Wikipedia

Charlie St. Cloud

For the novel, seeThe Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.

Charlie St. Cloudis a 2010 Americansupernaturaldrama filmbased on Ben Sherwood's novelThe Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud,published in 2004 byBantam Books.The film is directed byBurr Steersand starsZac EfronandAmanda Crew.The story is about Charlie St. Cloud's choice between keeping a promise he made to his younger brother, who died in a car accident, or going after the girl he loves. In some markets the film used the complete title of the book.

Charlie St. Cloud
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBurr Steers
Screenplay by
Based onThe Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud
byBen Sherwood
Produced byMarc Platt
Starring
CinematographyEnrique Chediak
Edited byPadraic McKinley
Music byRolfe Kent
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • July 30, 2010(2010-07-30)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$44 million[1]
Box office$48.2 million[2]

After winning the rights to adapt the book into film,Universal PictureshadJames SchamusandLewis Colickwrite drafts for the script, withCraig Pearcewriting the final script, and director Steers helping to polish it for completion. The film's production (byRelativity MediaandMarc Platt Productions) began inupstate New YorkandBritish Columbia.Filming lasted from July to late October 2009, with much of it occurring in upstate New York's forest andGibsons' coastal pier.

Charlie St. Cloudwas theatrically released in the United States on July 30, 2010 to negative reviews, with many criticizing the script's tonal confliction and Efron's performance. The film was also abox-office disappointment,having grossed just $48.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $44 million (not including advertisement and distribution costs).

Plot

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Charlie St. Cloud, with his younger brother Sam, wins a boating race on hissailboatSplendid Splinter,subsequently receiving a sailing scholarship toStanford University.He graduates fromWinslow High Schooland after graduation, Charlie promises Sam they will practice baseball every day until he leaves for Stanford.

That night, Charlie wants to attend a graduation party with his friends, but his mother makes him babysit Sam. Charlie tries sneaking out to the party, but Sam catches him and asks for a ride to his friend Tommy's house. While on the road, Charlie reassures him that his departure will not be like their father's abandonment.

The car later getsrear-endedby aSUV,pushing them into an intersection where they areT-bonedby a18-wheeler,killing Sam. During anout-of-body experience,Charlie hugs and reassures Sam, promising not to leave him.

Paramedic Florio Ferrente revives Charlie but Sam dies in his arms. At the funeral, Charlie runs off, unable to put Sam's baseball glove in the grave. Running through the woods, he finds his spirit and discovers they can interact. Charlie fulfills Sam's dying wish by practicing baseball with him every day at sunset, even though it keeps Sam's spirit from "moving on."

Five years later, Charlie is a caretaker at Waterside Cemetery, having abandoned his scholarship. He continues to interact with ghosts, including his friend Sully who died in theMarines.Charlie runs into Florio, who is dying of cancer.

Florio encourages Charlie to live his life more fully, in search of the reason why he was saved. At the docks, Charlie meets Tess Carroll, an old classmate and sailor planning tosolo-sailaround the world.

The following day, Charlie finds an injured Tess tending her father's grave. He tends to her at his home and they develop a relationship. Later, when Charlie arrives late to see Sam, he says he felt Charlie forgetting him and himself disappearing. Charlie explains his ongoing relationship with Sam to Tess, who has followed him, and ends things to not lose Sam.

Charlie learns that Tess disappeared with her boat in a storm three days earlier. After meeting her on the docks, he believes he's really been interacting with her spirit as she appeared at the cemetery, and he assumes she died at sea.

Florio's wife Carla tells Charlie that Florio died the previous night, giving him hisSt. Judemedallion. Remembering that Florio believed there is no such thing as a lost cause, he becomes convinced that Tess is alive and that he was saved to save her now.

With his friend Alistair and Tess's coach Tink, Charlie takes Tink's boat to find her. At sunset, Charlie misses his game with Sam, causing him to move on from the living world as the brothers affirm their love. Sam appears to Charlie as a shooting star, revealing Tess' location. They find the wrecked boat and an unconscious Tess. Charlie uses his body heat to keep her warm until theCoast Guardarrives, protecting her againsthypothermia.

Later, Charlie invites Tess to ride with him on an old sail boat he has bought. She is afraid, as she has had vivid dreams about them together. He tells Tess that these are memories, reciting a quote from her father's funeral that he discussed with her spirit. Charlie quits his job and makes his final peace with Sam's spirit. Some time later, they set off to sail around the world.

Cast

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Production

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A bidding war for thefilm rightsto the book by authorBen Sherwoodbroke out in April and May 2003, before the book was published, with three studios competing for the rights.[3]Universal StudiosandMarc Platt(Universal's president of production) prevailed, paying a reported [estimated] $500,000 to $1 million for the rights (with that figure rising above $1 million if the film is made).[3]Ben Sherwood was guaranteed anexecutive producercredit on the film, and Universal Studios executive producer Donna Langley was assigned to the picture.[3]Joe Johnstonwas initially chosen to direct.[4]

Drafts for the script were written byJames SchamusandLewis Colick,but the final script was written byCraig Pearce.By March 2009, Johnston had been replaced as director byBurr Steers,and Platt had named himself as producer.[5][6][7]Steers helped polish the script.[7]The first lead performer cast in the film wasZac Efron,who turned down the lead role inParamount Pictures' remake ofFootlooseto star in this film.[8]Pre-production had commenced by March 2009, with filming set to begin in July 2009.[5]

Training with Efron began inVancouver,British Columbia,in July 2009,[9]and started production inupstate New YorkJuly 2009 to October 5.[10]Amanda Crew joined the film as Tess Carroll in July 2009,[11]and shot her scenes the following September.[12]A number of scenes in the film were shot inGibsons, British Columbia,including a scene in the famous 'Beachcombers' restaurant.[13]Portions of the film were filmed at a Deep Cove school,Seycove Secondary School,in North Vancouver, B. C.Kim Basingeragreed to play Louise St. Cloud (later Claire) in mid-August 2009.[7]Chris Massogliawas signed in October 2009 to play a teenaged Sam St. Cloud, but never made it into the final film.[14][15][16]Efron wrapped his scenes in late October 2009.[17]

Rolfe Kentwrote the score, withTony Blondalorchestrating. It was recorded atSkywalker Sound,Marin County,California.Kelvin Humennyserved as theart directorfor the film.[18]

Music

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Following is a list of music featured in the film, but not included in the soundtrack:

Reception

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Box office

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Charlie St. Cloudwas released on July 30, 2010 and earned $12.4 million during its opening weekend, grossing $31.2 million in the United States and Canada, and earning another $17 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $48.2 million, against a production budget of $44 million.[2]

Critical response

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OnRotten Tomatoes,the film has an approval percentage of 28% based on 126 reviews and a rating of 4.60 out of 10. The critics consensus reads: "Zac Efron gives it his all, butCharlie St. Cloudis too shallow and cloying to offer much more than eye candy for his fans. "[19]OnMetacritic,the film has a score of 37 out of 100 based on 30 critic reviews, meaning "Generally Unfavorable".[20]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[21]

Film criticA. O. ScottofThe New York Timescommended Efron for having enough "geniality and melancholy" in the title role and cinematographer Enrique Chediak for giving the scenery a "convincingly romantic look and mood," but found the film overall conflicted with being a supernatural romantic drama that plays like a horror movie in certain places, concluding that "you are supposed to be transported beyond skepticism on a wave of pure, tacky feeling. Instead, in this case, you drown in sentimental, ghoulish nonsense."[22]Bruce DeMara of theToronto Stargave praise to Efron as the title character but felt it wasn't enough to elevate the film from being "too formulaic, pretentious and cloying," concluding that "if your intent is to drink in the stunning hunkiness of Zac Efron, he's there in virtually every frame, brooding, wry, intense and actually somewhat believable. Too bad the rest of this ghost story doesn't hold up."[23]Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Timeswrote: "The good news is that Efron continues to get better with each film; he just hasn't gotten a role yet that will finally put his acting potential to the test."[24]Entertainment Weekly'sOwen Gleibermangave the film a "C−" grade, criticizing Efron's pretty boy facials for not displaying the character's emotional despair but "a fake-profound, lost-idol tranquility."[25]

The Hollywood Reporter's Kirk Honeycutt called it "the latest to portray everlasting love on the screen and [the film] doesn't just fail, it actually gets sillier by the minute."[26]The Guardian'sPeter Bradshawwrote: "Like a high-jumper cracking the bar in two with his forehead, former teen star Zac Efron fails to make it into the Mature Performer league in this unendurable romantic drama, filmed in the buttery late-summer glow I associate with movies such asMessage in a BottleandThe Notebook."[27]Wesley MorrisofThe Boston Globewrote that Efron lacked suitable material to make his character interesting and that Steers' direction "cares not for pacing [or] depth or the power of real emotion," saying "the movie is very much dead already. It has no pulse, no apparent breath, and a curious odor seems to waft from the screen not long after Charlie and Sam win a race together in the opening scene."[28]Mark Jenkins ofNPRfelt the film lacked "genuine emotion" to backup its concept and that Efron was miscast in the title character role, concluding that, "[U]nlikeThe Lovely Bones,this film doesn't attempt to show the afterlife as experienced by those who die too young. But then, who needs Heaven when you live in a picturesque sailing village in Microsoftland?Charlie St. Cloudmay be a tale of loss, but its characters seem to have everything they could possibly want. "[29]

Accolades

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Efron was nominated for aTeen Choice AwardforChoice Summer Movie Star - Maleand anMTV Movie AwardforBest Male Performancefor his work in the film, but they both went toRobert PattinsonforThe Twilight Saga: Eclipse.[30][31]Tahan was nominated forBest Performance by a Younger Actorat the37th Saturn Awards,but lost the award toChloë Grace MoretzforLet Me In.[32]

References

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  1. ^Fritz, Ben (July 29, 2010)."Movie projector: 'Schmucks,' cats, dogs and Zac Efron will all open behind 'Inception'".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on November 9, 2021.RetrievedJuly 30,2010.
  2. ^ab"Charlie St. Cloud (2010)".Box Office Mojo.IMDb.RetrievedJuly 24,2020.
  3. ^abcFleming, Michael (May 4, 2003)."U, Platt triumph in 'Death' bid".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  4. ^Fleming, Michael (July 14, 2008)."Marc Platt 'Wanted' at Universal".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  5. ^abFleming, Michael (March 24, 2009)."Zac Efron ready for new 'Life'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 4, 2019.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  6. ^Fleming, Michael; Siegel, Tatiana (April 20, 2009)."Bale in ring with Wahlberg for 'Fighter'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  7. ^abcFleming, Michael (August 12, 2009)."Basinger joins Efron in 'St. Cloud'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  8. ^Fleming, Michael; Siegel, Tatiana (May 19, 2009)."Chace Crawford set for 'Footloose'".Variety.Penske Media Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  9. ^"Caught in the Act!".People.Gannett.July 21, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon August 31, 2009.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  10. ^Barnes, Brooks (October 5, 2009)."AHigh SchoolStar Gives Ross a Boost ".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  11. ^Kit, Borys (July 28, 2009)."Actress SeesSt. CloudFormation ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  12. ^McNary, Dave (September 13, 2009)."Crew, Palicki to star in 'Girl'".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  13. ^"More Zac Efron at" Flynn's Reach "(Molly's Reach) in Gibsons".Langley Times.October 30, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon August 13, 2010.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  14. ^Kroll, Justin (October 20, 2009)."Players".Variety.Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2009.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  15. ^As of October 25, 2009, theInternet Movie Databaselisted child actorCharlie Tahanplaying the role of Sam. See:Charlie St. CloudatIMDb.Accessed 2009-10-25.
  16. ^Memberto, Brad (October 30, 2009)."Cirque du Freak: Not Your Father's Vampires".Santa Ynez Valley News.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  17. ^"Couples Watch: Brody & Jayde, Justin & Jessica".People.Gannett. October 26, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon October 27, 2009.RetrievedJuly 17,2010.
  18. ^"Kevin Humenny".British Film Institute.Archived fromthe originalon July 25, 2021.RetrievedApril 6,2022.
  19. ^"Charlie St. Cloud".Rotten Tomatoes.
  20. ^"Charlie St. Cloud".Metacritic.
  21. ^"Home - Cinemascore".cinemascore.
  22. ^Scott, A. O.(July 29, 2010)."Playing With Phantoms in the Northwest Woods".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on July 25, 2020.RetrievedJuly 25,2020.
  23. ^DeMara, Bruce (July 29, 2010)."Charlie St. Cloud: High school funeral".Toronto Star.Archivedfrom the original on September 26, 2020.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  24. ^Sharkey, Betsy (July 30, 2010)."Movie review: 'Charlie St. Cloud'".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on September 26, 2020.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  25. ^Gleiberman, Owen(July 28, 2010)."Charlie St. Cloud".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2020.RetrievedJuly 26,2020.
  26. ^Honeycutt, Kirk (October 14, 2010)."Charlie St. Cloud: Film Review".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on December 26, 2021.RetrievedDecember 26,2021.
  27. ^Bradshaw, Peter(October 7, 2010)."The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud - review".The Guardian.London.Archivedfrom the original on December 1, 2020.RetrievedJuly 25,2020.
  28. ^Morris, Wesley(July 30, 2010)."Charlie St. Cloud movie review".The Boston Globe.Boston.Archivedfrom the original on July 26, 2020.RetrievedJuly 26,2020.
  29. ^Jenkins, Mark (July 29, 2010)."Seafaring 'Charlie St. Cloud' Keeps To The Shallows".NPR.Archivedfrom the original on July 25, 2020.RetrievedJuly 25,2020.
  30. ^Stransky, Tanner (August 9, 2010)."2010 Teen Choice Awards winners announced".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on February 15, 2020.RetrievedJuly 25,2020.
  31. ^Rawden, Mack (June 5, 2011)."2011 MTV Movie Award Winners: Complete Results".Cinema Blend.Archivedfrom the original on July 17, 2019.RetrievedJuly 25,2020.
  32. ^Chitwood, Adam (June 24, 2011)."Inception Wins Big at the 2011 Saturn Awards".Collider.Archived fromthe originalon April 26, 2020.RetrievedJuly 25,2020.
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