L-R Kevin McNally as Roman Castavet, Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castavet and Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.
Paramount+ has released the official trailer for the all-new psychological thriller APARTMENT 7A, available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ Friday, September 27 in the U.S. and Canada, Latin America and Brazil and on September 28 in the U.K., France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Australia. Availability in additional international Paramount+ markets to come at a later date. In addition to exclusively streaming on Paramount+, the film will be available for purchase on digital beginning Friday, September 27… perfect way to kick off the Halloween season!
Set in 1965 New York City, the film tells the story prior to the legendary horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, exploring what happened in the infamous Bramford building before Rosemary moved in.
The highly anticipated film will debut at this year’s Fantastic Fest, the world’s largest genre and horror festival based in Austin, Texas, and will be featured in Paramount+ Peak Screaming, a curated collection of fan-favorite horror movies and Halloween episodes from beloved series.
An ambitious young dancer Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner, Ozark) dreams of fame and fortune in New York City, but, after suffering a devastating injury, an older, wealthy couple (Dianne Wiest, I Care a Lot, and Kevin McNally, Pirates of the Caribbean film series) welcomes her into their home in the luxury apartment building the Bramford. When fellow resident and influential Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe) offers her another chance at fame, it seems that all her dreams are finally coming true. However, after an evening she can’t fully remember, disturbing circumstances soon have her second-guessing the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A, but in the Bramford itself. Additional supporting cast includes Marli Siu (Everything I Know About Love), Andrew Buchan (All the Money in the World), Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Wonka).
L-R Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio and Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castavet in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.
APARTMENT 7A, a Paramount+ original movie in association with Paramount Pictures, is a Platinum Dunes/Sunday Night Production and is based on the novel Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. Directed by Relic filmmaker Natalie Erika James, with a screen story by Skylar James and a screenplay by Natalie Erika James & Christian White and Skylar James, the film is executive produced by Vicki Dee Rock and Alexa Ginsburg and produced by John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., Michael Bay, Andrew Form, p.g.a., and Brad Fuller.
L-R Amy Leeson as Rosemary Woodhouse and Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.
Paramount+ has released first-look images from the new psychological thriller APARTMENT 7A and announced the new original film will premiere on Friday, September 27, in the U.S. with additional international markets later this year. Set in 1965 New York City, the film tells the story prior to the legendary horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, exploring what happened in the infamous Bramford building before Rosemary moved in.
An ambitious young dancer Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner, Ozark) dreams of fame and fortune in New York City, but after suffering a devastating injury, an older, wealthy couple (Dianne Wiest, I Care a Lot, and Kevin McNally, Pirates of the Caribbean film series) welcomes her into their home in the luxury apartment building the Bramford. When fellow resident and influential Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess, Across the Universe) offers her another chance at fame, it seems that all her dreams are finally coming true. However, after an evening she can’t fully remember, disturbing circumstances soon have her second-guessing the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in Apartment 7A, but in the Bramford itself.
Additional supporting cast includes Marli Siu (Everything I Know About Love), Andrew Buchan (All the Money in the World), Rosy McEwen (Blue Jean) and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Wonka).
APARTMENT 7A, a Paramount+ original movie in association with Paramount Pictures, is a Platinum Dunes / Sunday Night Production and is based on the novel Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin. Directed by Relic filmmaker Natalie Erika James, with a screen story by Skylar James and a screenplay by Natalie Erika James & Christian White and Skylar James, the film is executive produced by Vicki Dee Rock and Alexa Ginsburg, and is produced by John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, p.g.a, Michael Bay, Andrew Form, p.g.a, and Brad Fuller.
The film will also be featured in the Paramount+ Peak Screaming collection that curates a broad and popular lineup of new originals, fan-favorite horror movies and iconic Halloween episodes from beloved series.
L-R Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castavet, Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio and Kevin McNally as Roman Castavet in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.L-R Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castavet and Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.L-R Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castavet and Kevin McNally as Roman Castavet in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.L-R Dianne Wiest as Minnie Castavet and Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.L-R Jim Sturgess as Alan Marchand and Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.Julia Garner as Terry Gionoffrio in Apartment 7A, streaming on Paramount+ 2024. Photo Credit: Gareth Gatrell/Paramount+.
This recent worldwide health crisis has been more than a “bump in the road” for increased lifespans. But let’s be a bit more optimistic…for now. If the vaccines do their intended job, and we adjust our social behavior, for the time being, the human race could be “back on track” to stick around longer than any time in recorded history. As I recall, one of the national newsweekly magazines from 2015 ran a baby photo on its cover and stated that the lil’ cutie could live to 142 years. So, that’s a good..no great thing, right? Oh yes, but there’s the dark side, mainly the failing functions of the mind and body. And, unfortunately, there’s no end of human vultures looking to swoop in and scoop up, unlike the animals it’s cash rather than flesh. One such scavenger is at the heart of this new, somewhat satirical, comedy/thriller. Of course, she denies her villainy, insisting that it’s not about that loot, and declaring that I CARE A LOT.
The caring lady in question is Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) who runs a nice little for (big) profit business as a court-appointed guardian for several (her office wall has thirty or so 8 by 10 photos tacked up) senior citizens who have been deemed by their doctor (“bought off” by Marla) unable to care for themselves. In the opening moments of the story, she squashes the court challenge of a man who has been denied seeing his mother who’s in a “skilled care” facility (also in cahoots with guess who). Naturally, Marla has taken over this lady’s finances, emptying his bank accounts and selling her car, house, and everything inside it. There’s no time to celebrate after the court victory, though. She gets a call from the “home” telling her that one of her “wards” has passed, so there’s a plum vacancy open (but Marla has to give him 2 grand to “hold” it for her). Time to call her pal Dr. Amos (Alicia Witt), who just happens to have a seventy-something “cherry”: a widowed lady with no relatives and a paid-off house in a prized neighborhood. Just a note from her is enough for Judge Lomax (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) to assign Marla as her legal guardian. Before the ink is barely dry, she and her (very) personal assistant Fran (Eiza Gonzalez) are escorting a sad and confused Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) out of her cherished home and checking her into her room at the “care facility” (after taking her cell phone, for safety matters naturally). As Fran and her helpers are emptying out and painting the Peterson place a bewildered cab driver shows up looking for Jennifer. Fran informs him of her hasty relocation. Ah, but this isn’t your regular transport “hack”. He conveys this to a powerful man surrounded by armed “muscle’ in his plush high-rise office. That shady individual, Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage) is most unhappy that his visit with Jennifer has been canceled. After getting a bit more intel, he sends his legal “shark” Dean (Chris Messina) to visit Marla, toss off some casual threats, and offer a case of cash (150K). But Marla declines, sensing that someone with very deep pockets is “on the hook”. Thus begins an all-out war, as Jennifer becomes an addled pawn in a most dangerous game. But just which type of criminal mastermind will triumph? And what of the sweet quiet lady in the middle?
Marla may be the most morally complex role that the gifted Ms. Pike has taken on since her breakthrough work as the “Amazing” Amy in 2014’s GONE GIRL. Early in the story’s ongoing narration, she states that “You’re either predator or prey.”, And though I’ve mentioned the feathered scavengers, Marla is most definitely a shark, an alpha one at that. She’s constantly moving, seeking out another tasty ‘ward” to gobble up. And in a couple of scenes, we see her strike back when the threatened males attempt to push her into a corner (she alludes to a brutal childhood). Somehow Pike makes her more compelling than repugnant with her confident body language and staccato line delivery. Luckily her passions are not all wrapped up in acquisitions, illustrated by her affection for Fran. Gonzalez makes her more than dangerous “eye candy”, though still exuding the same sultry siren call from her BABY DRIVER diva. Fran and Marla have a deep loving bond, perhaps united by their shared “hard knock” past and the thrill of being just inches (clients, really) away from the “sweet life”. The two make quite a dynamite duo. And they need that explosive energy when dealing with Dinklage’s sinister crime kingpin (from a one-sided phone call over “mules’ we know he’s just as exploitive and evil). Roman is a tight compact ball of fury whose can be “set off” with the most delicate announcement of bad news, really whatever blocks his path. And this raging monster is giving a heart due to his devotion to Wiest’s Linda. She grabs our sympathies immediately as she’s prodded and hustled with all manner of condescending attitude and physical interaction. With her furrowed brow and “welling up” gaze, Linda’s all of our dearest matriarchal figures, debased by the evils of the world. But then Wiest shows us her dark, dark side. Through the haze of the home’s forced medications, Linda spits venom at the startled Marla. Wiest shows us that the “cherry” is far from a helpless patsy. And though he’s only in a few scenes, Messina makes a strong impression as the smooth “mouth-piece” Dean Ericson, who’s quick to toss out a business card, while biding his time to formulate a subtle threat of violent retaliation. His perfectly coiffed exterior can’t quite disguise the tough street fighter who’ll slash you as you dart into an alley. He’s a formidable sparring partner for Pike’s Marla and their scenes in and out of the courtroom crackle with tension.
Writer/director J Blakeson has whipped up a most imaginative and unpredictable cautionary tale that’s a call to action and a rollercoaster thrill ride. In the first act, we’re nudged to feel outraged at the legal (in appearance) exploitation of the elderly by the “ice queen”-like Marla. But then she almost becomes an “anti-heroine” in the mode of WALL STREET’s Gordon Geeko using lives as commodities in a dark satire of modern avarice. Then the plot takes a near “U-turn” with the introduction of Roman (though the Russian mobsters are now a too easy “go-to” bad guy cliche), as we hope for Linda’s rescue and Marla’s comeuppance. But somehow Blakeson gets us rooting for Marla and Fran, as though they’re a modern, wealthier take on THELMA AND LOUISE. Then it’s apparent that the two opposing forces are united in their anger with society’s attitudes toward them (Marla and Fran for their gender, Roman for his size). It’s quite an impressive feat to completely steer audience allegiances so often over the story. Aside from the typical action flick Russian mob, Marla’s constant vaping (now film shorthand for “jerk”) almost veered the film into “parody-town” (guess it’s a modern take on the big macho Cuban cigars). Still when it works (the handling of Linda is blood-boiling fuel), you’re grateful for this inventive take on the crime/action “pot-boilers”. And though the “tacked-on” epilogue feels a bit like an ending that the 1930s Hayes Office (a film decency group) would have insisted on, I’m guessing that Blakeson, like his complex creation Marla, would tell all of us that, “I CARE A LOT”. And his passion shows.
3.5 Out of 4
I CARE A LOT streams exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, February 19, 2021
This new comedy questions an old adage, since it ponders whether you truly cannot “go home again”. It further wonders if you can party “hearty” back at said home. Then you could put another spin on a saying by staggering and weaving down “the road not taken”. The protagonists of this film are not middle-aged “lost boys” usually played by the likes of Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, and Adam Sandler. They flail about in flick after flick as stumbling, bumbling examples of the “man-child”, often with wives mortified at their antics. But what about flipping that comic trope? Can’t these farces feature a “women-child”, or two? Ladies regressing back to simpler times? Well, here’s two actresses that are more than ready for this challenge. Hard to believe that over seven years has passed since they were an on-screen team in BABY MAMA. But happily they’ve been deflating Hollywood egos as an impressive award-show tag team in the meantime. In their return to the multiplex, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are now very different, but very devoted SISTERS.
Maura Ellis (Poehler) is a divorced nurse in Atlanta whose attempts at helping folks (mistaking workers on the street as the homeless) ends in disaster and derision. But, she’s pretty responsible and mature which seems to be the opposite of sister Kate (Fey). She’s a beautician and single mother whose teenage daughter Haley (Madison Davenport) tends to go AWOL after being frustrated with Mom’s exploits. When Kate is booted out of another pal’s apartment (she’s truly homeless, crashing on couches until her hosts have had enough), she contacts Maura. But she’s still reeling after getting a bombshell phone call (Skype actually) from their folks (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) down in Orlando Florida. They’re living in a retirement village condo after putting the family home on the market,so their daughters need to clean out their old bedrooms. When Maura and Kate converge at their old domicile they’re stunned to see a sold sign on the front lawn. After meeting the obnoxious, snooty new owners, the sisters decide that there’s only one thing to do. And no, they don’t just pack up their stuff and clear out. The Ellis girls decide that they must host the wildest party ever before bidding adieu to the ole’ homestead. And Maura decides to finally “sow her wild oats” with the hunky new neighbor across the street, James (Ike Barinholtz), so Kate agrees to be the “party mom”, staying sober to oversee everyone. So, what could go wrong, besides their old high school nemesis Brinda (Maya Rudolph) getting wind of her “non-invite”? What could happen, since they’re all adults? Right?
Here’s a different part for Ms. Fey. Kate is almost the “anti-Liz Lemon” (her role from the sitcom she created and headlined “30 Rock”), or perhaps the old TV “soap opera” cliché, the “evil” twin. In her tight-fitting animal prints, she’s a free-wheeling, wild spirit, an unrestrained id sporting high heels (a less disturbed version of the title character from the early 2015 film MOMMY). Fey is looser, more feisty, and energetic than we’ve ever seen her. She’s the electric charge that powers the plot. Ms. Poehler doesn’t veer too far away from Leslie Knope (her role on TV’s much-missed “Parks and Recreation”) in a character that’s very sweet and very awkward (her attempts at “sexy banter” are a scream). Mind you, she’s just as hysterical as Fey, but Poehler gives Maura a real vulnerability that helps propel her character’s romance. Most of all, she’s not merely the “straight” woman for Fey’s fireball. Poehler has a terrific “love match” with the gifted Barinholtz who’s playing a real “guy’s guy” and a nice change from his manic nurse on TV’s “The Mindy Project”. But he still cranks up the funny, particularly in an often painful stunt involving a ballerina. Brolin and Wiest (currently playing a couple on TV’s ” Life in Pieces”) score big laughs as the bewildered parents while providing a wake-up call to their offspring. Rudolph is an endearing rival and holds her own during the verbal, and eventual, physical smackdowns with Fey. Oh, and Fey gets to flirt with a very deadpan John Cena (so good recently in TRAINWRECK) as the mucho-muscled, stoic drug dealer Pazuzu (love when he lists his stock). The party-goers are filled with comedians, comic actors, and SNL vets (alumni and current) with Bobby Moynihan (“Drunk Uncle”) stealing scenes as a pathetic former class clown. Oh, and I should mention Greta Lee who shares one of the film’s funniest scenes with Poehler as she tries to teach Maura the proper way to say her Korean name Hae-Won. Stick around for the end credits to see Poehler fail to keep a straight face while contorting her mouth for the exact pronunciation.
As I mentioned earlier, this is the second screen pairing of these two talented women (both were in MEAN GIRLS, but had no scenes together), unfortunately a real rarity. Male comedy teams have been part of cinema for decades. Some are true partners (as Leonard Maltin points out in his superb book on the subject) as with Laurel and Hardy all the way to Cheech and Chong. While other male comedy stars work together frequently, from Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, to the current duos like Seth Rogen and Jamed Franco. There was an attempt by producer Hal Roach to establish a female 1930’s comedy team with Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts (replaced by Patsy Kelly), but woman duos were a fixture of TV, from Lucy and Ethel to Laverne and Shirley, and recently those “Two Broke Girls”. Fey and Poehler have such an easy rapport and expert timing, so hopefully this comic collaboration will continue for several more features. It’s a shame that this entry is not on par with their impressive skill set. The script by former SNL scribe, and comic actress, Paula Pell is chocked full of great bits for the duo, but like many screen comedies it seems to lose its momentum at around the one hour mark, settling into an all too common, deadly “lull”. This may be the fault of PITCH PERFECT director Jason Moore, who needed to make the film a good 15 to 20 minutes shorter (as I’ve said in the past, comedies really shouldn’t be over 100 minutes unless the word “mad” is in the title four times). These are funny people, true, but not everything’s gold. The party montages, just as in the teen comedies, become tiresome and with adults, kinda’ desperate. And the drug stuff danger takes away from the humor (really, these aging swingers would be headed to the ER). Plus the massive property damage final act doesn’t have the desired payoff. If you’re fans of this Golden Globes super team, then the film is a must see. Let’s see if they kind find a better showcase in the near future, because the scenes when they’re together is the only time that SISTERS soars.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunite for SISTERS, a new film from Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore about two disconnected sisters summoned home to clean out their childhood bedroom before their parents sell the family house. Looking to recapture their glory days, they throw one final high-school-style party for their classmates, which turns into the cathartic rager that a bunch of ground-down adults really need.
Fey produces the comedy alongside Jay Roach (Meet the Parents series) and John S. Lyons (Austin Powers in Goldmember), and Poehler executive produces alongside Jeff Richmond and Brian Bell from a script by Paula Pell (TV’s Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock).
SISTERS opens in theaters nationwide on December 18, 2015.
WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win a pass (Good for 2) to the advance screening of SISTERSon Tuesday, December 15th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
We will contact the winners by email.
Answer the following:
How many times have Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the Golden Globe Awards?
The comedy performers first met during their time together at what 2 famed Chicago troupes?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
The trailer for Universal Pictures’ SISTERS debuted Tuesday evening on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Watch the hilarious trailer and check out the latest photos.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler reunite for SISTERS, a new film from PITCH PERFECT director Jason Moore about two disconnected sisters summoned home to clean out their childhood bedroom before their parents sell the family house.
Looking to recapture their glory days, they throw one final high-school-style party for their classmates, which turns into the cathartic rager that a bunch of ground-down adults really need.
Fey produces the comedy alongside Jay Roach (Meet the Parents series) and John S. Lyons (Austin Powers in Goldmember), and Poehler executive produces alongside Jeff Richmond and Brian Bell from a script by Paula Pell (TV’s Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock).
Also starring Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, John Leguizamo, Dianne Wiest, John Cena and James Brolin, SISTERS opens in theaters everywhere December 18.
Opening December 2015, here’s your first look at Universal Pictures’ SISTERS starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
The new film from Pitch Perfect director Jason Moore is about two disconnected sisters summoned home to clean out their childhood bedroom before their parents sell the family house. Looking to recapture their glory days, they throw one final high-school-style party for their classmates, which turns into the cathartic rager that a bunch of ground-down adults really need.
Fey produces the comedy alongside Jay Roach (Meet the Parents series) and John S. Lyons (Austin Powers in Goldmember), and Poehler executive produces alongside Jeff Richmond and Brian Bell from a script by Paula Pell (TV’s Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock).
The comedy also stars Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, John Leguizamo, Dianne Wiest, John Cena and James Brolin.
SISTERS will open alongside that little indie film, STAR WARS: A FORCE AWAKENS, on December 18.
In creating his entertainment empire, Walt Disney knew that his company needed to branch out beyond animation. Those hand-drawn classics took a long time to craft, so he first produced adventure flicks out of England before his take on Jules Verne, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, which was a box office sensation in 1954. Establishing a live-action division, Walt released several family flicks over the next few decades ranging from adventures like SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON to the kids comedies featuring Herbie, the Love Bug and The Apple Dumpling Gang. Oops, almost forgot the tear-jerkers, those warm family flicks like FOLLOW ME BOYS and ( gulp! ) OLD YELLER ( I recall a stand-up comic saying that the flick was a test that parents could give their kids-if the kid cried at the end of YELLER, then he was normal ). Many of the movies would be chopped up and turned into multiple episodes of that Sunday night TV staple, ” Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color ” ( ah, TOBY TYLER ! ). In the last few decades Disney Studios have created brands such as Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures to release their more adult fare. But every once in a while a live action film while get the Walt Disney Pictures imprint ( like THE ROCKETEER ). Such is the case with the gentle family fantasy, THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN. I can imagine it playing over a couple of Sundays on ” The Wonderful World of Disney” ( its last prime-time broadcast network incarnation ). So instead of gathering around the set, will families gather at the multiplex for this timeless tale?
In the openiong scenes, Jim and Cindy Green ( Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner ) get some bad news from a fertility specialist. They drive back to their picture-perfect town of Stanleyville USA, ” the pencil capital of the world ” ( probably right down the road from Bedford Falls ). Jim works quality control at the pencil factory while Cindy’s a tour guide at the Stanley Pencil Museum. That night, after many tears ( and a bottle of wine ) the two exchange ideas about what would make a perfect child ( ” He rocks!” “He has a good heart”, etc. ). Jim jots them down in a small notebook, tears out the sheets, stuffs them in a small wood box, and buries it in the backyard garden. Later that night an intense storm wakes the couple. What’s that noise? Something’s scurrying through the house. Jim and Cindy discover the source : a ten year-old boy, covered in mud. And, around his ankles and feet, he’s sprouting bright green leaves. Jim dashes to the garden to check his recent planting. The hole’s been dug up and the wooden box is shattered. Have their dreams been fulfilled? What will become of this lad that sprung up from the soil?
The rest of the film pretty much concerns Timothy ( CJ Adams ) brightening the lives of friends and family in the town. The script doesn’t tackle any intense questions from others about the boy’s arrival ( kind of like the Kents and their foundling in Smallville, Kansas ) or the miracle itself ( must be the same generous movie gods that turned Henry Limpet into a fish ). Most of the supporting characters are standard kid lit types. Dianne Wiest has little to do as the up-tight, hard-nosed curator of the museum ( her Timothy encounter seems a bit forced ). Her nephew, Jim’s factory boss ( Ron Livingston ) is a bullying weasel ( weird to see Mr. OFFICE SPACE in management ). M. Emmet Walsh and Lois Smith are jolly, nurturing grandparent types ( actually the aunt and uncle that raised Cindy ). The true grandpa’ here is the distant, surly father of Jim, ” Big ” Jim ( David Morse ) who becomes Jim’s sounding board for his ‘ good parenting’ raps. Rosemarie Dewitt ( fabulous in HER SISTER’S SISTER ) is wasted as Cindy’s condescending, over-achieving sister. Common clocks in as a stern soccer coach of the Erasers. He’s tough and unbelievably tolerant of the hovering Greens. Timothy’s main pal is Joni ( Odeya Rush ), a scowling pre-teen who warms to the new kid. There’s some confusion about their relationship. Are they buddies or steadies? It’s left hovering ( she towers over him, seeming a bit too mature for the hero ). As for the Greens themselves, I was thankful that Adams made Timothy an engaging, pleasant protagonist. With the wrong actor this could’ve been a very difficult slog ( several recent films had young actors at their center that, to put it delicately, wore out their welcome quickly ). Edgerton, so great in last year’s WARRIOR, makes for a nice, gentle, encouraging sitcom dad. Garner bounces back nicely from the harpy she played in the remake of ARTHUR. Like one of the notes in the box ( ” He should be funny, but not making fun of others funny. Or belch and fart funny” ), the movie has a gentle whimsical air. Most of the set pieces will elicit a couple chuckles ( a music scene is cringe-worthy though ). This film is the happy flip side of last year’s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. Here parenting is a constant joy, even when things don’t quite work out as you hoped. An economic subplot about saving the factory is far too simplistic, but this is one flick that’s going for your heart instead of your brain. And some of the time it hits the target.
Last week, WAMG got to attend the press day for THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN at The Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. While there, I participated in a small round-table with Jennifer Garner, who plays Cindy Green in the film. You can find our Q&A below.
Academy Award®–nominated writer/director Peter Hedges (“Dan in Real Life,” What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”) brings enchantment to the screen with “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.” It’s the inspiring, magical story of a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim—and their small town of Stanleyville—learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts.
JENNIFER GARNER: Hi. I haven’t done this in so long. It’s my first one in so-, I feel all, like, fresh, I don’t know what I’ll say.
Q:So how much of Jennifer Garner do we find in Mother Cindy and her overprotective, fussbudget-y, “Do not too much pressure on the child.”
JENNIFER GARNER:Right. Um, well, first-time-Mom-Jennifer, you’d probably see quite a bit of, I could draw a lot from … I’m not nearly that way now, and neither would Cindy be. I feel like, though, um, this character juxtaposed against Laura Pickler in “Butter,” which is coming out this fall, you get a kind of a real sense of my sensibilities, mixed in there, kind of naughty, kind of nice, and, uh, blended together. Yup, that’s, that’s … sums it up right there. [LAUGH]
Q: Was being the mom in this, and what they go through and all that expectations beforehand of being a parent, were those things that you related to at any particular …
JENNIFER GARNER:Of course.
Q: Not exactly, but, I mean, you know …
JENNIFER GARNER:Of course. I mean, I didn’t, I was so lucky. I did not have any fertility issues, obviously. Um, but, uh [LAUGH], but I could definitely relate to the longing and relate to how much once you’re ready for a baby you are really ready right then, and you have this enormous fear that it isn’t gonna work. And, um, for me, it did about eight days later. But, um [LAUGH], but I could relate to, or at least understand how shocking and crushing that would be.
Q: And there are a lot of high highs and low lows in the movie. And it’s so emotional. Did you find that exhausting, delivering that?
JENNIFER GARNER:Yes. I, I mean, whenever a movie, you feel like, “Oh, this is a sweet comedy kind of thing,” you end up crying more on those movies than if it was the biggest tragedy in the, world. I mean, you could play Lady Macbeth and [LAUGH] not have to be as emotional as in a sweet little comedy. Um, and this was definitely an example of that. I, you know, we de- we did some digging, for this, for sure. And had a lot of conversations about balancing it so that it wasn’t just, ‘cause you stop feeling if you just see people blubbering on screen the whole time, and just kind of making sure that it was full emotionally and didn’t go too far, which usually means performance-wise, you get there, you go too far, and then in the editing process, you figure out where it is that you want to hit those notes. And I, I mean, I, I think, in my opinion, Peter did a pretty great job of balancing all that out. But I also had Joel. I mean, how, what heaven is Joel Edgerton. Isn’t he just bliss on a stick. I just adore him.
Q: And then you get to go home to Ben.
JENNIFER GARNER:I, well, I mean, you know, life is unfair.
Q: Would you like to do movies with your own kids sometime?
JENNIFER GARNER:No. No. Never. I would never want to do that.
Q: Why not?
JENNIFER GARNER:I mean, it’s, uh, because it’s a really, really hard day, and it’s a long day. And it, um, and I I don’t know. It’s impossible, for me to say without sounding judgmental so I just can’t. Because I don’t feel that way. I feel like, uh, this was a beautiful experience for C.J., and I think, I think he loved it, learned a lot from it, and was, is very suited to it, but it’s not always that way, and …
Q: Not for your kids.
JENNIFER GARNER:Yeah.
Q:Can you talk about your relationship with C.J. and what it was like working with him on set?
JENNIFER GARNER:Oh, C.J. is, the kind of magic that Timothy Green has, C.J. has. He seems like he’s from another planet. And he seems to kind of have been plopped down here with his eyes wide open and his heart wide open. I can’t imagine another little boy playing that role. Um, I, we all fell so totally in love with C.J. and with Odeya Rush, who gives a beautiful, she’s, God, is that girl just somethin’ else. Um, she’s just mature and measured and together and has lived ten lifetimes compared to my little, my little life. But, um, he, Joel and I worked like parents with him. I mean, his parents were around all the time, and they’re, they’re amazing, and that says so much about C.J. But, um, working on a film is hard, and, it’s not hard compared to ditch, digging. It’s hard for a little kid. Because as a grownup, you expect when you are wearing of, uh, ten coats and a wool sweater and a scarf and a hat it’s gonna be 90 degrees outside. You know that. And you know you’re gonna be uncomfortable a lot of the time, but as an adult, you think, “Oh, okay, this is just the job, whatever. It doesn’t, uh, it doesn’t matter. This is the best job in the world.” As a kid, being caked in mud for 12, you know, eight hours at a time, under hot lights, and , having to be sprayed down to keep the mud looking moist, that’s a bummer. You know, that gets old. Having food on you all day while you shoot, that’s a drag. And being hot or being cold, those things matter to kids a lot. And he was a super trooper about it, but, you know, we worked with him a lot, and, and worked on making sure that he was as comfortable as he could possibly be. And, uh, I would say that Joel entertained him, and I made sure he had snacks and bathroom breaks.
Q: There’s a lot of things about “The Odd Life” that are nontraditional.
JENNIFER GARNER:Thank goodness, right?
Q: Yeah. It’s a modern story in that the town isn’t recession-proof, that the family deals with infertility issues, that the child is nontraditional, he’s not from the Mommy’s tummy. And when you were in the beginning process of filming, when you were making your decisions, how did you go about handling those decisions, those nontraditional and signs of the times?
JENNIFER GARNER:Well, whenever Peter makes a movie or writes a book, he has something to say, he has a lot of things to say. And, um, the way that he weaves them into story, I think, is, he’s, he’s such a smart guy and such a passionate man, and you can really see that in, just his writing, if you’re just looking at it as writing, you can, you can really see that. And writing is the thing that I’m drawn to first and foremost by … I mean, I, obviously, we all fall for a good script. But his writing is, has something, some extra juice to it.
Um, he really cared about making the point that we don’t make things in America anymore, that we, we outsource everything, and that you don’t have the joy of holding something up and saying, “We, I am responsible for this. I made this.” Do I get to keep this? Okay. Um, and he really cared about what women are going through and having women, having children later, and fertility issues, and what t, how that reflects on, you as a woman. And he really, he, it mattered to him that this family was hit by the recession, that, that they were grappling with all of these things at the same time, because that’s what life is, and life is messy, and it’s not, um, things don’t just fall in order the way you want them to.
Um, and, so it was, so that was, that was definitely, those were things that we talked about a lot. We talked a lot about the car they would drive, the, you know, um, I think we spent an hour on what watch she would have. The, those are the little details that, that Peter really paid a lot of attention to, um, and that we all did. And as far as the kind of magical realism, whenever you do a movie that has a little sprinkling of fairy dust, you are so conscious about the rules.
You know, what are the rules? How, what does this mean? If, if th-, you have leaves growing out of your leg, does that mean X or does that mean Y? Are you seen by a botanist, are you seen by a pediatrician? Are you seen … and, um, those things just are a constant conversation on a film like this.
Q: Being a parent, and Joel not being a parent, did you give him any guidelines in his performance, or any helpful hints with anything he had to do?
JENNIFER GARNER:No. You don’t have to help Joel. No. And besides that, Joel was so gifted with C.J. right from the beginning, that they had their own relationship before C.J. and I did. I mean, C.J. and I became incredibly close, but right away he was enamored with Joel. Joel with a soccer bowl, with magic tricks, with, you know, he’s, he’s a guy.
Q: I was just gonna say we haven’t seen you for a while. You mentioned yourself when you came in it’s been a while since we’ve seen you here. And now it seems like you’re back to your working three jobs at the same time almost. What kind of was the impetus of that? Is it just that the kids are old enough and that you can spend some more time doing movies and stuff?
JENNIFER GARNER:Well, I did this movie, before I got pregnant with, uh, my baby two months after I finished this movie, so that was in the air. [LAUGHS] And we thought this was a good time. Ben, you know, took a break from his work to come to Atlanta and be Mr. Mom so that I could do this. And, uh, you know, it’s just, it’s a lot to, it’s a lot to juggle. And I’m, he’s doing more and more, and we have these kids. It’s not like, you know, what are you gonna do with them? You have them.
So, um, I feel lucky to work whenever I get to work. I really, really value it, now in a different way than I ever have. I really feel like I am getting something back from it. It’s, it feeds a part of me that I didn’t realize I needed to take care of before, and now, um, I really don’t take a job unless there’s something in it that I need to do. And that is just not, that often.
Q: If you had a memorable moment from the entire filming process, what would that be?
JENNIFER GARNER:Um, I have a lot of memorable moments on this movie, it turns out. Well, we were working really hard. It was super hot. We were in Atlanta. Um, and we had to add a couple of Saturdays. And the crew was tired. And so we decided on a Saturday we were shooting this super hard scene, and we decided to have a party during lunch. And, um, I just found a local band to come and play, and we, the whole cast and crew, when they came out for lunch, there was just a band playing. And we just sat and, listened to music.
But we had Common on the movie, and we had Lin-Manuel Miranda on the movie, and they’re obviously both, um, rappers, and, uh, uh, I didn’t think of that. They both happened to be working that day. So they did kind of a, what’s it called when they’re competing with each other?
SEVERAL PEOPLE: A battle.
JENNIFER GARNER:A battle. They did, like, a, a battle, but about the movie, freestyle. And little, you know, C.J. was dancing, all the kids were dancing their asses off, and all, you know, the, the crew was all dancing. And it was just … I, I love making movies so much. And I love the, the familial aspect of it. I, I love feeling like a part of this community and, and helping to foster that sense of community is a, something I really love. And this was one of those, um, kind of magical moments, with little C.J. dancing while they were sing-, rapping about him, and, and I thought, will he remember this? Will this be something for him down the road that he’ll think, “Oh, yeah, that was, I was that guy. That was about me,” you know. Anyway. That’s all.
In all the discussion last week about Johnny Depp’s eighth film collaboration with Tim Burton on DARK SHADOWS another actor/director team has a work that’s about to reach theatres, DARLING COMPANION is the sixth film that actor Kevin Kline has made with screenwriter/ director Lawrence Kasdan. It’s hard to believe, but their first together, THE BIG CHILL was released thirty years ago. The new film harkens back to their earlier efforts like CHILL and GRAND CANYON since it addresses family issues and surrounds Kline with a great cast of seasoned screen vets. Amidst the high decibel destruction of this Summer’s blockbusters a small story about a long married husband and wife ( and their pet ) may be a relaxing change-of-pace.
The film begins as Beth ( Diane Keaton ) is cooing to her new grandchild at the Denver airport. After she says goodbye to her youngest daughter’s family, Beth and her eldest, single daughter Grace ( Elisabeth Moss ) hit the road for home. But something catches Beth’s eye : a wounded mutt cowering in the snow. The ladies scoop up the dog and visit a veterinarian’s office ( Grace takes a shine to the handsome doctor ). Instead of delivering the pooch to the animal shelter, Beth brings him home to meet her workaholic, spinal surgeon hubby Joseph ( Kline ). He squawks at first, but eventually gives in and the pup ( now named Freeway ) joins the family. Fast forward to another big family event as Grace weds the vet at their vacation getaway home in Utah. After the happy couple head to their honeymoon, Joseph loses Freeway while taking a walk in the woods. And so, a search begins with the remaining guests : Joseph’s sister Penny ( Dianne Wiest ), her loutish new boyfriend Russell ( Richard Jenkins ), Penny’s son ( and Joseph’s office partner ) Bryan ( Mark Duplass ) and the sultry caretaker of the estate, Carmen ( Ayelet Zurer ). Can they reunite the panicky Beth with her beloved, darling companion?
So there’s the somewhat simple story that Kasdan and his wife Meg have cooked up. It’s certainly not as convoluted as Lawrence’s directing debut BODY HEAT ( not a lot of steamy, sweaty sex either! ). But there’s a nice languid pace and some great performances. Keaton and Kline make a believable couple. He’s doing a riff on some of his stodgy, uptight characters while she’s not too far away from her ” Annie Hall ” whimsy. They can fuss and fight while still finding each other’s quirks endearing. Wiest also works well with Kline, but she really shines in her scenes with Jenkins. He’s become one of the screen’s most delightful character actors ( as the recent CABIN IN THE WOODS confirms ). His Russell annoys all of the family but Penny. He’s a gregarious guy who’s always working on a get-rich-quick scheme. Sure he’s a doofus, but it’s hard to resist his charms. The only subplot that doesn’t quite ring true is the blossoming romance between Bryan and Carmen. We can see where it’s headed very early. It’s the old opposites attract bit. The earthy exotic ( she has a gypsy heritage ) gets the cold, wasp-y professional to cut loose. Her ” psychic powers ” routine is a bit overused. Luckily, Joseph is there to roll his eyes and call her on the BS. Aside from a welcome cameo from Sam Shepard as the sheriff ( he just wants to fly fish! ) and a nightmare animated clip, there not many shocks or surprises in the film. But Kasdan directs with a sure hand and the Utah scenery is breathtaking. If you’ve got some affection for these wonderful actors, then this gentle tale of family ( and pet ) love may be a nice break from the explosive thrillers. It’s a bit of cinema comfort food with some old film friends.
