The Book of Caleb

When we watched this movie we did not know what to expect, other than it was an indie movie filmed locally in PA. When we were finished we were literally blown away by the quality of the script, acting, filming, score, etc.

This coming of age story has many light moments in it that make you laugh out loud (especially some of the out-takes), serious moments that make you reflect on life's choices and the path you take (is it the path you choose or is it chosen for you by the results of what is out of your hands?)and sadness for what is the past and what might have been.

We thought this movie was outstanding, professional and deserves to be recognized as such.

Should be submitted to the film fest circuit!

"Book of Caleb" is a refreshing film that enjoys it's own quirks and justly so; it is a film about a boy (Montag) who, with ever fiber of his being, is set on never joining the bored mediocrity of the adult population. So why should it fit neatly into a boring adult-oriented genre? Answer: it shouldn't. It won't. This film requires an open mind and the willingness to just let it exist.

Although I can understand that this film would tend to have more of a following amongst the male population, I enjoyed it very much for the humanity of the characters and the plot which accurately exposed the unpredictable nature of a life well-lived. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, that I watched it again a few days later.

Congratulations to the makers of this film on a job well done.

I just watched this movie last night and thought it was awesome! The movie did spark some weird discussions with my significant other about upper deckers, but the point is that it generated conversation. It's rare to find a movie that makes you think about life, responsibility, and poop. Forget the dude that made the Sixth Sense -- this is the best movie ever made in Bucks County, and does far more service to its lovely citizens and scenery. Well done, especially considering this is director von Manahan's first full-length film. I, for one, can't wait to see what else he has in store.

Oh, and Bill Tanner is a freakin' matinée idol.

I first saw the trailer for THE BOOK OF CALEB on the Cinemassacre.com website. The trailer had me sold from the first mention of the fabled "upper decker," so I paid for the digital download and checked it out.

The movie delivered on the trailer's promise, and shows that this group of creative people is a group to watch. They really have the chops to do something great. This isn't your average oddity that you find on the internet, have a couple seconds of amusement, and then forget about. This is a legit movie from obviously talented filmmakers.

If I had to compare the movie to anything else, I'd probably say Wes Anderson's work, specifically BOTTLE ROCKET. This film has a similar quirky sense of humor, a "boys will be boys" attitude, and a way of making the mundane seem epic without getting sidetracked with self-importance -- the movie maintains a great sense of humor and is never pretentious.

There is definitely a unique voice here. Most of the performances are solid, especially for such an independent film, and the technical credits are all solidly professional.

I'm going to recommend this one to some like-minded friends, and think it could really take off from word of mouth. Definitely worth discovering.

I was really impressed by The Book of Caleb - the first low-budget indie for the young director, Matt Manahan. The scale is HUGE - lots of locations, costumes, and characters. And it looked Amazing - how many first features shoot in 35mm these days? I had just gotten together with my friends from high school a few days before watching the film and so the themes hit me and resonated. I have so many old friends who i keep in touch with and miss, yet when we're together it's obvious how different we all are now. One friend said - I feel just like I did when i was 21 and I had to say back - why would you want to do that, you're 32! I think that's something we all go through and continue to. Caleb captured it well. I also loved seeing Bucks County, my home town, on the big screen.

For the most part, I thought the balance of humor and pathos worked really well - there was one scene that I thought stuck out but I can't remember what it was...it may have been the transition into the speech in the school yard or when the guy is dancing on the roof.

The film struck me as a great mix between a parable and 80's coming of age films. The voice-over sets that tone well, although i did wonder if it could be shorter - i have no idea.