$5 a Day

source: $5 a Day

Bought this movie for $1. I think I paid too much for it.

At the Palm Springs Film Festival a few years ago, I saw one of the best movies ever starring the "how can you ever go wrong" versatile and totally entertaining actor, Christopher Walken! That's the reason I opted for the film knowing nothing about the theme beforehand. I loved every minute and you will too and don't listen to the one bad review from an odd thinking person on here (or that's my opinion). I LOVED the product placement, especially the Pink vehicle entirely wrapped with Sweet and Low ads all over it which added to the hilarity of the movie. I won't give away anything on the story line because the other reviews have outlined some of the moments. You will LOVE this movie for so many reasons and one of them is Sharon Stone but basically the story and acting by "father and son" on the road trip is just terrific. Rent or buy it, you will want to see it again, I know I do!!! Love you Chris!

This film is about the Christopher Walken character playing the system as he tries to reconnect with the 'son' who'd done jail time for taking the rap for him (due to the father using a cheap incompetent lawyer), as they go on a road trip in search of a 'new age' cure for his brain tumour. The cheap trip (hence the film title) involves not only special offers but conning a lot of people as they go. So it's hard to agree with Sharon Stone's character when she says he's 'a good man'. Even the son's suspicion that the terminal illness is just another ruse grows as he finds he been lied to about everything else in his life. That this film works at all is down to the excellent acting by a well-chosen cast. Walken even manages to generate sympathy with his infectious charm. Like many of the characters, even though we're being cheated we don't mind so much, as the damage is slight (especially compared to what corporate robbers have been getting away with since the turn of the millennium) and it's pulled off with so much panache. So, although I dislike the way Walken leads his life, it is hard to actually dislike this film.

As a huge Christopher Walken fan, I always enjoy it when movies actually bother to have him play a character. Lots of directors hire Walken for an auto-pilot job, to have him do his usual thing for two or three scenes and then vanish. Don't get me wrong, I love those appearances as well, but here he actually seems to enjoy himself because of the challenge he gets. His performance here is subtle (no, I'm serious), composed and comical right when it needs to be. There's some good chemistry with Alessandro Nivola as well, the father-son bonding seems very genuine. In typical road movie fashion there isn't much of a plot, but there are just enough story elements to keep the movie interesting. The only thing that brings the movie down a bit is the detour they take to meet Sharon Stone's character, who doesn't serve much of a purpose and seems copy-pasted from Jim Jarmusch's "Broken Flowers". Apart from that, this movie is bittersweet and very touching, kind of a shame it's that unknown.

The lame pun in my title is a reference to the menu at IHOP where you get a free meal on your birthday, or, as we learn in the movie, where you get a free meal if you show them a convincing fake ID that says it's your birthday. "$5 a Day" is a cute road movie about a father & son pair of small time con artists who live on $5 a day by committing various harmless scams on their way from Atlantic City, NJ to New Mexico. Their goal is get the father (Walken) to an alternative treatment center because he says he's dying. It's a standard road movie but with some interesting twists. The big gimmick, of course, is the fun way they scam their way across the USA, much to the straight-laced son's irritation. But his pop is Christopher Walken, and hey who can argue with that. It's definitely Walken's characteristic charm that carries this flick, but there's also a certain sensitivity that gives it a unique flavor which you might not expect from a bro road movie. In the DVD bonus interviews, director Nigel Cole says he really wanted to explore the unspoken emotional side in men, especially an estranged father-son pair who have a barrier of resentment between them. It's the gradual breaking of that barrier that becomes the focus of the story. Sharon Stone, though featured prominently on the posters and DVD cover, only has a few scenes. But her time on screen is fantastic as she plays a very memorable character, a con artist herself. Like any good road movie, the story is episodic, with characters entering and exiting never to be seen again. At the same time, secrets from the past reveal themselves and what had initially seemed like a random adventure starts to take shape as an interesting goal-oriented plan. "$5 a Day" is an entertaining film with a lot of fun moments and of course great acting all around. My only criticism is that it mostly plays it safe (perhaps deliberately) so it's not as edgy as it could be, given the subject matter. But maybe that's what you're looking for: a charming little flick about penny-ante criminals making their way across the country. I would compare the feel of this movie to "The Open Road" (with Jeff Bridges & Justin Timberlake playing the reluctant father-son travel buddies) or mabye "About Schmidt" (with Jack Nicholson as the retiree going cross country to find his estranged daughter). These are all well-made, sentimental stories that focus on reconnecting with our past and putting demons to rest.

Flynn Parker (Alessandro Nivola) thought he had broken free from his past. You see, his conman father, Nat (Christopher Walken) was always hustling and stretching the truth, causing a chaotic childhood. It finally resulted in Flynn taking the fall on one particular scheme and going to prison. For the past few years, Flynn has been living in the Los Angeles area and working as a health inspector. Unfortunately, the boss has just now gotten word of Flynn's criminal past and he is fired. To add insult to injury, Flynn's girlfriend, Maggie (Amanda Peet) has also moved out of their apartment, because of her boyfriend's failure to open up about his past to her. So, into this fine kettle comes word that Nat wants to see Flynn and asks him to fly to Atlantic City. Having no other job prospects at the moment, Flynn makes the journey. But, when he arrives, his dad tells him that he is dying from cancer. Not only that, he wants Flynn to drive him to Mexico for some experimental treatment and promises that it won't cost more than $5 a day in traveling expenses. This is because he has been given the use of a car, a pink beetle, with a sign for "Sweet and Low" sugar substitute. He also has a deal with Ihop for free meals and friends to stay with, like Dolores (Sharon Stone), along the way. If there aren't any pals, they can bunk in empty houses with "for sale" signs in the yard! Ha! Very reluctantly, Flynn agrees to go. At first, a reconciliation between the two men seems possible. But, can Flynn really trust that his father is telling the truth? As they journey, Flynn calls Maggie's answering machine and leaves messages that reveal more and more of the person he really is. Will they stay a couple, too? This truly enjoyable and sometimes tender film is just great for film fans looking for a change of pace. Nivola, so handsome, does a great job as the conflicted Flynn while Walken delivers another fine turn as the aging huckster. Stone's role is small but lively while Peet displays a fine sensitivity with a minimum of lines. Other cast members are good, too. As one might expect, the changing scenery across the United States is very lovely while costumes, photography, script and direction are quite up to snuff. In short, even if you must pay five bucks for a movie rental, this one has hidden treasures.

How can one leave this movie without trying to say something good about it, without sounding pretentious. At my age, 76, I thought I'd long done watching 2-D unlikely representations of "real life" ( whatever that might be ). Just about everything in it contributed to a masterpiece; from C Walken's acting to the beautifully controlled edited photography. Maybe I should say NOW I've done watching moving pictures; how can any production come up to the standard of this one, except perhaps by the team directly involved in it ? Surely this is how to make a movie; the only way ! Apparently I am obliged to contribute at least 10 lines of text, but if I add more it will become an attempt to gild the lily. Let the genuine plaudits say all that needs be said, like the spontaneous applause for a real artist; what else is required ?

Flynn Parker (Alessandro Nivola) is a corrupt health inspector who loses his job for not disclosing his criminal past. His girlfriend Maggie (Amanda Peet) moves out for keeping too many secrets. His con artist father Nat (Christopher Walken) tells him he's dying of cancer, and they go on a cross-country trip to New Mexico for an experimental treatment. Nat is proud of living on no more than $5 a day. There isn't any real tension in this. I can't really understand why Flynn would go on the trip. He must be thinking his father is lying. It's completely out of character that Nivola has already laid out for Flynn. It seems much more likely that he would put his father on the Greyhound. That aside, it's still nice to see Christopher Walken chew up the screen in this indie. Nivola is a completely low energy dude. He's not very compelling. There is a desperate need for funnier jokes to make this a fun dark comedy. It just isn't funny. Some of it is mildly cute.

That's about all I can say about this one. It's not funny enough to really be called a comedy, and the 'dramatic' moments are silly instead of dramatic. If you like Christopher Walken you will probably like this, as he indeed is the star, unlike in some of his other recent movies where he comes and goes like a fog. Sharon Stone does her usual act as a * to perfection, making me throw up a little in my mouth. The son could have been played by any of a million actors (or non actors) just as well. Amanda Peet will not be remembered for this role, probably not even by her mother or PR man. It's a road movie, with Walken demonstrating how he has perfected the art of living on $5 a day.