Chuck & Buck
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| Chuck & Buck | |
|---|---|
 Promotional movie poster for the film |
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| Directed by | Miguel Arteta |
| Produced by | Jason Kliot Thomas Brown Michael Escott Charles J. Rusbasan Judith Zarin |
| Written by | Mike White |
| Starring | Mike White Chris Weitz Paul Weitz Lupe Ontiveros |
| Music by | Joey Waronker Tony Maxwell Gwendolyn Sanford Gregory Hormel |
| Cinematography | Chuy Chávez |
| Editing by | Jeff Betancourt |
| Distributed by | Artisan Entertainment |
| Release date(s) |  January 21, 2000 (Sundance Film Festival) July 14, 2000 (limited) November 17, 2000 June 6, 2001 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Country | U.S.A. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000 (estimate) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Chuck & Buck is a 2000 film written by and starring Mike White, and directed by Miguel Arteta.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film centers on Buck O'Brien (Mike White), an emotionally arrested amateur playwright who still lives with his mother despite being twenty-seven years old. Buck's mother dies unexpectedly and he invites his old childhood friend Chuck to the funeral. Chuck (who is now calling himself "Charlie") is a successful music industry exec with a fiancée named Carlyn (Beth Colt).
During their awkward reunion, Buck makes a sexual advance on Charlie in the bathroom. Charlie rebuffs him, and returns to Los Angeles with Carlyn, but not before extending an obligatory invitation for Buck to visit him there. Buck then withdraws $10,000 from his bank account, packs up his car, and takes up residence in a hotel in Los Angeles. He also begins scripting a play on a yellow legal pad.
Too shy to announce his presence right away, Buck starts trying to see Charlie at his office at Trimorph Entertainment. Buck also surreptitiously follows Charlie to find out where he lives.
While standing in front of the playhouse across the street from Charlie's job, he strikes up a conversation with Beverly, the house manager. Buck hires Beverly to produce his play; Buck then works up the nerve to approach Charlie and his girlfriend.
After being invited to a party that Charlie and Carlyn host, Buck becomes aware of just how far apart he and Chuck have grown. He feels rejected by Charlie's new friends. He also becomes resentful of Carlyn, who he erroneously believes is interfering with their friendship. As a result of this mind-set, Buck's behavior takes on an increasingly dark edge.
[edit] Genre
Chuck & Buck has been categorized by its distributor as a comedy, although it has been instead been described as a drama, or perhaps a dramedy.
[edit] Music
The film prominently features two songs:
- Gwendolyn's "Freedom of the Heart"
- Petra Haden's "Look Both Ways Before You Cross"
