TAMARA JENKINS

Bil’s rating (out of 5):   BBBB. 

USA, 2007.  Fox Searchlight Pictures, Lone Star Film Group, This Is That Productions, Ad Hominem Enterprises, Cooper’s Town Productions, Savage Productions.  Screenplay by Tamara Jenkins.  Cinematography by W. Mott Hupfel III.Produced by Anne Carey, Ted Hope, Eric Westheimer.  Music by Stephen Trask.  Production Design by Jane Ann Stewart.  Costume Design by David C. Robinson.  Film Editing by Brian A. Kates.  

Two siblings, long estranged from their parents, are reunited when their aging father (Philip Bosco) is left to deal with his dementia alone after his girlfriend dies. It couldn’t come at a more inconvenient time as drama professor Philip Seymour Hoffman is working on his book on Bertold Brecht and office temp Laura Linney is trying to rise above her situation and get her playwriting career going. This emotionally difficult but deeply felt look at complicated family dynamics is never flashy or overly intense; its subtle intelligence and quiet beauty make it simultaneously challenging and rewarding. Hoffman and Linney shine, while Bosco really jumps off the screen as a man who is having difficulty holding on to the reality of his life.

Academy Award Nominations:  Best Actress (Laura Linney); Best Original Screenplay

Golden Globe Award Nomination:  Best Actor-Musical/Comedy (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

Toronto International Film Festival:  2007