Directed By: Jean-Marc Vallée Writers: Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Dallas Roberts, Steve Zahn, Denis O’Hare, Jane McNeill, Griffin Dunne, Kevin Rankin, Joji Yoshida, Tony Bentley, Lawrence Turner
Synopsis: Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug taking, women loving, homophobic man who, in 1986 was diagnosed with full blown HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live. He started taking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved AZT, the only legal drug available in the U.S, which brought him to the brink of death. To survive, he smuggled non-toxic, anti-viral medications from all over the world, but yet still illegal in the U.S. Other AIDS patients sought out his medications forgoing hospitals, doctors and AZT. With the help of his Doctor, Eve Saks and a fellow patient, Rayon, Ron unintentionally created the Dallas Buyers Club, the first of dozens which would form around the country, providing its paying members with these alternative treatments. Read more on Awards Profile: Dallas Buyer’s Club…
The producers of the 85th Academy Awards Oscars continue to do a great job not only with who they are getting to present, but the order in which they are releasing the names of the presenters. Each announcement seems to have a good mix of veteran actors and young stars, as AMPAS continues to push toward appealing to a younger, wider audience. Jane Fonda, Jennifer Garner, Kristen Stewart, and Kerry Washington are the latest list of names announced, Garner’s being the one that jumps out the most to me. Wouldn’t it be a sweet moment if she were to announce the Best Picture winner for her husband’s film? Have a look at the official press release after the jump.
I’m back once again ladies and gentlemen to do some more Sizing Up! This time around I’m going to be tackling the somewhat slight Best Actress field. For many, this is the worst category of the majors this year and for some the hardest to figure out, especially in terms of a victor. The ultimate winner won’t be of my concern too much now, but I’m seeking to try and make sense of the category and see which ladies can actually get to the final 5. Lots can change between now and the nominations, but this is where I think things currently stand, and it’s certainly a rather fluid list now. At the very least, it’ll be interesting to see how this matches up to the eventual slate of nominees, since so much is sort of guesswork with Best Actress.
Jennifer Garner is pretty terrific in ‘Butter’, a messy yet endearing comedy that also functions as a political satire of the 2008 Democratic Primaries. Jim Field Smith’s film has a number of small issues, but they’re surrounded by such a fun and likable atmosphere that it doesn’t keep you from enjoying the flick. Garner is tremendous, but everyone in the cast is game and turns in solid work, from Olivia Wilde, who’s better than she’s ever been, even if that’s not saying too much, to Hugh Jackman, with a top notch turn from young Yara Shahidi anchoring the entire thing. The political satire is sometimes a bit hit and miss, but the concept of using the competitive sport of butter carving and the politics surrounding that event is a novel idea and saves the movie from just picking on midwesterners for its political yucks. Smith’s direction is more mature than usual, and if the script from Jason A. Micallef is once in a while at odds with itself, the end result is still easy to enjoy. The film opens this weekend and I have no qualms with recommending it. I saw it and enjoyed it last month, and now that the embargo has lifted I can tell you exactly why. The movie may not be the Oscar player we thought last year, but it’s still a fun bit of satire and we’ll worth seeing.
On this day where many of us are off either BBQ’ing or sleeping as late as possible, we are bringing you the weekly Awards Circuit Power Hour. A fun-themed show today, I’m joined by Terence, Joey, Mike, and Robert talking everything film. Also, don’t forget to rate us on iTunes and listen to us on Stitcher! The agenda is listed below: Read more on Awards Circuit Power Hour Episode 18: AMPAS Rule Change, Oscar Tech Talk, Affleck & Argo…
Once upon a time, Harvey Weinstein held some Oscar hopes for the Jennifer Garner comedy ‘Butter’. Last year it had a debut at the Toronto Film Festival, with decently good reviews to boot, but Weinstein kept it in his pocket and now has the film coming out this fall. I’ve actually seen it, but am embargoed from posting a full review for a while still. All I can say is that there’s a lot of political allegory on hand and it’s a surprisingly effective flick. Stay tuned for that review when I can run it, but after the jump you can take a look at the recent Trailer that dropped for the flick. It sells the movie pretty well. Take a gander below…
My own behind-the-scenes experience with the cast and director of The Odd Life of Timothy Green: Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, CJ Adams, and Peter Hedges.
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the press junket for Disney’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green. There, I was able to sit in on four very interesting roundtable sessions, where each contributor to the film provided their own unique take, not just on their own roles but also the themes and messages that sprout from the story. It’s rare that you get to speak with four incredible talents in Hollywood who are as talented as they are pleasant to converse with. In particular, Peter Hedges really blew my socks off with his passion and emotion. Whatever your thoughts are on The Odd Life of Timothy Green, it’s impossible to deny that its director is genuine, sincere and heartfelt upon meeting him. I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed a director so affectionately wrapped up in the work they’ve helped create, making Peter Hedges a rare gift in Hollywood when it comes to finding a director who gives every fiber of their being to a project. I’ll speak more about Peter Hedges and the roundtable session myself and other members of the press partook with him a bit later, but right now I’ll begin the roundtable coverage in sequential order, starting with Joel Edgerton who plays Jim Green… Read more on ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ Press Day Roundtables…
Earlier this week, I was graciously invited up to the Walt Disney offices in the heart of New York City to interview Peter Hedges, the filmmaker responsible for the new Disney flick ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’. I’d seen the film prior to the meeting and enjoyed it quite a bit (depending on when you read this, the film may or may not be already out in wide release, but I’m a fan of the flick, as you can see here), plus I love ‘About a Boy’ (which he co-wrote with the Weitz Brothers), so I jumped at the chance to speak to Peter. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to chat, due to a busy schedule for us both that morning (and in fact I forgot to take my usual picture to post with this piece…apologies there), but during our too short talk we covered a decent range of topics, from his start as a novelist to his Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, all the way to his involvement in a project I’m anxious to see…not to mention ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’, of course. I hope you all enjoy the transcript of my interview with writer/director Peter Hedges as much as I enjoyed talking with him!
At The Odd Life of Timothy Green press junket, I was fortunate enough to get a chance to conduct a one-on-one interview with the film’s titular star, the very talented and awesome CJ Adams. Below, you will find the transcription of this interview, and let me tell you, it was an absolute joy to interview CJ Adams. He already behaves like an experienced interviewee, but is still a lovable kid at heart who answers each question with total honesty. He even colors his responses with wit and humor. Just like in the movie, it’s hard not to find CJ Adams the coolest, most amazing kid you’re ever likely to meet. He’s got a great career ahead of him if he continues his path of acting. Check out what “Timothy Green” himself has to say to The Awards Circuit: Read more on Interview with “The Odd Life of Timothy Green’s” CJ Adams…
I freely admit that I went into ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’ with absolutely no expectations. Aside from a reminder on my calendar to attend the press screening a week or so ago, I barely was even aware of its existence. Silly me though, as this was one of the better films I’ve seen this year. It’s funny, moving, and the rare combination of both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Filmmaker Peter Hedges drew tears from me during a few moments, and that’s not something that happens too often. From the writing (by Hedges and Ahmet Zappa) and directing (Hedges, of course) all the way to the acting from the entire ensemble (notably the likes of Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Garner, and especially young CJ Adams), everything is better than you’d expect. I’m not sure if enough people are aware of this film, but it’s my hope that this review can get some folks excited for the flick, as it hits theaters on Wednesday and is well worth your time. It’s more than just a kids movie…it’s just a plain great one for people of all ages, especially whole families. Yes, this is a message movie (and another film this year to deal with magic realism, though not one on the level of ‘Ruby Sparks’, though that’s hardly this film’s fault), but it’s a good message and never preachy while always remaining very entertaining. August typically isn’t the greatest month for cinema, but this is a gem of a late summer release. I highly recommend it!
Disney’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a film full of wonderful, poignant moments that remind us of the importance of family and self-acceptance, but it seldom carries much of a story or the expected element of fantasy. It’s the rare movie that hits you hard with crucial messages that parents may need to absorb more than their children, although these “pearls of wisdom” contained within The Odd Life of Timothy Green may linger on in your mind more than the film’s somewhat thin plot and slightly askew screenplay. There are lines from the script that surprise you by their originality and quotability, but often times I felt as though director/writer Peter Hedges may have been pushing us faster to the end of Timothy’s journey more than he perhaps intended to. While my feelings toward the actual film went back and forth in my mind as I pondered what score to give it, I ultimately had to settle on one substantial component: The Odd Life of Timothy Green is the first film of 2012 to make me tear up, lump in throat included. Now that’s something magical. Read more on The Odd Life of Timothy Green (***)…
Buried in my email inbox today was Disney sending me a link to the Trailer for their upcoming film ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’. Never one to be greedy, I’m here to share it with you all now, and after the jump you can take a look at the Trailer in all of its glory. The flick has a strong cast that includes Jennifer Garner, Joel Edgerton, David Morse, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, and Dianne Weist and the premise is, well…odd. I’m honestly not expecting too much from it, but I don’t think it looks bad at all. Take a gander below and decide for yourself… Read more on “The Odd Life of Timothy Green” gets a Trailer!…
Directed By: Jean-Marc Vallée
