The current Broadway season schedule seemed done and dusted at the start of this month: With an opening night of April 26, the new Kander & Ebb musical New York, New York would be the final production of 2022-23, arriving just a day before the April 27 Tony eligibility cut-off date.
But on April 4, a newcomer entered the ring, with an opening night set for the very date of the Tony cut-off. Well, not exactly a newcomer. The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window is a rarely performed 1964 play by Lorraine Hansberry, a mostly forgotten work forever overshadowed by the playwright’s 1959 masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun. Hansberry died at 34 shortly after Sidney opened, and it would take nearly 50 years – and two very popular stars – before the play would return to Broadway.
The new production of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window will star Oscar Isaac (the Dune and the Star...
But on April 4, a newcomer entered the ring, with an opening night set for the very date of the Tony cut-off. Well, not exactly a newcomer. The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window is a rarely performed 1964 play by Lorraine Hansberry, a mostly forgotten work forever overshadowed by the playwright’s 1959 masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun. Hansberry died at 34 shortly after Sidney opened, and it would take nearly 50 years – and two very popular stars – before the play would return to Broadway.
The new production of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window will star Oscar Isaac (the Dune and the Star...
- 4/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan will bring The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window to Broadway this April in a late entry for the season.
The play, written by Lorraine Hansberry, will begin performances on April 25 and open on April 27, the final day for this season’s Tony Awards eligibility, at the James Earl Jones Theatre. Isaac and Brosnahan are reprising their roles from the play’s Off-Broadway run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which ended in March.
The play, produced by Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jeremy O. Harris and Bam, is scheduled to play 80 performances only. It was able to find a slot at the James Earl Jones Theatre after the show Room, which was meant to occupy the theater starting April 3, was unable to start performances due to a lack of funding.
This will mark the Broadway debut for Isaac, who most recently appeared on screen...
The play, written by Lorraine Hansberry, will begin performances on April 25 and open on April 27, the final day for this season’s Tony Awards eligibility, at the James Earl Jones Theatre. Isaac and Brosnahan are reprising their roles from the play’s Off-Broadway run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which ended in March.
The play, produced by Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Jeremy O. Harris and Bam, is scheduled to play 80 performances only. It was able to find a slot at the James Earl Jones Theatre after the show Room, which was meant to occupy the theater starting April 3, was unable to start performances due to a lack of funding.
This will mark the Broadway debut for Isaac, who most recently appeared on screen...
- 4/4/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan are heading to Broadway later this month in Lorraine Hansberry’s The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, producers announced today.
The production, which opened a sold-out run Off Broadway at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in February, is now set to be the final production of the 2022-23 Broadway season. Opening night for the limited, 80-performance run is Thursday, April 27, at the James Earl Jones Theatre.
Directed by Anne Kauffman, the revival will mark the first time the Hansberry play has been produced on Broadway in more than 50 years, and the first Bam-produced production to transfer to Broadway since The Gospel at Colonus 35 years ago.
Producing on Broadway will be Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, with Jeremy O. Harris and Bam.
The follow-up to Hansberry’s landmark 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window debuted on Broadway...
The production, which opened a sold-out run Off Broadway at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in February, is now set to be the final production of the 2022-23 Broadway season. Opening night for the limited, 80-performance run is Thursday, April 27, at the James Earl Jones Theatre.
Directed by Anne Kauffman, the revival will mark the first time the Hansberry play has been produced on Broadway in more than 50 years, and the first Bam-produced production to transfer to Broadway since The Gospel at Colonus 35 years ago.
Producing on Broadway will be Seaview, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, with Jeremy O. Harris and Bam.
The follow-up to Hansberry’s landmark 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window debuted on Broadway...
- 4/4/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
1981: Gh's Laura was offered the "Miss Star Eyes" job.
1982: Barrington and Burgess plotted on Capitol.
1987: Guiding Light's Johnny Bauer saw it snow.
2007: A dollhouse came to life on As the World Turns."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1966: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) called Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds) and told him to meet him at the Blue Whale because "the worst possible thing that could happen, has happened." At the Inn, Sam gleefully announced that Laura, Roger's wife, had come home.
1982: Barrington and Burgess plotted on Capitol.
1987: Guiding Light's Johnny Bauer saw it snow.
2007: A dollhouse came to life on As the World Turns."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1966: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) called Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds) and told him to meet him at the Blue Whale because "the worst possible thing that could happen, has happened." At the Inn, Sam gleefully announced that Laura, Roger's wife, had come home.
- 12/22/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
1981: Gh's Laura was offered the "Miss Star Eyes" job.
1982: Barrington and Burgess plotted on Capitol.
1987: Gl's Johnny saw it snow. 2007: A dollhouse came
to life on Atwt."History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1966: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) called Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds) and told him to meet him at the Blue Whale because "the worst possible thing that could happen, has happened." At the Inn, Sam gleefully announced that Laura, Roger's wife, had come home.
1966: On Peyton Place, Rodney Harrington (Ryan O'Neal) had a hard time processing the revelation Hannah...
1982: Barrington and Burgess plotted on Capitol.
1987: Gl's Johnny saw it snow. 2007: A dollhouse came
to life on Atwt."History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1966: On Dark Shadows, Sam Evans (David Ford) called Roger Collins (Louis Edmonds) and told him to meet him at the Blue Whale because "the worst possible thing that could happen, has happened." At the Inn, Sam gleefully announced that Laura, Roger's wife, had come home.
1966: On Peyton Place, Rodney Harrington (Ryan O'Neal) had a hard time processing the revelation Hannah...
- 12/21/2017
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Ivanov Classic Stage Company, NYC
If you are unfamiliar with Anton Chekhov's seldom-produced Russian twist on Hamlet, Classic Stage Company is offering a stunning opportunity to cover that gaping hole with one of their best works in recent years. The play Ivanov is a stellar piece of theater, and this production gives full rein to its high humor and devastating tragedy as it rides a very intense three hours of poetic drama.
2012 has turned out to be an inspired year for plays, and Ivanov will only make it that much more difficult for voters from the Obies & Lortels to pick the appropriate winners, as the cast, design crew, and director from this melancholy celebration of life all present very worthy contenders.
It's Ethan Hawke's face that is on all the ads, and his name that will likely draw many audience members; while this is an ensemble production, Hawke is deserving of the attention.
If you are unfamiliar with Anton Chekhov's seldom-produced Russian twist on Hamlet, Classic Stage Company is offering a stunning opportunity to cover that gaping hole with one of their best works in recent years. The play Ivanov is a stellar piece of theater, and this production gives full rein to its high humor and devastating tragedy as it rides a very intense three hours of poetic drama.
2012 has turned out to be an inspired year for plays, and Ivanov will only make it that much more difficult for voters from the Obies & Lortels to pick the appropriate winners, as the cast, design crew, and director from this melancholy celebration of life all present very worthy contenders.
It's Ethan Hawke's face that is on all the ads, and his name that will likely draw many audience members; while this is an ensemble production, Hawke is deserving of the attention.
- 11/20/2012
- by C. Jefferson Thom
- www.culturecatch.com
I need to be a little more careful about what films I add to the voting for future Movie Club selections. I don't say this because David O. Russell's 1996 comedy Flirting with Disaster is bad -- in fact I quite liked it and found it to be very funny -- but because it is a rather straight-forward comedy that doesn't really come to the table with much else to discuss. Though, where it fits in with the rest of the films in his career may generate some fun conversation. Flirting with Disaster was Russell's second feature-length film after 1994's Spanking the Monkey (the only one of Russell's films I have not yet seen). It features a massive list of notable names as the picture above indicates beginning with Ben Stiller playing Mel and Patricia Arquette as his wife Nancy. The couple is having some issues as of late, one...
- 11/19/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Classic Stage Company, New York
Last summer, at least three different Uncle Vanyas bestrode New York stages. Recent years have also witnessed fields of cherry orchards, a small flock of seagulls, and at least a dozen sisters. With Anton Chekhov's tetralogy seemingly exhausted, the Classic Stage Company has revived his lesser-known 1887 play, Ivanov, with a new translation by Carol Rocamora. Ethan Hawke performs the title role under Austin Pendleton's direction. (Polymathic Pendleton also plays Lebedev, standing in for an injured actor.)
Like The Wood Demon, Uncle Vanya's precursor, Ivanov offers a chance to see the theatrical master not yet certain of his powers. Chekhov renders some of its scenes and speeches adroitly, but its construction falters, particularly in the final act. No wonder, soon after revising Ivanov, Chekhov would cry out that he needed new endings, complaining in a letter, "The hero either gets married or shoots himself!
Last summer, at least three different Uncle Vanyas bestrode New York stages. Recent years have also witnessed fields of cherry orchards, a small flock of seagulls, and at least a dozen sisters. With Anton Chekhov's tetralogy seemingly exhausted, the Classic Stage Company has revived his lesser-known 1887 play, Ivanov, with a new translation by Carol Rocamora. Ethan Hawke performs the title role under Austin Pendleton's direction. (Polymathic Pendleton also plays Lebedev, standing in for an injured actor.)
Like The Wood Demon, Uncle Vanya's precursor, Ivanov offers a chance to see the theatrical master not yet certain of his powers. Chekhov renders some of its scenes and speeches adroitly, but its construction falters, particularly in the final act. No wonder, soon after revising Ivanov, Chekhov would cry out that he needed new endings, complaining in a letter, "The hero either gets married or shoots himself!
- 11/12/2012
- by Alexis Soloski
- The Guardian - Film News
Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, announced today that the official opening of Anton Chekhovs Ivanov has been postponed from this Sunday, November 4 to Thursday, November 15 due to the continuing power outage at the theater at 136 East 13th Street, which has forced the cancellation of five previews. Directed by Austin Pendleton, Ivanov stars Ethan Hawke, Joely Richardson and Juliet Rylance. The cast also features Glenn Fitzgerald, Annette Hunt, Stephanie Janssen, Roberta Maxwell, George Morfogen, James Patrick Nelson, Anthony Newfield, Austin Pendleton, Jonathan Marc Sherman, and Anne Troupe. Ivanov will play a limited engagement through Sunday, December 9.
- 11/2/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Classic Stage Companys new production of Anton Chekhovs Ivanov, starring Ethan Hawke, Joely Richardson and Juliet Rylance, and directed by Austin Pendleton, begins previews Wednesday, October 17 at Csc 136 East 13th Street, prior to an official opening Sunday, November 4. Ivanov has extended its run by popular demand through Sunday, December 9. Hawke, in the title role, Richardson, who will play Anna, and Rylance, who will play Sasha, will be joined in Ivanov by Glenn Fitzgerald Borkin, Annette Hunt Avdotya Nazarovna, Stephanie Janssen Babakina, Roberta Maxwell Zinaida, George Morfogen Shabelsky, James Patrick Nelson Kosykh, Anthony Newfield Guest, Jonathan Marc Sherman Lvov, Anne Troupe Gavrila and Louis Zorich Lebedev.
- 10/17/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Classic Stage Company, under the leadership of Artistic Director Brian Kulick and Executive Director Greg Reiner, has announced that acclaimed stage, screen and television actress Joely Richardson bio below has joined the cast of their upcoming production of Anton Chekhovs Ivanov, starring Ethan Hawke and directed by Austin Pendleton, which begins performances Wednesday, October 17 at Csc 136 East 13th Street as the first show of the award-winning companys 45th Anniversary Season. Hawke, in the title role, and Richardson, who will play Anna, will be joined in Ivanov by Glenn Fitzgerald Borkin, Roberta Maxwell Zinaida, George Morfogen Shabelsky, Juliet Rylance Sasha, Jonathan Marc Sherman Lvov and Louis Zorich Lebedev. Ivanov, which will have its official opening on Sunday, November 4, will play a limited engagement through Sunday, November 25. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Thursday, September 20.
- 9/6/2012
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
The judgements and recriminations were out in full force this week in Miami, with Delko (Adam Rodriguez) and Ryan (Jonathan Togo) deeming the suspected quarterback to be guilty even before the evidence was in. Yes you've guessed the one time Jesse (Eddie Cibrian) was needed around to be objective. With Delko coming up with the old, "guilty people run" line. So what was that he did back at the end of season 7 in the episode Seeing Red, when he came charging out in the car with his father and was shot at by Calleigh (Emily Procter). How wrong was he here and not so much as an apology or remorse for wrecking someone's life. The scene opens with Ryan and Delko chasing the suspect and Ryan attempting to to follow suit when he jumps the railing and barely hangs on. Ryan almost made it. With flashes of the suspect, Brady...
- 8/17/2011
- by mhasan@corp.popstar.com (Mila Hasan)
- PopStar
Marini Overjoyed By Douglas' Play Approval
Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas has made actor Gilles Marini's day after giving his new play This the seal of approval.
The Sex and the City movie star makes his stage debut in Melissa James Gibson's drama, about the lives of five friends in their 40s.
Marini stars alongside Saffron Burrows, Eisa Davis, Glenn Fitzgerald and Darren Pettie in the project, and they have been receiving critical acclaim for their performances at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in California since launching earlier this month.
But there's one review which stands out the most for Marini - a letter of thanks from Douglas himself.
In the note, dated 9 August, the Spartacus star writes, "To the cast of This, This is wonderful! My wife and I enjoyed the evening very much. It's very well written and very, very well acted. Congratulations! Sincerely, Kirk Douglas."
Marini posted a photo of the letter on his Twitter.com page alongside the caption, "Yeah!! Thanks to Mister #KirkDouglas. I will Keep this letter for ever ;) #Happy."...
The Sex and the City movie star makes his stage debut in Melissa James Gibson's drama, about the lives of five friends in their 40s.
Marini stars alongside Saffron Burrows, Eisa Davis, Glenn Fitzgerald and Darren Pettie in the project, and they have been receiving critical acclaim for their performances at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in California since launching earlier this month.
But there's one review which stands out the most for Marini - a letter of thanks from Douglas himself.
In the note, dated 9 August, the Spartacus star writes, "To the cast of This, This is wonderful! My wife and I enjoyed the evening very much. It's very well written and very, very well acted. Congratulations! Sincerely, Kirk Douglas."
Marini posted a photo of the letter on his Twitter.com page alongside the caption, "Yeah!! Thanks to Mister #KirkDouglas. I will Keep this letter for ever ;) #Happy."...
- 8/15/2011
- WENN
NBC description for "The Lich, Part 1." "Orphaned since birth, Conrad Chandler (guest starring Glenn Fitzgerald), the heir of one of Palm City's founders, exacts revenge on the public and threatens to paralyze and control the city. The Cape (David Lyons) and Max (Keith David) alert Marty (Dorian Missick) of the impending danger to the city, which backfires on The Cape. "Meanwhile, the Secretary of Prisons, Patrick Portman (guest star Richard Schiff), aids Orwell (Summer Glau) in her search for the lone heir. Orwell locates Conrad through Netta (guest star Illeana Douglas), his mysterious caretaker, but soon discovers his deeply disturbing past and finds herself in danger. Elsewhere, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin) becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her new social life." LEEE777 - Airs tomorrow Feb. 14 NBC.
- 2/13/2011
- ComicBookMovie.com
NBC description for "The Lich, Part 1." "Orphaned since birth, Conrad Chandler (guest starring Glenn Fitzgerald), the heir of one of Palm City's founders, exacts revenge on the public and threatens to paralyze and control the city. The Cape (David Lyons) and Max (Keith David) alert Marty (Dorian Missick) of the impending danger to the city, which backfires on The Cape. "Meanwhile, the Secretary of Prisons, Patrick Portman (guest star Richard Schiff), aids Orwell (Summer Glau) in her search for the lone heir. Orwell locates Conrad through Netta (guest star Illeana Douglas), his mysterious caretaker, but soon discovers his deeply disturbing past and finds herself in danger. Elsewhere, Dana (Jennifer Ferrin) becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her new social life." Many thanks to Cape.net, link below. LEEE777 - Airs Monday Feb. 14 NBC and in other news, the tenth episode of The Cape is titled “Endgame” and involves more of Peter Fleming...
- 1/30/2011
- ComicBookMovie.com
With sagging ratings for the sophomore year of Dirty Sexy Money, ABC hasn't ordered any additional episodes of the drama. While it's been widely reported that the TV show is finished, one of the stars recently encouraged fans not to give up a hope. Now, another star says that he's hardly optimistic about the series' future.
Dirty Sexy Money follows the travails of good-guy lawyer Nick George whose sole client is the very powerful and dysfunctional Darling clan. The TV show showcases the talents of performers like Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin, Natalie Zea, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Zoe McLellan, Jill Clayburgh, Blair Underwood, Will Shadley, Shawn Michael Patrick, Laura Margolis, Sheryl Lee, Samaire Armstrong, Candis Cayne, and Lucy Liu.
Though ABC hasn't ordered any additional installments, Baldwin recently urged Money viewers not to give up hope just yet. He said, "Our show, they very specifically said, is not cancelled.
Dirty Sexy Money follows the travails of good-guy lawyer Nick George whose sole client is the very powerful and dysfunctional Darling clan. The TV show showcases the talents of performers like Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin, Natalie Zea, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Zoe McLellan, Jill Clayburgh, Blair Underwood, Will Shadley, Shawn Michael Patrick, Laura Margolis, Sheryl Lee, Samaire Armstrong, Candis Cayne, and Lucy Liu.
Though ABC hasn't ordered any additional installments, Baldwin recently urged Money viewers not to give up hope just yet. He said, "Our show, they very specifically said, is not cancelled.
- 1/5/2009
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
ABC's guilty pleasure, Dirty Sexy Money, has been struggling. This season, the TV show has been averaging just six million viewers. The network had ordered 13 episodes for year two with the option of purchasing additional installments. They decided against exercising that option but one of the series' stars says that it's not over yet.
Dirty Sexy Money follows a lawyer (Peter Krause) who gets talked into representing the powerful Darling family; patriarch Tripp (Donald Sutherland), wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh), and their five grown children -- politician Patrick (William Baldwin), promiscuous Karen (Natalie Zea), corrupt clergyman Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), and party-loving twins Jeremy (Seth Gabel) and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong). Other performers include Blair Underwood, Zoe McLellan, Lucy Liu, Will Shadley, Laura Margolis, Bellamy Young, Candis Cayne, Shawn Michael Patrick, Chloe Moretz, Sheryl Lee, Andrea Smithson, and Daniel Cosgrove.
The cast and crew have completed filming their 13th episode for the season...
Dirty Sexy Money follows a lawyer (Peter Krause) who gets talked into representing the powerful Darling family; patriarch Tripp (Donald Sutherland), wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh), and their five grown children -- politician Patrick (William Baldwin), promiscuous Karen (Natalie Zea), corrupt clergyman Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), and party-loving twins Jeremy (Seth Gabel) and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong). Other performers include Blair Underwood, Zoe McLellan, Lucy Liu, Will Shadley, Laura Margolis, Bellamy Young, Candis Cayne, Shawn Michael Patrick, Chloe Moretz, Sheryl Lee, Andrea Smithson, and Daniel Cosgrove.
The cast and crew have completed filming their 13th episode for the season...
- 12/11/2008
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
After posting a series low in the ratings last night, ABC has decided against ordering additional episodes of Dirty Sexy Money. Does that mean it's cancelled?
Dirty Sexy Money follows nice-guy lawyer Nick George (Peter Krause) who takes over his late father's only client, the wealthy and powerful Darling family. Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland) is incredibly influential but is living proof that money isn't everything. His relationships with his wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh) and their five grown children is sometimes shaky at best. His adult children are politician Patrick (William Baldwin), promiscuous Karen (Natalie Zea), corrupt clergyman Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), and immature, party-loving twins Jeremy (Seth Gabel) and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong). Other characters are played by Blair Underwood, Zoe McLellan, Lucy Liu, Will Shadley, Laura Margolis, Bellamy Young, Candis Cayne, Shawn Michael Patrick, Chloe Moretz, Sheryl Lee, Andrea Smithson, and Daniel Cosgrove.
Money debuted in September 2007 on ABC. The premiere...
Dirty Sexy Money follows nice-guy lawyer Nick George (Peter Krause) who takes over his late father's only client, the wealthy and powerful Darling family. Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland) is incredibly influential but is living proof that money isn't everything. His relationships with his wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh) and their five grown children is sometimes shaky at best. His adult children are politician Patrick (William Baldwin), promiscuous Karen (Natalie Zea), corrupt clergyman Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), and immature, party-loving twins Jeremy (Seth Gabel) and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong). Other characters are played by Blair Underwood, Zoe McLellan, Lucy Liu, Will Shadley, Laura Margolis, Bellamy Young, Candis Cayne, Shawn Michael Patrick, Chloe Moretz, Sheryl Lee, Andrea Smithson, and Daniel Cosgrove.
Money debuted in September 2007 on ABC. The premiere...
- 11/21/2008
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Despite mediocre season one ratings, ABC decided to renew Dirty Sexy Money for year two. Unfortunately, it hasn't paid off and time is running out for the Darlings.
As Dirty Sexy Money begins, idealistic lawyer Nick George (Peter Krause) finds himself taking over his late father's single client, the rich and dysfunctional Darling family. Patriarch Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland) is incredibly influential but needs help managing the fragile relationships with his wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh) and their five grown children; politician Patrick (William Baldwin), promiscuous Karen (Natalie Zea), corrupt clergyman Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), and immature, party-loving twins Jeremy (Seth Gabel) and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong).
Tripp also needs Nick's help in fending off enemies like billionaire Simon Elder (Blair Underwood). Thankfully, Nick has the support of his wife Lisa (Zoe McLellan) and their young daughter. Other characters are played by Lucy Liu, Will Shadley, Laura Margolis, Bellamy Young, Candis Cayne, Shawn Michael Patrick,...
As Dirty Sexy Money begins, idealistic lawyer Nick George (Peter Krause) finds himself taking over his late father's single client, the rich and dysfunctional Darling family. Patriarch Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland) is incredibly influential but needs help managing the fragile relationships with his wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh) and their five grown children; politician Patrick (William Baldwin), promiscuous Karen (Natalie Zea), corrupt clergyman Brian (Glenn Fitzgerald), and immature, party-loving twins Jeremy (Seth Gabel) and Juliet (Samaire Armstrong).
Tripp also needs Nick's help in fending off enemies like billionaire Simon Elder (Blair Underwood). Thankfully, Nick has the support of his wife Lisa (Zoe McLellan) and their young daughter. Other characters are played by Lucy Liu, Will Shadley, Laura Margolis, Bellamy Young, Candis Cayne, Shawn Michael Patrick,...
- 11/20/2008
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The writers' strike has only been going since Monday but there's already fear that a lack of new content might spell an early end for network series. Just ask Craig Wright, the creator and co-executive producer of ABC's Dirty Sexy Money.
Dirty Sexy Money follows the trials and tribulations of good guy lawyer Nick George (Peter Krause) who tries to keep his morals intact while cleaning up the legal and PR messes of the powerful Darling family. The series also stars Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin, Natalie Zea, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Samaire Armstrong, and Zoe McLellan.
Money got some positive buzz prior to its debut and the premiere attracted a decent 10.4 million viewers. The ratings have slowly declined over the past six weeks with last week's episode attracting 8.4 million, a series low. Those numbers aren't great but it is handily beating NBC's Life and holding its own up against CBS' CSI: NY.
Dirty Sexy Money follows the trials and tribulations of good guy lawyer Nick George (Peter Krause) who tries to keep his morals intact while cleaning up the legal and PR messes of the powerful Darling family. The series also stars Donald Sutherland, Jill Clayburgh, William Baldwin, Natalie Zea, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Samaire Armstrong, and Zoe McLellan.
Money got some positive buzz prior to its debut and the premiere attracted a decent 10.4 million viewers. The ratings have slowly declined over the past six weeks with last week's episode attracting 8.4 million, a series low. Those numbers aren't great but it is handily beating NBC's Life and holding its own up against CBS' CSI: NY.
- 11/7/2007
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Series 7
"Series 7" is "Gladiator" for the digital video generation. Designed to look like a reality television show called "The Contenders", in which real people stalk and kill one another in real locations, the film was in development long before "Survivor" hit the airwaves. Writer-director Daniel Minahan even has the Sundance Lab records to prove it. Yet how eerie for art to anticipate life -- or rather to anticipate populist programming at its lowest-common-denominator depths.
Coming on the heels of the Japanese film "Battle Royale", in which 52 ninth-grade students fight to the finish on a small jungle isle, and "15 Minutes" -- also opening today -- in which two maniacs videotape their murderous crime spree in hopes of making a fortune off their infamy, "Series 7" is on the money when it comes to the media zeitgeist. That doesn't make it any easier to stomach.
This is 88 minutes of morose, amoral people stalking and murdering one another, which doesn't sound like a date movie. It certainly isn't fine art either. More interesting in concept than execution, the movie will generate controversy and late-night debates -- but only among the handful who venture into specialty venues for the offbeat. "Series 7" looks like a cult home video favorite.
It perhaps is a compliment to say that Minahan accomplishes his goals all too well. A veteran of TV documentaries and tabloid newsmagazine shows, Minahan has created a video-shot movie that perfectly mimics the TV reality show look, complete with hooky music cues, ponderous voice-overs and teasers to keep viewers glued to their sets.
His cast is convincingly "real." The best-known is Dawn (Brooke Smith), and -- again it's a left-handed compliment -- she actually makes you root for her in her quest to survive as the best killing machine in the contest. Staged in and around Minahan's hometown of Danbury, Conn., "Series 7" goes full-bore in its ruthless satirization of television at its worst. It's "Jerry Springer" crossed with "Survivor" and "Big Brother", with a hint of "Rollerball".
As contestants stake out positions -- and segments explore their individual back stories -- the key satirical ingredients are the disconnection between what they're doing and their explanations of their actions in terms of motives and strategy. Their world is one of institutionalized murders, such as in the classic short stories "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Lottery", but the participants discuss their approach to hits as a young person would his Little League game or SAT scores.
Dawn is the reigning champ. But she's now eight months pregnant and faced with a new battlefield: her hometown, where she encounters not only friends and relations but an ex-boyfriend (Glenn Fitzgerald) who, despite being a cancer victim, is a contestant.
Her main opponent turns out to be a Catholic nurse (Marylouise Burke), whom you might discount unless you remember Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Others include a young girl (Merritt Wever), whose family eggs her on; an unemployed married man (Michael Kaycheck), who desperately needs the money; and a crazy old trailer-park coot (Richard Venture), whose orneriness just might save his life.
As with "The Blair Witch Project", the behind-the-camera personnel take advantage of what are normally drawbacks: limited resources and a video camera. Here it all makes perfect sense as a sendup of reality television.
Music by Girls Against Boys gives "Series 7" an MTV feel. Malcolm Jamieson's editing keeps things moving at the right pace for a show designed for viewers with short attention spans. There is sharp wit in the writing, and the direction is quite good. "Series 7" is undeniably effective, but that doesn't mean you feel good when it's over.
SERIES 7
USA Films
An October Films presentation of a Blow Up Pictures presentation of a Killer Films/Open City Films production
Producers: Jason Kloit, Joana Vicente, Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel
Screenwriter-director: Daniel Minahan
Executive producers: Charles J. Rusbasan, Judith Zarin, Michael Escott
Co-producers: Evan T. Cohen, Gretchen McGowan
Director of photography: Randy Drummond
Production designer: Gideon Ponte
Costume designer: Christine Beiselin
Editor: Malcolm Jamieson
Music: Girls Against Boys
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dawn: Brooke Smith
Connie: Marylouise Burke
Jeff: Glenn Fitzgerald
Tony: Michael Kaycheck
Franklin: Richard Venture
Lindsay: Merritt Wever
Sheila: Donna Hanover
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Coming on the heels of the Japanese film "Battle Royale", in which 52 ninth-grade students fight to the finish on a small jungle isle, and "15 Minutes" -- also opening today -- in which two maniacs videotape their murderous crime spree in hopes of making a fortune off their infamy, "Series 7" is on the money when it comes to the media zeitgeist. That doesn't make it any easier to stomach.
This is 88 minutes of morose, amoral people stalking and murdering one another, which doesn't sound like a date movie. It certainly isn't fine art either. More interesting in concept than execution, the movie will generate controversy and late-night debates -- but only among the handful who venture into specialty venues for the offbeat. "Series 7" looks like a cult home video favorite.
It perhaps is a compliment to say that Minahan accomplishes his goals all too well. A veteran of TV documentaries and tabloid newsmagazine shows, Minahan has created a video-shot movie that perfectly mimics the TV reality show look, complete with hooky music cues, ponderous voice-overs and teasers to keep viewers glued to their sets.
His cast is convincingly "real." The best-known is Dawn (Brooke Smith), and -- again it's a left-handed compliment -- she actually makes you root for her in her quest to survive as the best killing machine in the contest. Staged in and around Minahan's hometown of Danbury, Conn., "Series 7" goes full-bore in its ruthless satirization of television at its worst. It's "Jerry Springer" crossed with "Survivor" and "Big Brother", with a hint of "Rollerball".
As contestants stake out positions -- and segments explore their individual back stories -- the key satirical ingredients are the disconnection between what they're doing and their explanations of their actions in terms of motives and strategy. Their world is one of institutionalized murders, such as in the classic short stories "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Lottery", but the participants discuss their approach to hits as a young person would his Little League game or SAT scores.
Dawn is the reigning champ. But she's now eight months pregnant and faced with a new battlefield: her hometown, where she encounters not only friends and relations but an ex-boyfriend (Glenn Fitzgerald) who, despite being a cancer victim, is a contestant.
Her main opponent turns out to be a Catholic nurse (Marylouise Burke), whom you might discount unless you remember Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Others include a young girl (Merritt Wever), whose family eggs her on; an unemployed married man (Michael Kaycheck), who desperately needs the money; and a crazy old trailer-park coot (Richard Venture), whose orneriness just might save his life.
As with "The Blair Witch Project", the behind-the-camera personnel take advantage of what are normally drawbacks: limited resources and a video camera. Here it all makes perfect sense as a sendup of reality television.
Music by Girls Against Boys gives "Series 7" an MTV feel. Malcolm Jamieson's editing keeps things moving at the right pace for a show designed for viewers with short attention spans. There is sharp wit in the writing, and the direction is quite good. "Series 7" is undeniably effective, but that doesn't mean you feel good when it's over.
SERIES 7
USA Films
An October Films presentation of a Blow Up Pictures presentation of a Killer Films/Open City Films production
Producers: Jason Kloit, Joana Vicente, Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel
Screenwriter-director: Daniel Minahan
Executive producers: Charles J. Rusbasan, Judith Zarin, Michael Escott
Co-producers: Evan T. Cohen, Gretchen McGowan
Director of photography: Randy Drummond
Production designer: Gideon Ponte
Costume designer: Christine Beiselin
Editor: Malcolm Jamieson
Music: Girls Against Boys
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dawn: Brooke Smith
Connie: Marylouise Burke
Jeff: Glenn Fitzgerald
Tony: Michael Kaycheck
Franklin: Richard Venture
Lindsay: Merritt Wever
Sheila: Donna Hanover
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 7/8/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Series 7
"Series 7" is "Gladiator" for the digital video generation. Designed to look like a reality television show called "The Contenders", in which real people stalk and kill one another in real locations, the film was in development long before "Survivor" hit the airwaves. Writer-director Daniel Minahan even has the Sundance Lab records to prove it. Yet how eerie for art to anticipate life -- or rather to anticipate populist programming at its lowest-common-denominator depths.
Coming on the heels of the Japanese film "Battle Royale", in which 52 ninth-grade students fight to the finish on a small jungle isle, and "15 Minutes" -- also opening today -- in which two maniacs videotape their murderous crime spree in hopes of making a fortune off their infamy, "Series 7" is on the money when it comes to the media zeitgeist. That doesn't make it any easier to stomach.
This is 88 minutes of morose, amoral people stalking and murdering one another, which doesn't sound like a date movie. It certainly isn't fine art either. More interesting in concept than execution, the movie will generate controversy and late-night debates -- but only among the handful who venture into specialty venues for the offbeat. "Series 7" looks like a cult home video favorite.
It perhaps is a compliment to say that Minahan accomplishes his goals all too well. A veteran of TV documentaries and tabloid newsmagazine shows, Minahan has created a video-shot movie that perfectly mimics the TV reality show look, complete with hooky music cues, ponderous voice-overs and teasers to keep viewers glued to their sets.
His cast is convincingly "real." The best-known is Dawn (Brooke Smith), and -- again it's a left-handed compliment -- she actually makes you root for her in her quest to survive as the best killing machine in the contest. Staged in and around Minahan's hometown of Danbury, Conn., "Series 7" goes full-bore in its ruthless satirization of television at its worst. It's "Jerry Springer" crossed with "Survivor" and "Big Brother", with a hint of "Rollerball".
As contestants stake out positions -- and segments explore their individual back stories -- the key satirical ingredients are the disconnection between what they're doing and their explanations of their actions in terms of motives and strategy. Their world is one of institutionalized murders, such as in the classic short stories "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Lottery", but the participants discuss their approach to hits as a young person would his Little League game or SAT scores.
Dawn is the reigning champ. But she's now eight months pregnant and faced with a new battlefield: her hometown, where she encounters not only friends and relations but an ex-boyfriend (Glenn Fitzgerald) who, despite being a cancer victim, is a contestant.
Her main opponent turns out to be a Catholic nurse (Marylouise Burke), whom you might discount unless you remember Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Others include a young girl (Merritt Wever), whose family eggs her on; an unemployed married man (Michael Kaycheck), who desperately needs the money; and a crazy old trailer-park coot (Richard Venture), whose orneriness just might save his life.
As with "The Blair Witch Project", the behind-the-camera personnel take advantage of what are normally drawbacks: limited resources and a video camera. Here it all makes perfect sense as a sendup of reality television.
Music by Girls Against Boys gives "Series 7" an MTV feel. Malcolm Jamieson's editing keeps things moving at the right pace for a show designed for viewers with short attention spans. There is sharp wit in the writing, and the direction is quite good. "Series 7" is undeniably effective, but that doesn't mean you feel good when it's over.
SERIES 7
USA Films
An October Films presentation of a Blow Up Pictures presentation of a Killer Films/Open City Films production
Producers: Jason Kloit, Joana Vicente, Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel
Screenwriter-director: Daniel Minahan
Executive producers: Charles J. Rusbasan, Judith Zarin, Michael Escott
Co-producers: Evan T. Cohen, Gretchen McGowan
Director of photography: Randy Drummond
Production designer: Gideon Ponte
Costume designer: Christine Beiselin
Editor: Malcolm Jamieson
Music: Girls Against Boys
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dawn: Brooke Smith
Connie: Marylouise Burke
Jeff: Glenn Fitzgerald
Tony: Michael Kaycheck
Franklin: Richard Venture
Lindsay: Merritt Wever
Sheila: Donna Hanover
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Coming on the heels of the Japanese film "Battle Royale", in which 52 ninth-grade students fight to the finish on a small jungle isle, and "15 Minutes" -- also opening today -- in which two maniacs videotape their murderous crime spree in hopes of making a fortune off their infamy, "Series 7" is on the money when it comes to the media zeitgeist. That doesn't make it any easier to stomach.
This is 88 minutes of morose, amoral people stalking and murdering one another, which doesn't sound like a date movie. It certainly isn't fine art either. More interesting in concept than execution, the movie will generate controversy and late-night debates -- but only among the handful who venture into specialty venues for the offbeat. "Series 7" looks like a cult home video favorite.
It perhaps is a compliment to say that Minahan accomplishes his goals all too well. A veteran of TV documentaries and tabloid newsmagazine shows, Minahan has created a video-shot movie that perfectly mimics the TV reality show look, complete with hooky music cues, ponderous voice-overs and teasers to keep viewers glued to their sets.
His cast is convincingly "real." The best-known is Dawn (Brooke Smith), and -- again it's a left-handed compliment -- she actually makes you root for her in her quest to survive as the best killing machine in the contest. Staged in and around Minahan's hometown of Danbury, Conn., "Series 7" goes full-bore in its ruthless satirization of television at its worst. It's "Jerry Springer" crossed with "Survivor" and "Big Brother", with a hint of "Rollerball".
As contestants stake out positions -- and segments explore their individual back stories -- the key satirical ingredients are the disconnection between what they're doing and their explanations of their actions in terms of motives and strategy. Their world is one of institutionalized murders, such as in the classic short stories "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Lottery", but the participants discuss their approach to hits as a young person would his Little League game or SAT scores.
Dawn is the reigning champ. But she's now eight months pregnant and faced with a new battlefield: her hometown, where she encounters not only friends and relations but an ex-boyfriend (Glenn Fitzgerald) who, despite being a cancer victim, is a contestant.
Her main opponent turns out to be a Catholic nurse (Marylouise Burke), whom you might discount unless you remember Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Others include a young girl (Merritt Wever), whose family eggs her on; an unemployed married man (Michael Kaycheck), who desperately needs the money; and a crazy old trailer-park coot (Richard Venture), whose orneriness just might save his life.
As with "The Blair Witch Project", the behind-the-camera personnel take advantage of what are normally drawbacks: limited resources and a video camera. Here it all makes perfect sense as a sendup of reality television.
Music by Girls Against Boys gives "Series 7" an MTV feel. Malcolm Jamieson's editing keeps things moving at the right pace for a show designed for viewers with short attention spans. There is sharp wit in the writing, and the direction is quite good. "Series 7" is undeniably effective, but that doesn't mean you feel good when it's over.
SERIES 7
USA Films
An October Films presentation of a Blow Up Pictures presentation of a Killer Films/Open City Films production
Producers: Jason Kloit, Joana Vicente, Christine Vachon, Katie Roumel
Screenwriter-director: Daniel Minahan
Executive producers: Charles J. Rusbasan, Judith Zarin, Michael Escott
Co-producers: Evan T. Cohen, Gretchen McGowan
Director of photography: Randy Drummond
Production designer: Gideon Ponte
Costume designer: Christine Beiselin
Editor: Malcolm Jamieson
Music: Girls Against Boys
Color/stereo
Cast:
Dawn: Brooke Smith
Connie: Marylouise Burke
Jeff: Glenn Fitzgerald
Tony: Michael Kaycheck
Franklin: Richard Venture
Lindsay: Merritt Wever
Sheila: Donna Hanover
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 3/2/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film review: 'What Happened to Tully' 'Tully' Nearly Wins Over / Birmingham's family farm tale features fine performances but can't finish what it starts
Based on an O. Henry Prize-winning story by Tom McNeal, director/co-writer Hilary Birmingham's feature debut is a straightforward tale of family farmers in the Midwest and, in particular, one young man's emotionally wrenching path to manhood.
Featuring standout performances by several cast members, including Anson Mount as the title character, "What Happened to Tully" won over audiences and critics at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, which closed April 18, claiming two awards. But the film is perhaps in need of more fine-tuning before it connects significantly with paying audiences. A modest theatrical release seems likely.
There are many good things about "Tully", from the leisurely pace devoid of shock techniques and flashy visuals to the believable characters and dialogue. With a background in documentaries, Birmingham brings a non-Hollywood sensibility to material that might have been more commercialized (with decidedly less-noteworthy results).
However, the forward momentum, particularly during the second half, gets bogged down in one-on-one scenes showcasing the actors' talents. One's fascination with such seemingly genuine characters begins to fade as they face thornier problems of crumbling family dynamics, looming foreclosures and a dark secret with potentially disastrous ramifications.
A tractor driver and all-around farm worker, Tully Coates (Mount) is handsome, rugged and a hit with the girls. Be it the projectionist at the local cinema or a "burlesque"-performing wildcat (Catherine Kellner), Tully has no shortage of candidates for summertime fun in and on top of his car out in the woods. Tully's brother Earl (Glenn Fitzgerald) is in his shadow, too shy and nervous to approach the girl he's interested in but not such a misfit that he won't eventually find happiness.
Returning for the summer from veterinary school, local girl Ella (Julianne Nicholson) is good friends with Earl, but from the start it's apparent that she's almost on the same wavelength as Tully. She makes fun of his promiscuous ways and finds amusement when things don't last. "What's it like to drive women crazy?" she asks jokingly. He's not sure if she's another potential conquest or something more serious.
Tully's quiet, introverted father (Bob Burrus) is grooming him to take over the farm, but there's minor friction over the former's girl trouble and Tully Sr.'s not including his son in decisions. The official story of Tully and Earl's missing mother is that she died 15 years earlier in a car crash, but the truth is something else. When the father is served a foreclosure notice as a result of someone mysteriously running up enormous medical bills, the sad facts start to come out.
Building to several heavily emotional scenes between father and sons, son and son or Tully and Ella, the film takes too long to reach the lovely final shot, but the journey is worth it. Mount ("Boiler Room") is impressive in a meaty role, exuding strength and confidence that should win him ardent fans. The freckled Nicholson ("The Love Letter") is a joy to watch, with her distinct looks and easygoing technique. Burrus ("Southern Comfort") is also superb as a man torn asunder inside. His scenes with Natalie Canerday ("October Sky") as a storekeeper are some of the film's sweetest and most memorable.
Filmed mostly in Nebraska and Iowa with Birmingham and cinematographer John Foster employing many long takes and much indirect lighting, "Tully" is visually satisfying, but the actors and scenery, as well as the dramatic force in several scenes, are undercut by Marcello Zarvos' distractingly routine score.
WHAT HAPPENED TO TULLY
Tell Tale Films
Credits: Director: Hilary Birmingham; Screenwriters: Matt Drake, Hilary Birmingham; Based on a story by: Tom McNeal; Producers: Hilary Birmingham, Annie Sundberg; Director of photography: John Foster; Production designer: Mark White; Editor: Affonso Goncalves; Costume designer: Christine Vollmer; Music: Marcello Zarvos. Cast: Tully: Anson Mount; Earl: Glenn Fitzgerald; Ella: Julianne Nicholson; Tully Sr.: Bob Burrus; April: Catherine Kellner; Claire: Natalie Canerday. No MPAA rating. Color/stereo. Running time -- 104 minutes.
Featuring standout performances by several cast members, including Anson Mount as the title character, "What Happened to Tully" won over audiences and critics at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, which closed April 18, claiming two awards. But the film is perhaps in need of more fine-tuning before it connects significantly with paying audiences. A modest theatrical release seems likely.
There are many good things about "Tully", from the leisurely pace devoid of shock techniques and flashy visuals to the believable characters and dialogue. With a background in documentaries, Birmingham brings a non-Hollywood sensibility to material that might have been more commercialized (with decidedly less-noteworthy results).
However, the forward momentum, particularly during the second half, gets bogged down in one-on-one scenes showcasing the actors' talents. One's fascination with such seemingly genuine characters begins to fade as they face thornier problems of crumbling family dynamics, looming foreclosures and a dark secret with potentially disastrous ramifications.
A tractor driver and all-around farm worker, Tully Coates (Mount) is handsome, rugged and a hit with the girls. Be it the projectionist at the local cinema or a "burlesque"-performing wildcat (Catherine Kellner), Tully has no shortage of candidates for summertime fun in and on top of his car out in the woods. Tully's brother Earl (Glenn Fitzgerald) is in his shadow, too shy and nervous to approach the girl he's interested in but not such a misfit that he won't eventually find happiness.
Returning for the summer from veterinary school, local girl Ella (Julianne Nicholson) is good friends with Earl, but from the start it's apparent that she's almost on the same wavelength as Tully. She makes fun of his promiscuous ways and finds amusement when things don't last. "What's it like to drive women crazy?" she asks jokingly. He's not sure if she's another potential conquest or something more serious.
Tully's quiet, introverted father (Bob Burrus) is grooming him to take over the farm, but there's minor friction over the former's girl trouble and Tully Sr.'s not including his son in decisions. The official story of Tully and Earl's missing mother is that she died 15 years earlier in a car crash, but the truth is something else. When the father is served a foreclosure notice as a result of someone mysteriously running up enormous medical bills, the sad facts start to come out.
Building to several heavily emotional scenes between father and sons, son and son or Tully and Ella, the film takes too long to reach the lovely final shot, but the journey is worth it. Mount ("Boiler Room") is impressive in a meaty role, exuding strength and confidence that should win him ardent fans. The freckled Nicholson ("The Love Letter") is a joy to watch, with her distinct looks and easygoing technique. Burrus ("Southern Comfort") is also superb as a man torn asunder inside. His scenes with Natalie Canerday ("October Sky") as a storekeeper are some of the film's sweetest and most memorable.
Filmed mostly in Nebraska and Iowa with Birmingham and cinematographer John Foster employing many long takes and much indirect lighting, "Tully" is visually satisfying, but the actors and scenery, as well as the dramatic force in several scenes, are undercut by Marcello Zarvos' distractingly routine score.
WHAT HAPPENED TO TULLY
Tell Tale Films
Credits: Director: Hilary Birmingham; Screenwriters: Matt Drake, Hilary Birmingham; Based on a story by: Tom McNeal; Producers: Hilary Birmingham, Annie Sundberg; Director of photography: John Foster; Production designer: Mark White; Editor: Affonso Goncalves; Costume designer: Christine Vollmer; Music: Marcello Zarvos. Cast: Tully: Anson Mount; Earl: Glenn Fitzgerald; Ella: Julianne Nicholson; Tully Sr.: Bob Burrus; April: Catherine Kellner; Claire: Natalie Canerday. No MPAA rating. Color/stereo. Running time -- 104 minutes.
- 4/25/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film review: 'A Price Above Rubies'
The sophomore feature from Boaz Yakin ("Fresh") is about the close-knit Hasidic community in Brooklyn and represents a distinct improvement over the last film that attempted to depict that unfamiliar milieu, Sidney Lumet's "A Stranger Among Us" (1992). But "A Price Above Rubies" is more interesting as cultural anthropology than good drama and may well signify that this subject is just too esoteric for filmmakers to render convincingly. Well-acted but marred by unconventional casting decisions, this quiet drama faces an uphill road commercially.
Renee Zellweger, in her first leading role since her breakout performance in "Jerry Maguire", plays Sonia, an Orthodox Jewish housewife who has just given birth to her first child. Sonia is married to Mendel (Glenn Fitzgerald), a kind but oblivious young scholar who neglects her to concentrate on his studies. Feeling emotionally, intellectually and sexually deprived (Mendel strictly observes the Orthodox methods of lovemaking), Sonia becomes increasingly frustrated. One day, she spontaneously caresses her sister-in-law Rachel (Julianna Margulies) in a sexual manner, and the horrified Rachel immediately insists on rabbinical counseling.
Mendel's brother Sender (Christopher Eccleston) has another remedy in mind. He roughly and unceremoniously seduces Sonia, and, having earlier spotted her acumen when it comes to precious stones, puts her in charge of his underground jewelry store. Sonia luxuriates in her newfound freedom; it is only when she begins a friendship with a talented Hispanic artist (Allen Payne) that her world begins to fall apart.
Yakin's script is a bold and daring portrait of a closed society, but it often skirts over the border into soap opera, and too many of the dramatic developments are unconvincing. It seems unlikely, for instance, that Sonia would find sexual contentment with the less- than-gentle Sender. One particularly laughable plot development involves Sonia's visit to the community's aged spiritual leader; after a few minutes with her, apparently, the none-too-healthy rebbe is suddenly inspired to make mad, passionate love to his wife -- and promptly dies.
The characterizations also tend toward the one-note; Sender is particularly egregious, seeming to come straight out of a Dickens melodrama (albeit a Hasidic one). The film also tries awkwardly for an air of mysticism through the recurring presence of the ghost of Sonia's dead brother and an old beggar woman (Kathleen Chalfant) who acts as a sort of Greek chorus.
Still, the story is often fascinating in its exoticism, and the filmmaker deserves credit for tackling a difficult subject with seriousness and conviction. One wishes, however, that he had been a bit more astute in his casting.
Zellweger delivers a powerful and sensitive portrayal, but she simply doesn't look convincing in the role. Neither, particularly, does Eccleston ("Jude"), but the actor has such a mesmerizing screen presence that one is more easily able to overlook it. Margulies is impressive but somewhat distracting as the suppressed Rachel, and Kim Hunter offers a choice cameo as the rebbe's widow.
A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES
Miramax Films
Director-screenwriter: Boaz Yakin
Producer: Lawrence Bender, John Penotti
Co-producer: JoAnn Jansen
Director of photography: Adam Holender
Editor: Arthur Coburn
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sonia: Renee Zellweger
Sender: Christopher Eccleston
Mendel: Glenn Fitzgerald
Ramon: Allen Payne
Rachel: Julianna Margulies
Beggar Woman: Kathleen Chalfant
Feiga: Edie Falco
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
Renee Zellweger, in her first leading role since her breakout performance in "Jerry Maguire", plays Sonia, an Orthodox Jewish housewife who has just given birth to her first child. Sonia is married to Mendel (Glenn Fitzgerald), a kind but oblivious young scholar who neglects her to concentrate on his studies. Feeling emotionally, intellectually and sexually deprived (Mendel strictly observes the Orthodox methods of lovemaking), Sonia becomes increasingly frustrated. One day, she spontaneously caresses her sister-in-law Rachel (Julianna Margulies) in a sexual manner, and the horrified Rachel immediately insists on rabbinical counseling.
Mendel's brother Sender (Christopher Eccleston) has another remedy in mind. He roughly and unceremoniously seduces Sonia, and, having earlier spotted her acumen when it comes to precious stones, puts her in charge of his underground jewelry store. Sonia luxuriates in her newfound freedom; it is only when she begins a friendship with a talented Hispanic artist (Allen Payne) that her world begins to fall apart.
Yakin's script is a bold and daring portrait of a closed society, but it often skirts over the border into soap opera, and too many of the dramatic developments are unconvincing. It seems unlikely, for instance, that Sonia would find sexual contentment with the less- than-gentle Sender. One particularly laughable plot development involves Sonia's visit to the community's aged spiritual leader; after a few minutes with her, apparently, the none-too-healthy rebbe is suddenly inspired to make mad, passionate love to his wife -- and promptly dies.
The characterizations also tend toward the one-note; Sender is particularly egregious, seeming to come straight out of a Dickens melodrama (albeit a Hasidic one). The film also tries awkwardly for an air of mysticism through the recurring presence of the ghost of Sonia's dead brother and an old beggar woman (Kathleen Chalfant) who acts as a sort of Greek chorus.
Still, the story is often fascinating in its exoticism, and the filmmaker deserves credit for tackling a difficult subject with seriousness and conviction. One wishes, however, that he had been a bit more astute in his casting.
Zellweger delivers a powerful and sensitive portrayal, but she simply doesn't look convincing in the role. Neither, particularly, does Eccleston ("Jude"), but the actor has such a mesmerizing screen presence that one is more easily able to overlook it. Margulies is impressive but somewhat distracting as the suppressed Rachel, and Kim Hunter offers a choice cameo as the rebbe's widow.
A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES
Miramax Films
Director-screenwriter: Boaz Yakin
Producer: Lawrence Bender, John Penotti
Co-producer: JoAnn Jansen
Director of photography: Adam Holender
Editor: Arthur Coburn
Color/stereo
Cast:
Sonia: Renee Zellweger
Sender: Christopher Eccleston
Mendel: Glenn Fitzgerald
Ramon: Allen Payne
Rachel: Julianna Margulies
Beggar Woman: Kathleen Chalfant
Feiga: Edie Falco
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 3/25/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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