King of California
2007
**
Director: Mike Cahill
Cast: Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, Allisyn Ashley Arm, Willis Burks II, Laura Kachergus, Paul Lieber, Kathleen Wilhoite, Greg Davis Jr.
16-year-old Miranda is used to taking care of herself. Now suddenly she has to look after Charlie, her flaky father, who returns home from a mental institution. During his absence, Charlie has become obsessed with an old Spanish treasure he believes is buried under a retail store. Is Charlie truly mad and is he still a danger to himself? No, he's just little bit scruffy and cutely eccentric. Is the Spanish gold a metaphor for his lost marbles? No, it's an actual literal treasure without any hidden subtext. The set-up gives Miranda and Charlie a chance to rediscover each other, but Mike Cahill is not really interested in exploring that. He just wants to make a quirky and pointless indie comedy. It's worth your while only for Michael Douglas' likeable performance.
