Venue: Tribeca Film Festival (Plum Pictures) NEW YORK -- One can't help wondering if the agonies surrounding teenage sexual awakening will ever cease to mesmerize filmmakers.
The latest addition to the genre, "Bart Got a Room", got a rapturous response at the Tribeca Film Festival -- mainly from the director's extended family and friends who packed the premiere screening. That response probably will not be duplicated out in the real world, but "Bart" has enough laughs to snare a distributor and decent-sized audiences.
The premise could hardly be simpler. Time is running out, and Danny Stein (Steven Kaplan) still does not have a date for the prom. Danny is reluctant to invite his fallback date, his best friend Camille (Alia Shawkat), but most of his other prospects evaporate as the big night approaches. Danny is even forced to solicit the help of his divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines), though neither of them has much stored wisdom with regard to romantic relationships.
This familiar melange trots out adolescent sex jokes along with dysfunctional family jokes, and some of them are even funny, though the tone established by first-time writer-director Brian Hecker is much too broad.
The young actors help keep the movie afloat. Kaplan has innate charm, and Shawkat conveys just the right mixture of gawkiness and nascent self-assurance. Although it's a stretch to cast Macy and Hines as neurotic Jewish parents, they both score some belly laughs, and the supporting cast is deft. Jennifer Tilly has a brief but hilarious cameo as one of Macy's Internet dates.
Hecker makes good use of the south Florida locations, and the song selection -- including many Big Band favorites -- is winning. Hecker has said that the film was inspired by his own adolescent experiences, and while he is not the first filmmaker to mine his own teen crises for comedy, he would be well advised to move a little further afield if he wants to sustain a career.
CAST: Steven Kaplan, William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat. SCREENWRITER-DIRECTOR: Brian Hecker. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pamela Hirsch, Stephen Benedek, Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Reagan Silber, Dina Burke, Mario Fallone, Michael Lafetra, Randy Simon.
No MPAA rating, 80 minutes.
The latest addition to the genre, "Bart Got a Room", got a rapturous response at the Tribeca Film Festival -- mainly from the director's extended family and friends who packed the premiere screening. That response probably will not be duplicated out in the real world, but "Bart" has enough laughs to snare a distributor and decent-sized audiences.
The premise could hardly be simpler. Time is running out, and Danny Stein (Steven Kaplan) still does not have a date for the prom. Danny is reluctant to invite his fallback date, his best friend Camille (Alia Shawkat), but most of his other prospects evaporate as the big night approaches. Danny is even forced to solicit the help of his divorced parents (William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines), though neither of them has much stored wisdom with regard to romantic relationships.
This familiar melange trots out adolescent sex jokes along with dysfunctional family jokes, and some of them are even funny, though the tone established by first-time writer-director Brian Hecker is much too broad.
The young actors help keep the movie afloat. Kaplan has innate charm, and Shawkat conveys just the right mixture of gawkiness and nascent self-assurance. Although it's a stretch to cast Macy and Hines as neurotic Jewish parents, they both score some belly laughs, and the supporting cast is deft. Jennifer Tilly has a brief but hilarious cameo as one of Macy's Internet dates.
Hecker makes good use of the south Florida locations, and the song selection -- including many Big Band favorites -- is winning. Hecker has said that the film was inspired by his own adolescent experiences, and while he is not the first filmmaker to mine his own teen crises for comedy, he would be well advised to move a little further afield if he wants to sustain a career.
CAST: Steven Kaplan, William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat. SCREENWRITER-DIRECTOR: Brian Hecker. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pamela Hirsch, Stephen Benedek, Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Reagan Silber, Dina Burke, Mario Fallone, Michael Lafetra, Randy Simon.
No MPAA rating, 80 minutes.
- 4/29/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NEW YORK -- William H. Macy, Cheryl Hines, Alia Shawkat and Steven Kaplan will star in Brian Hecker's coming-of-age comedy Bart Got a Room for Plum Pictures.
Kaplan plays Bart, a high school senior living in a Florida retirement community with bickering parents (Macy and Hines). The nerdy teen struggles to find a date to his prom with the help of his best friend (Shawkat).
Plum is producing Bart in association with Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Shrink Media Inc., Basra Entertainment, and Benedek Films. Principal photography begins this month in Florida.
Plum's Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, and Daniela Taplin Lundberg will produce with Shrink's Jai Stefan and Basra's Tony Shawkat. Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Pam Hirsch, Dina Burke, Stephen Benedek, Mario Fallone, Randy Simon, and Michael LeFetra will executive produce.
Macy's many feature credits include Fargo and Wild Hogs. Hines, who recently appeared in Waitress, co-starred with Shawkat on Fox's Arrested Development. The film marks Kaplan's feature debut.
Kaplan plays Bart, a high school senior living in a Florida retirement community with bickering parents (Macy and Hines). The nerdy teen struggles to find a date to his prom with the help of his best friend (Shawkat).
Plum is producing Bart in association with Hart-Lunsford Pictures, Shrink Media Inc., Basra Entertainment, and Benedek Films. Principal photography begins this month in Florida.
Plum's Galt Niederhoffer, Celine Rattray, and Daniela Taplin Lundberg will produce with Shrink's Jai Stefan and Basra's Tony Shawkat. Ed Hart, Bruce Lunsford, Pam Hirsch, Dina Burke, Stephen Benedek, Mario Fallone, Randy Simon, and Michael LeFetra will executive produce.
Macy's many feature credits include Fargo and Wild Hogs. Hines, who recently appeared in Waitress, co-starred with Shawkat on Fox's Arrested Development. The film marks Kaplan's feature debut.
- 10/2/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.