Josh Gad plans on co-writing and starring in a movie adaptation of 60s TV show Gilligan’s Island.
Josh Gad Making 'Gilligan's Island' Movie
Gad will get help on the script with 1600 Penn’s Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Producing the film will be Gilligan’s Island show creator Sherwood Schwartz’s two sons – Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz.
While Gad will definitely have a part in the movie, it has yet to be announced which character the actor will take on.
The original Gilligan’s Island premiered in 1964 and followed a group of seven men and women who were stranded out at sea on an unknown island after getting shipwrecked in a storm. The survivors of the S.S. Minnow – Gilligan (Bob Denver), The Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.), Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus), Lovey Howell (Natalie Schafer), Ginger Grant (Tina Louise), Professor Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson) and...
Josh Gad Making 'Gilligan's Island' Movie
Gad will get help on the script with 1600 Penn’s Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Producing the film will be Gilligan’s Island show creator Sherwood Schwartz’s two sons – Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz.
While Gad will definitely have a part in the movie, it has yet to be announced which character the actor will take on.
The original Gilligan’s Island premiered in 1964 and followed a group of seven men and women who were stranded out at sea on an unknown island after getting shipwrecked in a storm. The survivors of the S.S. Minnow – Gilligan (Bob Denver), The Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.), Thurston Howell III (Jim Backus), Lovey Howell (Natalie Schafer), Ginger Grant (Tina Louise), Professor Roy Hinkley (Russell Johnson) and...
- 12/20/2013
- Uinterview
Josh Gad has been chosen to write and star in the Gilligan’s Island reboot for Warner Bros.
Gad, who is probably best known for his Broadway performance in “Book Of Mormon,” will get some help with the script by Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Lloyd Schwartz — son of original show producer Sherwood Shwartz — is exec producing with Ross Schwartz, Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers.
There’s no word on which character Gad will play, but given that he’s the star of the movie, some speculate he” play The Skipper.
Gilligan’s Island ran on CBS for three seasons between 1964 and 1967. The first season was filmed in black and white and later colorized for syndication. The show’s second and third seasons and three additional television movies were filmed in color.
The iconic show centered on the wacky misadventures of seven castaways — two crew members, a millionaire couple, a professor,...
Gad, who is probably best known for his Broadway performance in “Book Of Mormon,” will get some help with the script by Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Lloyd Schwartz — son of original show producer Sherwood Shwartz — is exec producing with Ross Schwartz, Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers.
There’s no word on which character Gad will play, but given that he’s the star of the movie, some speculate he” play The Skipper.
Gilligan’s Island ran on CBS for three seasons between 1964 and 1967. The first season was filmed in black and white and later colorized for syndication. The show’s second and third seasons and three additional television movies were filmed in color.
The iconic show centered on the wacky misadventures of seven castaways — two crew members, a millionaire couple, a professor,...
- 12/18/2013
- by Laura Frances
- LRMonline.com
Warner Bros. has made a deal with Josh Gad (NBC's 1600 Penn, Fox's Back to You) to star in the upcoming movie based on 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island. There's no word on which of the seven iconic castaways Gad will play but Gilligan seems likely.
Gad is also set to write the feature film with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez.
The original Gilligan's Island series stars Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. The sitcom ran for just three seasons.
It was created by Sherwood Schwartz who passed away in 2011. Before he died, Schwartz suggested that Michael Cera might make a good Gilligan.
His sons, Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz are executive producing the movie along with Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers, the daughters of late actor/producer...
Gad is also set to write the feature film with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez.
The original Gilligan's Island series stars Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr, Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. The sitcom ran for just three seasons.
It was created by Sherwood Schwartz who passed away in 2011. Before he died, Schwartz suggested that Michael Cera might make a good Gilligan.
His sons, Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz are executive producing the movie along with Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers, the daughters of late actor/producer...
- 12/18/2013
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Josh Gad will co-write and star in a big-screen adaptation of Gilligan’s Island for Warner Bros. Gad’s publicist confirmed a Deadline report that the Tony-nominated star of The Book of Mormon and the voice of Frozen’s talking snowman will pen the script with 1600 Penn writers Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. No one is saying which character Gad is keen to play, though. Lloyd and Ross Schwartz, the children of Sherwood Schwartz — who produced the original TV series and died in 2011 — will executive produce alongside Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers.
Gilligan’s Island ran for three seasons on...
Gilligan’s Island ran for three seasons on...
- 12/17/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
Schedule up "a three-hour tour" for Frozen star Josh Gad. The comedian has agreed to star in and co-write a feature-film adaptation of the hit television show Gilligan.s Island for Warner Bros. The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Gad . also known for the hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon -- will script the Gilligan treatment with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Lloyd and Ross Schwartz, children of Gilligan.s Island creator Sherwood Schwartz, will executive produce the feature film. If you are of a certain age, Gilligan.s Island was sitcom gold. Starring the late Bob Denver as a lanky, idiotic first mate, the show followed seven stranded castaways who embarked on a sea-faring tour, only to get caught in a storm. As the theme song informs us, the weather started getting rough, and the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of Gilligan and his best...
- 12/17/2013
- cinemablend.com
Nearly four years ago, we learned producer Charles Roven (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) and his Atlas Entertainment production banner are working with Warner Bros to develop a feature length film adaptation of the classic castaway television series Gilligan's Island. Writer Brad Copeland (Yogi Bear, Wild Hogs) was hired to script the film, but now it's in different hands. Deadline reports Warner Bros. has hired Josh Gad (Frozen, "Book of Mormon") to lead the film, and he will also write the script with Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (who scripted "1600 Penn" with Gad). However, Gad's not necessarily playing Gilligan. Gad seems like a better fit for The Skipper than Gilligan, but we're not sure how this reimagining of the story is going to work. Lloyd and Ross Schwartz (sons of the series creator Sherwood Schwartz) will executive produce with Tacey and Cathy Silvers. When the project was revealed a few years ago,...
- 12/17/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Warner Bros. is about to go on a fateful trip, that started on a tropic port aboard a tiny ship. The studio is putting into motion a big-screen version of Gilligan's Island, the classic 1960s television comedy, that will serve as a vehicle for Josh Gad, the Broadway star who is currently one of the star voices in Disney’s Frozen, THR has confirmed. Gad will write the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez and will also star. Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz, the children of Island creator Sherwood Schwartz (a TV legend who also created The Brady Bunch)
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- 12/17/2013
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Remember Gilligan’s Island, the venerable 1960s TV series about seven castaways who wind up stranded on a tropical island after a torrential storm shipwrecks their yacht The S.S. Minnow? Warner Bros is charting a course for a feature film based on the series. It will be fashioned as a star vessel for Book Of Mormon‘s Josh Gad. Gad, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez will write the script. Lloyd Schwartz, Ross Schwartz, Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers will be executive producers. They’re not saying what character Gad would play, but the title character seems a possibility, though he could conceivably play The Skipper. The original series with the catchy theme song was created by Sherwood Schwartz, and starred Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr as Skipper, Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer as Thurston and Lovey Howell, Dawn Wells as Mary Ann, and Tina Louise as Ginger.
- 12/17/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. is planning to resuscitate Gilligan's Island. No, not as a television series, like the original with ran from 1964 to 1967. While the show only lasted three seasons, the re-runs have thrived over the decades. The original cast was made up of: Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr as the Skipper, Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schaefer as Lovie Howell, Tina Louise as Ginger, Russell Johnson as the Professor, and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann. As for this new project, WB is hoping this new version of Gilligan's Island will be a launching pad for Josh Gad. Who you may know from The Rocker, or more recently Frozen. He voiced Olaf the naive but lovable snowman. It will be fashioned as a star vessel for Book Of Mormon‘s Josh Gad. Gad, Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez will write the script. Lloyd Schwartz, Ross Schwartz,...
- 12/17/2013
- ComicBookMovie.com
Proving that there's still at least one classic TV show that hasn't gotten a movie adaptation, Deadline is reporting that "Gilligan's Island" is now headed for the big screen, starring Josh Gad.
It's unclear what character Gad would play, though it will most likely be the titular castaway, or perhaps the Skipper. Gad is co-writing the project with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez.
"Gilligan's Island" focused on a group of seven castaways who washed up on an island after their scenic boat tour ran into a storm that threw them off course. The series, created in 1964 by Sherwood Schwartz (the man behind other classic '60s series "The Brady Bunch"), ran for three seasons on CBS and spawned three movie specials; it was also a huge hit in syndication.
Schwartz's sons, Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz, are co-producing the project alongside Cathy Silvers and Tracey Silvers. Here's hoping that family...
It's unclear what character Gad would play, though it will most likely be the titular castaway, or perhaps the Skipper. Gad is co-writing the project with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez.
"Gilligan's Island" focused on a group of seven castaways who washed up on an island after their scenic boat tour ran into a storm that threw them off course. The series, created in 1964 by Sherwood Schwartz (the man behind other classic '60s series "The Brady Bunch"), ran for three seasons on CBS and spawned three movie specials; it was also a huge hit in syndication.
Schwartz's sons, Lloyd Schwartz and Ross Schwartz, are co-producing the project alongside Cathy Silvers and Tracey Silvers. Here's hoping that family...
- 12/17/2013
- by Katie Roberts
- Moviefone
Warner Bros. is moving forward with their Gilligan's Island adaptation and have signed Josh Gad for a lead role, reports Deadline . Gad, who can currently be heard on the big screen as the snowman Olaf in Frozen , will write the script with Benji Samit and Dan Hernandez. Lloyd Schwartz, Ross Schwartz, Tracey Silvers and Cathy Silvers will executive produce. According to the site, the studio is not saying which character Gad would play. It could be the title character or maybe even The Skipper. The original show featured Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Dawn Wells and Tina Louise as a band of unlikely castaways stranded on an uncharted island after a three-hour tour. 98 episodes of the show ran on CBS from 1964 to 1967. The first season was filmed in...
- 12/17/2013
- Comingsoon.net
AP Text/Video:
Los Angeles -- Sherwood Schwartz, writer-creator of two of the best-remembered TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch," has died at age 94.
Great niece Robin Randall said Schwartz died at 4 a.m. Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was being treated for an intestinal infection and underwent several surgeries. His wife, Mildred, and children had been at his side.
Sherwood Schwartz and his brother, Al, started as a writing team in TV's famed 1950s "golden age," said Douglas Schwartz, the late Al Schwartz's son.
"They helped shape television in its early days," Douglas Schwartz said. "Sherwood is an American classic, creating `Brady Bunch' and `Gilligan's Island,' iconic shows that are still popular today. He continued to produce all the way up into his 90s."
Sherwood Schwartz was working on a big-screen version of "Gilligan's Island," his nephew said. Douglas Schwartz,...
Los Angeles -- Sherwood Schwartz, writer-creator of two of the best-remembered TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch," has died at age 94.
Great niece Robin Randall said Schwartz died at 4 a.m. Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was being treated for an intestinal infection and underwent several surgeries. His wife, Mildred, and children had been at his side.
Sherwood Schwartz and his brother, Al, started as a writing team in TV's famed 1950s "golden age," said Douglas Schwartz, the late Al Schwartz's son.
"They helped shape television in its early days," Douglas Schwartz said. "Sherwood is an American classic, creating `Brady Bunch' and `Gilligan's Island,' iconic shows that are still popular today. He continued to produce all the way up into his 90s."
Sherwood Schwartz was working on a big-screen version of "Gilligan's Island," his nephew said. Douglas Schwartz,...
- 7/12/2011
- by Kiki Von Glinow
- Huffington Post
Sherwood Schwartz, who created two of the most popular sitcoms of the '60s and '70s, Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, died Tuesday in Los Angeles of natural causes, surrounded by his family, a family member announced. He was 94. Not only did Schwartz send the passengers and crew of the Minnow on a three-hour tour, one that lasted from 1964 to 1967 (and forever after in reruns), but he also wrote the Gilligan's theme song. He did the same for the 1969-74 Brady Bunch, about a widow and a widower with a lot of kids - and a sagacious housekeeper.
- 7/12/2011
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
HighRoad Entertainment has optioned Ross Schwartz's original screenplay "Looking for Norma Desmond."
The script takes inspiration from the Hollywood classic "Sunset Boulevard" in telling the complicated love story of a struggling writer and the aging former starlet whose comeback he engineers. In "Sunset," Gloria Swanson played fading star Desmond, whose career arc parallels that of Schwartz's lead character, Betty Moran.
"Old Hollywood had an elegance, heart and style that we are in danger of losing," said Schwartz, whose father, Sherwood, created "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island." "I tried to recapture a little of that world in the script."
HighRoad's David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud are producing.
Schwartz co-wrote the wine-tasting comedy "Bottle Shock," which played Sundance last year.
HighRoad has produced the features "The Perfect Game" and "Running the Sahara" and the documentary "For Right or Wrong." The company also is developing the black auto-racing biopic "Silent Thunder" and "Angel of Oxnard,...
The script takes inspiration from the Hollywood classic "Sunset Boulevard" in telling the complicated love story of a struggling writer and the aging former starlet whose comeback he engineers. In "Sunset," Gloria Swanson played fading star Desmond, whose career arc parallels that of Schwartz's lead character, Betty Moran.
"Old Hollywood had an elegance, heart and style that we are in danger of losing," said Schwartz, whose father, Sherwood, created "The Brady Bunch" and "Gilligan's Island." "I tried to recapture a little of that world in the script."
HighRoad's David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud are producing.
Schwartz co-wrote the wine-tasting comedy "Bottle Shock," which played Sundance last year.
HighRoad has produced the features "The Perfect Game" and "Running the Sahara" and the documentary "For Right or Wrong." The company also is developing the black auto-racing biopic "Silent Thunder" and "Angel of Oxnard,...
- 5/20/2009
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We absolutely loved this film! Check out clips from the DVD release of Fox Home Entertainment's gem "Bottle Shock." The comedic drama is helmed and written by Randall Miller ("Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School"). Golden Globe-winning Alan Rickman collaborates with Miller for the second time in two years after "Nobel Son." The cast also includes Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Eliza Dushku, Freddy Rodriguez and Dennis Farina. This is one of the most entertaining films around and one not to missed. What's it about? Pour out the laughs and brim over with American spirit as the incredible true story that put Napa on the map of fine wines is uncorked with Bottle Shock, debuting onto DVD February 3rd from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Premiering at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Bottle Shock has won the hearts of critics and audiences alike. Praised as “Rocky for wine aficionados” (The...
- 1/30/2009
- Upcoming-Movies.com
As recently as 30 years ago, California wines were considered something of a joke by connoisseurs. Even most Americans were familiar only with gallon jugs of Gallo that sold for $5 or so.
Randall Miller's crowd-pleasing "Bottle Shock" tells the incredible but true story of how that abruptly changed in 1976, when a small Napa winery shocked the wine world by winning a major French blind-tasting contest with a 1973 Chardonnay.
The Bicentennial-themed tasting is organized by Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman), who is trying to promote his faltering wine shop in Paris.
Encouraged an...
Randall Miller's crowd-pleasing "Bottle Shock" tells the incredible but true story of how that abruptly changed in 1976, when a small Napa winery shocked the wine world by winning a major French blind-tasting contest with a 1973 Chardonnay.
The Bicentennial-themed tasting is organized by Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman), who is trying to promote his faltering wine shop in Paris.
Encouraged an...
- 8/6/2008
- by By LOU LUMENICK
- NYPost.com
NEW YORK -- "Bottle Shock", the true story of a California winery family, will be distributed in North America by Freestyle Releasing.
Randall Miller's feature starring Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Freddy Rodriguez premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival. It revolves around a vineyard owner (Pullman) and his slacker son (Pine) who join forces with a British winemaker (Rickman) to launch the 1976 Paris Tastings, which put the California wine industry on the map.
The film will be released this year in more than 250 theaters nationwide. Odd Lot International will handle foreign sales on the project at next month's Festival de Cannes, part of a two-picture rep deal with Freestyle.
Miller co-wrote the film with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz. He also produced the film with Savin, J. Todd Harris, Brenda Lhormer, Marc Lhormer and Marc Toberoff.
Freestyle also is distributing Miller's darkly comic thriller "Nobel Son", which also stars Rickman and Pullman.
Randall Miller's feature starring Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Freddy Rodriguez premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival. It revolves around a vineyard owner (Pullman) and his slacker son (Pine) who join forces with a British winemaker (Rickman) to launch the 1976 Paris Tastings, which put the California wine industry on the map.
The film will be released this year in more than 250 theaters nationwide. Odd Lot International will handle foreign sales on the project at next month's Festival de Cannes, part of a two-picture rep deal with Freestyle.
Miller co-wrote the film with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz. He also produced the film with Savin, J. Todd Harris, Brenda Lhormer, Marc Lhormer and Marc Toberoff.
Freestyle also is distributing Miller's darkly comic thriller "Nobel Son", which also stars Rickman and Pullman.
- 4/17/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- When a film opens with the title, "Based on a true story", one wonders if the filmmakers are trying to bolster a flimsy premise with claims of authenticity.
But Bottle Shock, which had its world premiere at Sundance, enshrines an irresistible story that happens to be (mainly) true. It takes place in 1976, the year of the American Bicentennial, and in these cynical times, it is nice to be reminded of an American victory that is actually worth celebrating. This might not have been a momentous world achievement, but it was a gratifying victory all the same.
The contest takes place in the world of wine, in a time when California wines competed for the first time in a prestigious competition in France. One of the competitors was Chateau Montelena, a vineyard owned by Jim Barrett, who dropped out of the corporate rat race to pursue his dream of cultivating grapes. Jim is just one of the engaging characters in this tale of American hayseeds taking on French connoisseurs. Because of the wine backdrop, some will compare the film to Sideways, but the comparisons are not really fair. This is a different kind of movie, a classic underdog tale with lots of humor and heart. With the right handling, it could be a hit on the specialty circuit.
The film begins by introducing an intriguing ensemble. In the Napa Valley, Jim (Bill Pullman) is locked in constant battle with his slacker son, Bo (Chris Pine), who works for him at the vineyard. Another worker, Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez), the son of a Mexican field hand, hopes to launch his own label. Both of the men are infatuated with Sam (Rachael Taylor), a new arrival in town. Meanwhile, in Paris, Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) hopes to revive his failing wine business by sponsoring a competition, and a friend encourages him to visit California to add a new gimmick to the contest.
The film is very leisurely in establishing all these characters -- a mite too leisurely. The first half would benefit from tighter editing. Another problem is that the characters -- the tyrannical father and the rebellious son, the snooty European wine connoisseur -- are a bit stock, and the personal stories are not as well developed as they might be. But the film keeps building in intensity, and the payoff sizzles.
As he showed in "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School," director Randall Miller has real affection for actors, and he brings out the best in performers who haven't always had an opportunity to shine. (Miller wrote and produced both films with his wife, Jody Savin.) Pullman has his best role in years, and he captures the fury as well as the passion of a man in thrall to a dream on the verge of collapse. Pine has enormous charm, and Rodriguez confirms the promise he showed on HBO's Six Feet Under. Rickman also has one of his juiciest roles in recent years, and he's able to satirize British haughtiness without falling into caricature. Watch his reactions as he samples California cuisine -- first a vat of Kentucky Fried Chicken and then a glob of guacamole -- and you'll savor the mastery of a truly subtle actor. Two beautiful young actresses -- Taylor and Eliza Dushku as a ballsy bartender -- give equally winning performances.
Once the film gets past the exposition, it brings off a number of delectable scenes. A high point comes when Rickman and Pine inveigle a bunch of airline passengers to transport California wine in their carry-on bags. And the climactic competition, where the scrappy American interloper has to stand up against generations of French tradition, is as rousing as any finale you'll see this year. Cinematographer Michael J. Ozier magnificently captures the Napa countryside. This intelligent, affectionate, beautifully acted movie gives crowd-pleasers a good name.
BOTTLE SHOCK
Unclaimed Freight Prods.
Credits:
Director: Randall Miller
Screenwriters: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Ross Schwartz
Story: Ross Schwartz, Lannette Pabon, Jody Savin, Randall Miller
Producers: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Marc Lhormer, Brenda Lhormer, J. Todd Harris, Marc Toberoff
Executive producers: Robert Baizer, Erik Clyge, Art Klein, Dan Schryer
Director of photography: Michael J. Ozier
Production designer: Craig Stearns
Music: Mark Adler
Co-producer: Elaine Dysinger
Costume designer: Jillian Kreiner
Editors: Randall Miller, Dan O'Brien
Cast:
Steven Spurrier: Alan Rickman
Jim Barrett: Bill Pullman
Bo Barrett: Chris Pine
Sam: Rachael Taylor
Gustavo: Freddy Rodriguez
Maurice: Dennis Farina
Joe: Eliza Dushku
Mr. Garcia: Miguel Sandoval
Running time -- 110 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- When a film opens with the title, "Based on a true story", one wonders if the filmmakers are trying to bolster a flimsy premise with claims of authenticity.
But Bottle Shock, which had its world premiere at Sundance, enshrines an irresistible story that happens to be (mainly) true. It takes place in 1976, the year of the American Bicentennial, and in these cynical times, it is nice to be reminded of an American victory that is actually worth celebrating. This might not have been a momentous world achievement, but it was a gratifying victory all the same.
The contest takes place in the world of wine, in a time when California wines competed for the first time in a prestigious competition in France. One of the competitors was Chateau Montelena, a vineyard owned by Jim Barrett, who dropped out of the corporate rat race to pursue his dream of cultivating grapes. Jim is just one of the engaging characters in this tale of American hayseeds taking on French connoisseurs. Because of the wine backdrop, some will compare the film to Sideways, but the comparisons are not really fair. This is a different kind of movie, a classic underdog tale with lots of humor and heart. With the right handling, it could be a hit on the specialty circuit.
The film begins by introducing an intriguing ensemble. In the Napa Valley, Jim (Bill Pullman) is locked in constant battle with his slacker son, Bo (Chris Pine), who works for him at the vineyard. Another worker, Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez), the son of a Mexican field hand, hopes to launch his own label. Both of the men are infatuated with Sam (Rachael Taylor), a new arrival in town. Meanwhile, in Paris, Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) hopes to revive his failing wine business by sponsoring a competition, and a friend encourages him to visit California to add a new gimmick to the contest.
The film is very leisurely in establishing all these characters -- a mite too leisurely. The first half would benefit from tighter editing. Another problem is that the characters -- the tyrannical father and the rebellious son, the snooty European wine connoisseur -- are a bit stock, and the personal stories are not as well developed as they might be. But the film keeps building in intensity, and the payoff sizzles.
As he showed in "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing & Charm School," director Randall Miller has real affection for actors, and he brings out the best in performers who haven't always had an opportunity to shine. (Miller wrote and produced both films with his wife, Jody Savin.) Pullman has his best role in years, and he captures the fury as well as the passion of a man in thrall to a dream on the verge of collapse. Pine has enormous charm, and Rodriguez confirms the promise he showed on HBO's Six Feet Under. Rickman also has one of his juiciest roles in recent years, and he's able to satirize British haughtiness without falling into caricature. Watch his reactions as he samples California cuisine -- first a vat of Kentucky Fried Chicken and then a glob of guacamole -- and you'll savor the mastery of a truly subtle actor. Two beautiful young actresses -- Taylor and Eliza Dushku as a ballsy bartender -- give equally winning performances.
Once the film gets past the exposition, it brings off a number of delectable scenes. A high point comes when Rickman and Pine inveigle a bunch of airline passengers to transport California wine in their carry-on bags. And the climactic competition, where the scrappy American interloper has to stand up against generations of French tradition, is as rousing as any finale you'll see this year. Cinematographer Michael J. Ozier magnificently captures the Napa countryside. This intelligent, affectionate, beautifully acted movie gives crowd-pleasers a good name.
BOTTLE SHOCK
Unclaimed Freight Prods.
Credits:
Director: Randall Miller
Screenwriters: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Ross Schwartz
Story: Ross Schwartz, Lannette Pabon, Jody Savin, Randall Miller
Producers: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Marc Lhormer, Brenda Lhormer, J. Todd Harris, Marc Toberoff
Executive producers: Robert Baizer, Erik Clyge, Art Klein, Dan Schryer
Director of photography: Michael J. Ozier
Production designer: Craig Stearns
Music: Mark Adler
Co-producer: Elaine Dysinger
Costume designer: Jillian Kreiner
Editors: Randall Miller, Dan O'Brien
Cast:
Steven Spurrier: Alan Rickman
Jim Barrett: Bill Pullman
Bo Barrett: Chris Pine
Sam: Rachael Taylor
Gustavo: Freddy Rodriguez
Maurice: Dennis Farina
Joe: Eliza Dushku
Mr. Garcia: Miguel Sandoval
Running time -- 110 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/29/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Pine, Rachael Taylor, Eliza Dushku, Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman are toasting Bottle Shock, a drama about the birth of the Napa Valley wine industry from filmmaker Randall M. Miller.
Set in the 1970s, the film is based on the true story of the Montelena Winery, which won an international wine-tasting competition and put the California region on the vino map.
Pine portrays the son of the vineyard owner who saves the winery and represents Napa in the French tasting, while Taylor plays a university student who interns at the winery.
Dushku acts as a local bartender, and Pullman is the owner of the run-down winery who clashes with his son.
Rickman is an Englishman who runs L'Academie du Vin in Paris and is the chief architect of the blind-tasting challenge that results in an upset victory for the American vintages.
The script was written by Miller and Jody Savin from an original script by Ross Schwartz.
Set in the 1970s, the film is based on the true story of the Montelena Winery, which won an international wine-tasting competition and put the California region on the vino map.
Pine portrays the son of the vineyard owner who saves the winery and represents Napa in the French tasting, while Taylor plays a university student who interns at the winery.
Dushku acts as a local bartender, and Pullman is the owner of the run-down winery who clashes with his son.
Rickman is an Englishman who runs L'Academie du Vin in Paris and is the chief architect of the blind-tasting challenge that results in an upset victory for the American vintages.
The script was written by Miller and Jody Savin from an original script by Ross Schwartz.
- 7/20/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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