Stop-Loss (2008)

Director:

Kimberly Peirce

Writers (WGA):

Mark Richard (written by) &
Kimberly Peirce (written by)

Release Date:

28 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

A veteran soldier returns from his completed tour of duty in Iraq, only to find his life turned upside down when he is arbitrarily ordered to return to field duty by the Army.

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Ranch | Blindness | Gash In The Face | 4x4

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Ryan Phillippe	...	SSgt. Brandon King
Abbie Cornish	...	Michelle
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Tommy Burgess
Rob Brown	...	Isaac 'Eyeball' Butler
Channing Tatum	...	Steve Shriver
Victor Rasuk	...	Rico Rodriguez
Terry Quay	...	Al 'Preacher' Colson
Matthew Scott Wilcox	...	Harvey
Connett Brewer	...	Curtis (as Connett M. Brewer)
Timothy Olyphant	...	Lt. Col. Boot Miller
Josef Sommer	...	Senator Orton Worrell
Linda Emond	...	Ida King
Ciarán Hinds	...	Roy King
Mamie Gummer	...	Jeanie
Alex Frost	...	Shorty Shriver
Chandra Washington	...	Mrs. Butler
Cora Cardona	...	Theresa Rodriguez
Isreal Saldivar	...	Augustin
David Kroll	...	Pastor
Marie Mizener	...	Karen
Kasey Stevens	...	Sharon
Ricky Calmbach	...	Himself
Lee Stringer	...	Dennis
J.D. Evermore	...	Rainey
Cory Hart	...	Cowboy
Devin Moss	...	CIF Clerk
Roger Edwards	...	Clerk
Ric Maddox	...	Lieutenant One
Richard Dillard	...	Sheriff Boudreaux
David Precopia	...	Police Officer
James D. Dever	...	Captain Dever (as James Dever)
Mark Richard	...	Pastor Colson
Laurie Metcalf	...	Mrs. Colson
Steven Strait	...	Michael Colson
Jeff Gibbs	...	Receptionist
Tory Kittles	...	Josh
Margo Martindale	...	Senator's Secretary (voice)
Ben Taylor	...	Bartender
Cameron Clapp	...	Vet #1
Troy Robinson	...	Vet #2 (as Clifton 'Troy' Robinson)
Peter Gerety	...	Carlson
Weston Scott Higgins	...	NCOIC of Pallbearers
Tom Minder	...	Honor Guard NCOIC
Victor García Jr.	...	Grave Digger
Robert Farrior	...	Captain Greg MacDonald
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Cornwell	...	Cash for Carz Salesman
Matthew Garth II	...	Soldier
Beth Gosnell	...	Domestic Abuse Victim
Elizabeth Ingalls	...	Sweetheart
Christian Stokes	...	Tweaker
Erik Anderson	...	Captain Urbina (uncredited)

Directed by
Kimberly Peirce

Writing credits (WGA)
Mark Richard		(written by) &
Kimberly Peirce		(written by) (as Katherine Peirce)

Produced by
Pamela Abdy	....	executive producer
Reid Carolin	....	associate producer
Gregory Goodman	....	producer
Kimberly Peirce	....	producer
Mark Roybal	....	producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer
Alli Shearmur	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Powell

Cinematography by
Chris Menges

Film Editing by
Claire Simpson

Casting by
Avy Kaufman

Production Design by
David Wasco

Art Direction by
Peter Borck

Set Decoration by
Sandy Reynolds-Wasco

Costume Design by
Marlene Stewart

Makeup Department
Becki Drake	....	makeup artist
David Forrest	....	department head makeup
Meredith Johns	....	makeup artist
Becky Joyce	....	hair stylist
Fred Lackey III	....	key hair stylist
Lori McCoy-Bell	....	hair department head
Deborah Patino	....	special makeup supervisor
Iván Pohárnok	....	special makeup effects artist
Don Rutherford	....	special makeup effects artist
Rick Stratton	....	tattoo artist

Production Management
Michael J. Malone	....	production manager
Kiki Morris	....	post-production supervisor
Scott Puckett	....	production supervisor
Paul Springer	....	post-production manager
Scott Thaler	....	production manager: Morocco

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alain Aswani	....	second second assistant director: Morocco
Doug Coleman	....	second unit director
William M. Connor	....	first assistant director
Richard Diment	....	second assistant director: Morocco
Neil Lewis	....	second second assistant director
Scott R. Meyers	....	second second assistant director
Kristen Ploucha	....	second assistant director
Darin Rivetti	....	first assistant director (additional photography)

Art Department
Jille Azis	....	set decorator: Morocco
Amy Bell	....	set decoration buyer
Brad Blei	....	set dresser
Mark Lambert Bristol	....	storyboard artist
Don 'Tex' Clark	....	leadman: re-shoot
Jack Colmenero	....	set dresser
April Crump	....	set dresser
Patricia Dillon	....	draper
Patricia Dillon	....	set dresser
Gretchen Engel	....	art department coordinator
Erin Fite	....	set decoration buyer
William F. Gambill	....	stand-by painter
Juliet Guimont	....	scenic artist
Steve A. Hagberg	....	construction coordinator
James V. Kent	....	set decorator: New York
Ellen Lampl	....	graphic designer
George Lee	....	set designer
Charlie Nauman	....	props assistant
Richard 'Rocky' Nichols	....	assistant property master
Richard G. Owen	....	swing gang: re-shoots
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master: Morocco
Jason Perrine	....	art department assistant
Victoria Ramirez	....	props assistant
Charles Seale	....	carpenter
Randy Severs	....	construction foreman: Austin crew
Michael Sexton	....	property master
Phil Shirey	....	leadman
Corissa Smith	....	scenic gang boss
Pierre Vial	....	set dresser
Alexander Vinnitski	....	product placement
Michael Wilks	....	on-set dresser
Robert R. Wonson	....	set dresser
Cher Young	....	painter

Sound Department
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugene Gearty	....	supervising sound editor
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Manny Leyva	....	sound utility
Danny Michael	....	sound mixer
Zekkane Mohammed	....	boom operator: Morocco Unit
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor
Angela Organ	....	assistant sound editor
Karym Ronda	....	sound mixer: Morocco Unit
Jac Rubenstein	....	dialogue editor
Wyatt Sprague	....	sound effects editor
Serge Stanley	....	assistant sound editor
Tami Treadwell	....	adr recordist
Larry Wineland	....	supervising sound editor
Jerry Yuen	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Craig Byrom	....	special effects foreman
Everett Byrom III	....	special effects coordinator
Brandon Campbell	....	special effects technician
Stanford Gilbert	....	special effects technician
Meredith Johns	....	special effects prosthetics
Larry Odien	....	animatronic prosthetics: Deborah Petino
Bob Trevino	....	special effects technician
Dennis Yeager II	....	special effects foreman
Leslie Kolter	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Russell Barrett	....	pre-visualization
Thad Beier	....	visual effects supervisor
Thomas Dadras	....	digital effects supervisor: Hammerhead Productions
Michelle Eisenreich	....	visual effects producer: Hammerhead
Paul Ensby	....	digital color timer
Dan Levitan	....	compositor
Mamie McCall	....	animator
Daniel Mellitz	....	digital artist
Madhava Reddy	....	digital intermediate
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration

Stunts
Jon Braver	....	stunt actor
Mark Chavarria	....	stunt performer
Leah Coffman	....	stunt performer
Doug Coleman	....	stunt coordinator
Glenn Goldstein	....	stunt performer
Jim Henry	....	stunts
Lucinda Hinton	....	stunts
Laura King	....	stunts
Brian Machleit	....	stunts
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunt double
Samantha MacIvor	....	stunt double: Abbie Cornish
David Morizot	....	stunt coordinator
Shawn Odum	....	stunt double: Ryan Phillippe
Casey O'Neill	....	stunts
Michael Ortiz	....	stunts
Cedric Proust	....	stunt coordinator
Jimmy N. Roberts	....	stunts
Allen Robinson	....	utility stunts
Dan Schlund	....	stunt double
Jeff Schwan	....	stunts
Christian Stokes	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Andy Arnautov	....	gaffer: Morocco
Richard Beltran	....	electrician
Hans Bjerno	....	aerial director of photography
Theodore Y. Bott	....	electrician
Sarah Bowman	....	additional camera loader
Graham Bremner	....	grip
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	camera operator
Trevor Carroll-Coe	....	film loader
Trey Cartwright	....	electrician
Patrick B. Coate	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Bill Coe	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Chuck Cohen	....	additional photographer
James F. Cornick	....	best boy
Charles Coulter	....	generator operator
Matt Cowan	....	best boy rigging grip
Eric Cunningham	....	electrician
François Duhamel	....	additional still photographer
John Eschberger	....	electrician
Adam Flores	....	grip
Greg Flores	....	key grip: second unit
Jacob Fountain	....	grip
Sean P. Gilbert	....	underwater first assistant camera
Ivo Gresak	....	key grip: Czech/Morocco unit
Arien Hatch	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, additional photography
Donald R. Howe Jr.	....	second assistant camera: "c" camera
John Janusek	....	key grip
Janet Jensen	....	electrician
Scott Koenigsberg	....	second assistant camera: New York
Tony Lopez-Cepero	....	electrician
Frank Masi	....	still photographer
James M. McClure	....	electrician
Bobby McMahan	....	second assistant camera
Mike Moad	....	dolly grip
David Myrick	....	lighting technician
Ster Percy	....	second company grip
Brandon Roberts	....	set lighting technician
John Savedra	....	set electrician
Justin Seyb	....	rigging electrician
Tom Shinn	....	rigging gaffer
Jaromir Simek	....	best boy
Dean M. Simmon	....	first assistant steadicam: "b" camera
Bobby Sledge	....	electrician
Louis Smith	....	second assistant camera: Morocco
Greg Travis	....	best boy rigging electric
James R. Tynes	....	gaffer
Steve Urban	....	grip
Ezra Venetos	....	grip
Sean Wright	....	grip

Casting Department
Chris Bustard	....	extras casting: Los Angeles
Letty Chavarria	....	extras casting coordinator
Thomas Gustafson	....	background casting: New York
Leeba Zakharov	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Steve Constancio	....	set costumer
Holly Davis	....	assistant costume designer
Annette Hoffman	....	set costumer
Min Soo Kim	....	costume department coordinator
Nicole Leitner	....	costume assistant
Amy Maner	....	buyer: costume department
Robin McMullan	....	costumer
Christine Orth	....	key costumer
Jennifer Schilling	....	costume production assistant
Debra Sugarman	....	second set costumer
Susan Gaedke	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Matthew Benns	....	digital intermediate data manager
Dana Bloder	....	digital intermediate producer
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Paul Ensby	....	digital color timer
Joe Gawler	....	digital intermediate colorist
Todd Kleparski	....	digital intermediate producer: London
Keith Mason	....	first assistant editor
Ryan Murphy	....	assistant editor
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Everette Webber	....	digital intermediate editor

Music Department
Jim Dunbar	....	music supervisor
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor
John Ashton Thomas	....	music arranger
John Ashton Thomas	....	orchestrator
Gina Zimmitti	....	music contractor

Transportation Department
Hamid Araissi	....	transportation manager
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Jimmy Ray Pickens	....	driver
Chris Raines	....	driver: re-shoots
John H. Stephens	....	driver
Paul E. Stroh	....	transportation coordinator
David Wang	....	military vehicles
Bonnie Yamahiro	....	driver

Other crew
Kyle Adahl	....	stand-in
Hassan Aridal	....	key office assistant
Jinane Ben Zaida	....	production coordinator
Géraldine Bergé	....	production assistant
Steve Bissell	....	stand-in
Michelle Brew	....	stand-in: Ida King
Jamie Buckner	....	production secretary
Victor Burgess	....	stand-in
Daniel Cabeza	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
John Cefalu	....	location manager
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Deborah J. Chesebro	....	additional assistant accountant
Stephen Clarke	....	production assistant: additonal photography
Caroline Connor	....	travel coordinator
John P. Crowley	....	key assistant location manager
Greg Deist	....	production assistant
James D. Dever	....	technical advisor: military
Marie Dong	....	first assistant location accountant
Sarah Dowling	....	production assistant
Hicham El Ghorfi	....	facilities: Morocco
Saida Elidrissi	....	assistant production coordinator
Jessica Franks	....	set assistant: reshoots
Robbie Friedmann	....	location manager
Vanessa Gaitan	....	production assistant
Sherry Gallarneau	....	script supervisor
Donal Geraghty	....	location accountant
Jeff Guerrero	....	production assistant
Heather Holty	....	digital laboratory project manager
Mark D. Houston	....	assistant accountant
Pamela Jaeckle	....	production coordinator
Ingrid Johanson	....	production coordinator
Vicki V. Johnson	....	key set medic
Joe F. Kastely	....	assistant: Ms. Peirce
Nathan Kelly	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin
Katherine Knox	....	production secretary
Jesse Kobayashi	....	digital laboratory project manager
Kevin Kray	....	location assistant
Stephen Light	....	assistant production coordinator
Renee Marsella	....	production assistant
Mary Beth Meadows	....	production assistant
Jennifer S. Milliman	....	production assistant
Tom Minder	....	assistant military technical advisor
Jarrette Moats	....	additional set production assistant
Glen Moorman	....	production assistant
Niamh Murphy	....	textile artist
Rusty Nye	....	location assistant
Sean Oliver	....	adr artist
Lily Pahlow	....	stand-in
Laura Pendergrass	....	assistant: Mr Goodman
Jannie Penvari	....	additional set production assistant: Los Angeles
Sara Powell	....	production assistant
Ray Prewitt	....	production assistant
Paul Rathburn	....	caterer
Jonathan Reich	....	location manager: Washington D.C.
Brett Rodriguez	....	military consultant
David M. Rodriguez	....	accountant
Brett P. Smith	....	assistant accountant
Ashleigh Tucker	....	assistant production coordinator
Michael Vasquez	....	first assistant accountant
Monica Walters	....	key assistant location manager
Danielle Wilson	....	craft service: second unit
Jimi Woods	....	location scout
Lori Wyant	....	second script supervisor
Matthew Honovic	....	assistant: Mr. Rudin (uncredited)
Rusty Nye	....	location scout (uncredited)
Kirk Worley	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Scott Rudin Productions
• MTV Films
• Peirce Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• 1 Force  military technical advisors
• Armytrucks  military vehicles
• Chapman / Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Lockhart High School Band  special thanks
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Untitled Kimberly Peirce Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic violence and pervasive language. (re-rating; originally also some strong sexuality)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #43629) | Ireland:15A

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The shoot in Morocco took place during Ramadan.

Goofs:

Factual errors: On the bus in the beginning of the movie Lt. Colonel Boot tells the troops what they will NOT do while on leave. He mocks the orders he is giving out. In the real army a Lt. Colonel would never do this, much less be the person giving such orders. Those orders would be given by the 1st Sgt., especially if he said the things LTC Boot says in the movie.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Brandon King: I'm not going back. I'm fightin' this thing.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The O'Reilly Factor: (2008-04-04)" (2008)

I'm getting out!

Director Kimberly Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry") brings another powerfully charged film of such raw emotion that upon later reflection of the movie I felt like I had witnessed real events.

Stop-Loss follows the fictional story of a soldier, Brandon King (Ryan Philippe), who has returned home after a tour in Iraq. His contract is up and he just about to get out when he is stop-lossed (a "fine-print" section in all soldiers' contracts that gives the President the power to extended soldier's contracts in time of war). He refuses to be shipped back to Iraq, and goes AWOL in search of his state's senator for help. What follows is his road trip to fight the stop-loss as well as showing the devastating affects his fellow soldiers (Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt) experience from the horrible war. Its' acting, directing, and writing had such a feeling of authenticity, and combined with the fact that 81,000 of our brave soldiers have already been stop-lossed since Spetember 11,2001, this film feels like a true story.

One thing that made this film succeed so well was it's director was a woman, and she was able to make a movie were you could feel and see the emotions these guys were feeling even as they would desperately try and mask them.

The acting was extraordinary from the three main soldiers, most notably Ryan Philippe who is so gritty and real in his performance that he seems like he actually is a marine. Channing Tatum gives a genuine performance, but Joseph Gordon-Levitt's is the most haunting of the trio as a soldier who fights his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with excessive amounts of booze and slowly slips into a deep hole of despair.

This films is not a propaganda piece, it simply portrays something that is going on right now. It brings up many good points, but never bashes you with a certain viewpoint but leaves it to you to decide. This is such emotionally powerful, deeply moving film, the best film I have seen since the year started, and destined to be one of my favorites from this year.