Jared Francis Harris is a famed British actor who is best known for his versatility on stage, working across numerous genres over the years. His most famous work, perhaps, may very well be his inspiring performance as Lance Pryce in the AMC television American drama series Mad Men, a role which earned Harris nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Jared Harris Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Jared Harris was born on August 24, 1961 (Jared Harris age: 61) in Hammersmith, London. He was born the second of three sons. His father, Richard Harris, was a famous Irish actor and singer. His mother, Elizabeth Rees-Williams, was a Welsh actress. His older brother is Damian Harris and his younger brother is Jamie Harris.
Harris and his two brothers studied at Ladycross School, which was a former preparatory boarding independent school located in the coastal town of Seaford in East Sussex.
Jared Harris Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Jared Harris was born on August 24, 1961 (Jared Harris age: 61) in Hammersmith, London. He was born the second of three sons. His father, Richard Harris, was a famous Irish actor and singer. His mother, Elizabeth Rees-Williams, was a Welsh actress. His older brother is Damian Harris and his younger brother is Jamie Harris.
Harris and his two brothers studied at Ladycross School, which was a former preparatory boarding independent school located in the coastal town of Seaford in East Sussex.
- 8/13/2023
- by Trevor Hanuka
- Uinterview
Exclusive: BritBox International has tapped Sanjeev Bhaskar as the lead for its latest original drama series, Inspector Singh Investigates, and has picked up docs about legendary acting mavericks Richard Harris and Peter O’Toole.
Inspector Singh Investigates is a three-part drama that BritBox International has co-commissioned alongside UK distributor Dcd Rights and 108 Media. BritBox International, which operates outside the UK, takes North American and Australian rights, we’ve learned.
108 Media London, the UK production wing of international content firm 108 Media is producing the series, which will be shot in Malaysia. Dcd Rights is selling it internationally (excluding North America and Australia).
The crime drama is based on the novel of the same name from author Shamini Flint, following Bhaskar as the titular Inspector Singh as he investigates complex murders rooted in the cultural DNA of exotic Asian countries.
Diederick Santer and Jonathan Karas are executive producers for BritBox International, the...
Inspector Singh Investigates is a three-part drama that BritBox International has co-commissioned alongside UK distributor Dcd Rights and 108 Media. BritBox International, which operates outside the UK, takes North American and Australian rights, we’ve learned.
108 Media London, the UK production wing of international content firm 108 Media is producing the series, which will be shot in Malaysia. Dcd Rights is selling it internationally (excluding North America and Australia).
The crime drama is based on the novel of the same name from author Shamini Flint, following Bhaskar as the titular Inspector Singh as he investigates complex murders rooted in the cultural DNA of exotic Asian countries.
Diederick Santer and Jonathan Karas are executive producers for BritBox International, the...
- 11/7/2022
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The word “legendary” gets tossed around pretty easily when discussing important actors, but there’s a huge difference between starring in a lot of important movies, and starring in a lot of movies while leaving everyone you ever met with an epic, semi-fantastical tale about how incredibly drunk you got.
Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, Adrian Sibley’s documentary “The Ghost of Richard Harris” tells the story of — you guessed it — Richard Harris, but also his ghost. The Irish actor, musician and poet who starred in films like “This Sporting Life,” “The Field,” “Gladiator” and two “Harry Potter” entries led an extraordinary existence that’s well worth recording for posterity. And in his wake, he left behind three sons who barely knew their real father, and who seek in his absence a little bit of understanding and maybe some closure.
“The Ghost of Richard Harris” follows actors Jared Harris...
Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, Adrian Sibley’s documentary “The Ghost of Richard Harris” tells the story of — you guessed it — Richard Harris, but also his ghost. The Irish actor, musician and poet who starred in films like “This Sporting Life,” “The Field,” “Gladiator” and two “Harry Potter” entries led an extraordinary existence that’s well worth recording for posterity. And in his wake, he left behind three sons who barely knew their real father, and who seek in his absence a little bit of understanding and maybe some closure.
“The Ghost of Richard Harris” follows actors Jared Harris...
- 9/4/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Feature documentary “The Ghost of Richard Harris,” which premieres Sunday at the Venice Film Festival, looks to answer the question: “Who was Richard Harris?” The film also contains the revelation that Harris was offered the role of Gandalf in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies, but chose to take the part of Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” franchise instead.
Variety spoke to director Adrian Sibley and Richard Harris’ son Jared Harris – a distinguished actor himself, and one of the originators of the project – about how the documentary came to be made.
Sibley first broached the subject of making a film about Richard Harris some 20 years ago with the man himself, who responded: “I’ll do it, but only if I can tell the truth half the time,” Jared Harris recalls.
“This Sporting Life”
Sibley liked this idea but the BBC – who he pitched it to – were less keen.
Variety spoke to director Adrian Sibley and Richard Harris’ son Jared Harris – a distinguished actor himself, and one of the originators of the project – about how the documentary came to be made.
Sibley first broached the subject of making a film about Richard Harris some 20 years ago with the man himself, who responded: “I’ll do it, but only if I can tell the truth half the time,” Jared Harris recalls.
“This Sporting Life”
Sibley liked this idea but the BBC – who he pitched it to – were less keen.
- 9/3/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Abacus Media Rights has acquired the Sky Original feature documentary “The Ghost of Richard Harris,” about the Hollywood star and notorious hell-raiser, for worldwide distribution. The release of the film, directed by Adrian Sibley, coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Irish actor’s death.
The film, produced by Bright Yellow Films, Samson Films and Groove Intl., tracks Harris’ career, which was overshadowed by a reputation for drinking and riotous behavior. Exploring this complex, flawed individual, the documentary features Harris’ three sons, BAFTA Award-winning actor Jared Harris, actor Jamie Harris and director Damian Harris.
The film will air in the U.K. on Sky Arts and streaming service Now later this year.
Sibley said: “I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Harris through his son Damian at the Savoy to talk about making a documentary about his life and times. He’d seen my film with Anthony Hopkins where he...
The film, produced by Bright Yellow Films, Samson Films and Groove Intl., tracks Harris’ career, which was overshadowed by a reputation for drinking and riotous behavior. Exploring this complex, flawed individual, the documentary features Harris’ three sons, BAFTA Award-winning actor Jared Harris, actor Jamie Harris and director Damian Harris.
The film will air in the U.K. on Sky Arts and streaming service Now later this year.
Sibley said: “I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Harris through his son Damian at the Savoy to talk about making a documentary about his life and times. He’d seen my film with Anthony Hopkins where he...
- 4/27/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The first trailer for Deandra Spinner's Death Trap (2020) shows six friends on the way to a Halloween party when they get into a car accident; however, cars won't be the only thing that collides on that fateful night. Also in today's Horror Highlights: a trailer for The Barber Brothers' short film Go Back, Nightmares Are Dreams Too Kickstarter details, Full Moon Features' theater distribution deal with Agfa, and Panther Squad Blu-ray and DVD release details.
Death Trap (2020) Trailer and Poster Released: "Emerald Wolf Studios has released the first trailer and poster from director Deandra Spinner's Death Trap. Spinner's directorial debut takes place on Halloween 1999 when six friends crash their car and cross paths with sadistic Baptist zealots.
Spinner, alongside producers Christopher Smith and Darien Moultrie, enlisted the talents of actors Bruce Klefstad, Emma Butler, Laith Wallschleger, Mercedes Gutierrez, Nicholas Denmon, Dafni Sufra and Troy Brookins.
Death Trap follows the...
Death Trap (2020) Trailer and Poster Released: "Emerald Wolf Studios has released the first trailer and poster from director Deandra Spinner's Death Trap. Spinner's directorial debut takes place on Halloween 1999 when six friends crash their car and cross paths with sadistic Baptist zealots.
Spinner, alongside producers Christopher Smith and Darien Moultrie, enlisted the talents of actors Bruce Klefstad, Emma Butler, Laith Wallschleger, Mercedes Gutierrez, Nicholas Denmon, Dafni Sufra and Troy Brookins.
Death Trap follows the...
- 1/15/2020
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
He stars alongside Jarred Harris in the film, directed by Damian Harris.
Nicholas Hamilton whose credits include It and Captain Fantastic, has joined the previously announced Jared Harris in the cast of Gfm Films’ UK drama Brave The Dark.
Damian Harris (brother of Jared), whose credits include Gardens Of The Night, is directing the film, which is written by Lynn Robertson Hay & Dale G Bradley, from an original screenplay by John P Spencer.
The film is based on a true story of a wayward student and the teacher who tries to help him.
It will shoot in Lancaster County, USA,...
Nicholas Hamilton whose credits include It and Captain Fantastic, has joined the previously announced Jared Harris in the cast of Gfm Films’ UK drama Brave The Dark.
Damian Harris (brother of Jared), whose credits include Gardens Of The Night, is directing the film, which is written by Lynn Robertson Hay & Dale G Bradley, from an original screenplay by John P Spencer.
The film is based on a true story of a wayward student and the teacher who tries to help him.
It will shoot in Lancaster County, USA,...
- 9/18/2019
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Harris’ brother Damian Harris is directing the feature.
Jared Harris will star in UK drama Brave The Dark, which London-based Gfm Films is launching sales on here in Cannes.
Damian Harris (Gardens Of The Night) is directing the project, which will see his brother Jared play Stan Deen, a popular drama teacher who tries to help one of his wayward students, whilst dealing with his own issues.
Producers on the project are Grant Bradley, Dale Bradley and Paul Griffin for Inspiring Films. Lynn Robertson Hay and Dale G. Bradley have written the script based on an original screenplay by John P. Spencer.
Jared Harris will star in UK drama Brave The Dark, which London-based Gfm Films is launching sales on here in Cannes.
Damian Harris (Gardens Of The Night) is directing the project, which will see his brother Jared play Stan Deen, a popular drama teacher who tries to help one of his wayward students, whilst dealing with his own issues.
Producers on the project are Grant Bradley, Dale Bradley and Paul Griffin for Inspiring Films. Lynn Robertson Hay and Dale G. Bradley have written the script based on an original screenplay by John P. Spencer.
- 5/16/2019
- by Tom Grater
- ScreenDaily
Arriving in the midst of Goldie Hawn’s last real prolific period in the early-to-mid 1990s, the Damian Harris (son of actor Richard Harris and brother of Jared) directed thriller Deceived was an attempt to re-package the bubbly blonde’s rom-com reputation (which Hawn followed with the equally unsuccessful CrissCross in 1992). At the time, the film (originally titled The Mrs.) was an interesting package, however, considering the involvement of several key players.
While Hawn was hot off Bird on a Wire (1990), this was Brit director Harris’ follow-up to the well-received The Rachel Papers (1989), and scribe Mary Agnes Donoghue would…...
While Hawn was hot off Bird on a Wire (1990), this was Brit director Harris’ follow-up to the well-received The Rachel Papers (1989), and scribe Mary Agnes Donoghue would…...
- 4/10/2018
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
In the movies, when families come together, zaniness ensues — and it’s usually predictable to the point of tediousness. When you see above-the-title names such as Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Minnie Driver, and Patrick Stewart, however, you think, Will it be…? Could it be…? The answer is no. At least that’s true in the case of “The Wilde Wedding,” whose very title serves as a double entendre for nuptial-related shenanigans. Written and directed by Damian Harris (“Bad Company”), the farce revolves around actress Eve Wilde (Close) and her fifth marriage, to novelist Harold (Stewart, with a highly unflattering head of gray.
- 9/15/2017
- by Tricia Olszewski
- The Wrap
With the big end of the year holidays still a couple of weeks away, what kind of big event can gather a big family (or a diverse acting ensemble)? It’s gotta’ be a comedy so a funeral is probably out of the question, although both the British and Us versions of Death At A Funeral are pretty darned hilarious. No, there’s got to be a romantic angle, so the setting should probably be a wedding. Film makers have used them for lots of comedies that are ripe with conflict from all the versions of Father Of The Bride to those big cast showcases like Robert Altman’s A Wedding and the big, big superstar-studded , appropriately named The Big Wedding just three years ago. And like that flick, some of the exes are involved, upping the tension and making for The Wilde Wedding that lives up to its name...
- 9/15/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Fall roll-outs begin ramping up this weekend as Toronto winds down, kicking the theatrical runs of the year's awards hopefuls into gear. Mike White's Brad's Status, from Amazon Studios/Annapurna Pictures, starring Ben Stiller, Austin Abrams and Luke Wilson is opening in New York and Los Angeles Friday on the heels of its Toronto bow. Vertical Entertainment is rolling out Damian Harris' The Wilde Wedding starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Patrick Stewart and Minnie…...
- 9/14/2017
- Deadline
Watch The New Trailer For The Wilde Wedding Starring Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart And John Malkovich
Starring together in Stephen Frears’ 1988 drama Dangerous Liaisons, John Malkovich and Glenn Close reunite in the upcoming movie The Wilde Wedding.
Here’s a brand new look at the movie.
In The Wilde Wedding, now-retired film star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) prepares for her wedding to husband number four, renowned English writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart) after a whirlwind courtship.
At her upstate New York home – in the presence of both Wilde’s first husband, celebrated stage actor Laurence Darling (John Malkovich), and their collective families (Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten) – the long summer weekend offers the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other a bit more intimately.
As sexual sparks begin to fly, there are unforeseen consequences abound.
Directed by Damian Harris, the film will hit theaters September 15th from Vertical Entertainment.
Visit it on Facebook: www.facebook.com...
Here’s a brand new look at the movie.
In The Wilde Wedding, now-retired film star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) prepares for her wedding to husband number four, renowned English writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart) after a whirlwind courtship.
At her upstate New York home – in the presence of both Wilde’s first husband, celebrated stage actor Laurence Darling (John Malkovich), and their collective families (Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten) – the long summer weekend offers the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other a bit more intimately.
As sexual sparks begin to fly, there are unforeseen consequences abound.
Directed by Damian Harris, the film will hit theaters September 15th from Vertical Entertainment.
Visit it on Facebook: www.facebook.com...
- 8/14/2017
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"You are so thoughtful - as if you'd have any idea what a 'keeper' was." Vertical Entertainment has debuted the first official trailer for an indie comedy titled The Wilde Wedding, about a wedding that gets a bit crazy (if the title wasn't already an indication of that). The two people getting hitched are played by Glenn Close and Patrick Stewart, a retired film star marrying a renowned English writer. The rest of the "wild" ensemble cast of great actors includes John Malkovich, Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, and Grace Van Patten. I'm not sure where this came from, as I've never heard of the film before, but it looks entertaining in an awkward dysfunctional comedy way. There's tons of sexual tension being built up and released in this trailer, so make sure you wear a condom. Have fun. Here's the official trailer for Damian Harris' The Wilde Wedding,...
- 8/11/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Patrick Stewart is no longer follically challenged in charmingly funny trailer for The Wilde Wedding
Author: Zehra Phelan
A charming smile-inducing trailer for the comedy The Wilde Wedding starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Patrick Stewart with a head full of hair – who even knew that was possible – has arrived.
The trailer focuses on the days leading up to Eve Wilde’s (Glenn Close) fourth marriage to Alcott (Patrick Stewart), who plays a writer who seems to have added some special hair growing fertilizer to his shampoo to produce an almost afro-like head of gray hair. Inviting along her first husband played by John Malkovich, who is partial to a drink or three, the group of family and friends share a few charmingly funny moments together as Eve starts to have second thoughts, thanks to Malkovich, on her pending nuptials.
Vertical Entertainment’s co- president Rich Goldberg has previously stated what a joy it was to have the three stars attached to the production with...
A charming smile-inducing trailer for the comedy The Wilde Wedding starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Patrick Stewart with a head full of hair – who even knew that was possible – has arrived.
The trailer focuses on the days leading up to Eve Wilde’s (Glenn Close) fourth marriage to Alcott (Patrick Stewart), who plays a writer who seems to have added some special hair growing fertilizer to his shampoo to produce an almost afro-like head of gray hair. Inviting along her first husband played by John Malkovich, who is partial to a drink or three, the group of family and friends share a few charmingly funny moments together as Eve starts to have second thoughts, thanks to Malkovich, on her pending nuptials.
Vertical Entertainment’s co- president Rich Goldberg has previously stated what a joy it was to have the three stars attached to the production with...
- 8/11/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to “The Little Stranger,” excluding the U.K., France and Switzerland, where it will be distributed by Pathé. Academy Award nominee Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”) will direct the film, a chilling ghost story, which will begin production in the U.K. this summer for release in 2018. “The Little Stranger” will star Academy Award nominee Charlotte Rampling, Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson and Will Poulter. Lucinda Coxon, who wrote the screenplay adaptation of Focus’ “The Danish Girl,” has adapted “The Little Stranger” from Sarah Waters’ acclaimed 2009 novel of the same name.
In a remote English village after the close of World War II, a local practitioner, Dr. Faraday (Gleeson), is called to the...
– Focus Features has acquired the worldwide rights to “The Little Stranger,” excluding the U.K., France and Switzerland, where it will be distributed by Pathé. Academy Award nominee Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”) will direct the film, a chilling ghost story, which will begin production in the U.K. this summer for release in 2018. “The Little Stranger” will star Academy Award nominee Charlotte Rampling, Domhnall Gleeson, Ruth Wilson and Will Poulter. Lucinda Coxon, who wrote the screenplay adaptation of Focus’ “The Danish Girl,” has adapted “The Little Stranger” from Sarah Waters’ acclaimed 2009 novel of the same name.
In a remote English village after the close of World War II, a local practitioner, Dr. Faraday (Gleeson), is called to the...
- 5/26/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Vertical Entertainment has picked up North American rights to Wilde Wedding, a comedy from Gardens of the Night director Damian Harris starring Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart and John Malkovich.
Close plays Eve Wilde, a now-retired film star who is getting ready to marry husband number four, the acclaimed English writer Harold Alcott (Stewart), after a whirlwind courtship. But on the long summer weekend before the nuptials, the couple is confronted with their romantic pasts in the form of Wilde's first husband, played by Malkovich, and their collective families. Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich and Grace Van...
Close plays Eve Wilde, a now-retired film star who is getting ready to marry husband number four, the acclaimed English writer Harold Alcott (Stewart), after a whirlwind courtship. But on the long summer weekend before the nuptials, the couple is confronted with their romantic pasts in the form of Wilde's first husband, played by Malkovich, and their collective families. Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich and Grace Van...
- 5/19/2017
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: HanWay boards Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Patrick Stewart, Minnie Driver comedy.
HanWay Films has boarded international sales rights to rom-com The Wilde Wedding, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Patrick Stewart, MinnIe Driver, Jack Davenport and Yael Stone.
The film, currently in post-production, is written and directed by Damian Harris (Deceived) and produced by Moneyball executive producer Andrew Karsch.
Close plays a celebrated actress preparing for her wedding to a renowned English writer (Patrick Stewart) in the presence of both of their families. At the upstate New York wedding, both families get to know each other, leading to surprising results for each generation.
CAA represents domestic rights on the film.
New HanWay Films MD Gabrielle Stewart, formerly of Bloom, said: “The Wilde Wedding is a funny, poignant and utterly delicious meringue of a film! It’s a delight to see Glenn Close and John Malkovich reunited, as they were so memorable in Dangerous Liaisons, and we’re sure...
HanWay Films has boarded international sales rights to rom-com The Wilde Wedding, starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Patrick Stewart, MinnIe Driver, Jack Davenport and Yael Stone.
The film, currently in post-production, is written and directed by Damian Harris (Deceived) and produced by Moneyball executive producer Andrew Karsch.
Close plays a celebrated actress preparing for her wedding to a renowned English writer (Patrick Stewart) in the presence of both of their families. At the upstate New York wedding, both families get to know each other, leading to surprising results for each generation.
CAA represents domestic rights on the film.
New HanWay Films MD Gabrielle Stewart, formerly of Bloom, said: “The Wilde Wedding is a funny, poignant and utterly delicious meringue of a film! It’s a delight to see Glenn Close and John Malkovich reunited, as they were so memorable in Dangerous Liaisons, and we’re sure...
- 11/2/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
We are back again for our second live blog of the 2013 awards season and tonight it's the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards and it's sort of fun to say that tonight there is actually a reason to watch and pay attention for anyone the least bit interested in the awards race. Will Best Ensemble go to Lincoln? Argo? Silver Linings Playbook? Will it be Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) or Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) taking home Best Actress? And what about Supporting Actor? will it be Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook), Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) or Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)? I think it's safe to assume Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln) and Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) will go home winners tonight, but otherwise it's a wide open show. You can check out the full list of nominees for both movies and television right here and the results of the RopeofSilicon reader predictions here.
- 1/27/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Former "So You Think You Can Dance" judge/choreographer Mia Michaels could be getting her own show on Bravo.
Michaels will be the subject of a docuseries that's in development at the cable network, which on Wednesday (March 10) announced a slew of new projects and the return of several current shows. The new projects also include a couple of scripted shows -- including one from "Sex and the City" creator Darren Star -- a new "Real Housewives" franchise and a pair of food competition shows.
Michaels' show is currently going by the very simple title of "Mia Michaels" and will follow her as she "navigates through the world of professional dance," Bravo says. The show hasn't received a formal pickup yet but is in development for the coming year, during which Bravo plans to add original programming on a fifth night.
Some of the other new reality projects are "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,...
Michaels will be the subject of a docuseries that's in development at the cable network, which on Wednesday (March 10) announced a slew of new projects and the return of several current shows. The new projects also include a couple of scripted shows -- including one from "Sex and the City" creator Darren Star -- a new "Real Housewives" franchise and a pair of food competition shows.
Michaels' show is currently going by the very simple title of "Mia Michaels" and will follow her as she "navigates through the world of professional dance," Bravo says. The show hasn't received a formal pickup yet but is in development for the coming year, during which Bravo plans to add original programming on a fifth night.
Some of the other new reality projects are "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,...
- 3/10/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Bravo gave a series greenlight to four new shows Wednesday, including a Beverly Hills edition of its "Real Housewives" franchise.
The NBC-Uni cable network plans to expand its lineup by 20% and open up a fifth night of primetime original programming this year. The announcements were made as part of the network's upfront presentation to advertisers, where it boasted four consecutive years of ratings gains.
New series greenlights include the long-rumored "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" from Evolution Media, "Miami Social Club" (docuseries about Miami's social elite) from Mc Filmworks, "Million Dollar Decorators" (as it sounds, docusoap about L.A.'s high-end interior designers) from Goodbye Pictures, and "Pregnant in Heels" (docusoap about the owner of a Manhattan maternity service helping mothers-to-be) from Shout Media.
Returning series are "The Fashion Show" for a second season, "Million Dollar Listing" for a fourth season, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" for Season 3 and "Tabatha's Salon...
The NBC-Uni cable network plans to expand its lineup by 20% and open up a fifth night of primetime original programming this year. The announcements were made as part of the network's upfront presentation to advertisers, where it boasted four consecutive years of ratings gains.
New series greenlights include the long-rumored "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" from Evolution Media, "Miami Social Club" (docuseries about Miami's social elite) from Mc Filmworks, "Million Dollar Decorators" (as it sounds, docusoap about L.A.'s high-end interior designers) from Goodbye Pictures, and "Pregnant in Heels" (docusoap about the owner of a Manhattan maternity service helping mothers-to-be) from Shout Media.
Returning series are "The Fashion Show" for a second season, "Million Dollar Listing" for a fourth season, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" for Season 3 and "Tabatha's Salon...
- 3/10/2010
- by By James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Evan Ross And Gillian Jacobs In Director Damian Harris' Gardens Of The Night. Courtesy City Lights Pictures. Coming from a family of actors, Damian Harris went against the grain when he chose to become a writer-director. Harris is the son of Richard Harris, the legendary British screen thespian, as well as the stepson of Rex Harrison and the brother of Jamie and Jared Harris, who are also actors. He got his first taste of the movie game when, at the age of 10, he acted alongside Tom Courtenay and Romy Schneider in the comedy Otley (1968). That experience, however, made him realize that his expertise was not in front of the camera, and prompted him to study film at the London International Film School and then screenwriting at Nyu. He...
- 11/19/2008
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Damian Harris spent the better part of two decades researching child abductions for Gardens of the Night, a fictional saga about one young girl's ordeal after being snatched away from her parents at the tender age of 8. That dedication to getting the details right, however, doesn't save his film from missteps typical to stories about such topics, as the tendency to exploit lurid material for dramatic purposes is something he can't avoid. Still, as a serious-minded attempt to trace both the literal and psychological means by which abductors carry out their plots, Harris' tale is not wholly without merit and, with regards to its portrait of kid-snatcher Alex (Tom Arnold), occasionally flirts with complexity. Generally refusing to simplify characters or scenarios, his film strives to burrow into the mind of captured 8-year-old Leslie (Ryan Simpkins), who - in an extended flashback instigated by 17-year-old Leslie's (Gillian Jacobs) lies about her...
- 11/8/2008
- by Nick Schager
- Cinematical
By Neil Pedley
Those nursing a Halloween hangover can enjoy a little hair of the dog with some amusing takes on terror, a double bill featuring the greatly missed Bernie Mac and a trio of Fantastic Fest titles coming their way.
"The Alphabet Killer"
Eliza Dushku reunites with "Wrong Turn" director Rob Schmidt for this supernatural riff on the infamous Alphabet murders that took place in Rochester, NY in the early '70s. Dushku stars as the lead investigator in a series of brutal child killings who's struck down by a severe mental breakdown. Two years later, her career as a detective is ostensibly over, yet when the killings inexplicably start up again, so do her crippling hallucinations and she must find a way to track down the serial killer with or without the help of her former colleagues at the police department. Timothy Hutton, Cary Elwes and Michael Ironside...
Those nursing a Halloween hangover can enjoy a little hair of the dog with some amusing takes on terror, a double bill featuring the greatly missed Bernie Mac and a trio of Fantastic Fest titles coming their way.
"The Alphabet Killer"
Eliza Dushku reunites with "Wrong Turn" director Rob Schmidt for this supernatural riff on the infamous Alphabet murders that took place in Rochester, NY in the early '70s. Dushku stars as the lead investigator in a series of brutal child killings who's struck down by a severe mental breakdown. Two years later, her career as a detective is ostensibly over, yet when the killings inexplicably start up again, so do her crippling hallucinations and she must find a way to track down the serial killer with or without the help of her former colleagues at the police department. Timothy Hutton, Cary Elwes and Michael Ironside...
- 11/3/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
We are pleased to host the official trailer for City Lights Entertainment's drama "Garden of the Night" with a strong cast consisting of Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. The drama opens November 7, 2008 in limited areas and is directed and written by actress Emilia Fox's ("Flashbacks of a Fool") brother-in-law Damian Harris ("Mercy," "The Rachel Papers," "Bad Company"). Star Gillian Jacobs was recently seen in the Sam Rockwell starrer "Choke."...
- 10/22/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We are pleased to host the official trailer for City Lights Entertainment's drama "Garden of the Night" with a strong cast consisting of Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. The drama opens November 7, 2008 in limited areas and is directed and written by actress Emilia Fox's ("Flashbacks of a Fool") brother-in-law Damian Harris ("Mercy," "The Rachel Papers," "Bad Company"). Star Gillian Jacobs was recently seen in the Sam Rockwell starrer "Choke."...
- 10/22/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Get the embedded code! We are pleased to host the official trailer for City Lights Entertainment's drama "Garden of the Night" with a strong cast consisting of Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. The drama opens November 7, 2008 in limited areas and is directed and written by actress Emilia Fox's ("Flashbacks of a Fool") brother-in-law Damian Harris ("Mercy," "The Rachel Papers," "Bad Company"). Star Gillian Jacobs was recently seen in the Sam Rockwell starrer "Choke." What's this about? Leslie (Gillian Jacobs), struggles with a hand to mouth existence on the streets of San Diego with only her childhood friend Donnie (Evan Ross) to look after her, both of them trying to cope with the trauma of having been abducted and held captive by two men nine years earlier. As an eight-year-old girl, Leslie (Ryan Simpkins) was abducted through trickery by an...
- 10/22/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
We are pleased to host the official trailer for City Lights Entertainment's drama "Garden of the Night" with a strong cast consisting of Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. The drama opens November 7, 2008 in limited areas and is directed and written by actress Emilia Fox's ("Flashbacks of a Fool") brother-in-law Damian Harris ("Mercy," "The Rachel Papers," "Bad Company"). Star Gillian Jacobs was recently seen in the Sam Rockwell starrer "Choke."...
- 10/22/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In indie film, we have new images in for the Damian Harris helmed and written drama "Gardens of the Night." In this strong cast are Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. Harris' last attempt at the wheel was for the 2000 release "Mercy" starring Ellen Barkin, Wendy Crewson, Peta Wilson, Karen Young and Julian Sands. City Lights Entertainment distributes the Shoot Productions, Station 3 and Fastback Pictures film. Jacobs was last in Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Choke" with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston.
- 10/9/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In indie film, we have new images in for the Damian Harris helmed and written drama "Gardens of the Night." In this strong cast are Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. Harris' last attempt at the wheel was for the 2000 release "Mercy" starring Ellen Barkin, Wendy Crewson, Peta Wilson, Karen Young and Julian Sands. City Lights Entertainment distributes the Shoot Productions, Station 3 and Fastback Pictures film. Jacobs was last in Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Choke" with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston.
- 10/9/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In indie film, we have new images in for the Damian Harris helmed and written drama "Gardens of the Night." In this strong cast are Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. Harris' last attempt at the wheel was for the 2000 release "Mercy" starring Ellen Barkin, Wendy Crewson, Peta Wilson, Karen Young and Julian Sands. City Lights Entertainment distributes the Shoot Productions, Station 3 and Fastback Pictures film. Jacobs was last in Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Choke" with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston. See the gallery now! What's this about? Leslie (Gillian Jacobs), struggles with a hand to mouth existence on the streets of San Diego with only her childhood friend Donnie (Evan Ross) to look after her, both of them trying to cope with the trauma of having been abducted and held captive by two men nine years earlier. As an eight-year-old girl,...
- 10/9/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In indie film, we have new images in for the Damian Harris helmed and written drama "Gardens of the Night." In this strong cast are Gillian Jacobs, John Malkovich, Ryan Simpkins, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers, Harold Perineau and Jeremy Sisto. Harris' last attempt at the wheel was for the 2000 release "Mercy" starring Ellen Barkin, Wendy Crewson, Peta Wilson, Karen Young and Julian Sands. City Lights Entertainment distributes the Shoot Productions, Station 3 and Fastback Pictures film. Jacobs was last in Fox Searchlight Pictures' "Choke" with Sam Rockwell and Anjelica Huston.
- 10/9/2008
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Thomas McCarthy’s critically acclaimed drama “The Visitor” won top honors Sunday at the 34th edition of the Deauville American Film Festival.
Starring Richard Jenkins, the film follows a lonely college professor who forms an unlikely bond with two illegal immigrants. “The Visitor” took home the festival’s grand prize.
The jury awarded its prize to Lance Hammer’s drama “Ballast,” in which the unexpected death of a man’s brother shakes up the lives of three individuals. The film also picked up the Cartier Foundation jury prize.
Meanwhile, Damian Harris’ “Garden of the Night” received the international critics prize. Starring Tom Arnold, Gillian Jacobs and John Malkovich, the film focuses on a 17-year-old girl who struggles with life in the street.
The Michel D’Ornano prize went to Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s war drama “Johnny Mad Dog.”
Here’s more on the Deauville Film Festival.
Starring Richard Jenkins, the film follows a lonely college professor who forms an unlikely bond with two illegal immigrants. “The Visitor” took home the festival’s grand prize.
The jury awarded its prize to Lance Hammer’s drama “Ballast,” in which the unexpected death of a man’s brother shakes up the lives of three individuals. The film also picked up the Cartier Foundation jury prize.
Meanwhile, Damian Harris’ “Garden of the Night” received the international critics prize. Starring Tom Arnold, Gillian Jacobs and John Malkovich, the film focuses on a 17-year-old girl who struggles with life in the street.
The Michel D’Ornano prize went to Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s war drama “Johnny Mad Dog.”
Here’s more on the Deauville Film Festival.
- 9/14/2008
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
Deauville, France -- Thomas McCarthy's immigration drama "The Visitor" won the Grand Prix as the 34th Deauville Festival of American Film wrapped Sunday.
The director underlined the political intent of his latest movie, saying as he collected his trophy that he "believes in the power of art to effect change." "Visitor" brings a sharply critical view of U.S. immigration policy in a tale about a New York economics professor who finds that two illegals have moved into his apartment.
The runner-up Jury Prize went to Lance Hammer's "Ballast," which previously unspooled in competition in Berlin. The drama, about how a suicide affects two neighbors in the Mississippi Delta, also picked up the Revelation Cartier prize -- chosen by a separate jury -- for innovative filmmaking. The International Critics Award went to the pedophile drama "Gardens of the Night," directed by Damian Harris.
Many Deauville attendees felt this...
The director underlined the political intent of his latest movie, saying as he collected his trophy that he "believes in the power of art to effect change." "Visitor" brings a sharply critical view of U.S. immigration policy in a tale about a New York economics professor who finds that two illegals have moved into his apartment.
The runner-up Jury Prize went to Lance Hammer's "Ballast," which previously unspooled in competition in Berlin. The drama, about how a suicide affects two neighbors in the Mississippi Delta, also picked up the Revelation Cartier prize -- chosen by a separate jury -- for innovative filmmaking. The International Critics Award went to the pedophile drama "Gardens of the Night," directed by Damian Harris.
Many Deauville attendees felt this...
- 9/14/2008
- by By Charles Masters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paris -- "Mamma Mia!" will kick off the 34th annual Deauville Festival of American Cinema on Sept. 5, organizers said Monday.
Distributor Universal will showcase its new Paris-based French wing with a strong presence at the fest including Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" and Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
Other U.S. majors will be keeping a low profile with just a few titles in the official selection, including Warner Bros.' "Get Smart" and Sony's "Lakeview Terrace" and "Married Life."
An American Nights sidebar will feature classic U.S. titles totaling 187 hours of round-the-clock screenings.
French actress Carole Bouquet will top an eight-strong jury including French actor Edouard Baer, Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz and Palme d'Or-winning Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.
The festival's Uncle Sam's Docs sidebar will see nine documentaries compete for Gallic pay TV network Canal Plus' Favorite Doc prize.
Deauville will pay homage to Spike Lee, who will be in town to present the French premiere of "Miracle at St. Anna." Parker Posey, Ed Harris and director Mitchell Leisen also will be honored.
This year's Michel d'Ornano prize for best French first film will be awarded to Jean-Stephane Sauvaire for his harrowing portrait of child soldiers in Africa, "Johnny Mad Dog."
A lineup for the Deauville fest follows:
Competition
"Afterschool," Antonio Campos
"All G-d's Children Can Dance," Robert Logevall
"American Son," Neil Abramson
"Ballast," Lance Hammer
"Gardens of the Night," Damian Harris
"Towelhead," Alan Ball
"The Visitor," Tom McCarthy
"Smart People," Noam Murro
"Snow Angels," David Gordon Green
"Sunshine Cleaning," Christine Jeffs
Official selection
"Mamma Mia!" Phyllida Lloyd
"Appaloosa," Ed Harris
"Changeling," Clint Eastwood
"Dan in Real Life," Peter Hedges
"Get Smart," Peter Segal
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Guillermo del Toro
"Idiots & Angels," Bill Plympton
"Lakeview Terrace," Neil Labute
"Lars and the Real Girl," Craig Gillespie
"Married Life," Ira Sachs
"Miracle at St. Anna," Spike Lee
"Recount," Jay Roach
"The Wackness," Jonathan Levine
"The Life Before her Eyes," Vadim Perelman
"The Girl Next Door," Gregory Wilson
"Then She Found Me," Helen Hunt
Jury
French actress Carole Bouquet
French actor Edouard Baer
Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz
French director Pierre Jolivet
French director Cedric Kahn
Belgian director Bouli Lanners
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu
Portuguese actress Leonor Silvera
American artistic director Dean Tavoularis...
Distributor Universal will showcase its new Paris-based French wing with a strong presence at the fest including Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" and Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
Other U.S. majors will be keeping a low profile with just a few titles in the official selection, including Warner Bros.' "Get Smart" and Sony's "Lakeview Terrace" and "Married Life."
An American Nights sidebar will feature classic U.S. titles totaling 187 hours of round-the-clock screenings.
French actress Carole Bouquet will top an eight-strong jury including French actor Edouard Baer, Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz and Palme d'Or-winning Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.
The festival's Uncle Sam's Docs sidebar will see nine documentaries compete for Gallic pay TV network Canal Plus' Favorite Doc prize.
Deauville will pay homage to Spike Lee, who will be in town to present the French premiere of "Miracle at St. Anna." Parker Posey, Ed Harris and director Mitchell Leisen also will be honored.
This year's Michel d'Ornano prize for best French first film will be awarded to Jean-Stephane Sauvaire for his harrowing portrait of child soldiers in Africa, "Johnny Mad Dog."
A lineup for the Deauville fest follows:
Competition
"Afterschool," Antonio Campos
"All G-d's Children Can Dance," Robert Logevall
"American Son," Neil Abramson
"Ballast," Lance Hammer
"Gardens of the Night," Damian Harris
"Towelhead," Alan Ball
"The Visitor," Tom McCarthy
"Smart People," Noam Murro
"Snow Angels," David Gordon Green
"Sunshine Cleaning," Christine Jeffs
Official selection
"Mamma Mia!" Phyllida Lloyd
"Appaloosa," Ed Harris
"Changeling," Clint Eastwood
"Dan in Real Life," Peter Hedges
"Get Smart," Peter Segal
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Guillermo del Toro
"Idiots & Angels," Bill Plympton
"Lakeview Terrace," Neil Labute
"Lars and the Real Girl," Craig Gillespie
"Married Life," Ira Sachs
"Miracle at St. Anna," Spike Lee
"Recount," Jay Roach
"The Wackness," Jonathan Levine
"The Life Before her Eyes," Vadim Perelman
"The Girl Next Door," Gregory Wilson
"Then She Found Me," Helen Hunt
Jury
French actress Carole Bouquet
French actor Edouard Baer
Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz
French director Pierre Jolivet
French director Cedric Kahn
Belgian director Bouli Lanners
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu
Portuguese actress Leonor Silvera
American artistic director Dean Tavoularis...
- 7/21/2008
- by By Rebecca Leffler
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paris -- "Mamma Mia!" will kick off the 34th annual Deauville Festival of American Cinema on Sept. 5, organizers said Monday.
Distributor Universal will showcase its new Paris-based French wing with a strong presence at the fest including Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" and Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
Other U.S. majors will be keeping a low profile with just a few titles in the official selection, including Warner Bros.' "Get Smart" and Sony's "Lakeview Terrace" and "Married Life."
An American Nights sidebar will feature classic U.S. titles totaling 187 hours of round-the-clock screenings.
French actress Carole Bouquet will top an eight-strong jury including French actor Edouard Baer, Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz and Palme d'Or-winning Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.
The festival's Uncle Sam's Docs sidebar will see nine documentaries compete for Gallic pay TV network Canal Plus' Favorite Doc prize.
Deauville will pay homage to Spike Lee, who will be in town to present the French premiere of "Miracle at St. Anna." Parker Posey, Ed Harris and director Mitchell Leisen also will be honored.
This year's Michel d'Ornano prize for best French first film will be awarded to Jean-Stephane Sauvaire for his harrowing portrait of child soldiers in Africa, "Johnny Mad Dog."
A lineup for the Deauville fest follows:
Competition
"Afterschool," Antonio Campos
"All G-d's Children Can Dance," Robert Logevall
"American Son," Neil Abramson
"Ballast," Lance Hammer
"Gardens of the Night," Damian Harris
"Towelhead," Alan Ball
"The Visitor," Tom McCarthy
"Smart People," Noam Murro
"Snow Angels," David Gordon Green
"Sunshine Cleaning," Christine Jeffs
Official selection
"Mamma Mia!" Phyllida Lloyd
"Appaloosa," Ed Harris
"Changeling," Clint Eastwood
"Dan in Real Life," Peter Hedges
"Get Smart," Peter Segal
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Guillermo del Toro
"Idiots & Angels," Bill Plympton
"Lakeview Terrace," Neil Labute
"Lars and the Real Girl," Craig Gillespie
"Married Life," Ira Sachs
"Miracle at St. Anna," Spike Lee
"Recount," Jay Roach
"The Wackness," Jonathan Levine
"The Life Before her Eyes," Vadim Perelman
"The Girl Next Door," Gregory Wilson
"Then She Found Me," Helen Hunt
Jury
French actress Carole Bouquet
French actor Edouard Baer
Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz
French director Pierre Jolivet
French director Cedric Kahn
Belgian director Bouli Lanners
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu
Portuguese actress Leonor Silvera
American artistic director Dean Tavoularis...
Distributor Universal will showcase its new Paris-based French wing with a strong presence at the fest including Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" and Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
Other U.S. majors will be keeping a low profile with just a few titles in the official selection, including Warner Bros.' "Get Smart" and Sony's "Lakeview Terrace" and "Married Life."
An American Nights sidebar will feature classic U.S. titles totaling 187 hours of round-the-clock screenings.
French actress Carole Bouquet will top an eight-strong jury including French actor Edouard Baer, Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz and Palme d'Or-winning Romanian director Cristian Mungiu.
The festival's Uncle Sam's Docs sidebar will see nine documentaries compete for Gallic pay TV network Canal Plus' Favorite Doc prize.
Deauville will pay homage to Spike Lee, who will be in town to present the French premiere of "Miracle at St. Anna." Parker Posey, Ed Harris and director Mitchell Leisen also will be honored.
This year's Michel d'Ornano prize for best French first film will be awarded to Jean-Stephane Sauvaire for his harrowing portrait of child soldiers in Africa, "Johnny Mad Dog."
A lineup for the Deauville fest follows:
Competition
"Afterschool," Antonio Campos
"All G-d's Children Can Dance," Robert Logevall
"American Son," Neil Abramson
"Ballast," Lance Hammer
"Gardens of the Night," Damian Harris
"Towelhead," Alan Ball
"The Visitor," Tom McCarthy
"Smart People," Noam Murro
"Snow Angels," David Gordon Green
"Sunshine Cleaning," Christine Jeffs
Official selection
"Mamma Mia!" Phyllida Lloyd
"Appaloosa," Ed Harris
"Changeling," Clint Eastwood
"Dan in Real Life," Peter Hedges
"Get Smart," Peter Segal
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Guillermo del Toro
"Idiots & Angels," Bill Plympton
"Lakeview Terrace," Neil Labute
"Lars and the Real Girl," Craig Gillespie
"Married Life," Ira Sachs
"Miracle at St. Anna," Spike Lee
"Recount," Jay Roach
"The Wackness," Jonathan Levine
"The Life Before her Eyes," Vadim Perelman
"The Girl Next Door," Gregory Wilson
"Then She Found Me," Helen Hunt
Jury
French actress Carole Bouquet
French actor Edouard Baer
Israeli actress-director Ronit Elkabetz
French director Pierre Jolivet
French director Cedric Kahn
Belgian director Bouli Lanners
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu
Portuguese actress Leonor Silvera
American artistic director Dean Tavoularis...
- 7/21/2008
- by By Rebecca Leffler
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Competition
BERLIN -- Films about social issues usually exude the deadly aura of good intention and earnest edification, but Damian Harris zones in on his characters in Gardens of the Night. The film gives vivid reality to those photos of disappeared children on milk cartons by letting us peek into the lives of two abducted children subjected to sexual abuse and then prostitution.
The writer-director shuns sensationalism but does sentimentalize the friendship between the two youngsters, seen as children and then as thoroughly messed-up teens. The strength of the film lies in acting performances that make everyone human, even the monsters.
More festival exposure is assured, but only a brave distributor will take on such a tricky subject. The film might be better suited to home entertainment markets.
Reportedly, Harris spent years researching and writing his script, and it shows. The small details feel right, leaving us to accept the utter horror of the larger details. In quiet, subtle ways, his story shows how such things happen and why children gradually lose the will and ability to call out for help. While a screaming child and Movie of the Week fiends might have made a slicker, safer product, Harris takes pains to keep it real. The truly sick thing here is how nice the villain is to the children.
Alex (Tom Arnold in a performance of considerable nuance) and his much rougher partner Frank (Kevin Zegers) clearly spent time laying a trap for their young victim. Leslie Ryan Simpkins), a lovely, blond 8-year-old, is too bright to simply get into a stranger's car. A level of trust and seeming familiarity are carefully built before the two kidnappers can spirit her away from her East Coast home.
Leslie finds herself sharing space with a black youth her age, Donnie Jermaine Scooter Smith), who believes his institutionalized mother sold him to Alex. Leslie, who can read while Donnie can't, uses children's storybooks and her own imagination to create a fairy-tale world into which the two youngsters can retreat, a "jungle" where they feel safe from an adult world that has grown frightening.
The two cling to each other, forging an indissoluble bond. This has become their greatest resource when the film leaps ahead nearly a decade to San Diego, Calif. Now veteran street hustlers, the two live on the streets while selling their bodies or scamming potential clients.
Leslie (Gillian Jacobs) is the rock of Donnie's (Evan Ross) shattered existence, the one sustaining force in his life and only source of affection. Those who would further exploit the two see a need to drive a wedge between them: Leslie, now a beautiful young woman who can project a tarnished innocence, is a valuable commodity. She also could help recruit younger girls to the trade, putting her in the exact same position as Uncle Alex. Donnie, meanwhile, is viewed as a "loser."
By the time Leslie comes to her senses, Donnie has vanished. Then a wise counselor (John Malkovich in an unflashy cameo) at a shelter for runaways and homeless kids goes to the trouble to investigate Leslie's story. She honestly believes her parents are dead, but he locates them.
Can Leslie really go home again? And how many abducted kids ever get that chance? Harris raises such questions within this tragedy without ever mounting a pulpit. He lets connections get made and themes to emerge through the interaction of the two youngsters and how they perceive a hostile world. The only thing he slightly sugarcoats is that interaction, but his actors give level-headed, sincere portraits of youngsters whose value systems have been turned on their head: Vice is virtue and love perverse. They are still, in some ways, children, susceptible to the blandishments of adults and gullible about the facts of their lives. Even if they do survive, how will they ever free themselves from these distortions?
GARDENS OF THE NIGHT
Sobini Films and La Nuit Americaine present a Fastback Pictures Films, Station 3 and Shoot Prods. production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Damian Harris
Producers: Pascal Franchot, R.D. Robb
Executive producers: Mark Amin, Todd Olsson
Director of photography: Paula Huidobro
Production designer: Bradd Fillman
Music: Craig Richey
Costume designer: Rhona Meyers
Editor: Michael Shemesh
Cast:
Leslie: Gillian Jacobs
Donnie: Evan Ross
Alex: Tom Arnold
Michael: John Malkovich
Young Leslie: Ryan Simpkins
Young Donnie: Jermaine Scooter Smith
Frank: Kevin Zegers
Running time -- 107 minutes
No MPAA rating...
BERLIN -- Films about social issues usually exude the deadly aura of good intention and earnest edification, but Damian Harris zones in on his characters in Gardens of the Night. The film gives vivid reality to those photos of disappeared children on milk cartons by letting us peek into the lives of two abducted children subjected to sexual abuse and then prostitution.
The writer-director shuns sensationalism but does sentimentalize the friendship between the two youngsters, seen as children and then as thoroughly messed-up teens. The strength of the film lies in acting performances that make everyone human, even the monsters.
More festival exposure is assured, but only a brave distributor will take on such a tricky subject. The film might be better suited to home entertainment markets.
Reportedly, Harris spent years researching and writing his script, and it shows. The small details feel right, leaving us to accept the utter horror of the larger details. In quiet, subtle ways, his story shows how such things happen and why children gradually lose the will and ability to call out for help. While a screaming child and Movie of the Week fiends might have made a slicker, safer product, Harris takes pains to keep it real. The truly sick thing here is how nice the villain is to the children.
Alex (Tom Arnold in a performance of considerable nuance) and his much rougher partner Frank (Kevin Zegers) clearly spent time laying a trap for their young victim. Leslie Ryan Simpkins), a lovely, blond 8-year-old, is too bright to simply get into a stranger's car. A level of trust and seeming familiarity are carefully built before the two kidnappers can spirit her away from her East Coast home.
Leslie finds herself sharing space with a black youth her age, Donnie Jermaine Scooter Smith), who believes his institutionalized mother sold him to Alex. Leslie, who can read while Donnie can't, uses children's storybooks and her own imagination to create a fairy-tale world into which the two youngsters can retreat, a "jungle" where they feel safe from an adult world that has grown frightening.
The two cling to each other, forging an indissoluble bond. This has become their greatest resource when the film leaps ahead nearly a decade to San Diego, Calif. Now veteran street hustlers, the two live on the streets while selling their bodies or scamming potential clients.
Leslie (Gillian Jacobs) is the rock of Donnie's (Evan Ross) shattered existence, the one sustaining force in his life and only source of affection. Those who would further exploit the two see a need to drive a wedge between them: Leslie, now a beautiful young woman who can project a tarnished innocence, is a valuable commodity. She also could help recruit younger girls to the trade, putting her in the exact same position as Uncle Alex. Donnie, meanwhile, is viewed as a "loser."
By the time Leslie comes to her senses, Donnie has vanished. Then a wise counselor (John Malkovich in an unflashy cameo) at a shelter for runaways and homeless kids goes to the trouble to investigate Leslie's story. She honestly believes her parents are dead, but he locates them.
Can Leslie really go home again? And how many abducted kids ever get that chance? Harris raises such questions within this tragedy without ever mounting a pulpit. He lets connections get made and themes to emerge through the interaction of the two youngsters and how they perceive a hostile world. The only thing he slightly sugarcoats is that interaction, but his actors give level-headed, sincere portraits of youngsters whose value systems have been turned on their head: Vice is virtue and love perverse. They are still, in some ways, children, susceptible to the blandishments of adults and gullible about the facts of their lives. Even if they do survive, how will they ever free themselves from these distortions?
GARDENS OF THE NIGHT
Sobini Films and La Nuit Americaine present a Fastback Pictures Films, Station 3 and Shoot Prods. production
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Damian Harris
Producers: Pascal Franchot, R.D. Robb
Executive producers: Mark Amin, Todd Olsson
Director of photography: Paula Huidobro
Production designer: Bradd Fillman
Music: Craig Richey
Costume designer: Rhona Meyers
Editor: Michael Shemesh
Cast:
Leslie: Gillian Jacobs
Donnie: Evan Ross
Alex: Tom Arnold
Michael: John Malkovich
Young Leslie: Ryan Simpkins
Young Donnie: Jermaine Scooter Smith
Frank: Kevin Zegers
Running time -- 107 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/11/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
COLOGNE, Germany -- The 58th annual Berlin International Film Festival, bookended by Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones docu Shine a Light and the Michel Gondry comedy Be Kind Rewind, offers a competition selection that leans heavily on U.S. productions.
Fully a third of this year's lineup hails from the U.S., including the world premieres of Lance Hammer's feature debut Ballast, Justin Chadwick's period piece The Other Boleyn Girl, featuring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, Dennis Lee's Julia Roberts starrer Fireflies in the Garden (both screening out of competition) and Damian Harris' Gardens of the Night.
Other U.S. productions in Berlin include Elegy, an adaptation of Phillip Roth's novel The Dying Animal by Spanish director Isabel Coixet; and "S.O.P. -- Standard Operating Procedure," a documentary on Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib by Oscar-winner Errol Morris. Morris' film will mark the first time a docu will compete for Berlin's Golden Bear award.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated U.S. film heading to Berlin is Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, which will have its international premiere at the Berlinale.
Fully a third of this year's lineup hails from the U.S., including the world premieres of Lance Hammer's feature debut Ballast, Justin Chadwick's period piece The Other Boleyn Girl, featuring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, Dennis Lee's Julia Roberts starrer Fireflies in the Garden (both screening out of competition) and Damian Harris' Gardens of the Night.
Other U.S. productions in Berlin include Elegy, an adaptation of Phillip Roth's novel The Dying Animal by Spanish director Isabel Coixet; and "S.O.P. -- Standard Operating Procedure," a documentary on Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib by Oscar-winner Errol Morris. Morris' film will mark the first time a docu will compete for Berlin's Golden Bear award.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated U.S. film heading to Berlin is Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood, which will have its international premiere at the Berlinale.
- 1/22/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- The Berlin film festival have announced about a half-dozen titles to their upcoming competition section with Errol Morris' highly anticipated docu film on the non-vacation spot of Abu Ghraib prison leading the pack. S.O.P.: Standard Operating Procedure will be joined by future-Oscar nominated Paul Thomas Anderson film There Will Be Blood. Also filling about the section is Fernando Eimbcke's workshopped Lake Tahoe, about a thirteen-year-old Juan is obsessed with repairing the car he has just crashed, his late father’s final gift to him. As he wanders the city searching for parts, Juan is forced to make the transition from childhood to adulthood in the course of a day. The Mexican filmmaker last made the low-budget Duck Season.Falling in the same zone as City of God, Brazilian entry Tropa Elite is getting an international premiere, local helmer Doris Doerrie's Cherry Blossoms - Hanami will make a prsence,
- 12/11/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
MUNICH -- Four world premieres, including one from the U.S., and three international premieres will be among the films screening in competition at the 58th annual Berlin International Film Festival, organizers said Monday.
The 58th annual festival runs Feb. 7-17.
Among the initial titles announced were three U.S. productions: Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood", starring Daniel Day-Lewis; Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris' examination of the Abu Ghraib scandal, "Standard Operating Procedure/S.O.P."; and the U.S./U.K. co-production "Gardens of the Night" by Damian Harris, about two abducted children left to fend for themselves on the street.
"S.O.P". and "Gardens" are world premieres, while "There Will Be Blood" will be seen outside of domestic theaters for the first time.
In addition, Oscar winner Andrzej Wajda, who received an honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 2006 festival, will present the international premiere of his latest work, "Katjn", out of competition. It examines a long-taboo subject: the massacre of thousands of Polish prisoners of war by the Soviet secret service in 1940.
The 58th annual festival runs Feb. 7-17.
Among the initial titles announced were three U.S. productions: Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood", starring Daniel Day-Lewis; Oscar-winning documentarian Errol Morris' examination of the Abu Ghraib scandal, "Standard Operating Procedure/S.O.P."; and the U.S./U.K. co-production "Gardens of the Night" by Damian Harris, about two abducted children left to fend for themselves on the street.
"S.O.P". and "Gardens" are world premieres, while "There Will Be Blood" will be seen outside of domestic theaters for the first time.
In addition, Oscar winner Andrzej Wajda, who received an honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 2006 festival, will present the international premiere of his latest work, "Katjn", out of competition. It examines a long-taboo subject: the massacre of thousands of Polish prisoners of war by the Soviet secret service in 1940.
- 12/11/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
According to Production Weekly, John Malkovich will join Jeremy Sisto in the indie drama Gardens of the Night from Rachel Papers writer-director Damian Harris. The project centers on a pair of abducted siblings who are brainwashed into thinking their families did not want them. After years of isolation, the two are set free to face the world alone. Shooting is scheduled to commence next month in San Diego and Los Angeles. Malkovich is currently filming the sci-fi epic The Mutant Chronicles and was recently tapped to portray the titular magician in Tom Hanks' The Great Buck Howard.
- 7/21/2006
- IMDbPro News
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