At the age of sixteen Miranda (Evan Rachel Wood) has already had to live with her share of disappointments. Abandoned by her mother she s dropped out of school and has been supporting herself as an employee at McDonald s while her father Charlie (Michael Douglas) resides in a mental institution.When Charlie is released and sent back to their home Miranda finds the relatively peaceful existence she s built for herself completely disrupted. Charlie has become obsessed with the notion that the long-lost treasure of Spanish explorer Father Juan Florismarte Garces is buried somewhere near their suburban California housing unit. Armed with a metal detector and a stack of treasure-hunting books Charlie soon finds reason to believe that the gold resides underneath the local Costco and encourages Miranda to get a job there so that they can plan a way to excavate after hours.Initially skeptical Miranda soon finds herself joining in Charlie s questionable antics in an effort to give him one last shot at accomplishing his dreams in this darkly funny exciting and surprisingly hopeful take on the modern family and the American dream.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/ROMANTIC COMEDY UPC: 687797117793 Manufacturer No: FLP-11779
Michael Douglas is such a great dramatic actor (not to mention villain) that it's worth remembering what a strong comedic performer he can be (War of the Roses, Romancing the Stone). In King of California, he digs into his offbeat lighter role with relish and vigor. Yet he softens the scene-chewing with appropriate poignancy, given that he's playing a mentally ill deadbeat who's essentially left his daughter to raise herself--and him. Douglas plays Charlie, a troubled yet good-humored musician who's just been released from institutional care. Evan Rachel Wood is his wise-beyond-her-years daughter, Miranda, who pays the bills, keeps house, and even buys a car as an unlicensed 15-year-old. The film examines the bond between troubled dad and grounded teen, and it's to both actors' credit that the slight (and slightly incredulous) plot doesn't diminish the impact of their love or anguish. Charlie's convinced a buried Spanish treasure lies beneath the local Costco (one of many companies given costar billing; others include McDonald's, Petco, Target, and Chuck E. Cheese). The plot follows Charlie's single-minded, impossible-dream journey, while the world-weary Miranda is resigned to following ("Time to get on that old bipolar pony and ride," she mutters). But along the way, dad and daughter find true ways to reconnect, and therein lies the true majesty of King of California --A.T. Hurley
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