Ridea Prods.
Montreal International Film Festival
MONTREAL -- This very funny story dramatizes Los Angeles television producer-director Michael Pressman's true-life attempt to stage a performance of the play "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune." Pressman and his actress-wife, Lisa Chess, play themselves in a witty, well-paced tale of professional hubris, actorly squabbles and marital tenderness that hits all the right tragicomic notes.
At Montreal, where the film had its world premiere, Pressman cheerfully announced that he was having difficulty getting a distributor because the leads -- that's him, his wife and actor Alan Rosenberg -- weren't big enough names. But lack of marquee value shouldn't obscure the fact that this is a tender, amusing drama. Marketing-wise, the story behind the movie could generate some press.
Although the comedy revolves around the L.A. biz scene, it's by no means self-indulgent. The story begins when Pressman ("Picket Fences") and Chess decide to stage a nonequity performance of Terrence McNally's play. Pressman wants a change from TV, while Chess is feeling disillusioned with the audition treadmill. So Pressman puts up $25,000, calls in his friend Alan Rosenberg to play Johnny opposite Lisa's Frankie and books a 99-seat theater.
Things go wrong from the start. Rosenberg admits to Pressman that he's always lusted madly after his wife and will use this desire to fuel his characterization. Then Rosenberg and Chess' acting styles clash, and he threatens to punch her out during a rehearsal. Pressman's costs climb as the production suffers glitch after glitch. The preview show is a disaster, with a pot-addled Rosenberg making up 50% of the lines, then storming out. But the fun doesn't stop there. To his wife's horror, Pressman -- who hasn't been onstage for 30 years -- decides to take over the role of Johnny.
The script would be funny enough if it were just fiction, but knowing that the events really happened adds extra spice. It's certainly brave of Pressman and company to display their insecurities and problems for all to see, even if the story does end on a kind of upbeat note -- the show gets rave reviews but doesn't make any money.
Mandy Patinkin appears in a cameo as himself, having a creative freak-out in his trailer on the set of "Chicago Hope", and CBS president Leslie Moonves shows up to berate Pressman, incredulous that he wants out of a TV pilot to do the play.
Montreal International Film Festival
MONTREAL -- This very funny story dramatizes Los Angeles television producer-director Michael Pressman's true-life attempt to stage a performance of the play "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune." Pressman and his actress-wife, Lisa Chess, play themselves in a witty, well-paced tale of professional hubris, actorly squabbles and marital tenderness that hits all the right tragicomic notes.
At Montreal, where the film had its world premiere, Pressman cheerfully announced that he was having difficulty getting a distributor because the leads -- that's him, his wife and actor Alan Rosenberg -- weren't big enough names. But lack of marquee value shouldn't obscure the fact that this is a tender, amusing drama. Marketing-wise, the story behind the movie could generate some press.
Although the comedy revolves around the L.A. biz scene, it's by no means self-indulgent. The story begins when Pressman ("Picket Fences") and Chess decide to stage a nonequity performance of Terrence McNally's play. Pressman wants a change from TV, while Chess is feeling disillusioned with the audition treadmill. So Pressman puts up $25,000, calls in his friend Alan Rosenberg to play Johnny opposite Lisa's Frankie and books a 99-seat theater.
Things go wrong from the start. Rosenberg admits to Pressman that he's always lusted madly after his wife and will use this desire to fuel his characterization. Then Rosenberg and Chess' acting styles clash, and he threatens to punch her out during a rehearsal. Pressman's costs climb as the production suffers glitch after glitch. The preview show is a disaster, with a pot-addled Rosenberg making up 50% of the lines, then storming out. But the fun doesn't stop there. To his wife's horror, Pressman -- who hasn't been onstage for 30 years -- decides to take over the role of Johnny.
The script would be funny enough if it were just fiction, but knowing that the events really happened adds extra spice. It's certainly brave of Pressman and company to display their insecurities and problems for all to see, even if the story does end on a kind of upbeat note -- the show gets rave reviews but doesn't make any money.
Mandy Patinkin appears in a cameo as himself, having a creative freak-out in his trailer on the set of "Chicago Hope", and CBS president Leslie Moonves shows up to berate Pressman, incredulous that he wants out of a TV pilot to do the play.
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.