Darren Aronofsky's new film "The Whale" is, at best, a mixed bag. Based on the play by Samuel D. Hunter, who also wrote the screenplay, "The Whale" tells the story of Charlie (Brendan Fraser) who teaches creative writing remotely, and who has been grappling with severe depression and self-loathing. Charlie's true love, a man named Alan, had recently taken his own life, leaving Charlie alone and emotionally devastated. Both Charlie and Alan had been targeted by a local homophobic Christian sect as objects of potential "redemption," showing that the two men lived in a dark, bigoted world. Charlie has come to hate himself so much after Alan's death that he willfully accepts the horrendous abuse doled out by his long-estranged and explicitly villainous teenage daughter (Sadie Sink). "The Whale" is a sad film about Charlie's depression and how it has manifested in his own low sense of self-worth.
Aronofsky,...
Aronofsky,...
- 12/29/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Director Steven Spielberg skipped the red carpet at Sunday’s premiere of “Ready Player One,” but surprised SXSW audiences by introducing the sci-fi adventure onstage. “This is not a film that we’ve made, this is — I promise you — a movie,” he informed the sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theatre, which gave him a long, raucous ovation. “It’s a movie that’s got to be seen on the big screen, and I’m wondering if this is a big-enough screen, because we made this with a lot of ambition to really fill the screens.”
The two-time Best Director Oscar-winner professed his love for the bestselling source material, written by Ernest Cline, who adapted his book with screenwriter Zak Penn (“X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Incredible Hulk”). Spielberg’s goal was making a motion picture that would appeal to both video game enthusiasts and neophytes alike, although he falls in...
The two-time Best Director Oscar-winner professed his love for the bestselling source material, written by Ernest Cline, who adapted his book with screenwriter Zak Penn (“X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Incredible Hulk”). Spielberg’s goal was making a motion picture that would appeal to both video game enthusiasts and neophytes alike, although he falls in...
- 3/12/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Author: Zehra Phelan
Entertainment Weekly have bagged another exclusive this week and it comes in the first look image from Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One with Tye Sheridan taking centre stage.
Related: Ready Player One News
The image features Sheridan as Wade Watts, one of the world’s foremost aficionados on all-things-’80s, operating under the online name Parzival (a variation on the Arthurian Knight Percival.) wearing his virtual reality Oculus and haptic glove positioned in a van whilst immersed in his virtual world. The image is said to have many clues and 80’s pop-culture references, including a He-Man lunchbox and nods to Wade’s idol James Halliday the games founder of the Oasis simulated world, to keep the biggest of fans busy for some time.
Set in the near future, Ready Player One follows outcast teenager Wade Watts (Sheridan), who escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the Oasis,...
Entertainment Weekly have bagged another exclusive this week and it comes in the first look image from Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One with Tye Sheridan taking centre stage.
Related: Ready Player One News
The image features Sheridan as Wade Watts, one of the world’s foremost aficionados on all-things-’80s, operating under the online name Parzival (a variation on the Arthurian Knight Percival.) wearing his virtual reality Oculus and haptic glove positioned in a van whilst immersed in his virtual world. The image is said to have many clues and 80’s pop-culture references, including a He-Man lunchbox and nods to Wade’s idol James Halliday the games founder of the Oasis simulated world, to keep the biggest of fans busy for some time.
Set in the near future, Ready Player One follows outcast teenager Wade Watts (Sheridan), who escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the Oasis,...
- 7/14/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The prescient student film “Black & Blue,” about a young black man and a police officer, is casting talent for roles of all sizes. We’ve also got three more fantastic on-camera opportunities perfect for bolstering your reel and résumé! “Black & Blue”Casting is underway for several lead, supporting, and day player roles in “Black & Blue,” a student film for Tribeca Flashpoint College “telling a controversial story in two perspectives.” Auditions will be held by appointment March 29–30 in Chicago, Illinois, and shooting is slated for April 7–14. Hired actors will be paid $125/day and they will be provided meals. Untitled Political Thrillera still-untitled feature film, “a political thriller for award-winning director Eric Eason,” is casting talent for a lead and three supporting roles. The film will shoot this spring and summer in New York, North Carolina, and Argentina, and pay $100/day under a SAG-aftra Ultra Low Budget Agreement. “The Child”A film...
- 3/28/2017
- backstage.com
Robert De Niro in ‘The Godfather: Part II’ (Courtesy: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
The first few days of Donald Trump’s presidency have been filled with a slew of sweeping policy changes that have garnered plenty of criticism — but the recent changes to America’s immigration policy have topped headlines. With an executive order that has been considered a Muslim ban by many, let’s take a look at some great films about immigration to the United States. There are plenty of them, but here is just a sampling of 16 that you should definitely watch.
A Better Life (2011): This film was directed by Chris Weitz and is a drama about a gardener in East L.A. who struggles to keep his son away from both gangs and immigration agents all while trying to give him opportunities he never had. A Better Life — written by...
By: Carson Blackwelder
Managing Editor
The first few days of Donald Trump’s presidency have been filled with a slew of sweeping policy changes that have garnered plenty of criticism — but the recent changes to America’s immigration policy have topped headlines. With an executive order that has been considered a Muslim ban by many, let’s take a look at some great films about immigration to the United States. There are plenty of them, but here is just a sampling of 16 that you should definitely watch.
A Better Life (2011): This film was directed by Chris Weitz and is a drama about a gardener in East L.A. who struggles to keep his son away from both gangs and immigration agents all while trying to give him opportunities he never had. A Better Life — written by...
- 2/1/2017
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
With Steven Spielberg recently confirming his intention to shoot geek-tastic novel adaptation Ready Player One, he’s solidifying that by casting his first actor. Me And Earl And The Dying Girl’s Olivia Cooke is making a deal to star.Written by Ernie Cline, the screenwriter behind Fanboys, Ready Player One follows teenager Wade Watts who likes to escape his dreary, dangerous real world by logging into Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users lead idyllic alternate lives. When the game's eccentric, Steve Jobs-style billionaire creator dies, he offers up his fortune as the prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Wade is pitted against powerful corporate foes and ruthless competitors who will do anything, in the Oasis and the real world, to reach the riches first. Cooke will be Sam, a Canadian blogger who goes by the handle Art3mis in Oasis and ends up joining forces with Wade.
- 9/13/2015
- EmpireOnline
Steven Spielberg has confirmed he is working on Warner Bros & DreamWorks' Ready Player One, with a 2017 release date in mind.
Empire reports the director showed interested in the project in March but this is the first official confirmation.
The film follows young gamer Wadd Watts, who escapes into the virtual world of Oasis, which allows global users to live the idyllic lives they want to.
But when the game's billionaire creator dies and sets up a Charlie & The Chocolate Factory-style treasure hunt for users to win his fortune, things get dangerous as rivals and corporations battle their way to the money.
Ernie Cline and Eric Eason first wrote the script before Zak Penn came aboard to pepper pop culture, video games, comic and movie references throughout.
Warner Bros and DreamWorks Productions are looking to a December 15, 2017 release date.
Watch a trailer for Spielberg's latest film Bridge of Spies starring Tom Hanks...
Empire reports the director showed interested in the project in March but this is the first official confirmation.
The film follows young gamer Wadd Watts, who escapes into the virtual world of Oasis, which allows global users to live the idyllic lives they want to.
But when the game's billionaire creator dies and sets up a Charlie & The Chocolate Factory-style treasure hunt for users to win his fortune, things get dangerous as rivals and corporations battle their way to the money.
Ernie Cline and Eric Eason first wrote the script before Zak Penn came aboard to pepper pop culture, video games, comic and movie references throughout.
Warner Bros and DreamWorks Productions are looking to a December 15, 2017 release date.
Watch a trailer for Spielberg's latest film Bridge of Spies starring Tom Hanks...
- 8/8/2015
- Digital Spy
You probably know that we’re big fans of foreign films here, and not just foreign films, but any indie gems, foreign or otherwise.
We’re also fans of streaming movies, which sets us apart from some of the “giant screen” purists out there, largely because we’re busy and mobile, and tablets can give you a hell of a picture these days.
That said, the streaming options today are legion, but the options to stream some titles are pretty limited. Popcornflix now has an amazing collection of films that have won prizes at Cannes, Sundance, and many other festivals. These are some of the most talked about foreign films in years, and you don’t want to miss out on them.
Popcornflix Top 10: Award-winning Foreign Films To Stream Immediately
There may be many different kinds of people living in this world, but we all share one grand passion for incredible stories.
We’re also fans of streaming movies, which sets us apart from some of the “giant screen” purists out there, largely because we’re busy and mobile, and tablets can give you a hell of a picture these days.
That said, the streaming options today are legion, but the options to stream some titles are pretty limited. Popcornflix now has an amazing collection of films that have won prizes at Cannes, Sundance, and many other festivals. These are some of the most talked about foreign films in years, and you don’t want to miss out on them.
Popcornflix Top 10: Award-winning Foreign Films To Stream Immediately
There may be many different kinds of people living in this world, but we all share one grand passion for incredible stories.
- 5/7/2015
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Steven Spielberg is to direct an adaptation of science fiction project Ready Player One.
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker will steer the reworking of Ernest Cline's 2011 sci-fi novel of the same name.
Spielberg reuniting with Tom Hanks & John Williams on Bridge of Spies
The director will work with Warner Bros on the film, his first collaboration with the studio for 14 years.
Ready Player One tells the story of a gamer from 2044, who attempts to find a hidden Easter Egg in a virtual world that comes with a great prize. The gamer, named Wade Watts, must decipher a host of clues based on 1980s pop culture.
As Deadline reports, Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand, The Avengers) has written the latest version of the script, having taken over from Cline and Eric Eason (A Better Life).
Spielberg re-teaming with Jurassic World director for new sci-fi film
Warner Bros' President of Creative...
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker will steer the reworking of Ernest Cline's 2011 sci-fi novel of the same name.
Spielberg reuniting with Tom Hanks & John Williams on Bridge of Spies
The director will work with Warner Bros on the film, his first collaboration with the studio for 14 years.
Ready Player One tells the story of a gamer from 2044, who attempts to find a hidden Easter Egg in a virtual world that comes with a great prize. The gamer, named Wade Watts, must decipher a host of clues based on 1980s pop culture.
As Deadline reports, Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand, The Avengers) has written the latest version of the script, having taken over from Cline and Eric Eason (A Better Life).
Spielberg re-teaming with Jurassic World director for new sci-fi film
Warner Bros' President of Creative...
- 3/25/2015
- Digital Spy
Steven Spielberg remains one of the most interesting big-name filmmakers working, if for no other reason than the breadth of his interests. I can't name many people who have directed more types of stories or who have been able to effortlessly work in more genres. Look at the jump he's about to make. He's wrapping up work on "Bridge Of Spies," the Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks. I love the idea of the two of them working together on another look back at a decade they both consider defining. The idea that Spielberg's going straight from that into a bigscreen version of Roald Dahl's "The Bfg" would be just plain weird if it were anyone else. Today's news that Spielberg is signed to direct "Ready Player One" for Warner Bros. is only the latest twist in the long development process that has already taken place trying to bring...
- 3/25/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Although it has lingered in development since the rights were snapped up in 2010, the adaptation of Ernie Cline’s pop culture-stuffed novel Ready Player One seems about to jump to the next level. Steven Spielberg now has his eye on it, and may end up shooting the film version after he’s finished both Bridge Of Spies and The Bfg. Written by Cline, the screenwriter behind Fanboys, Ready Player One follows teenager Wade Watts who likes to escape his dreary, dangerous real world by logging into Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users lead idyllic alternate lives. When the game‘s eccentric, Steve Jobs-style billionaire creator dies, he offers up his fortune as the prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Wade is pitted against powerful corporate foes and ruthless competitors who will do anything, in the Oasis and the real world, to reach the riches first. The script...
- 3/25/2015
- EmpireOnline
With Interstellar a certifiable box office behemoth, having earned $544 million worldwide thus far, it’s safe to say that Christopher Nolan still has his magic touch. The acclaimed director has delivered some of the best movies of the decade, and now that he has an opening in his schedule, Warner Bros. is hoping to bring him back into the fold to helm another highly promising sci-fi title: Ready Player One.
Tracking Board reports that Warner Bros. has put out an official offer to Nolan and is waiting on a reply.
The pic will be set in 2044 and focus on a young boy who becomes embroiled in a high-stakes treasure hunt in an immersive virtual reality. As his knowledge of ’80s popular culture is put to the test, the boy realizes that the competition is more dangerous than he could have imagined. Eric Eason and Ernest Cline originally penned the script,...
Tracking Board reports that Warner Bros. has put out an official offer to Nolan and is waiting on a reply.
The pic will be set in 2044 and focus on a young boy who becomes embroiled in a high-stakes treasure hunt in an immersive virtual reality. As his knowledge of ’80s popular culture is put to the test, the boy realizes that the competition is more dangerous than he could have imagined. Eric Eason and Ernest Cline originally penned the script,...
- 12/5/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
(Cbr) Zak Penn is ready to jump into the immersive world of Ernest Cline’s "Ready Player One," TheWrap reports. Cline initially adapted the book, followed by Eric Eason ("A Better Life"), but now it’s time for Penn to take his pass. Cline and Penn worked together recently on a docu-series that tracked down and dug up the fabled Atari video game dump site. The future-set story follows the adventures of Wade Watts, a teenager who plugs into a virtual world called Oasis. When the game’s creator dies, Wade gets swept up in a treasure hunt to acquire the designer’s fortune. The film was picked up by Warner Bros. in 2010, ahead of the novel’s 2011 debut. Cline’s other novels, "Fanboys" and "Armada," have been turned into a film and optioned, respectively. Here’s the novel’s official description from publisher Random House: In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place.
- 6/25/2014
- by TJ Dietsch, Comic Book Resources
- Hitfix
Warner Bros. is finally moving forward on their feature film adaptation of the sci-fi adventure novel Ready Player One. The project was announced four years ago, and the studio has now hired Zak Penn (The Incredible Hulk, X-Men: The Last Stand) to rewrite the big-screen adaptation of Ernie Cline's novel. Cline, who also scripted the cult film Fanboys, initially wrote the screenplay for his book. That script was then rewritten by Eric Eason (A Better Life), and now Penn has been brought on board to bring it home. The book is officially described as follows:
In the near future, outcast teenager Wade Watts escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users can lead idyllic alternate lives. When the eccentric billionaire who created the Oasis dies, he offers up his vast fortune as the prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Along...
In the near future, outcast teenager Wade Watts escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users can lead idyllic alternate lives. When the eccentric billionaire who created the Oasis dies, he offers up his vast fortune as the prize in an elaborate treasure hunt. Along...
- 6/25/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
After three years of heated bidding for the rights to adapt the novel, Ernest Cline's video game-inspired scifi tale Ready Player One is finally moving forward at Warner Bros. The Wrap reports that X2 and The Avengers screenwriter Zak Penn has been brought on board to write the final draft on the adaptation. Earlier drafts were written by Cline himself followed by a revision by Eric Eason. Ready Player One, if you aren't a heavy reader, is definitely a book you should check out. It almost...
- 6/24/2014
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Geek news from Hollywood to keep us in anticipation. One of my favorite novels published in the last few years is Ready Player One, written by Ernie Cline, a fantastic adventure about a kid from 80s living in a dystopian digital future where everyone is playing a global Second Life-like game to win the game creator's vast wealth. It's filled with so many geeky references galore, but it's an awesome book, and it will make for a great movie, if they do it right (more on that later). While we've known for a while now that Warner Bros is planning to adapt the book into a movie, The Wrap is now reporting that they're pushing forward by hiring a prominent geek screenwriter, Zak Penn, to rewrite the first draft co-written by the author and Eric Eason. Here's another synopsis for Ernie Cline's Ready Player One, first published in 2011. Get your own copy.
- 6/24/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Zak Penn ("The Avengers," "The Incredible Hulk") has signed on to rewrite the video game-themed thriller "Ready Player One" for Warner Bros. Pictures. Donald De Line and Dan Farah are producing.
Based on the novel by Ernest Cline, the story centers on a young teen who escapes into an immersive online virtual world known as Oasis, described as a "social networking utopia that allows its users to lead their dream life."
Before the game's creator passes away, he sets up an elaborate treasure hunt where the winner will take control of his company. When Wade enters the contest, he finds himself competing against corporate forces who will stop at nothing to beat him to it.
Ernest Cline and Eric Eason previously did some work on the script. Penn has been brought in to get it into a shape that can be taken to directors this fall, with a number...
Based on the novel by Ernest Cline, the story centers on a young teen who escapes into an immersive online virtual world known as Oasis, described as a "social networking utopia that allows its users to lead their dream life."
Before the game's creator passes away, he sets up an elaborate treasure hunt where the winner will take control of his company. When Wade enters the contest, he finds himself competing against corporate forces who will stop at nothing to beat him to it.
Ernest Cline and Eric Eason previously did some work on the script. Penn has been brought in to get it into a shape that can be taken to directors this fall, with a number...
- 6/24/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Warner Bros. has been sitting on the rights to Ernie Cline’s novel Ready Player One for four years now, having acquired them in a bidding war in 2010. Things seem to be finally moving forward, however, with the involvement of renowned screenwriter Zak Penn. Having helped out on The Avengers, X2 and Pacific Rim 2, he also wrote X Men: Last Stand, Elektra and The Incredible Hulk. Now, he’s being brought in to deliver a finished script that was originally adapted by Eric Eason (Journey To The End Of The Night) and the book’s author, Cline.
Ready Player One is a futuristic sci-fi tale, set after the human race has exhausted the Earth’s supply of fossil fuels. While the world has descended into chaos and violence, the population has become increasingly reliant on a multiplayer online virtual reality simulation called Oasis – as a means of distraction and escape.
Ready Player One is a futuristic sci-fi tale, set after the human race has exhausted the Earth’s supply of fossil fuels. While the world has descended into chaos and violence, the population has become increasingly reliant on a multiplayer online virtual reality simulation called Oasis – as a means of distraction and escape.
- 6/24/2014
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Ernest Cline's Ready Player One takes another step closer to the big screen...
News
Even before the book was published, the movie rights to Ernest Cline's Ready Player One had been snapped up by Warner Bros and De Line Pictures. That was nearly five years ago, but there's finally some solid progress on bringing the book to the screen.
Zak Penn, whose screenwriting work to date includes The Incredible Hulk and X-Men: The Last Stand, has got the job of adapting Ready Player One. Well, more to the point, he's got the job of reshaping the earlier draft, that had been penned by Eric Eason and Cline himself. Penn's still got a challenge on his hands, given that it's comfortably one of the nerdiest novels we've ever had the pleasure of. For geeks of an 80s vintage, there's an awful lot to enjoy here, and hopefully, none of...
News
Even before the book was published, the movie rights to Ernest Cline's Ready Player One had been snapped up by Warner Bros and De Line Pictures. That was nearly five years ago, but there's finally some solid progress on bringing the book to the screen.
Zak Penn, whose screenwriting work to date includes The Incredible Hulk and X-Men: The Last Stand, has got the job of adapting Ready Player One. Well, more to the point, he's got the job of reshaping the earlier draft, that had been penned by Eric Eason and Cline himself. Penn's still got a challenge on his hands, given that it's comfortably one of the nerdiest novels we've ever had the pleasure of. For geeks of an 80s vintage, there's an awful lot to enjoy here, and hopefully, none of...
- 6/24/2014
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
We've known since before Ernest Cline's novel Ready Player One hit shelves that plans were in the works to adapt the story for the big screen. The book was since published in 2011, however updates on the fate of the film have been few and far between. But it seems like there's been movement on the project, as Warner Bros. has hired Zak Penn to rewrite the script. Zak Penn's list of writing credits includes work on a number of comic book movies, including X-Men 2, X-Men: The Last Stand and more recently, The Avengers. On the non-comic side, he has writing credits on The Last Action Hero and Pcu. According to The Wrap, Warner Bros. has Penn set to rewrite the script, which was originally adapted by Ready Player One author Ernest Cline, along with Eric Eason. Wrap notes that Cline was involved in Penn's efforts to document the...
- 6/24/2014
- cinemablend.com
Though it has lingered in the development caverns since Warner Bros. bought the rights four years ago, the adaptation of Ernest Cline’s great novel Ready Player One is still a going concern. The Incredible Hulk screenplay man Zak Penn is now aboard to re-write the script.Cline, who co-wrote the screenplay for Fanboys, has already had a crack himself, and Eric Eason also took a pass. But now the studio wants Penn to push the script to a point where it can be sent to directors, with plenty of filmmakers already expressing an interest. Penn and Cline already have a connection: they became friends recently, joining forces to help excavate a haul of buried E.T. video games from the New Mexico desert.Ready Player One follows teenager Wade Watts who likes to escape his dreary, dangerous real world by logging into Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users lead idyllic alternate lives.
- 6/23/2014
- EmpireOnline
Ready Player One author Ernie Cline has sold the feature film rights of his next novel, Armada, to Universal Pictures. According to Variety the story features "a high-concept hook that offers the ultimate wish fulfillment to every video game fan on the planet."
I have no idea what that could mean but I'm intrigued! As of right now there are no other details. The novel is based on a 20-page proposal and the book rights have already sold to Cown Publishing. The movie is being produced by Scott Stuber's Bluegrass Films and Dan Farah's Farah Films banner.
Cline's Ready Player One, previously sold to Warner Bros. and they are currently putting together a movie production based on an adaptation written by Cline and scribe Eric Eason. For those of you who are fans of the author's work then I think this new Armada project is something to get excited about!
I have no idea what that could mean but I'm intrigued! As of right now there are no other details. The novel is based on a 20-page proposal and the book rights have already sold to Cown Publishing. The movie is being produced by Scott Stuber's Bluegrass Films and Dan Farah's Farah Films banner.
Cline's Ready Player One, previously sold to Warner Bros. and they are currently putting together a movie production based on an adaptation written by Cline and scribe Eric Eason. For those of you who are fans of the author's work then I think this new Armada project is something to get excited about!
- 12/7/2012
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Idw’s upcoming Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who crossover has a title: Assimilation and features the crew of the Enterprise and the Doctor, Amy and Rory battling both the Borg and the Cybermen.
Warner Bros has given A Better Life and Journey to the End of Night screenwriter Eric Eason the chance to take a whack at Ready Player One, which is based on the novel by Ernie Cline. The author himself has already written the screenplay –he wrote the cult film Fanboys- , but apparently the WB felt that Eason could polish the screenplay by giving it his unique perspective and experience with character driven stories would be the best fit for this concept driven film. Ready Player One has been described as The Matrix meets Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and follows the story of Wade Watts, a teen from the year 2044 who escapes his bleak...
Warner Bros has given A Better Life and Journey to the End of Night screenwriter Eric Eason the chance to take a whack at Ready Player One, which is based on the novel by Ernie Cline. The author himself has already written the screenplay –he wrote the cult film Fanboys- , but apparently the WB felt that Eason could polish the screenplay by giving it his unique perspective and experience with character driven stories would be the best fit for this concept driven film. Ready Player One has been described as The Matrix meets Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and follows the story of Wade Watts, a teen from the year 2044 who escapes his bleak...
- 2/14/2012
- by spaced-odyssey
- doorQ.com
I was not familiar with Ernie Cline's sci-fi novel Ready Player One, but I am sold on the upcoming adaptation from Warner Bros. and De Line Pictures. The film is described as "a nostalgic cross between The Matrix and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," which sounds awesome. Variety reports that the project is moving forward, and that A Better Life scribe Eric Eason has been hired to rewrite the author's script.
The project started in 2010, when WB and producer Donald De Line beat out other studios for the feature rights to this hot book. De Line will be producing along with Cline's manager Dan Farah of Farah Films & Management, while Jesse Ehrman will oversee the project for WB.
The story sounds amazing. It follows "an avid gamer who prefers to log into an idyllic virtual world called Oasis in order to escape the his bleak life. When the creator of...
The project started in 2010, when WB and producer Donald De Line beat out other studios for the feature rights to this hot book. De Line will be producing along with Cline's manager Dan Farah of Farah Films & Management, while Jesse Ehrman will oversee the project for WB.
The story sounds amazing. It follows "an avid gamer who prefers to log into an idyllic virtual world called Oasis in order to escape the his bleak life. When the creator of...
- 1/14/2012
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Briefly: The video game-inspired All You Need is Kill isn't the only game-related project Warner Bros. has going. In 2010 the studio picked up rights [1] to Ernie Cline's much-loved book Ready Player One, a story about a sort of treasure hunt that takes place in a fully-realized online virtual community. Ernie Cline originally scripted the feature version of the book (he also wrote the movie Fanboys) but now Variety [2] says that WB is moving forward with the project by hiring Eric Eason to rewrite. Eason also wrote Manito, Journey to the End of the Night, and the recent film A Better Life. (He directed the first two of those films, as well.) Hit the break for the synopsis of Ready Player One. In the near future, outcast teenager Wade Watts escapes from his bleak surroundings by logging in to the Oasis, a globally networked virtual utopia where users can lead idyllic alternate lives.
- 1/13/2012
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Our last Ready Player One-centered news item was also the first, that being a June 2010 announcement which told us Warner Bros. was snatching up the rights to Ernie Cline‘s sci-fi novel. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but that development completely dropped off my radar. But here we are some nineteen months later, telling you that the project is still alive at the studio; they just need a rewrite.
Variety reports that A Better Life scribe Eric Eason has been hired to rework the author’s own screenplay, a job he earned by creating character-driven stories and lending an “interesting perspective” to “such a big, concept-driven film.” Cline‘s novel sounds like it has the makings of that, too; it centers on “an avid gamer who prefers to log into an idyllic virtual world called Oasis in order to escape the his bleak life.” After the creator...
Variety reports that A Better Life scribe Eric Eason has been hired to rework the author’s own screenplay, a job he earned by creating character-driven stories and lending an “interesting perspective” to “such a big, concept-driven film.” Cline‘s novel sounds like it has the makings of that, too; it centers on “an avid gamer who prefers to log into an idyllic virtual world called Oasis in order to escape the his bleak life.” After the creator...
- 1/13/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
By Scott Mendelson
HollywoodNews.com: This time, it’s the best of the best. Of course ‘best’ is a subjective term, so you might want to consider these my ‘favorites’. Despite what everyone likes to whine about at the end of every year, 2011 was in fact one of the better years in a good long time. Maybe it was the effects of the 2007 WGA strike wearing off, maybe it was just dumb luck, but on the whole, movies, especially mainstream movies, were pretty on-spot more often than they weren’t. But just as important, most of the year-end Oscar bait was actually quite good, so this is a year where I don’t have to half-heartedly apologize for having a list filled with movies nobody saw and mainstream pictures that no one admits to liking. Even if it took 1/3 of the year to really get cooking, 2011 was an uncommonly solid...
HollywoodNews.com: This time, it’s the best of the best. Of course ‘best’ is a subjective term, so you might want to consider these my ‘favorites’. Despite what everyone likes to whine about at the end of every year, 2011 was in fact one of the better years in a good long time. Maybe it was the effects of the 2007 WGA strike wearing off, maybe it was just dumb luck, but on the whole, movies, especially mainstream movies, were pretty on-spot more often than they weren’t. But just as important, most of the year-end Oscar bait was actually quite good, so this is a year where I don’t have to half-heartedly apologize for having a list filled with movies nobody saw and mainstream pictures that no one admits to liking. Even if it took 1/3 of the year to really get cooking, 2011 was an uncommonly solid...
- 12/30/2011
- by Scott Mendelson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Writer/director Chris Weitz sat down with Gold Derby senior editors Chris Beachum and Rob Licuria to talk about his latest film "A Better Life," described as a poignant, multi-generational story about a an illegal immigrant worker struggling against the odds to build a better life for his son. Weitz may be best-known for his Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated "About a Boy," which he co-wrote (with Peter Hedges and his brother Paul Weitz) and co-directed (along with his brother). Since then, he helmed Oscar and BAFTA winner "The Golden Compass" and "New Moon," the second film in the "Twilight Saga" franchise. With "A Better Life, he has delivered an intimate look at a misunderstood issue in America at the moment – the plight of the undocumented immigrant worker. Working from a script by Eric Eason and bringing together such international heavyweights as cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe an...
- 11/7/2011
- Gold Derby
The first Oscar screener sent out this season was Summit's A Better Life, which quietly hit theaters back in late June and while it only took home $1.7 million from the box-office, it was loved by critics and now the studio is hoping to get a little additional love by being the first out of the gate with a screener and boy were they early.
Just as I was heading out to Toronto to cover the film festival I received two copies of the DVD and a copy of the Blu-ray. I was locked and loaded and ready to see a film I missed earlier in the year due to scheduling conflicts. So finally last night I settled in to see what was what and to very little surprise, director Chris Weitz has crafted a moving story that is essentially a remake of Vittorio de Sica's 1948 Oscar-winning film Bicycle Thieves,...
Just as I was heading out to Toronto to cover the film festival I received two copies of the DVD and a copy of the Blu-ray. I was locked and loaded and ready to see a film I missed earlier in the year due to scheduling conflicts. So finally last night I settled in to see what was what and to very little surprise, director Chris Weitz has crafted a moving story that is essentially a remake of Vittorio de Sica's 1948 Oscar-winning film Bicycle Thieves,...
- 9/28/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Best Picture
Frontrunners
“J. Edgar” (Warner Brothers, 11/11, ?, ?)
“War Horse” (Disney, 12/28, ?, teaser)
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Paramount/Warner Brothers, 12/25, ?, ?)
“The Ides of March” (Sony, 10/14, ?, trailer)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer)
“Carnage” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/18, ?, trailer)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer)
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony, 12/21, ?, trailer)
“Like Crazy” (Paramount Vantage, 10/28, PG-13, trailer)
“The Iron Lady” (The Weinstein Company, 12/6, ?, teaser)
Major Threats
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (Focus Features, 11/18, ?, trailer)
“A Dangerous Method” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“The Help” (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer)
“Moneyball” (Columbia, 9/23, ?, trailer)
“We Bought a Zoo” (20th Century Fox, 12/23, ?, ?)
“Hugo” (Paramount, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“50/50” (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer)
“The Tree of Life” (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer)
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” (Warner Brothers, 7/15, PG-13, trailer) New
“Albert Nobbs” (Liddell Entertainment/Roadside Attractions, ?/?, ?, ?)
“The Way” (Icon Entertainment, 10/7, ?, ?)
“Contagion” (Warner Brothers, 9/9, ?, trailer)
Possibilities
“Coriolanus” (The Weinstein Company, 12/2, ?, trailer)
“The Adventures of Tintin” (Paramount,...
Frontrunners
“J. Edgar” (Warner Brothers, 11/11, ?, ?)
“War Horse” (Disney, 12/28, ?, teaser)
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Paramount/Warner Brothers, 12/25, ?, ?)
“The Ides of March” (Sony, 10/14, ?, trailer)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer)
“Carnage” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/18, ?, trailer)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer)
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony, 12/21, ?, trailer)
“Like Crazy” (Paramount Vantage, 10/28, PG-13, trailer)
“The Iron Lady” (The Weinstein Company, 12/6, ?, teaser)
Major Threats
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (Focus Features, 11/18, ?, trailer)
“A Dangerous Method” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“The Help” (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer)
“Moneyball” (Columbia, 9/23, ?, trailer)
“We Bought a Zoo” (20th Century Fox, 12/23, ?, ?)
“Hugo” (Paramount, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“50/50” (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer)
“The Tree of Life” (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer)
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2” (Warner Brothers, 7/15, PG-13, trailer) New
“Albert Nobbs” (Liddell Entertainment/Roadside Attractions, ?/?, ?, ?)
“The Way” (Icon Entertainment, 10/7, ?, ?)
“Contagion” (Warner Brothers, 9/9, ?, trailer)
Possibilities
“Coriolanus” (The Weinstein Company, 12/2, ?, trailer)
“The Adventures of Tintin” (Paramount,...
- 8/17/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
A Better Life
Written by Eric Eason
Directed by Chris Weitz
USA, 2011
A Better Life, directed by Chris Weitz, succeeds because it knows that at its core it is a father-son story, and not an angry political one. In lesser hands, a film like this could have gone so wrong, but Weitz, along with the film’s writer Eric Eason, chose to do more with less rather than going for broke. It also has one of the best performances of year in Demian Bichir.
The film tells the story of a single father, Carlos (Bichir), living in east Los Angeles with his son Luis (Jose Julian). Like most fathers he just wants his son to have the best possible life he can, one that is better than his working as a gardener. His goal is to appear invisible because he is an illegal alien, who like many came across the border from Mexico.
Written by Eric Eason
Directed by Chris Weitz
USA, 2011
A Better Life, directed by Chris Weitz, succeeds because it knows that at its core it is a father-son story, and not an angry political one. In lesser hands, a film like this could have gone so wrong, but Weitz, along with the film’s writer Eric Eason, chose to do more with less rather than going for broke. It also has one of the best performances of year in Demian Bichir.
The film tells the story of a single father, Carlos (Bichir), living in east Los Angeles with his son Luis (Jose Julian). Like most fathers he just wants his son to have the best possible life he can, one that is better than his working as a gardener. His goal is to appear invisible because he is an illegal alien, who like many came across the border from Mexico.
- 8/14/2011
- by Josh Youngerman
- SoundOnSight
Best Picture
Frontrunners
“J. Edgar” (Warner Brothers, 11/11, ?, ?)
“War Horse” (Disney, 12/28, ?, teaser)
“The Ides of March” (Sony, 10/14, ?, trailer)
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Paramount/Warner Brothers, 12/25, ?, ?)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer)
“Carnage” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/18, ?, ?)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer)
“Like Crazy” (Paramount Vantage, 10/28, PG-13, trailer)
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (Focus Features, 11/18, ?, trailer)
“The Iron Lady” (The Weinstein Company, 12/6, ?, teaser)
Major Threats
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony, 12/21, ?, trailer)
“Hugo” (Paramount, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“We Bought a Zoo” (20th Century Fox, 12/23, ?, ?)
“A Dangerous Method” (Sony Pictures Classics, ?/?, ?, trailer)
“Moneyball” (Columbia, 9/23, ?, trailer)
“50/50” (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer)
“The Help” (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer)
“Albert Nobbs” (Liddell Entertainment/Roadside Attractions, ?/?, ?, ?)
“The Way” (Icon Entertainment, 10/7, ?, ?)
“Contagion” (Warner Brothers, 9/9, ?, trailer)
“Coriolanus” (The Weinstein Company, 12/2, ?, ?)
“The Tree of Life” (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer)
Possibilities
“The Adventures of Tintin” (Paramount, 12/23, ?, trailer)
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” (Fox Searchlight, 10/7, ?, trailer)
“Take Shelter” (Sony Pictures Classics,...
Frontrunners
“J. Edgar” (Warner Brothers, 11/11, ?, ?)
“War Horse” (Disney, 12/28, ?, teaser)
“The Ides of March” (Sony, 10/14, ?, trailer)
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Paramount/Warner Brothers, 12/25, ?, ?)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer)
“Carnage” (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/18, ?, ?)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer)
“Like Crazy” (Paramount Vantage, 10/28, PG-13, trailer)
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (Focus Features, 11/18, ?, trailer)
“The Iron Lady” (The Weinstein Company, 12/6, ?, teaser)
Major Threats
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony, 12/21, ?, trailer)
“Hugo” (Paramount, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“We Bought a Zoo” (20th Century Fox, 12/23, ?, ?)
“A Dangerous Method” (Sony Pictures Classics, ?/?, ?, trailer)
“Moneyball” (Columbia, 9/23, ?, trailer)
“50/50” (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer)
“The Help” (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer)
“Albert Nobbs” (Liddell Entertainment/Roadside Attractions, ?/?, ?, ?)
“The Way” (Icon Entertainment, 10/7, ?, ?)
“Contagion” (Warner Brothers, 9/9, ?, trailer)
“Coriolanus” (The Weinstein Company, 12/2, ?, ?)
“The Tree of Life” (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer)
Possibilities
“The Adventures of Tintin” (Paramount, 12/23, ?, trailer)
“Martha Marcy May Marlene” (Fox Searchlight, 10/7, ?, trailer)
“Take Shelter” (Sony Pictures Classics,...
- 7/30/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
Whether you're in favour of illegal immigration in the USA or not, Chris Weitz's A Better Life is definitely an eye-opener.
Set in East Los Angeles, we follow Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir), a Mexican illegal immigrant. He works seven days a week as a gardener/tree trimmer for a Hispanic entrepreneur (Joaquín Cosio) who has the U.S. citizenship. Carlos also has a son, Luis (José Julián). Before he retires, the entrepreneur tells Carlos he wants to sell his truck and his equipments. To buy the truck and, by extension, the American dream, Carlos borrows money from his sister, Anita (Dolores Heredia), who has her citizenship.
With his new truck, Carlos finally gets to go to a pick-up site and handpick an illegal immigrant who will get to work for him. Carlos also believes that he'll finally be able to give to his son what he never had and...
Set in East Los Angeles, we follow Carlos Galindo (Demián Bichir), a Mexican illegal immigrant. He works seven days a week as a gardener/tree trimmer for a Hispanic entrepreneur (Joaquín Cosio) who has the U.S. citizenship. Carlos also has a son, Luis (José Julián). Before he retires, the entrepreneur tells Carlos he wants to sell his truck and his equipments. To buy the truck and, by extension, the American dream, Carlos borrows money from his sister, Anita (Dolores Heredia), who has her citizenship.
With his new truck, Carlos finally gets to go to a pick-up site and handpick an illegal immigrant who will get to work for him. Carlos also believes that he'll finally be able to give to his son what he never had and...
- 7/28/2011
- by noreply@blogger.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Taking a seat in one of the Caledonian Hotel’s function rooms, Edinburgh, Chris Weitz patiently awaits his double espresso with milk on the side. Faced with a whole morning of interviews, this is but the beginning of the director’s promotional campaign for new film A Better Life.
Due in London the next day, Weitz is well aware of the work which lies ahead. Opening in the same slot held by Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker two years previously, Summit are once again faced with a bumpy road ahead – even if Weitz is eager to point out that he’s not presuming to be on the same trajectory.
“It’s going to be the kind of movie that takes tender love and care throughout its lifespan. When you release a film about Mexicans with an unknown cast you have to stay in front of it as much as...
Due in London the next day, Weitz is well aware of the work which lies ahead. Opening in the same slot held by Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker two years previously, Summit are once again faced with a bumpy road ahead – even if Weitz is eager to point out that he’s not presuming to be on the same trajectory.
“It’s going to be the kind of movie that takes tender love and care throughout its lifespan. When you release a film about Mexicans with an unknown cast you have to stay in front of it as much as...
- 7/25/2011
- by Steven Neish
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
L.A.’s Latino community comes to life in bittersweet A Better Life. One of society’s invisibles, an illegal Mexican immigrant working as a gardener in Los Angeles, is the unlikely hero in the heartfelt father- and-son drama A Better Life, an emotional tale from an even unlikelier source, American Pie and The Twilight Saga: New Moon director Chris Weitz. There’s perhaps one laugh throughout A Better Life, a surprising revelation considering that Weitz remains best known as a writer and director of comedies (Down to Earth, About a Boy). Instead, Weitz and screenwriter Eric Eason (Manito) balance melodrama, suspense and political themes with a rare and authentic look at L.A.’s Latino community...
- 7/15/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
L.A.’s Latino community comes to life in bittersweet A Better Life. One of society’s invisibles, an illegal Mexican immigrant working as a gardener in Los Angeles, is the unlikely hero in the heartfelt father- and-son drama A Better Life, an emotional tale from an even unlikelier source, American Pie and The Twilight Saga: New Moon director Chris Weitz. There’s perhaps one laugh throughout A Better Life, a surprising revelation considering that Weitz remains best known as a writer and director of comedies (Down to Earth, About a Boy). Instead, Weitz and screenwriter Eric Eason (Manito) balance melodrama, suspense and political themes with a rare and authentic look at L.A.’s Latino community...
- 7/15/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
L.A.’s Latino community comes to life in bittersweet A Better Life. One of society’s invisibles, an illegal Mexican immigrant working as a gardener in Los Angeles, is the unlikely hero in the heartfelt father- and-son drama A Better Life, an emotional tale from an even unlikelier source, American Pie and The Twilight Saga: New Moon director Chris Weitz. There’s perhaps one laugh throughout A Better Life, a surprising revelation considering that Weitz remains best known as a writer and director of comedies (Down to Earth, About a Boy). Instead, Weitz and screenwriter Eric Eason (Manito) balance melodrama, suspense and political themes with a rare and authentic look at L.A.’s Latino community...
- 7/15/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The search for a stolen truck becomes an odyssey of hope and desperation in A Better Life, a fine low-key drama about the plight of an illegal immigrant in modern L.A. from director Chris Weiss. In a major, and welcome, departure from his last film, the first Twilight sequel (!), Weiss, along with screenwriter Eric Eason, tells the deceptively simple story of Carlos (Mexican actor Demian Bichir), an illegal who made the trek across the border with his wife and young son Luis years earlier only to have her abandon them., leaving him to raise the boy alone. Father and now-teenage son barely get by, with the boy, Luis (Jose Julian) attending school and avoiding the temptation of gang life, while Carlos scrapes together money as an assistant to a gardener who has a healthy group of clients. One day his boss tells Carlos he wants to return to Mexico...
- 7/15/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The following forecast reflects my best sense — at roughly the mid-point of 2011 — of the Oscar landscape that awaits us. (These are my first projections to factor in the Academy’s recently-announced changes to its voting process.) Needless to say, I will be posting many updates/revisions over the coming months, but, for now, I see it as a fun discussion-starter. Your thoughts?
Best Picture
Frontrunners
“J. Edgar” (Warner Brothers, 12/14, ?, ?)
“War Horse” (Disney, 12/28, ?, teaser)
“The Ides of March” (Sony, 10/14, ?, ?)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight, 12/16, R, trailer)
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Paramount/Warner Brothers, ?/?, ?, ?)
“Carnage” (Sony Pictures Classics, ?/?, ?, ?)
“Young Adult” (Paramount, ?/?, ?, ?)
“Like Crazy” (Paramount Vantage, 10/28, ?, ?)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer)
“The Iron Lady” (The Weinstein Company, 12/6, ?, teaser)
Major Threats
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“A Dangerous Method” (Sony Pictures Classics, ?/?, ?, trailer)
“Hugo” (Paramount, 11/23, ?, ?)
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony, 12/21, ?, ?)
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (Universal, ?/?, ?, trailer)
“Moneyball” (Columbia,...
Best Picture
Frontrunners
“J. Edgar” (Warner Brothers, 12/14, ?, ?)
“War Horse” (Disney, 12/28, ?, teaser)
“The Ides of March” (Sony, 10/14, ?, ?)
“The Descendants” (Fox Searchlight, 12/16, R, trailer)
“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” (Paramount/Warner Brothers, ?/?, ?, ?)
“Carnage” (Sony Pictures Classics, ?/?, ?, ?)
“Young Adult” (Paramount, ?/?, ?, ?)
“Like Crazy” (Paramount Vantage, 10/28, ?, ?)
“Midnight in Paris” (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer)
“The Iron Lady” (The Weinstein Company, 12/6, ?, teaser)
Major Threats
“The Artist” (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, ?, trailer)
“A Dangerous Method” (Sony Pictures Classics, ?/?, ?, trailer)
“Hugo” (Paramount, 11/23, ?, ?)
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony, 12/21, ?, ?)
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (Universal, ?/?, ?, trailer)
“Moneyball” (Columbia,...
- 7/11/2011
- by Scott Feinberg
- Scott Feinberg
Chicago – One of the most contentious issues in America now is the handling of “illegal” immigrants from Mexico. They, like anyone else, want a better circumstance for themselves and their families, as director Chris Weitz explores in the new film “A Better Life.”
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Essentially a modern re-telling of Victorio De Sica’s “The Bicycle Thief,” A Better Life mines the emotional journey of its protagonists, a father and son trying to get somewhere, anywhere in the midst of the slave wages and substandard living conditions for the illegal immigrant in this country. Surrounding the father is a cloak of pressure-filled fear, and even when a sliver of hope appears on the horizon it comes with consequences.
Carlos (Demián Bichir) life is one of redundant hard labor, earning a living sub contracting through a friend’s landscaping business. He has been in America illegally since he and his wife escaped from Mexico years before.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Essentially a modern re-telling of Victorio De Sica’s “The Bicycle Thief,” A Better Life mines the emotional journey of its protagonists, a father and son trying to get somewhere, anywhere in the midst of the slave wages and substandard living conditions for the illegal immigrant in this country. Surrounding the father is a cloak of pressure-filled fear, and even when a sliver of hope appears on the horizon it comes with consequences.
Carlos (Demián Bichir) life is one of redundant hard labor, earning a living sub contracting through a friend’s landscaping business. He has been in America illegally since he and his wife escaped from Mexico years before.
- 7/8/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Seen on: June 29, 2011
The players: Director: Chris Weitz, Writer: Eric Eason, Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie 'Piolin' Sotelo
Fact of interest: Eric Eason has a history (for better or worse) of writing tapped-in street desperation stories. We always like that.
The plot: An illegal Mexican immigrant goes on "Bicycle Thieves" quest with his son in order to save them from falling into hopeless poverty.
Our thoughts: So we've got Carlos Galindo, a landscaping father struggling to earn enough money to send his 15-year-old son to a school that is more than a holding pen for up-and-coming gangsters. There is little hope until his friend and co-worker offers to sell Carlos his truck, giving him the chance to earn more than minimum wage and become a business owner instead of streetwalker. ...
The players: Director: Chris Weitz, Writer: Eric Eason, Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie 'Piolin' Sotelo
Fact of interest: Eric Eason has a history (for better or worse) of writing tapped-in street desperation stories. We always like that.
The plot: An illegal Mexican immigrant goes on "Bicycle Thieves" quest with his son in order to save them from falling into hopeless poverty.
Our thoughts: So we've got Carlos Galindo, a landscaping father struggling to earn enough money to send his 15-year-old son to a school that is more than a holding pen for up-and-coming gangsters. There is little hope until his friend and co-worker offers to sell Carlos his truck, giving him the chance to earn more than minimum wage and become a business owner instead of streetwalker. ...
- 7/5/2011
- by David Ashley
- screeninglog.com
Chicago – In our latest drama edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 35 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “A Better Life” from Oscar-nominated director Chris Weitz (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” “About a Boy” and “The Golden Compass”)!
“A Better Life” stars Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, Joaquín Cosio, Nancy Lenehan, Gabriel Chavarria, Bobby Soto, Chelsea Rendon, Trampas Thompson, Tim Griffin, Valorie Hubbard, Dolores Heredia, Isabella Rae Thomas, Carlos Linares and Robert Peters from director Chris Weitz and writers Eric Eason and Roger L. Simon.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “A Better Life” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie...
“A Better Life” stars Demián Bichir, José Julián, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, Joaquín Cosio, Nancy Lenehan, Gabriel Chavarria, Bobby Soto, Chelsea Rendon, Trampas Thompson, Tim Griffin, Valorie Hubbard, Dolores Heredia, Isabella Rae Thomas, Carlos Linares and Robert Peters from director Chris Weitz and writers Eric Eason and Roger L. Simon.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “A Better Life” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie...
- 6/29/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"Cars 2, directed (like several great Pixar films of the last two decades) by John Lasseter, finds itself in the unlucky position of the not-so-bright kid in a brilliant family," finds Slate's Dana Stevens. "No matter if his performance in school is comfortably average; he'll always be seen as a disappointment compared to his stellar siblings. There's nothing really objectionable about Cars 2, although parents of young children should be warned that a few evil vehicles meet violently inauspicious ends. It's sweet-spirited, visually delightful (if aurally cacophonous), and it will make for a pleasant enough family afternoon at the movies. But we've come to expect so much more than mere pleasantness from Pixar that Cars 2 feels almost like a betrayal."
Nick Schager for the Voice: "Pixar's Cars franchise takes a sharp turn from Nascar mayhem and rural red-state-targeted 50s nostalgia to 007 espionage with this upgraded sequel, though in its...
Nick Schager for the Voice: "Pixar's Cars franchise takes a sharp turn from Nascar mayhem and rural red-state-targeted 50s nostalgia to 007 espionage with this upgraded sequel, though in its...
- 6/25/2011
- MUBI
Indie dramas are the toughest movies to make. 'Twas ever thus. And so it took 22 years for A Better Life to hit screens--and Twilight: New Moon. Off that hit, director Chris Weitz was able to parlay some good will at Summit into backing a modest low key $10 million L.A. drama about a laconic, hard-working single father (Demian Bichir), an illegal immigrant gardener who wants the best for his son (Jose Julian). Sounds like Capracorn? Well, that's how Manito screenwriter Eric Eason described Roger Simon's original screenplay at our Landmark Cinema Q & A Thursday Night. The writer of Enemies, a Love Story was given the germ of an idea--a gardener's truck is stolen--and inspired a bit by Italian classic The Bicycle Thief, the ...
- 6/25/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
A Better Life has more to offer than good intentions: it’s sincere and credible, which is more than I can say about an awful lot of movies. Yet something about it kept me at arm’s length: I felt the filmmakers’ presence instead of losing myself in the story. Is that because, like director Chris Weitz, I am not part of the world he’s depicting but an outsider looking in? Or is it because the trajectory of this melancholy film is so predictable? Although Eric Eason wrote the screenplay, from a story by Roger L. Simon, the inspiration seems to be…...
- 6/24/2011
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Writer: Eric Eason
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Carlos Linares
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Chris Weitz surprised me on this one. From the filmmaker of The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes a very small, intimate, and touching look at a father and son learning to understand each other against the backdrop of East Los Angeles. Weitz could have done any film after the financial success of the second film in the Twilight series, but he opted to do this one. For this, I admire Chris Weitz. That said, A Better Life is film that has its moments that come off as strong, but what bothers some viewers about this film is that it doesn’t take its themes and ideas and explore them any deeper than it should.
Read more on Theatrical Review: A Better Life...
Director: Chris Weitz
Cast: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Carlos Linares
Studio: Summit Entertainment
Chris Weitz surprised me on this one. From the filmmaker of The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes a very small, intimate, and touching look at a father and son learning to understand each other against the backdrop of East Los Angeles. Weitz could have done any film after the financial success of the second film in the Twilight series, but he opted to do this one. For this, I admire Chris Weitz. That said, A Better Life is film that has its moments that come off as strong, but what bothers some viewers about this film is that it doesn’t take its themes and ideas and explore them any deeper than it should.
Read more on Theatrical Review: A Better Life...
- 6/23/2011
- by Rudie Obias
- GordonandtheWhale
Much as with Holocaust movies, it occasionally seems like there are no new ways to approach the story of Mexican immigrants illegally working in America. Undocumented workers are a contentious subject, and films about them tend to follow established lines of compromise, acknowledging that they’re breaking laws, then compensating by framing them as longsuffering, saintly martyrs. With A Better Life, director Chris Weitz (coming back from the big-budget hells of The Golden Compass and The Twilight Saga: New Moon) and screenwriter Eric Eason find a new filter for those familiar signifiers by essentially remaking Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 ...
- 6/23/2011
- avclub.com
The idea of an “American Dream” is predicated on the idea that we all live in the same America. A Better Life, the new film from director Chris Weitz (About A Boy, New Moon), gives us a glimpse into the life of a Mexican father who has crossed into America and tried to establish himself in our country. Far too often this sort of story is told from the top-down as a political issue, starring facts, figures and xenophobia. It’s a pleasure to see this from a more humane point of a view. Although, to be fair, maybe “humane” isn’t the right choice of words for the characters’ existence.
Carlos (Demian Bichir, in a knock-out performance) is stuck in an relentless cycle. He works seven days a week as a landscaper on some of the nicest homes in Los Angeles, only to return to his ramshackle home in...
Carlos (Demian Bichir, in a knock-out performance) is stuck in an relentless cycle. He works seven days a week as a landscaper on some of the nicest homes in Los Angeles, only to return to his ramshackle home in...
- 6/23/2011
- by Mike Anton
- The Film Stage
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
- 6/21/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Chris Weitz
Written by: Eric Eason
Starring: Demián Bichir, José Julián, Dolores Heredia, Joaquín Cosío and Carlos Linares
In “A Better Life,” an illegal Mexican immigrant named Carlos (Demián Bichir) struggles to make ends meet as a gardener in modern-day Los Angeles. His son Luis (José Julián), alienated and adrift, is a high-school misfit, a thug in the making. After borrowing funds from his sister, Carlos acquires a truck and tools to start his own gardener’s business. The business offers Carlos a ray of hope, a way out of poverty for himself and his son.
But no sooner have the clouds of despair lifted than Carlos’ truck and tools are stolen, leaving father and son in a desperate search through the city’s Latino neighborhoods to recover them. Along the way, the wayward Luis finds greater respect and understanding — for his past,...
- 6/21/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
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