Film details
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Featuring
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Director
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Country
USA
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Year
1999
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Genres
Comedy Drama
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Type
Film
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Category
Fiction
Introduction
“A wonderfully resourceful and sombre comedy, as much about the perennial themes of self-delusion, conceit and madness as it is about the ephemeral idiocies of the day.”
Kevin Jackson, Sight & Sound, 2000
Downtrodden fortysomething Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) throws his family’s life into upheaval when he falls for his teenage daughter’s sexy best friend (Mena Suvari). While the theme of midlife crisis in the suburbs was hardly new, the treatment was, with stylised dialogue and voiceover by Alan Ball (Six Feet Under, True Blood), beautifully matched by Spacey’s dryly idiosyncratic delivery.
Director Sam Mendes – working with veteran cinematographer Conrad Hall – displayed a visual fluency that was unexpected given his background in British theatre. Arguably though it’s Thomas Newman’s intricate and subtle score that has proved most enduring, especially the mournful piano and strings that accompany a shot of a plastic bag caught on the breeze, recycled by TV ads and trailers for more than a decade.
American Beauty and Mendes’s 2002 follow-up Road to Perdition were the last two films shot by veteran cinematographer Conrad L. Hall, who died in 2003 aged 76.
Cast & Credits
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Cast
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Lester Burnham
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Carolyn Burnham
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Jane Burnham
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Ricky Fitts
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Angela Hayes
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Buddy Kane
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Barbara Fitts
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Jim Olmeyer
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Jim Berkley
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Colonel Frank Fitts
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Brad Dupree
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sale house woman 1
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sale house man 1
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sale house man 2
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sale house woman 2
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sale house man 3
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sale house woman 4
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sale house woman 4
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Spartanette 1
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Spartanette 2
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Spartanette 3
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Spartanette 4
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Spartanette 5
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Spartanette 6
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Spartanette 7
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Spartanette 8
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Spartanette 9
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Spartanette 10
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playground girl 1
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playground girl 2
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Christy Kane
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catering boss
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Janine, Mr Smiley's counter woman
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Mr Smiley's manager
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firing range attendant
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young Jane Burnham
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Credits
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Direction:
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Directed by
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Assistant Director (1st)
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Assistant Director (1st)
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Assistant Director (2nd)
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Assistant Director (2nd)
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Assistant Director (2nd 2nd)
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Assistant Director (2nd Unit, 1st)
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Assistant Director (2nd Unit, 2nd)
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Script Supervisor
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Script Supervisor (2nd Unit)
Production:
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©/Author
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Production Company
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Presented by
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Produced by
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Produced by
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Co-producer
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Co-producer
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Unit Production Manager
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Production Co-ordinator
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Assistant Production Co-ordinator
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Production Controller
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Production Accountant
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Assistant Accountant
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Assistant Accountant
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Payroll Accountant
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Post-production Accountant
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Location Manager
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Key Assistant Location Manager
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Locations Assistant
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Post-production (Executive)
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Post-production (Supervisor)
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Post-production (Co-ordinator)
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Production Secretary
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Assistant to Mr Mendes
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Assistant to Mr Cohen & Mr Jinks
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Assistant to Ms Bening
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Assistant to Mr Spacey
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Assistant to Mr Spacey
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant
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Production Assistant (2nd Unit)
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Production Assistant (2nd Unit)
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Studio
Casting:
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Casting by
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ADR Voice Casting
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Casting Assistant
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Extras Casting
Writing:
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Written by
Photography:
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Director of Photography
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2nd Unit Director of Photography
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2nd Unit Director of Photography
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Camera Operator
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Camera Operator (Video)
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Assistant Camera (1st)
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Assistant Camera (2nd Unit 1st)
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Assistant Camera (2nd)
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Assistant Camera (2nd Unit 2nd)
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Camera Loader
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Chief Lighting Technician
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Chief Lighting Technician (2nd Unit)
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Assistant Chief Lighting Technician
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Asst Ch Lighting Technician (2nd Unit)
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Rigging Gaffer
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Visual Effects Gaffer (2nd Unit)
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Electrician
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Electrician
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Electrician
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Electrician
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Electrician
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Electrician
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Key Grip
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Key Grip (2nd Unit)
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Best Boy Grip
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Best Boy Grip
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Best Boy Grip (2nd Unit)
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Dolly Grip
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Dolly Grip (2nd Unit)
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Rigging Key Grip
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Grips
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Grips
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Grips
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Grips
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24-frame Video Playback
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24-frame Video Playback Technician
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24-frame Playback Technician (2nd Unit)
Stills:
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Still Photographer
Special Effects:
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Special Visual Effects
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CFC/MVFX (Supervisor)
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CFC/MVFX (Supervisor)
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CFC/MVFX (Producer)
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CFC/MVFX (Producer)
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CFC/MVFX (Compositor)
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CFC/MVFX (Compositor)
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CFC/MVFX (3D Artist)
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CFC/MVFX (3D Artist)
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CFC/MVFX (Paint/Roto Artist)
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CFC/MVFX (Paint/Roto Artist)
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CFC/MVFX (Paint/Roto Artist)
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CFC/MVFX (Editorial)
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CFC/MVFX (Technical Assistant)
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CFC/MVFX (Technical Assistant)
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CFC/MVFX (Technical Assistant)
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CFC/MVFX (Technical Assistant)
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CFC/MVFX (Runner)
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CFC/MVFX (Managing Director)
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Special Effects Co-ordinator
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Special Effects Assistant
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Special Effects Assistant
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Special Effects Assistant
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Special Effects Assistant
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Special Effects Assistant
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Special Effects Assistant
Editing:
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Film Editor
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Film Editor
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1st Assistant Editor
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1st Assistant Editor
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Avid Assistant
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Avid Assistant
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Editorial Production Assistant
Design:
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Production Designer
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Art Director
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Assistant Art Director
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Art Department Co-ordinator
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Set Designer
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Set Designer
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Set Decorator
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Set Decoration Co-ordinator
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Leadperson
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Leadperson
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Swing Gang
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Swing Gang
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Swing Gang
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Swing Gang
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On-set Dresser
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On-set Dresser
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Storyboard Artist
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Storyboard Artist
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Property Master
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Assistant Property Master
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Construction Co-ordinator
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Propmaker Foreman
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Paint Foreman
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Plasterer Foreman
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Greens Foreman
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Standby Painter
Costumes:
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Costume Designer
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Assistant Costume Designer
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Costume Supervisor
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Key Costumer
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Set Costumer
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Set Costumer
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Set Costumer (2nd Unit)
Make-up:
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Key Make-up Artist
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Make-up (Artist)
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Ms Bening's Make-up Artist
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2nd Unit Make-up Artist
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Key Hair Stylist
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Hair Stylist
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Ms Bening's Hair Stylist
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Hair Stylist (2nd Unit)
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Hair Stylist (2nd Unit)
Titles:
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Titles/Opticals
Film processing:
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Colour Timer
Music:
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Music by
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Orchestrations
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Music Supervisor
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Executive in Charge of Music
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[Music] Copyist
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Musician Contractor
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Music Editor
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Music Editor
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Assistant Music Editor
Sound:
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Music Recorded/Mixed by
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Music Recorded at
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Music Recorded at
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[Music] Recordist
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[Music] Recordist
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Production Sound Mixer
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Digital Sound Assistant
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Digital Sound Assistant
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Boom Operator
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Re-recording Mixer
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Re-recording Mixer
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Additional Audio
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Re-recorded at
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Supervising Sound Editor
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1st Assistant Sound Editor
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Negative Cutter
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Dialogue Editor
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Dialogue Editor
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Sound Effects Editor
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Sound Effects Editor
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ADR Supervisor
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR (Voice)
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ADR Recordist
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ADR Mixer
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ADR Mixer
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Foley Artist
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Foley Artist
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Foley Recordist
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Foley Mixer
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Foley Editor
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Foley Editor
Choreography:
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Choreographer
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Assistant Choreographer
Stunts:
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Stunt Co-ordinator
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Utility Stunt
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Stand-in
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Stand-in
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Stand-in
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Stand-in
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2nd Unit Pilot
Consultant:
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Special Thanks to
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Soundtrack Available
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Researcher
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Craft Service
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Craft Service (2nd Unit)
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Caterer
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Studio Teacher
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Personal Trainer to Mr Spacey
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First Aid
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First Aid
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Construction First Aid
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Projectonist
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Transportation Co-ordinator
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Transportation Captain
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Driver
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Animal Handler
Publicity:
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Unit Publicist
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