Image Entertainment | 2008 | 98 mins. | Rated PG-13


One of the great things about reviewing movies for my own website is that I get to see hundreds of movies a years. While I get to watch my share of blockbusters, I also get to see smaller films, ones that graced theater screens so quickly; most readers may not even know they were made. Granted, sometimes these movies are beyond terrible and deserve to be buried; other times they’re little gems that simply got lost in the shuffle of big budget blockbusters. Take for example, $5 a Day, sporting a cast that includes Oscar winner Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Amanda Peet, I was immediately intrigued.

$5 a DayWritten by Tippi Dobrofsky and Neal H. Dobrofsky, the script had been around since 2003, when Nick Cassavetes had expressed interest in directing. Instead, three years later, British director Nigel  Cole took it over and it finally opened in May 2008. Ignored in theaters, $5 a Day comes to DVD and BLu-ray on August 24th from Image Entertainment.

If you were to describe $5 a Day in the simplest of terms, you’d say it was a typical buddy/road film as an estranged father and son go on a cross-country trip. But now imagine the small car decorated with an abundance of Sweet & Low packages. Further, every stop along the way is planned to take advantage of complimentary food and drinks, as well as discounted gas.

Claiming to be dying of a brain tumor, Nat (Walken) is a shell of a man. His life irrevocably changed when he and the love of his life broke up and he became a drifting conman whose greatest pride is managing to live on $5 a day. To do this, he lives a life of professional frugality—everything from saving box tops to using a Barbie Polaroid camera which he regularly uses to take “photos for my wallet”.

Despite his ability to get through any situation, Nat can’t seem to reconnect with his son, Flynn (Alessandro Nivola). He had learned his dad’s cons, until he wound up spending 11 months in jail when one of the scams went south. He’s distanced himself from his dad and has been eking out a living as a health inspector. On the day he finds himself jobless and fighting to keep his girlfriend (Amanda Peet), Nat contacts him with the news that he is dying and would like to see his son.

Nat’s way of life has forced him to do some pretty inventive things. He uses fake IDs to score free meals at IHOP and scams his way into conventions. Despite Nat’s free-as-a-bird attitude, it soon becomes clear that his life has been a sad one. We learn what happened to Flynn’s mother, while is given glimpses into her lover’s complicated life.

An engaging character study, $5 a Day includes a memorable supporting cast. Though brief, Sharon Stone is the stand-out in a potently funny roll as Flynn’s old babysitter. Her fans will get a kick out her here! Dean Cain, Peter Coyote, and Amanda Peet help sell the film a bit more.

While the 1.85:1 AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encoding of $5 a Day looks very film-like with a very thick layer of grain, that grain is a little inconsistent and sometimes verges on looking a bit like video noise. Color reproduction is solid, with natural flesh tones and good saturation that really stands out.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack has a full sound with good low-end extension, clean dialogue and a spacious spread across the front three channels. The surround channels are used mostly for ambient effects that are mixed loud enough to avoid the entire mix sounding too dry.

There is a nice set of interview segments with the film’s stars, although there is nothing earth shattering in them. There are also hi-res production stills provided on the disc, but purchasers with a sweet tooth might also appreciate the included 35¢ coupon for Sweet ‘N Low (expires 8/31/12).

The special features are as follows:

  • Interviews:
    • Director Nigel Cole (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:10.34)
    • Alessandro Nivola (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:07.00)
    • Sharon Stone (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:06.38)
    • Dean Cain (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:04.00)
    • Peter Coyote (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:04.50)
    • Amanda Peet (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:02.04)
  • Still Galleries:
    • Photo Gallery (Images by Michael Parmelee) (1080p)
    • Production Stills (1080p)
    • Cast and Crew (1080p)
  • Trailer (1.85:1; 480i/60)
  • Sweet ‘n Low Coupon



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