Paul Haggis holds the distinction of being the only person ever to write the screenplay for two consecutive Best Picture winners. He also wrote the previous year's Best Picture winner, Million Dollar Baby (2004).
With only a budget of $6 million for this film, director Paul Haggis had to cut the costs by using his own house for scenes and even his own car for other scenes.
For the scene in which Daniel is trying to convince his daughter to get out from under the bed, director Paul Haggis directed Michael Peña, who plays Daniel, to talk to her like he would talk to a guy in a bar.