The jurors in the Harvey Weinstein trial ended their third day of deliberations on Thursday with a request to hear the testimony of Annabella Sciorra.
The jury has now been deliberating for more than 14 hours, and will return for further deliberations on Friday morning.
In a note to the judge late Thursday afternoon, the jurors requested read-back of “the cross-examination and everything afterwords in the testimony of Annabella Sciorra.”
“Thank you! We are done judge for today,” they wrote.
The 12-person jury, made up of five women and seven men, began deliberating on Tuesday. Weinstein faces five charges, including rape and predatory sexual assault. If convicted on all charges, the former movie mogul could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The jury has repeatedly asked for read-back and for access to exhibits pertaining to Sciorra’s claim that Weinstein raped her at her Gramercy Park apartment in the early 1990s.
The jury has now been deliberating for more than 14 hours, and will return for further deliberations on Friday morning.
In a note to the judge late Thursday afternoon, the jurors requested read-back of “the cross-examination and everything afterwords in the testimony of Annabella Sciorra.”
“Thank you! We are done judge for today,” they wrote.
The 12-person jury, made up of five women and seven men, began deliberating on Tuesday. Weinstein faces five charges, including rape and predatory sexual assault. If convicted on all charges, the former movie mogul could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
The jury has repeatedly asked for read-back and for access to exhibits pertaining to Sciorra’s claim that Weinstein raped her at her Gramercy Park apartment in the early 1990s.
- 2/20/2020
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister and Mackenzie Nichols
- Variety Film + TV
The jury in Harvey Weinstein’s Manhattan criminal trial completed a second day of deliberations on Wednesday without reaching a verdict.
Throughout the day, the jury received a readback of the testimony and cross examination of key witnesses Miriam Haley and Rosie Perez; emails between Haley and Weinstein, and verbal clarification of the first two felony counts against Weinstein. The jury also requested communications between Weinstein and the defense’s first witness, film producer Paul Feldsher, as well as all emails mentioning actress and Weinstein accuser Annabella Sciorra.
Since Tuesday, the 12-person jury has been deliberating over the five felony counts against Weinstein: two counts of predatory sexual assault and one count each of a first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree rape, and third-degree rape. He has pleaded not guilty.
Also Read: Inside the Harvey Weinstein Jury's Tricky Task and Why They Can't Find Him Guilty on All 5 Counts
Earlier in the day,...
Throughout the day, the jury received a readback of the testimony and cross examination of key witnesses Miriam Haley and Rosie Perez; emails between Haley and Weinstein, and verbal clarification of the first two felony counts against Weinstein. The jury also requested communications between Weinstein and the defense’s first witness, film producer Paul Feldsher, as well as all emails mentioning actress and Weinstein accuser Annabella Sciorra.
Since Tuesday, the 12-person jury has been deliberating over the five felony counts against Weinstein: two counts of predatory sexual assault and one count each of a first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree rape, and third-degree rape. He has pleaded not guilty.
Also Read: Inside the Harvey Weinstein Jury's Tricky Task and Why They Can't Find Him Guilty on All 5 Counts
Earlier in the day,...
- 2/19/2020
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
Update, 12:33 pm The second day of deliberations brought more questions from the jurors in the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct trial: They asked to read all emails to, from and regarding actress Annabella Sciorra, re-hear the entire testimony of Sciorra’s friend Rosie Perez, and review all Weinstein’s communications with private investigators Black Cube and Guidepost Solutions – companies the Miramax co-creator hired to investigate Sciorra and other women accusing him of sexual misconduct.
The jury also wants to review communications between Weinstein and ex-Miramax consultant Paul Feldsher, a former friend of Sciorra who testified that the actress once described what she would later say was rape as merely a “crazy” encounter.
The requests suggest that the jury is again examining Sciorra’s allegations and her role in the rape trial that focuses largely on the accusations made by Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley.
As court reporters re-read Perez’s testimony,...
The jury also wants to review communications between Weinstein and ex-Miramax consultant Paul Feldsher, a former friend of Sciorra who testified that the actress once described what she would later say was rape as merely a “crazy” encounter.
The requests suggest that the jury is again examining Sciorra’s allegations and her role in the rape trial that focuses largely on the accusations made by Jessica Mann and Miriam Haley.
As court reporters re-read Perez’s testimony,...
- 2/19/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Harvey Weinstein’s defense attorney Damon Cheronis said in court Monday that the former mogul is not faking his bad back for jury sympathy and is willing to call his back surgeon to testify that the walker he uses is for real, despite being a subject of widespread ridicule in the media.
“So stop reading newspapers,” New York Supreme Court Judge James Burke advised, denying the request to call the surgeon.
“The jury thinks that he’s faking it,” Cheronis continued, unsuccessfully. “That could be a problem.”
Weinstein’s walker, which he leans on, stooped over, to enter and exit the courtroom, has been the subject of many news stories and even a Saturday Night Live sketch.
With no cameras allowed inside the courtroom, photos of Weinstein during this trial have been limited to his arrivals to and departures from the Lower Manhattan courthouse.
His only interaction with reporters is as he exits,...
“So stop reading newspapers,” New York Supreme Court Judge James Burke advised, denying the request to call the surgeon.
“The jury thinks that he’s faking it,” Cheronis continued, unsuccessfully. “That could be a problem.”
Weinstein’s walker, which he leans on, stooped over, to enter and exit the courtroom, has been the subject of many news stories and even a Saturday Night Live sketch.
With no cameras allowed inside the courtroom, photos of Weinstein during this trial have been limited to his arrivals to and departures from the Lower Manhattan courthouse.
His only interaction with reporters is as he exits,...
- 2/10/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Manhattan courtroom where Harvey Weinstein is being tried for rape and sexual misconduct took on the aura of a college psychology classroom today as a high-profile cognitive psychologist and defense witness Dr. Elizabeth Loftus testified about false memories and the ways in which misinformation, media coverage and leading questions from police investigators can warp how people recall — and mis-recall — even the most traumatic events.
Loftus is an acknowledged memory expert who has testified — mostly for defense attorneys — in a roster of celebrity trials and litigation including those of O.J. Simpson, the Menendez Brothers, Ted Bundy, Oliver North, Bosnian war criminals, the Oklahoma City bomber and the Duke University lacrosse team. She testified today about the malleability of memory and about how susceptible the human brain is to misremembering events, particularly as time passes. Researchers, she said, have successfully implanted false memories “in the minds of otherwise healthy people” merely by suggestion and “post-event information.
Loftus is an acknowledged memory expert who has testified — mostly for defense attorneys — in a roster of celebrity trials and litigation including those of O.J. Simpson, the Menendez Brothers, Ted Bundy, Oliver North, Bosnian war criminals, the Oklahoma City bomber and the Duke University lacrosse team. She testified today about the malleability of memory and about how susceptible the human brain is to misremembering events, particularly as time passes. Researchers, she said, have successfully implanted false memories “in the minds of otherwise healthy people” merely by suggestion and “post-event information.
- 2/7/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Feldsher, a former film producer, Miramax consultant and longtime friend at various points to both Annabella Sciorra and Harvey Weinstein, testified under subpoena in Weinstein’s rape trial Thursday that Sciorra drank alcohol and used prescription sedatives well before what he says the actress once referred to as merely a “crazy” sexual encounter with Weinstein.
Called to testify by Weinstein’s defense in an apparent attempt to discredit the actress’ previous testimony that her drinking and drug problems started after she was raped by Weinstein, Feldsher, a former ICM agent, presented a fairly unflattering depiction of the woman he once considered a very close friend.
Although acknowledging that he and Sciorra haven’t been in touch for seven years, Feldsher said he still cares about the actress and considers her a friend, then said that Sciorra used to joke about taking sedatives and that she’d once described the...
Called to testify by Weinstein’s defense in an apparent attempt to discredit the actress’ previous testimony that her drinking and drug problems started after she was raped by Weinstein, Feldsher, a former ICM agent, presented a fairly unflattering depiction of the woman he once considered a very close friend.
Although acknowledging that he and Sciorra haven’t been in touch for seven years, Feldsher said he still cares about the actress and considers her a friend, then said that Sciorra used to joke about taking sedatives and that she’d once described the...
- 2/6/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Harvey Weinstein’s defense team kicked off their case Thursday afternoon, calling a former friend of Annabella Sciorra’s to undermine her allegation that the producer raped her in the early 1990s.
Paul Feldsher, a former ICM agent and producer of several Miramax films, said that Sciorra was one of his closest friends for several years. He testified that they once took a long walk, during which she admitted having done “this crazy thing” with Weinstein.
“My understanding was that she fooled around with him,” Feldsher said. “I don’t recall it being stressful.”
Feldsher worked as a producer or executive producer on five Miramax films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including “The Four Feathers” and “Get Over It.” He also acknowledged that the Weinstein Co. had paid him $60,000 for work he had done in 2016 or 2017 as a consulting producer on “The Upside.”
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Joan Illuzzi,...
Paul Feldsher, a former ICM agent and producer of several Miramax films, said that Sciorra was one of his closest friends for several years. He testified that they once took a long walk, during which she admitted having done “this crazy thing” with Weinstein.
“My understanding was that she fooled around with him,” Feldsher said. “I don’t recall it being stressful.”
Feldsher worked as a producer or executive producer on five Miramax films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including “The Four Feathers” and “Get Over It.” He also acknowledged that the Weinstein Co. had paid him $60,000 for work he had done in 2016 or 2017 as a consulting producer on “The Upside.”
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Joan Illuzzi,...
- 2/6/2020
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister and Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Defence case expected to last three days.
The first defence witness in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial said on Thursday (6) he thought the former Hollywood mogul was a sex addict, but did not believe he was capable of committing the crimes of which he has been accused.
Writer Paul Feldsher also acknowledged sending messages to the former producer in which he disparaged the “dog pile of actresses” who had accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Feldsher testified for the defence that actress Annabella Sciorra told him in the early 1990s that she had a sexual encounter with Weinstein but did not say she had been raped.
The first defence witness in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial said on Thursday (6) he thought the former Hollywood mogul was a sex addict, but did not believe he was capable of committing the crimes of which he has been accused.
Writer Paul Feldsher also acknowledged sending messages to the former producer in which he disparaged the “dog pile of actresses” who had accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Feldsher testified for the defence that actress Annabella Sciorra told him in the early 1990s that she had a sexual encounter with Weinstein but did not say she had been raped.
- 2/6/2020
- by 1101427¦Reuters¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Defence case expected to last three days.
The first defence witness in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial acknowledged on Thursday (6) sending messages to the former producer in which he disparaged the “dog pile of actresses” who had accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Writer Paul Feldsher testified for the defence that actress Annabella Sciorra told him in the early 1990s that she had a sexual encounter with Weinstein but did not say she had been raped.
Under cross-examination by prosecutors, Feldsher, who was a friend of Sciorra’s, acknowledged that he had been in regular contact with Weinstein since allegations of...
The first defence witness in Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial acknowledged on Thursday (6) sending messages to the former producer in which he disparaged the “dog pile of actresses” who had accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.
Writer Paul Feldsher testified for the defence that actress Annabella Sciorra told him in the early 1990s that she had a sexual encounter with Weinstein but did not say she had been raped.
Under cross-examination by prosecutors, Feldsher, who was a friend of Sciorra’s, acknowledged that he had been in regular contact with Weinstein since allegations of...
- 2/6/2020
- by 1101427¦Reuters¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Defence case expected to last three days.
Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein’s New York rape trial wrapped up their case on Thursday morning (6), clearing the way for the former producer’s lawyers to begin calling their own witnesses in the afternoon.
Weinstein’s first two witnesses were expected to be film producer Paul Feldsher and director and producer Warren Leight. Both knew actress Annabella Sciorra, one of the six accusers who have testified for the prosecution.
Other potential defence witnesses include two experts: Elizabeth Loftus, an expert on human memory and a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine,...
Prosecutors in Harvey Weinstein’s New York rape trial wrapped up their case on Thursday morning (6), clearing the way for the former producer’s lawyers to begin calling their own witnesses in the afternoon.
Weinstein’s first two witnesses were expected to be film producer Paul Feldsher and director and producer Warren Leight. Both knew actress Annabella Sciorra, one of the six accusers who have testified for the prosecution.
Other potential defence witnesses include two experts: Elizabeth Loftus, an expert on human memory and a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine,...
- 2/6/2020
- by 1101427¦Reuters¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Sean Penn is in negotiations to produce and star in a film based on the life of surfing icon Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz.According to Variety, Alan and Gabe Polsky will also produce with Penn.Paul Feldsher, who was a producer on the films "The Four Feathers" and "Waking Up in Reno," will write the screenplay.Paskowitz became a cult hero for ditching a successful medical practice and hitting the road in a camper with his wife and nine kids. His family founded the first surf camp in the continental U.S. and is referred to as the "First Family of Surfing."Paskowitz, who is 89, was the subject of Doug Pray's 2008 documentary "Surfwise."Penn was last seen in 2008.s "Milk" which won him his second...
- 7/2/2010
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Sean Penn is going back into the ocean to surf some waves! As you know Penn launched his acting career over 30 years ago playing surfer dude Jeff Spicoli in the classic film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The actor is now in negotiations to play surfing icon Dorian "Doc" Pasowitz.
Penn is also set to produce the film based on the eccentric Paskowitz and his family. Also producing are Alan and Gabe Polsky, who recently produced the Werner Herzog-directed Bad Lieutenant reboot.
Variety reports that the Polskys optioned the life rights to the Paskowitz clan, whose nomadic beach existence was recently the subject of Doug Pray's documentary Surfwise. "For the past two decades, producers from Matt Weaver to Graydon Carter have tried unsuccessfully to secure the life rights to the now 89-year-old Paskowitz. The patriarch finally gave his blessing to the Polskys once they were able to attach Penn to the project.
Penn is also set to produce the film based on the eccentric Paskowitz and his family. Also producing are Alan and Gabe Polsky, who recently produced the Werner Herzog-directed Bad Lieutenant reboot.
Variety reports that the Polskys optioned the life rights to the Paskowitz clan, whose nomadic beach existence was recently the subject of Doug Pray's documentary Surfwise. "For the past two decades, producers from Matt Weaver to Graydon Carter have tried unsuccessfully to secure the life rights to the now 89-year-old Paskowitz. The patriarch finally gave his blessing to the Polskys once they were able to attach Penn to the project.
- 7/1/2010
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Academy voters are already putting in their ballots for these two performances: Meryl Streep has signed on to play former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for director Phyllida Lloyd, who Streep worked with on Mamma Mia!, while Sean Penn has signed on the play Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, the patriarch of “surfing’s first family.” Streep’s film is called The Iron Lady, the script written by Abi Morgan, co-financed by Pathe and Film4 and described as a “story of a woman who smashed through the barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. The story concerns power and the price that is paid for power, and is a surprising and insightful portrait of an extraordinary and complex woman.” [THR] Thatcher made as many enemies as she did friends (if not more), and was regarded by many to be brutal in her tactics and conservation decisions. Streep should destroy the role,...
- 7/1/2010
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Sean Penn is in talks to star in and produce an as-yet-untitled biopic of surfing legend Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz reports Variety.
Paskowitz was a successful doctor who left his job, hit the road with his rather large family, and founded the first U.S. surf camp not based in Hawaii. Paskowitz sold his life rights to the producers once Penn was attached.
Paul Feldsher ("The Four Feathers," "Waking Up in Reno") will pen the screenplay. Alan and Gabe Polsky are also producing.
Paskowitz was a successful doctor who left his job, hit the road with his rather large family, and founded the first U.S. surf camp not based in Hawaii. Paskowitz sold his life rights to the producers once Penn was attached.
Paul Feldsher ("The Four Feathers," "Waking Up in Reno") will pen the screenplay. Alan and Gabe Polsky are also producing.
- 7/1/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
It would seem Sean Penn is seeking a little moment of zen that can only come from hitting the onscreen waves. In March, he was reportedly circling Curtis Hanson's biopic of surfer Jay Moriarty, but eventually passed on the role. But he's wound up playing another legendary beach boy, as Variety reports he's signed on to be the lead in a biopic of Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz. Paul Feldsher will pen the screenplay.
Paskowitz has been the subject of one documentary, Surfwise. He's a popular but controversial figure in surfing. He gave up a career as a doctor, spent some time in Israel finding himself, and went through two marriages before deciding to concentrate on surfing full time. Paskowitz and his third wife, Juliette, lived as bohemians with their 9 children(!) and traveled beaches in banged up camper vans. None of his children were formally educated in anything but surfing, he...
Paskowitz has been the subject of one documentary, Surfwise. He's a popular but controversial figure in surfing. He gave up a career as a doctor, spent some time in Israel finding himself, and went through two marriages before deciding to concentrate on surfing full time. Paskowitz and his third wife, Juliette, lived as bohemians with their 9 children(!) and traveled beaches in banged up camper vans. None of his children were formally educated in anything but surfing, he...
- 7/1/2010
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- Cinematical
Sean Penn is in talks to produce a film based on eccentric surfing icon Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz and his family. Penn is eyeing this as a starring vehicle. Producing are Alan and Gabe Polsky ("Bad Lieutenant" revamp). Paskowitz left his successful medical practice and hit the road with his wife and nine kids, founding the first surf camp in the continental U.S. For the last twenty years, producers from Matt Weaver to Graydon Carter have tried without any luck, to secure the life rights to Paskowitz who is aged 89 now. The patriarch finally gave his blessing to the Polskys once Penn was attached. Paul Feldsher (producer of "The Four Feathers" and "Waking Up in Reno") will write the screenplay.
- 7/1/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Sean Penn is in negotiations to produce a biopic on surfing icon Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz and his family, reports Variety . Penn may star in the film as well. Alan and Gabe Polsky are also on board to produce. The trade says that for the past two decades, producers have tried unsuccessfully to secure the life rights to the now 89-year-old Paskowitz, who was the subject of Doug Pray's documentary Surfwise . The patriarch finally gave his blessing to the Polskys once they were able to attach Penn to the project. Penn's close friend Paul Feldsher will write the screenplay.
- 7/1/2010
- Comingsoon.net
Sean Penn may soon once again be battling humongous waves and not driving on 'ludes, according to Variety. He's already set to produce a biopic of Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz, but the exciting news is that Penn may decide to play the ageing surfer dude himself.Paskowitz is a graduate of the prestigious Stanford Medical School, but abandoned his medical career to concentrate on surfing. He and his third wife lived on the road in camper vans for 25 years, setting up America's first surf camp and somehow raising nine children along the way. Part counter-culture guru and part holy fool, Paskowitz has his own ideas about the line dividing education and "wisdom". None of his kids were formally educated. As adults, they are not entirely pleased about this. But they know how to ride a wave.The now 89-year-old Doc has always resisted selling his "life rights" to the movies, but...
- 7/1/2010
- EmpireOnline
The guy who launched his career playing stoner, surfer dude Spicoli in the film Fast Times of Ridgemont High is now attached to produce and possibly star in a biopic surfing icon Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz.
Paskowitz famously abandoned his medical practice and traveled along American beaches with his wife, eight sons, and one daughter in a 24-foot Rv. Alan and Gabe Polsky are producing the film with Paul Feldsher attached to write the script.
In the same story it was mentioned that Penn is interested in joining director Curtis Hanson’s soon-to-shoot surfing movie Mavericks in a supporting role as well.
Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Email this via Gmail Add this to Google Bookmarks Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good?...
Paskowitz famously abandoned his medical practice and traveled along American beaches with his wife, eight sons, and one daughter in a 24-foot Rv. Alan and Gabe Polsky are producing the film with Paul Feldsher attached to write the script.
In the same story it was mentioned that Penn is interested in joining director Curtis Hanson’s soon-to-shoot surfing movie Mavericks in a supporting role as well.
Subscribe to the comments for this post? Share this on del.icio.us Digg this! Post this on Diigo Email this via Gmail Add this to Google Bookmarks Post on Google Buzz Add this to Mister Wong Share this on Mixx Share this on Reddit Stumble upon something good?...
- 7/1/2010
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
Much like the large group of characters who inhabit it, "Playing by Heart" is filled with contradictions. A rich tapestry of a film concerning a disparate group of individuals looking to find or preserve love in Los Angeles, this comedy-drama from Miramax is an overstuffed feast of incisive dialogue and rich performances from a superb cast.
If the film never quite reaches the emotional payoffs it seems to desperately yearn for, it offers myriad subtle pleasures and finely observed moments along the way. It opens today in Los Angeles for an Oscar-qualifying run, with a wider opening set for late January.
Director-screenwriter Willard Carroll, whose sole theatrical credit is "Tom's Midnight Garden", has assembled a stellar cast, most of whom were no doubt lured by the prospect of roles with some dimension. The film, which sported the memorable if oblique title "Dancing About Architecture", is concerned with 11 major characters.
They include Paul Sean Connery) and Hannah (Gena Rowlands), a long-married couple facing an emotional crisis over a platonic infidelity committed by Paul a quarter-century earlier; Mildred (Ellen Burstyn), a mother spending some last days with her gay son Mark (Jay Mohr), who is dying of AIDS in a hospital bed; and Meredith (Gillian Anderson), a high-strung woman attempting to overcome her neurotic fear of relationships and connect with a persistent suitor, a charming architect named Trent (Jon Stewart).
There are also Joan (Angelina Jolie), a headstrong young woman desperately trying to secure the affections of the supremely standoffish Keenan (Ryan Phillippe); Hugh Dennis Quaid), a mysterious man who spends his evenings wandering through L.A. nightspots, telling varied tales of woe to strangers; and Gracie (Madeleine Stowe), who is enjoying a sexually passionate but emotionally restrained extramarital affair with Roger Anthony Edwards).
For most of the film, it seems as if the members of this disparate group have nothing to do with each other, but the screenplay has some tricks up its sleeve, with surprises concerning the characters' behavior and their relationships with one another. Although there is a certain satisfaction to be found in the unveiling of these twists, they ultimately lend little real emotional resonance to the various stories, which work just fine on their own as miniature portraits of sympathetic individuals trying to connect with one another.
The strength of the film lies not with any grand thematic ideas but with the richness of the dialogue, the well-textured characterizations and the excellent performances. Nearly every member of the cast delivers outstanding work, from Connery and Rowlands' mature elegance to Jolie's life-affirming exuberance to Burstyn's moving portrait of grief to Anderson's highly appealing vulnerability.
Stewart, as the sensitive, funny architect with no fear of commitment and a house in the hills to die for, is particularly engaging and will no doubt win the hearts of many female audience members. If some of the characters seem underdeveloped (Stowe) or gimmicky (Quaid), the performers' charisma makes up for it.
Tech credits are superb, with Vilmos Zsigmond's photography of various Los Angeles locations providing the city with a visual grandeur that's missing from most other cinematic depictions. Melissa Stewart's production design perfectly evokes a wide variety of L.A. settings, and John Barry's jazz-heavy score possesses his trademark lush melodicism.
PLAYING BY HEART
Miramax Films
A Miramax and Intermedia Films presentation
in association with Morpheus
A Hyperion production
Director-screenwriter: Willard Carroll
Producers: Meg Liberman, Willard Carroll, Tom Wilhite
Executive producers: Paul Feldsher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair
Co-producers: David Witz, Kurt Albrecht
Director of photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Production designer: Melissa Stewart
Editor: Pietro Scalia
Music: John Barry
Color/stereo
Cast:
Meredith: Gillian Anderson
Mildred: Ellen Burstyn
Paul: Sean Connery
Roger: Anthony Edwards
Joan: Angelina Jolie
Mark: Jay Mohr
Keenan: Ryan Phillippe
Hugh: Dennis Quaid
Hannah: Gena Rowlands
Trent: Jon Stewart
Gracie: Madeleine Stowe
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
If the film never quite reaches the emotional payoffs it seems to desperately yearn for, it offers myriad subtle pleasures and finely observed moments along the way. It opens today in Los Angeles for an Oscar-qualifying run, with a wider opening set for late January.
Director-screenwriter Willard Carroll, whose sole theatrical credit is "Tom's Midnight Garden", has assembled a stellar cast, most of whom were no doubt lured by the prospect of roles with some dimension. The film, which sported the memorable if oblique title "Dancing About Architecture", is concerned with 11 major characters.
They include Paul Sean Connery) and Hannah (Gena Rowlands), a long-married couple facing an emotional crisis over a platonic infidelity committed by Paul a quarter-century earlier; Mildred (Ellen Burstyn), a mother spending some last days with her gay son Mark (Jay Mohr), who is dying of AIDS in a hospital bed; and Meredith (Gillian Anderson), a high-strung woman attempting to overcome her neurotic fear of relationships and connect with a persistent suitor, a charming architect named Trent (Jon Stewart).
There are also Joan (Angelina Jolie), a headstrong young woman desperately trying to secure the affections of the supremely standoffish Keenan (Ryan Phillippe); Hugh Dennis Quaid), a mysterious man who spends his evenings wandering through L.A. nightspots, telling varied tales of woe to strangers; and Gracie (Madeleine Stowe), who is enjoying a sexually passionate but emotionally restrained extramarital affair with Roger Anthony Edwards).
For most of the film, it seems as if the members of this disparate group have nothing to do with each other, but the screenplay has some tricks up its sleeve, with surprises concerning the characters' behavior and their relationships with one another. Although there is a certain satisfaction to be found in the unveiling of these twists, they ultimately lend little real emotional resonance to the various stories, which work just fine on their own as miniature portraits of sympathetic individuals trying to connect with one another.
The strength of the film lies not with any grand thematic ideas but with the richness of the dialogue, the well-textured characterizations and the excellent performances. Nearly every member of the cast delivers outstanding work, from Connery and Rowlands' mature elegance to Jolie's life-affirming exuberance to Burstyn's moving portrait of grief to Anderson's highly appealing vulnerability.
Stewart, as the sensitive, funny architect with no fear of commitment and a house in the hills to die for, is particularly engaging and will no doubt win the hearts of many female audience members. If some of the characters seem underdeveloped (Stowe) or gimmicky (Quaid), the performers' charisma makes up for it.
Tech credits are superb, with Vilmos Zsigmond's photography of various Los Angeles locations providing the city with a visual grandeur that's missing from most other cinematic depictions. Melissa Stewart's production design perfectly evokes a wide variety of L.A. settings, and John Barry's jazz-heavy score possesses his trademark lush melodicism.
PLAYING BY HEART
Miramax Films
A Miramax and Intermedia Films presentation
in association with Morpheus
A Hyperion production
Director-screenwriter: Willard Carroll
Producers: Meg Liberman, Willard Carroll, Tom Wilhite
Executive producers: Paul Feldsher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair
Co-producers: David Witz, Kurt Albrecht
Director of photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Production designer: Melissa Stewart
Editor: Pietro Scalia
Music: John Barry
Color/stereo
Cast:
Meredith: Gillian Anderson
Mildred: Ellen Burstyn
Paul: Sean Connery
Roger: Anthony Edwards
Joan: Angelina Jolie
Mark: Jay Mohr
Keenan: Ryan Phillippe
Hugh: Dennis Quaid
Hannah: Gena Rowlands
Trent: Jon Stewart
Gracie: Madeleine Stowe
Running time -- 120 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 12/30/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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