Warner Independent – This Had Oscar Buzz

In the early aughts, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything Is Illuminated was an inescapable book, launching the young author’s career (and more than a few skeptics). Naturally, the film adaptation came along, though with the unexpected pedigree of cherished actor Liev Schreiber making his director debut. Starring Elijah Wood as a fictionalized version of Foer traveling to Ukraine to discover family truths buried by the Holocaust, the novel and film are a reflection on the lost history of shetls in Eastern Europe. But when the film arrived on the fall festival scene, underwhelming reviews

This episode, we talk about Elijah Wood’s post-Lord of the Rings career and the other films that have come from Foer’s writing. We also discuss the film arriving in the year of Schreiber’s Tony win, distributor Warner Independent’s successful 2005, and the National Board of Review’s 2005 picks for Special Recognition for Excellence in Filmmaking.

Topics also include emailing Natalie Portman, trailer voiceover, and the Blockbuster vs. Netflix discs era.

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After the success of The Hours in 2002, author Michael Cunningham was a hot commodity in prestige cinema. At the same time, Colin Farrell emerged as the next big thing and was seemingly inescapable at the movies. The two converged in 2004 for A Home at the End of the World, an adaptation of Cunningham’s novel delivered by celebrated stage director Michael Mayer. Also starring Robin Wright, Sissy Spacek, and a breakthrough Dallas Roberts, the film follows a bisexual throuple that forms their own unique family unit outside the societal norms and their struggles to maintain their delicate balance.

Released in the summer and met with lukewarm reviews, A Home… was mostly forgotten by year’s end despite the strong work of its cast. This episode, we revisit an early THOB bet about Colin Farrell’s long-term Oscar prospects and discuss the beginning days of both Warner Independent and Farrell’s career.

Topics also include Oscar’s recent history of straight actors in LGBTQ roles, Sissy Spacek smashing plates in the aughts, Michael Mayer’s Broadway directing credits, and “pentathalon bangs”. And we tease this year’s May miniseries!

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Tag: Warner Independent

244 – Everything is Illuminated

140 – A Home At The End Of The World