Funny Story is a 2018 tragi-comedy, directed by Michael J. Gallagher and co-written by Gallagher and Steve Greene. Starring Matthew Glave, Emily Bett Rickards and Jana Winternitz. The film premiered as an official selection at the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival on January 21, 2018.
Video Funny Story
Plot
Aging TV star Walter Campbell's (Matthew Glave) attempts to breakup with younger girlfriend Lucy (Daisye Tutor) are thwarted by the announcement of her pregnancy. Looking for space, Walter resolves to visit his estranged daughter Nic (Jana Winternitz), currently residing in Big Sur, resentful of her father's neglectful parenting and womanizing ways. He agrees to give a lift to Nic's friend Kim (Emily Bett Rickards), who having recently attended the funeral of her estranged mother, is dealing with her own emotional baggage.
Upon arriving in Big Sur, Walter discover's that Nic is living on a lesbian commune, and is in fact due to get married. Nic is appreciative of Walter's acceptance of her sexuality, which sees the pairs relationship begin to repair, but this newly formed bond is at risk of being destroyed once and for all.
Maps Funny Story
Cast
- Matthew Glave as Walter Campbell
- Emily Bett Rickards as Kim
- Jana Winternitz as Nic
- Nikki Limo as Brian
- Lily Holleman as Moon
- Jessica Diggins as Paula
- Aschleigh Jensen as Tamara
- Pete Gardner as Jack
- Jacob Wysocki as Tyler
- Daisye Tutor as Lucy
- Reginald VelJohnson as Hank
- Ceciley Jenkins as Mrs Butterwen
- Jamie Costa as a Waiter
Production
Development
Gallagher and writing partner Steve Green began developing the project in 2015. Having previously worked heavily on genre-based projects, the pair wanted to develop a fictional story that drew more deeply upon the experiences and feelings of themselves and of people in their lives.
Initially struggling to find a production company willing to finance the film, by 2017 the success of Gallagher and Winterniz's production company Cinemand enabled them to finance the feature independently.
Casting
The part of Nic was specifically written with Winternitz in mind. On casting Glave, Gallagher noted that it took some time to find the right actor for the part of Walter and that he was looking for "someone who could be charming, oblivious, deeply narcissistic-- but deep down have a good heart". With regard to casting Rickards as Kim, he stated "I knew that by casting Emily, when Kim made tough choices, the audience could see that deep down she is a good person who is just lost at this moment in time."
Filming
Filming took place in Los Angeles, California, in June 2017 and on location at Topanga Canyon and Big Sur. The film was shot in its entirety over 15 days. Director Gallagher took the decision to shoot the whole film with a wide-angle lens, something he believed benefited the comedic nature of the film and showcased the actor's interactions, as it was "fun to let them breathe and experience the awkwardness of being stuck in this shot together."
Release
The film premiered as an official selection at the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival, as part of the festival's 'Beyond Program', with director Gallagher and the cast in attendance. The film was the runner-up in the festival's Audience Award for Beyond Feature.
The film was also featured as a special presentation at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, and was an official selection at the Omaha Film Festival, the Sonoma International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Stolman Audience Award for Best American Indie, the OUT Shine Festival in Miami and the Vero Beach Wine and Film Festival in Florida, where the film won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature. It made its European premiere at the Lucca Film Festival in Italy, in April 2018 and was an official selection at the Santorini Film Festival in Greece in June 2018, where it won Best Feature Film. It was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Feature at the Barcelona Film Festival. The film premiered in New York in July 2018 as an official selection at the Stony Brook Film Festival and premiered in New England in the same month as an official selection at the Woods Hole Film Festival where it won the Jury Prize for Best Narative Feature, Comedy. In August, the film screened as an official selection at the 2018 Rhode Island International Film Festival where it won first prize in the Alternative Spirit Award (Feature) category.
Reception
The film garnered positive reviews following its' film festival screenings. Danielle Solzman of Cultured Vultures noted the strong ensemble of female characters in the film, and in particular felt Rickards delivered "the performance of a lifetime". Stephen Saito of The Movable Feast praised the command of language in Gallagher and Greene's script, as well as the performances of Glave and Rickards, noting how both "impressively toe the line between blustery self-regard and the vulnerability it hides as Walter and Kim". Kimberley Pierce of Geek Girl Authority noted how much of the film's success hinged on the strong performances of the cast, in particular Glave, who "singlehandedly dictates the comedic tone of the movie" and Rickards, who "seems to hone in on the inherent conflict within Kimberly". Lucca Ciccioni of Anomina Cinefile praised Gallagher's accomplished filming, photography and editing.
Awards and nominations
References
External Links
- Funny Story on IMDb
- Official website
Source of article : Wikipedia
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