Lakeshore Entertainment has cast Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly to co-star in the upcoming Philip Roth adaptation, AMERICAN PASTORAL. Connelly joins Ewan McGregor in the Phillip Noyce directed project based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel. Connelly will play “Dawn”, the wife of McGregor’s “Swede Levov”.
“Jennifer Connelly is one of the great actresses of our time,” stated Lakeshore CEO, Tom Rosenberg. “We always wanted her to play ‘Dawn’ in American Pastoral and we’re thrilled to be working with her.”
AMERICAN PASTORAL’s adapted screenplay was written by John Romano (LINCOLN LAWYER) with filming scheduled for March 2015 in Pittsburgh, PA. AMERICAN PASTORAL will be produced by Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi.
AMERICAN PASTORAL follows Seymour “Swede” Levov, a legendary high school athlete, who grows up to marry a former beauty queen and inherits his father’s business. Swede’s seemingly perfect life shatters when his daughter rebels by becoming a revolutionary and commits a deadly act of political terrorism during the Vietnam War.
Connelly previously starred in NOAH and won an Oscar for A BEAUTIFUL MIND. She will next be seen in the upcoming ALOFT and SHELTER. Connelly is represented by CAA and Risa Shapiro at Schiff Company.
“One of the most dazzling and unforgettable Biblical epics ever put on film” (Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times), the thrilling story of courage, sacrifice and hope, NOAH debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and VOD July 29, 2014 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.
The film arrives two weeks early on Digital HD July 15th. Visionary director Darren Aronofsky’s (Black Swan) “action spectacular” (Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal) is being hailed as “a fascinating achievement” (Eric Goldman, IGN) filled with “grit, grace and visual wonders [that] never cease” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone).
“Russell Crowe has simply never been better” (Pete Hammond, Movieline) as the title character who takes on the monumental task of building the legendary ark, saving the chosen few and surviving the great deluge. The film also stars Academy Award winners Jennifer Connelly** and Anthony Hopkins*** and features Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ray Winstone, and Douglas Booth.
NOAH will be available in a Blu-ray Combo Pack with Digital HD that includes over an hour of in-depth, behind-the-scenes special features that delve into bringing this epic story to the screen, filming on location in the exotic landscapes of Iceland, and the colossal undertaking of creating the massive, life-sized ark.
NOAH Blu-ray Combo Pack
The NOAHBlu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD in the combo pack is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:
Blu-ray
Feature film in high definition
Iceland: Extreme Beauty
The Ark Exterior: A Battle for 300 Cubits
The Ark Interior: Animals Two By Two
DVD
Feature film in standard definition
The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.
NOAH Single-Disc DVD
The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.
Paramount Pictures and Regency Enterprises present a Protozoa Pictures production of a Darren Aronofsky film: “Noah.” Music by Clint Mansell. Executive produced by Ari Handel and Chris Brigham. Produced by Scott Franklin, Darren Aronofsky, Mary Parent and Arnon Milchan. Written by Darren Aronofsky & Ari Handel. Directed by Darren Aronofsky.
PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and brief suggestive content
Canadian Rating:
PG for violence, not recommended for young children and disturbing content
*2000, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Gladiator
**2001, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, A Beautiful Mind
***1991, Best Actor in a Leading Role, The Silence of the Lambs
“ACADEMY AWARD®” is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Director Darren Aronofsky’s epic take on Noah, the Ark and the Flood has finally set sail into theaters today and WAMG is giving away tickets to the NOAH movie.
If you live in the St. Louis area, all you have to do is enter your name, email address, along with the name of your favorite religious-themed film, in our comments section below for a chance to win. We will contact you if you are a winner.
From the inspirational story of courage, sacrifice, hope and redemption, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “The Wrestler,” “The Fountain”) brings to the screen NOAH. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe portrays the man chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.
Never before has the full story been brought to life on screen in a vivid epic – inviting the audience to experience these spectacular events through the eyes and emotions of Noah and his family, as they journey through fear and faith, destruction and triumph, hardship and hope.
The production took the film’s world-class cast and crew on their own unexpected journey as they set out to intensively research Noah’s world, honor the text and board an authentic Ark, hand-built to biblically-detailed specifications.
In every aspect of the film’s performances, action and innovative special-effects, the creative team’s aim was clear: to forge a contemporary experience of “Noah” that is immediate, vibrant and personal.
The result is the first cinematic portrait of Noah as an imperfect man whose awe-inspiring task grapples with the worst of humanity while affirming our faith in its best.
Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson Nudes, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, Dakota Goyo and Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”) also star.
Visit the online Ark Experience to interactively explore the three decks of Noah’s ark:
“Audiences can expect all the great moments of the Noah story . . . the Ark, the animals, the Nephilim, the first rainbow, the dove. But hopefully they are captured in new and unexpected ways. Instead of repeating what’s been seen before, we looked carefully at what is written in Genesis, and then created a setting on screen where we felt these miracles could take place.”
– Director Darren Aronofsky
Just as Noah was finishing the Ark, the skies darkened, the floodgates opened and the hardest rain earth has ever known fell upon the land for 40 days and 40 nights. Check out the second trailer for Paramount Pictures’ NOAH.
From the inspirational story of courage, sacrifice, hope and redemption, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “The Wrestler,” “The Fountain”) brings to the screen NOAH.
Academy Award winner Russell Crowe portrays the man chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world.
Never before has the full story been brought to life on screen in a vivid epic – inviting the audience to experience these spectacular events through the eyes and emotions of Noah and his family, as they journey through fear and faith, destruction and triumph, hardship and hope.
Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, Dakota Goyo and Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”) also star.
From the inspirational story of courage, sacrifice, hope and redemption, Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan,” “The Wrestler,” “The Fountain”) brings to the screen NOAH. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe portrays the man chosen by God to undertake a momentous mission of rescue before an apocalyptic flood destroys the world. Never before has the full story been brought to life on screen in a vivid epic – inviting the audience to experience these spectacular events through the eyes and emotions of Noah and his family, as they journey through fear and faith, destruction and triumph, hardship and hope.
The production took the film’s world-class cast and crew on their own unexpected journey as they set out to intensively research Noah’s world, honor the text and board an authentic Ark, hand-built to biblically-detailed specifications. In every aspect of the film’s performances, action and innovative special-effects, the creative team’s aim was clear: to forge a contemporary experience of NOAH that is immediate, vibrant and personal. The result is the first cinematic portrait of Noah as an imperfect man whose awe-inspiring task grapples with the worst of humanity while affirming our faith in its best.
Watch Jennifer Connelly as Naameh and Russell Crowe as Noah in this brand new clip.
To design and build the Ark, Aronofsky collaborated closely with production designer Mark Friedberg, a recent Emmy Award winner for HBO’s “Mildred Pierce.” Friedberg began the process more than a year before production, focusing first on proportions. “In Genesis the dimensions of the ark are laid out as 30 cubits high, by 50 cubits wide, by 300 cubits long,” he describes. “But there are Egyptian cubits and Venetian cubits – so we had to go deep into history to try to figure it out.”
The production designer kept in mind that Noah didn’t have the luxury of time to create something beautiful for the ages – he needed something that could quickly be up to the job, even if that job was sacred. “The building of this Ark was done in desperation,” Friedberg observes. “So it’s not a piece of cabinetry; it’s not a fine, seafaring craft. It’s a functional object. It’s there to keep the animals floating as the world fills with water. It does not need to steer, because where would you go if the world is all water?”
The Ark’s interior was laid out on three levels, as written in Genesis. “The bottom level is the tallest Mammal Deck for the mammoths, elephants, giraffes and giant beasts. Reptiles and insects live in the middle level, which is only eight feet tall, and at the very top is the twelve foot Avian Deck, where the family lives with all the birds,” Friedberg describes.
Rather than building each of the three levels of the ark side-by-side, as would normally be done on a stage, Aronofsky had them authentically built one atop the other, to further add to the visual dynamism. “It allowed us to connect the levels visually, so you can watch as the characters move up and down through the levels,” explains Friedberg.
Here’s a look inside the Ark. Visit the online Ark Experience to interactively explore the three decks of Noah’s ark: http://www.noahmovie.com/theark/
The entire story of Noah and the Ark he is commanded to build before the earth is flooded takes up just a few pages in the Book of Genesis. But those few passages have had a profound, lasting impact on billions across the globe, evoking both the very depths of evil and the heights of faith and holding out the hope of redemption after catastrophe.
Nevertheless, since the beginning of film history, the majority of screen depictions of this foundational story have been send-ups, comedies or animated films — echoing a pop culture in which the Ark is most often seen in the toy store. The story was first brought to motion pictures in 1928’s “Noah’s Ark,” which merged a brief Hollywood re-creation of the biblical flood with a World War I drama. Since then, there have been Disney shorts, cartoons and several variations on a comic theme. Yet remarkably, the story of Noah has never before been attempted as a full-scale, visual epic that brings the pages of the Bible to life, nor has any filmmaker delved directly into its core motifs of what it is to be human.
“There are comedic versions, there are animated versions, and there was even a Broadway version with Danny Kaye that was a musical,” says “Noah” director and co-writer, Darren Aronofsky. “Historically, the approach has always veered towards folklore, humor and children’s stories. But if you look at the story’s place in Genesis, there is so much more to it than just the animals going two-by-two. It’s the story of ten generations of wickedness of man that eventually climaxes in God coming to a place where he wants to redo it all. For me, it was the very first end-of-the-world story.”
Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Requiem for a Dream”), Ray Winstone (“The Departed,” “Hugo”), Emma Watson (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” “My Week With Marilyn”), Logan Lerman (“Percy Jackson & the Olympians”), Douglas Booth (TV’s “Great Expectations,” the upcoming “Romeo and Juliet”), Dakota Goyo (“Thor”) and Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins (“The Silence of the Lambs”) also star.
The film’s behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Matthew Libatique (“Black Swan,” “Iron Man”), production designer Mark Friedberg (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2”, “Synecdoche, New York”), costume designer Michael Wilkinson (“Man of Steel”, “American Hustle”) and composer Clint Mansell (“Black Swan,” “The Wrestler”).
WINTER’S TALE… more like WINTER’S SNAIL, because this movie is slow, boring, and incredibly hard not to shake your head at.
Based off of the novel by Mark Helprin, WINTER’S TALE tells the romantic tale of Peter Lake (Colin Farrell) , a orphaned thief trying to run away from the evil crime leader who took him in, Pearly Soames (Russell Crowe). While on his way out-of-town, destiny brings him to the doorstep of Beverly (Jessica Brown Findlay), a 20-year-old woman who is dying of consumption. Fate has brought them together, and Pearly is determined to rip them apart. See, Peter isn’t aware that he is surrounded by angels and demons. He must discover on his own that his fate has already been mapped out.
As a woman, I am really sick of movies that tell a half-assed story, but assume that because it’s a love story, it’s ok. Romance does not distract from holes in a story, nor is it an answer for things that don’t make sense. That’s like covering a pothole with a piece of glittery wrapping paper. It might sparkle, but the second you try to walk on it you’re gonna fall through because the hole is still there.
My first problem with this film is that it fails to explain anything. There is this hidden magical society living amongst humans, and they don’t really touch on how or why. Russell Crowe’s character is some sort of demon in human form that tries to stop miracles from happening, and robs the townspeople to try to rid the world of hope. Why does he want to rid the world of hope? Not sure. We do find out later on that he works for the devil (Will Smith), but we don’t know how that came to be, or why. He just is what he is. There are some religious references in this film, and it’s hard to ignore all of the good vs. evil, light vs. dark references that are put in weird spots throughout the film. Without giving too much away, this magical world exists, they don’t really explain why, and they give us no explanation of the magic or the rules. We, as the audience are just supposed to go “Oh, the devil. Cool. He’s in a t-shirt and hoop earrings during the turn of the century. Guess he transcends time. Gotcha!”. It’s not too much to ask for them to explain the rules of magic, or of their universe.
Normally I would worry about certain spoilers, but this next one goes along with my precious point, so consider this your warning. We learn that Peter Lake is frozen in time by love, and that the loss of Beverly has completely wiped his memory… that is, until Peter meets Virginia Gamely (Jennifer Connelly). Not only does Virginia help Peter regain his memory at lightening speed, but she doesn’t even begin to question how it’s possible for him to be the same man from the hundred year old photograph that she found. There is a slight moment of confusion, and then she just accepts it. Now, let’s get this straight… A modern-day New Yorker meets a stranger, helps him do some research, and then when the possibility arises that he is frozen in time, she simply accepts it? I’m all for hope, magic and romance, but if you are setting a story in modern-day New York, you need to take a few more minutes in your movie to explain some things. I mean, come on! How boring can you make this film? Things happen, and everyone just accepts it. Way to shake up the story guys.
Colin Farrell was actually quite likable in this film. My problems with this film has nothing to do with his acting. In fact, I rather enjoyed him. There were a few moments between his character and Beverly that I found extremely charming and heartwarming. Those moments were ripped away quickly by a terrible screenplay and horrible visual effects. Take the glorious Pegasus for example. I love mystical creatures. Who doesn’t? Having said that, there was a scene where Peter was riding the horse (before we found out that the horse could fly) across the bridge, and it looked like a bad green screen project from the internet. The horse wasn’t hitting the ground, but wasn’t supposed to be gliding or flying, and the bridge looked completely fake. Sure, the film has a stylized look, but even miracles have rules. If they didn’t, wouldn’t everyone know that they exist – ruining the faith part? Everyone can see your horse running away, but not hitting the ground Peter! Don’t you think half of the city would question that?
I could spend all day ripping this film apart, but I won’t. Akiva Goldsman (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, I AM LEGEND) is a great writer, but he missed the mark on his first directing feature. I don’t know if he took a different approach to writing this screenplay since he knew he would be directing it, but this film really missed the mark. With a cast like this, it’s really a bummer.
In one of the most anticipated films of 2014, here’s four new international character posters for NOAH featuring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone And Logan Lerman.
Directed by visionary filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, Russell Crowe stars as Noah in the film inspired by the epic story of courage, sacrifice and hope.
If you haven’t watched the trailer yet, check it out below. The animals boarding the ark is epic!
Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth and Anthony Hopkins, NOAH will be in theaters March 28, 2014.
Colin Farrell and Russell Crowe are at odds in an age-old battle between good and evil in this first trailer for WINTER’S TALE. Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, WINTER’S TALE is a love story of miracles and crossed destinies.
Bring the hankies – this tear-jerker opens Valentine’s Day 2014. For those not prone to sentimental films of the heart, The Weinstein Company’s VAMPIRE ACADEMY also debuts on February 14th.
The film stars Colin Farrell (“Total Recall”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). It also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).
The film marks the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”), who also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin.
Goldsman is also producing the film with Marc Platt (“Drive”), Michael Tadross (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Tony Allard (Showtime’s “The Baby Dance”). The executive producers are Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes five-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Passion of the Christ,” “The Patriot”), production designer Naomi Shohan (“Constantine,” “I Am Legend”), costume designer Michael Kaplan (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Star Trek”) and editors Wayne Wahrman (“I Am Legend”) and Oscar nominee Tim Squyres (“Life of Pi,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). The music is composed by Oscar® winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King,” “Inception,” “Man of Steel”).
A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, WINTER’S TALE opens February 14, 2014.
Warner Bros. Pictures has set a winter release date for WINTER’S TALE, written and directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind”) and based on the novel by Mark Helprin. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures, will open in North America on February 14, 2014.
Set in a mythic New York City and spanning more than a century, WINTER’S TALE is a story of miracles, crossed destinies, and the age-old battle between good and evil.
The film stars Colin Farrell (“Total Recall”), Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), and Oscar winners Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”), William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”), Eva Marie Saint (“On the Waterfront”) and Russell Crowe (“Gladiator”). It also introduces young newcomers Ripley Sobo and Mckayla Twiggs (both from Broadway’s “Once”).
WINTER’S TALE marks the directorial debut of Akiva Goldsman, who also wrote the screenplay, based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Helprin.
Goldsman is also producing, with Marc Platt (“Drive”), Michael Tadross (“Sherlock Holmes”) and Tony Allard (Showtime’s “The Baby Dance”). Kerry Foster and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes five-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Passion of the Christ,” “The Patriot”), production designer Naomi Shohan (“Constantine,” “I Am Legend”), costume designer Michael Kaplan (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “Star Trek”) and editors Wayne Wahrman (“I Am Legend”) and Oscar nominee Tim Squyres (“Life of Pi,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). The music is composed by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer (“The Lion King,” “Inception,” “Man of Steel”).
During Hollywood’s “golden age” directors had to be able to jump from genre to genre. Someone like Howard Hawks could go from screwball comedy to western to mystery. These days most directors like to work in one genre. Ron Howard is the rare exception. He started out with comedies like NIGHT SHIFT and SPLASH then tried fantasy ( WILLOW ), thrillers ( RANSOM and Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon stories), and had great success with historical docudramas ( APOLLO 13, FROST/NIXON). Now Howard has returned to comedy after more than a decade with THE DILEMMA. This time the film’s laughs have a serious theme at it’s center.
At the heart of THE DILEMMA is the friendship of two old college buddies Ronny ( Vince Vaughn ) and Nick ( Kevin James ) who are business partners at an auto design firm in Chicago. Ronny’s the fast talking salesman while Nick is the tech wizard. After landing an interview with one of the big auto makers, the guys go out celebrating with their gals. Nick has been married for several years to Geneva ( Winona Ryder ), while confirmed bachelor Ronny has been dating Beth ( Jennifer Connelly ), a chef at a popular restaurant. After the meeting with the auto big wigs in Detroit goes well ( they’re going to make electric cars sound like classic hot rod engines?! ), Ronny decides that it’s time to propose to Beth. While scoping out the Botanical Gardens as a possible engagement site, Ronny spots Nick’s wife Geneva making out with a young tattooed stud ( Channing Tatum ). This is the dilemma that the film’s tile refers. Should he just tell his pal and plunge him into misery ( and possibly derail their business venture )? Maybe Ronny should confront Geneva and convince her to end the affair. Or perhaps Ronny should just keep quiet and say nothing. What should he do? Many film goers may ask, “What would I do?”.
Howard does his best trying to balance the dramatic elements with the broad comic scenes, but he’s thwarted by a script that has the characters acting improbably-to use a phrase coined by Siskel and Ebert, ” the idiot plot”. Why does Ronny refuse to share his plight with Beth? Does he think he can spy on Geneva while driving around in his classic 1960’s muscle car? After a disturbingly bloody and violent confrontation with Zip (?!), Geneva’s boy-toy, why does Ronny stick around to taunt him? And why does Ronny return to Zip’s pad to retrieve his camera? The actors are giving it heir best effort to make this material work. Vaughn is doing his motor-mouth wiseacre , but usually his characters are a lot smarter, as in DODGEBALL and WEDDING CRASHERS. You just wants to grab him by the shoulders, shake him, and yell, “C’mon!! You’re smarter than this!!”. James doesn’t get to utilize his great comic timing and superb skills in physical comedy ( beside an awkward dance scene with Vaughn ). In many scenes he’s Vaughn’s schlubby straight man. The lovely Connelly is underused in basically the exasperated, but understanding girlfriend role. Ryder has the more complex part. She almost gets some sympathy going as she explains her marital frustrations, but suddenly turns into a vindictive blackmailing harpy. She’d not helped by the decision to give her some severe, unflattering make-up, perhaps to emphasize her as the bad girl in comparison to Connelly’s good girl. Channing fulfills his duty as eye candy, but is not allowed to bring any humanity or humor to his role. Queen Latifah tries to brings some energy to the poorly written character of the lady auto exec who’s cheering the boys on. I was embarrassed by some of the dialogue she’s saddled with ( “lady-wood”?! Twice?!).Chicago looks great and there are some big laughs in the film, but they’re derailed by too many scenes that drag on far too long and don’t make much sense. The tacked-on upbeat ending doesn’t help things. Ron Howard’s one of our most talented and versatile directors. I hope that the next time he ventures into the comedy genre he can find a more worthy project.
