Little Boxes (film)

Little Boxes is a 2016 American independent dramedy film, directed by Rob Meyer and written by Annie Howell. It stars Melanie Lynskey, Nelsan Ellis, Armani Jackson, Oona Laurence, Janeane Garofalo, and Christine Taylor. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016. It was released theatrically in the United States on April 14, 2017 by Gunpowder & Sky, receiving generally positive reviews.

Plot

An interracial family struggles to adjust when they move from Brooklyn, New York to a small town in Washington State.

Cast

Melanie Lynskey as Gina McNulty-Burns
Nelsan Ellis as Mack Burns
Armani Jackson as Clark Burns
Oona Laurence as Ambrosia Reed
Janeane Garofalo as Helene Wisdom-Finkelstein
Christine Taylor as Joan Reed
Miranda McKeon as Julie Hanson
Maliq Johnson as William
Nadia Dajani as Maya
Veanne Cox as Sarita
David Charles Ebert as Tom Gibson
Will Janowitz as Steve
Julie Hays as Dean Maureen
Dierdre Friel as Diane Hanson

Production

In May 2015, it was announced Rob Meyer would direct the film from a screenplay by Annie Howell, with Cary Fukunaga executive producing. In August 2015, Melanie Lynskey and Nelsan Ellis were reported to have been cast in the leads.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on April 15, 2016. Shortly after, Netflix acquired VOD rights to the film. Gunpowder & Sky later acquired distribution rights and set the film for an April 14, 2017, release.

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, earning a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times wrote, "Countless movies have examined what happens when a country mouse goes to the city; this one shows that leaving a gentrified urban oasis for a small-town world can be just as jolting," calling it "effective" and "delicately observed."