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FILM 1311: INHERENT VICE

TRIVIA: According to director Paul Thomas Anderson, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon "have their own language and short hand" with each other. While their natural rapport helped to show the chemistry between their characters, this led to Anderson having to constantly remind them to stop chatting so that they could film.

Reese Witherspoon filmed all of her scenes in four days. Director Paul Thomas Anderson loved working with her so much that he and Joaquin Phoenix, who famously worked with Reese in Walk the Line (2005), began talking with Witherspoon about possibly changing the story so that her character would be around more. However, ultimately the actress convinced the two that it wouldn't be a good idea, something that in retrospect Anderson agrees with.

This film is the first adaptation of any of Thomas Pynchon's novels to be produced for the screen. Paul Thomas Anderson's script for the film reportedly has the blessing of Pynchon himself.

Paul Thomas Anderson reportedly went about adapting the book by typing it up word for word, then proceeding from there.

First film collaboration between Paul Thomas Anderson and his partner of thirteen years, Maya Rudolph.

In one of the scenes featuring Petunia Leeway (portrayed by Maya Rudolph), the Minnie Riperton song "Les Fleur" can be heard playing on the soundtrack. Minnie Riperton is the mother of Maya Rudolph. Additionally, the song was co-written by her father, songwriter Dick Rudolph.

The look of the movie was inspired by a few reels of improperly stored film that Paul Thomas Anderson had kept in his garage for nearly 15 years. Only a few shots actually used the aged film, however, as it was too risky to rely on the damaged film stock.

Fueled by comments Josh Brolin gave to the New York Times, rumors persist that notoriously reclusive author Thomas Pynchon makes a cameo appearance somewhere in the film, which would be the first time Pynchon has been willingly publicly photographed since the late 1950's. The most common theories are Pynchon appears as one of the following: the patient being served soup by a shaky patient in the Chroskylodon Institute (this is actually an actor named Charley Morgan), a dentist in the scene at Golden Fang Headquarters, or the man who passes by the window behind Doc and Coy as they talk at the Spotted Dick party.

Doc's look was inspired by a photo of Neil Young from 1970, the year in which the film is set. Young also has 2 songs featured in the movie, and director Paul Thomas Anderson has stated that Young's film Journey Through the Past was an inspiration for the feeling he wanted to achieve in Inherent Vice.

At Dr. Blatnoyds office a narrator is telling about a law firm called Voorhees-Krueger, a homage to characters of Friday the 13th (Jason Voorhees) and Nightmare of Elm Street (Freddy Krueger).