Film Snail

5.6

The Box

PG-13·2009·115m

Thriller

Science Fiction

Thriller

Science Fiction

Summary

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

Cast

Cameron Diaz

Norma Lewis

James Marsden

Arthur Lewis

Frank Langella

Arlington Steward

James Rebhorn

Norm Cahill

Holmes Osborne

Dick Burns

Sam Oz Stone

Walter Lewis

Gillian Jacobs

Dana

Celia Weston

Lana Burns

Lisa K. Wyatt

Rhonda Martin

Mark S. Cartier

Martin Teague

Kevin Robertson

Wendell Matheson

Michele Durrett

Rebecca Matheson

Ian Kahn

Vick Brenner

John Magaro

Charles

Ryan Woodle

Jeffrey Carnes

Basil Hoffman

Don Poates

Robert Harvey

NASA Executive

Gentry Lee

Chief Engineer

Andrew Levitas

Black Op

Gabriel Field

Waiter

Frank Ridley

Detective Starrs

Daniel Stewart Sherman

Police Officer #1

Matthew C. Flynn

Police Officer #2

Patrick Canty

Police Officer #3

Sam Blumenfeld

Timothy

Kevin DeCoste

Malcolm

Mary Klug

Female Neighbor

Allyssa Brooke

Suzanne Weller

Danielle Heaton

Estelle

Michael Zegen

Garcin

Rachael Hunt

Inez

Cheryl McMahon

Female 911 Operator

Evelina Turen

Deborah Burns

Bill Buell

Dr. Earl Stupe

Paul Marini

Santa Claus

Donald Warnock

Doctor Y

W. Kirk Avery

Doctor Z

Donald John Hewitt

Employee

Floyd Richardson

Employee

David R. McDonough

Employee

Rick L'Heureux

Chase Employee

Nick Cairis

Chase Employee

Robert Denton

Chase Employee

Paul Locke

Chase Employee

Danny DeMiller

Chase Employee

Jenna Lamia

Diane Carnes (voice)

Winstead Barnes

NASA Executive (uncredited)

Greg Berney

Drama Class Kid (uncredited)

Jodie Brunelle

911 Operator (uncredited)

Danny Carney

Soldier (uncredited)

Danny Connelly

Library Employee (uncredited)

William Conrad

Self (voice) (uncredited)

John Curie

Nosey Neighbor's Grandson (uncredited)

John E. Daniel

Reporter (uncredited)

Paige Flannery

Student (uncredited)

Keith Fluker

Military Officer (uncredited)

Steve Flynn

Guest at Wedding Reception (uncredited)

John Franchi

Lurker (uncredited)

Jay Gates

Reporter (uncredited)

Patrick Mel Hayes

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Benjamin Healy

Bartender (uncredited)

Mark Hetherington

Homeless Library Patron (uncredited)

Steven Howitt

NASA Scientist (uncredited)

Jessica Knight

NASA Employee (uncredited)

Jon Korzeniowski

State Trooper (uncredited)

Sal Lizard

Santa Claus (uncredited)

Tina Mann

NASA Scientist (uncredited)

CJ McBath

Photographer (uncredited)

Alex Milne

Child at Bus Stop (uncredited)

Jason Mulcahy

Edgy & Hip Family Guest (uncredited)

Roxanne Nichols

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Ed O'Keefe

Norma's Abductor (uncredited)

Richard Pacheco

Joel Reidy (uncredited)

Greg Paul

NASA Engineer (uncredited)

Dan Perrault

The Valet (uncredited)

Drew Rose

Groomsman (uncredited)

Mustafa Speaks

Employee (uncredited)

Vyvian B. Stevens

Brainwashed Follower (uncredited)

Franz Strassmann

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

David Struffolino

NASA Rocket Scientist (uncredited)

Marc Vos

Banquet Waiter (uncredited)

Jamie Christopher White

Hotel Follower (uncredited)

Deborah Rush

Clymene Steward

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Richard Kelly

Original Story

Richard Matheson

Reviews

John Chard

May 31, 2015

If you push the button, two things will happen.

The best quote I ever saw as regards Richard Kelly's The Box, was that it is a Marmite movie. Marmite is a food substance that people either love or hate, The Box is a Marmite movie.

Cameron Diaz and James Marsden star as a couple who are visited by a mysterious stranger (Frank Langella) who has a bizarre offer. The Box now in the couple's possession has a button (Langella's mysterious Arlington Steward informs them it's called the Button Unit), they are told that if they push the button then a complete stranger will die, they will then receive a life changing amount of money. What to do?.

Based on a Richard Matheson short story titled "Button, Button", The Box is an ethereal mind meld of a piece. Morals and ethics are married up to a whole bunch of twists and other worldly ideas, which goes some way to explaining that where once there was a more than adequate half hour "Twilight Zone" episode (Profile in Silver/Button, Button 1986), there is now a near two hour movie crammed to the brim. It's this that hurts an otherwise stylishly produced and potentially thoughtful picture.

After the raves and craves for his "Donnie Darko (2001)", Richard Kelly appeared to believe the press praise, that here was a new surreal director on the block. Where "M. Night Shyamalan" had success with the twist gimmick and couldn't let it go until his career went in the swamp, so to Kelly who kept straining to make movies that were needlessly over complex, trying to be smart when it isn't needed ("Southland Tales (2006)" is a car wreck of a movie). The Box does have intelligence and lots of good ideas, but a two hour film it does not make, with the attempts at weaving all the threads together proving to be too problematic come the finale. Incredulity a most appropriate word, plausibility is not.

The Box, an intriguing - attractive - failure, but some do and will love it. If you haven't seen it then roll the dice and good luck. 6/10

Footnote: We have yet to actually get an adaptation to screen that contains Matheson's original literary ending!