
Production Notes:
In a project that dates back to 03’ with the likes of
Nick Cassavetes and John Curran to direct, Nigel Cole was ultimately
chosen to helm this road pic.. Written by Neal and Tippi. Dobrofsky, the
film was produced by Carol Baum, Jane Goldenring and Kia Jam with
financing by Capitol Films. Shooting began in New Mexico and Atlantic
City, NJ in September 2007. In an interview with the director, Cole
admitted he had turned down the script the first time he read it, but
several years later it crossed his desk again after being re-written and
this time he loved it. Sam Rockwell was originally slated to play Flynn,
only to drop out to make room for Nivola; however, Walken was one
variable that remained unchanged.
For Cole, an Englishman working in America, one of the biggest
challenges he faced was in getting the little details right, ensuring
that a movie that was mostly shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico with
another two days in Atlantic City actually looked like a cross-country
journey. "It was tough," he admits, "but we had an idea that wherever
they go, the road looks the same. The stops along the way look the same.
Every place has a Chevron, a Howard Johnson's and an IHOP."
Reviews:
"At its core, '$5 A Day' is a film about the
reconstruction of a fractured bond between father and son. Walken and
Nivola play their parts to perfection, slowly building their characters
and then giving the audience ample opportunity to love them, laugh at
them, and most importantly, care for them. Director
Nigel Cole does a wonderful job in setting up the film’s story and then
guiding his actors through scenes on the strength of their chemistry. $5
A Day may follow the story of two hustlers, but its depictions of love
and family are genuine, a true celebration of the exuberance of life."
...J.D. Mcnamara, Cinema Blend
"Director Nigel Cole has infused '$5 a Day' with a
genial, low-key sensibility that certainly complements Neal Dobrofsky
and Tippi Dobrofsky's amiable screenplay, with the easy-going vibe
cemented by the two leads' thoroughly ingratiating performances. The
film's road-trip structure is primarily employed as a springboard for a
series of oddball interludes, with Nat's penchant for chicanery landing
the two characters into one overtly goofy situation after another."
...David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
"Christopher Walken is the man known for his eerie and tough
roles, and his trademarked … pauses … between … words... He’s also a
trained dancer. He’s taken on Shakespeare. He’s stared down guns in
Russian Roulette. And now in Nigel Cole’s latest film '$5 a Day', he
gets to pull together the best of both worlds – the dynamic pull of his
talents with the classic Walken we’ve all grown to love." ...Monika
Bartyzel, Toronto Film Festival
Images
[ The
Official Peter
Coyote Web Site ]
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