Despite the script being inspired by events in Cameron Metrejean's own life, director Matt Garvin asked that he not think about those events for the scenes where he was angry or emotional and instead recommended he draw from a different experience. When asked, the first experience Cameron brought up was an incident 5 years prior when a group of former friends he'd gone on annual beach trips with had planned the next year's trip behind his back. When Cameron found out they told him he wasn't invited and he was devastated. Garvin said that experience was appropriate and to draw from that.
Much of "Keith's" letter is taken directly from a letter written to Cameron Metrejean by his pen pal. The phrase in the original letter was "bumblebees on a billboard." Cameron changed it to "Beetles" to help it flow better.
When cast as Frank, Ed Chambers was actually the guardian to his real-life grandson though his is much younger, only 5 at the time of filming. When filming Frank's brief outburst, director Matthew Garvin told Ed to imagine he had just yelled at his 5-year-old grandson.
One poster seen next to the doorway of Dakota's room appears to be of a movie titled "Lessons in the Poolhouse." The people in silhouette on the poster are actually writer/star Cameron Metrejean and Productions Assistant, Josh Foret. The fictional movie is a potential future project that the two had discussed.
It was Cameron Metrejean's idea to add a trophy shelf on the bookcase in Dakota's room. It was to imply that Dakota thrived relatively well for himself being raised by his grandparents and according to Cameron "This might be my only chance to have a trophy shelf."