jacobs		(screenplay)

Produced by
Rob Cowan	....	producer
Stephen P. Dunn	....	associate producer
Linda Goldstein Knowlton	....	producer
Leslie Holleran	....	producer
Michele Platt	....	associate producer
Diana Pokorny	....	co-producer
Meryl Poster	....	executive producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Oliver Stapleton

Film Editing by
Andrew Mondshein

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Billy Hopkins
Sheila Lane
Suzanne Smith

Production Design by
David Gropman

Art Direction by
Mark Laing
Peter Rogness
Karen Schulz Gropman

Set Decoration by
Patricia Larman
Gretchen Rau

Costume Design by
Renee Ehrlich Kalfus

Makeup Department
Christine Hart	....	key makeup artist
Tania McComas	....	makeup artist: Kevin Spacey
Emanuel Millar	....	key hair stylist (as Emanuel 'Manny' Millar)
Carol A. O'Connell	....	hair stylist: Kevin Spacey
Elaine L. Offers	....	makeup artist: Ms. Moore (as Elaine Offers)
Colleen Ryan	....	makeup artist
Edward St. George	....	hair stylist: Ms. Moore

Production Management
Alicia Sams	....	post-production supervisor
Mari-Jo Winkler	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Barry	....	second assistant director
Stephen P. Dunn	....	first assistant director
Dave 'Foots' Footman	....	assistant director: second unit (as David Footman)
Susan Foulkes	....	assistant director: second unit
Andrew Mondshein	....	second unit director
Richard Patrick	....	first assistant director: reshoots
Paul Pope	....	assistant director: second unit
Cara Powell	....	assistant director: second unit
John Shurko	....	trainee assistant director
Kelly Stone	....	assistant director: second unit
John Vatcher	....	trainee assistant director
Jennifer Zimmer	....	assistant director
Bruce Zwicker	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Lorne Armstrong	....	lead man
Art Baxter	....	construction coordinator
Miriam Bell-Irving	....	greensperson
Miriam Bell-Irving	....	set dresser
Daniel R. Bradette	....	assistant property master
James H. Chow	....	property master
Shelley Cornick	....	art department trainee
John Davis	....	storyboard artist
Cyd Fenwick	....	camera scenic artist
Randy Hardy	....	head scenic
Darren Howse	....	art department production assistant
Patricia Larman	....	set decorator: Halifax
Catherine Leighton	....	assistant property master
Cameron Marsha	....	lead scenic
Mary Louise McCloskey	....	painter
Terry Quennell	....	assistant art director
Dusty Reeves	....	art department coordinator
Gabriele Schnutgen	....	head scenic
Jason Shurko	....	set dresser
John Snow	....	key scenic artist
David Sutherland	....	head carpenter: Newfoundland
Christine Wick	....	set decoration buyer
Ashley Winter	....	assistant art director: UK

Sound Department
Andy Aaron	....	sound effects recordist
Steve Bissinger	....	sound effects editor
Matt Cluett	....	sound transferer
David A. Cohen	....	dialog editor
Kyrsten Mate Comoglio	....	sound effects editor (as Kyrsten Comoglio)
Kay Denmark	....	adr boom operator
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joel Dougherty	....	sound intern
Glen Gauthier	....	production sound mixer
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Dan Gleich	....	sound effects recordist
Gerry Jackman	....	second boom operator
Guru Mastak Khalsa	....	sound intern
Michael Kirchberger	....	sound designer
Michael Kirchberger	....	supervising sound editor
Peer Landa	....	additional sound designer
Lindsay Manning	....	sound intern
Jane McCulley	....	adr editor
Jeremy Molod	....	foley editor
Everett Moore	....	assistant sound editor
Jason Perreira	....	sound dailies
Brian Power	....	adr recordist
Peter Staubli	....	sound effects editor
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator
Roland Vajs	....	sound editor
Michael Vangen	....	apprentice sound editor
Roy Waldspurger	....	assistant sound editor
Reilly Steele	....	sound effects mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Dan Cervin	....	special effects assistant
Walter Klassen	....	fabricator: mechanical effects
Lars Lenander	....	special effects foreman
Arnold Pentecost	....	special effects technician
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Iain Anderson	....	digital artist
Mark Bakowski	....	digital compositor
Angus Cameron	....	digital effects supervisor
Michelle Corney	....	visual effects coordinator
Gary Coulter	....	digital artist
Sean Danischevsky	....	digital artist: title sequence: Mill Film
Evan Davies	....	digital artist
Yasmine El-Ghamrawy	....	digital effects
Caroline Garrett	....	digital artist
Antony Hunt	....	executive Producer: Mill Film
Sharon Lark	....	visual effects producer
Sarah Lockwood	....	digital artist
Adam McInnes	....	digital compositor
Gareth Murphy	....	data operator
Gareth Murphy	....	visual effects
Hannah Peirce	....	digital compositor
Daniel Pettipher	....	2D digital supervisor
Tom Rolfe	....	digital compositor
Angie Wills	....	visual effects producer
Kathy Wise	....	digital I/O
Paula Pope	....	digital coordinator (uncredited)

Stunts
Randy Boliver	....	stunt coordinator
Peter James	....	stunt performer (as James Symington)
Gilbert Larose Jr.	....	stunt double: Kevin Spacey
Rea Nolan	....	stunt actor
John Walsh	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Abby Anderson	....	video assist playback
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip
Chris Bangma	....	technician: Libra remote head
Jake Clarke	....	best boy electric
Jake Clarke	....	underwater electrician
Andy Day	....	gaffer: New York
John Dekker	....	rigging gaffer
Keith Dimmer	....	generator operator
Sean Doran	....	best boy grip
Doane Gregory	....	still photographer
Dan Henshaw	....	assistant camera
Mark Hryma	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
Eddy McInnis	....	film loader
Clyde Miller	....	assistant camera: Wescam camera
Paul Mitcheltree	....	assistant camera: second unit
Andrew Mondshein	....	director of photography: second unit
Mark O'Neill	....	camera trainee
Jeff Petro	....	assistant camera: Wescam camera
Matthew Pill	....	key grip: second unit
Flora Planchat	....	electrician
Christopher Porter	....	gaffer
David Reilly IV	....	best boy rigging grip
Jordan Schella	....	daily electrician
Doug Schwartz	....	Steadicam operator
Doug Schwartz	....	camera operator
Karl Simmons	....	key grip
Patrick Stepien	....	first assistant camera
Maryan Zurek	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Robin D. Cook	....	casting: Canada
Deborah Maxwell Dion	....	casting assosciate: Los Angeles
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sonya M. Andonov	....	set costumer
Bethana Briffett	....	costumer
Dorothy Crutcher	....	assistant costume designer
Victoria Rockwell	....	costume extras coordinator
Andre Schulz	....	costume supervisor
Elizabeth Shelton	....	associate costume designer

Editorial Department
Regan Avery	....	assistant editor
Ian Blume	....	apprentice editor
Jennifer Davidoff Cook	....	associate editor
Linus Hume	....	assistant post-production supervisor
Anne O'Brien	....	first assistant editor
Mila Patriki	....	dailies colorist
Cathy Rait	....	color timer
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter
Lorraine Samuel	....	assistant editor
Paul Wagtouicz	....	assistant editor
Claus Wehlisch	....	first assistant editor: Sweden

Music Department
Samantha Barker	....	assistant to composer
Wael Binali	....	scoring coordinator: Christopher Young
Konstantinos Christides	....	orchestrator
Konstantinos Christides	....	score coordinator
Annie B. Cohen	....	assistant music editor
John M. Davis	....	music editor
Thomas S. Drescher	....	music editor
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Jon Kull	....	orchestrator
Flavio Motalla	....	score producer
Jonathan Price	....	score producer
Jasper Randall	....	scoring coordinator: Christopher Young
Joe Rangel	....	music coordinator
Randy Spendlove	....	music supervisor
Haseo Nakanishi	....	score mock-up (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jason Andrews	....	driver
Lori Ann Bellefontaine	....	driver
Wayne Corragen	....	transportation coordinator (as Wayne Corrigan)
Gert Gielen-MacGregor	....	driver
Rick Gosse	....	driver
Rod Jerrett	....	driver
Cory Lawrence	....	driver
Roger Maunder	....	driver
Fred Rex	....	driver
Greg Thomas	....	unit driver
John Vivian	....	driver
Richard Wade	....	unit driver
Tom Webber	....	unit driver

Other crew
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Craig Bankey	....	unit publicist
Michael Beaudin	....	second assistant accountant
Dana Brunetti	....	assistant: Kevin Spacey
Kelly Carmichael	....	assistant: Ms. Poster
J. John Corbett	....	title designer
June Czerwinski	....	associate: Winkler Films
Joel Flewelling	....	assistant: Ms. Holleran and Ms. Goldstein Knowlton
Gina Fowler	....	production coordinator
David Greenbaum	....	executive assistant: Harvey Weinstein
Charles Harrington	....	location manager
Tracey Hatcher	....	assistant production coordinator
Susan Jennings	....	assistant: Ms. Dench
Marion Koh	....	production assistant
John MacEachern	....	production assistant
Eva MacGregor	....	assistant accountant
Nancy MacInnis	....	production secretary
Trish MacInnis	....	assistant: Mr. Hallström
Ann McLaren	....	laboratory technician
Emily Palmer	....	production assistant
Dorothy Precious	....	production accountant
Jonathan Price	....	synthesizer programmer
Robin M. Reelis	....	assistant production coordinator
Guillaume Renberg	....	remote head technician
Carol Rothel	....	first assistant accountant
Kim Stewart	....	assistant: Ms. Moore and Ms. Blanchett
Kirsten Tomilson	....	assistant: Ms. Pokorny
Nadia Venesse	....	dialect coach
Roy Waldspurger	....	technical consultant: avid
Michael Wamboldt	....	marine coordinator
Brian W. White	....	location assistant
Darren Winter	....	security coordinator

Thanks
Lena Olin	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Miramax Films

Distributors

• Miramax Films (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International Italia (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2002) (Germany) (theatrical) (Austria and Switzerland)
• Gaumont Buena Vista International (GBVI) (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• New Films International (2002) (Estonia) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Luxembourg) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Concorde Video (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Net5 (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Mill Films (I) (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• P.S. Atlantic  camera equipment provided by
• P.S. Atlantic  lighting

MPAA:

Rated R for some language, sexuality and disturbing images.

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Germany:12 (f) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

When Billy Bob Thornton was set to direct, he wanted Laura Dern to play Wavey.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Quoyle and Wavey are eating their boxed seal flipper pies, the grease stains on the boxes change from shot to shot.

Quotes:

Jack Buggit: You don't have the sense God gave a donut, do you?

Movie Connections:

References The Shining (1980)

Soundtrack:

Billy Peddle

A beautiful portrait of human emotions and reactions

Often when watching a film with a cast which has more Oscar nominations in their careers than the film has minutes, a level of expectations will be engraved which exceeds far above a film than which one should. Such is an example with the poignant, touching and often funny film, The Shipping News.

The Shipping News is film about loss, recovery, pain, but most of all, recovery. When a person loses a loved one, or in this case, a person who loses someone they think they love, it comes with a package of emotional stress and remorse. The person they lose is immortalized within their thoughts, usually in a positive, memorable perspective.

The story begins with a narration by Quoyle (Spacey), and through this depressing and self defeating narration, we learn that Quoyle is man who has never succeeded in anything, is a failure in his family's eyes, and has never accomplished one thing in his entire life. He struggles through every miserable task he is given, he aches at the thought of one more day.

As a defeated man who has never loved, never laughed, and never succeeded, he is desperate for something, desperate for someone. When he meets a woman named Petal (Blanchett) he thinks he's in love. We see a woman who is looking for a costumer, looking for someone to spend the night with. Quoyle sees a wife, someone to spend the rest of his life with. So without hesitation, he takes a swing at this wild tiger. He thinks he has achieved that echelon of happiness. He has a darling little girl, he has a wife, and he has a steady job. But he soon learns that one person, a person he has known for little over a few years, can turn his life upside down. After a realistic and inevitable chain of events, he is back to his pitiful little life. Only this time, he's lost more than he can handle. His own emotional attachments have become his own emotional destruction.

In the midst of these happenings, Quoyle is met at the door by his Aunt Agnis (Dench), whom he has never met. She suggests they begin a new future, for she too has lost something. She decides that they should travel to their native roots, in Newfoundland. The future looks bleak to Quoyle, but only the happiest of times look ahead to Agnis. At least from our perspective.

Throughout the film we are met by several supporting characters played by familiar and not so familiar actors. These characters, while they may seem supporting, play the largest part in the film. For these characters are the building blocks which help Quoyle begin his `transformation'. These are the people which help Quoyle recognize his roots and why he must belong there. Throughout these characters, we are met with many intertwining storylines which could make a whole entire film by themselves. But these characters are all here to help one man find a reason. A reason for being.

Throughout this masterful tale of loss, recovery, and pain, we discover that problems exist within problems. We learn that the future may result in failure, but will always have an answer. The answer lies within Quoyle himself. While these supporting players may have an impact on Quoyle's job and home, Quoyle is the only one who can help find happiness for himself.

With a star-studded cast which shines with the inspiring score by Christopher Young, Lasse Hallstrom has created a film which should not be overlooked, but should be look upon as a film which displays how courage, love, and faith, can overcome loss, struggle, and pain.