rebecca of sunnybrook farm is a 1917 american silent comedy-drama film directed by marshall neilan based upon the novel of the same name by kate douglas wiggin .

this version is notable for having been adapted by famed female screenwriter frances marion .

the film was made by the " mary pickford company " and was an acclaimed box office hit .

when the play premiered on broadway in the 1910 theater season the part of rebecca was played by edith taliaferro .

rebecca of sunnybrook farm ( 1917 film )

rebecca of sunnybrook farm ( 1917 ) - - mary pickford , dir . by marshall neilan
rebecca of sunnybrook farm ( 1917 ) - - mary pickford , dir . by marshall neilan - youtube
rebecca of sunnybrook farm is a 1932 film based on the 1903 children ' s classic novel by kate douglas wiggin .
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rebecca of sunnybrook farm gives a great crash course in pickford , but it lacks any thrust or memorable qualities outside of pickford’s presence . it’s like a day on a farm , basic if not pleasant overall .
the poor little rich girl ( 1917 film by m . tourneur with mary pickford )
rebecca of sunnybrook farm moves along in perfect unison , devoid of padding , minus the wastage of one foot of film , engrossing and impressive , yet with perfect accord in its relation to suspense and cumulative appeal .
“at least for a little while , pleasanton saw a lot of hollywood companies come to shoot in town , ” said david kiehn , historian for the niles essanay film museum . “mary pickford kind of kicked it all off with ‘rebecca of sunnybrook farm’ in 1917 . ”
in the film version , rebecca is played by mary pickford , who arrived in june 1917 and stayed for a few weeks , officially marking the city’s heyday of the silent film era .
like many american films of the time , rebecca of sunnybrook farm was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards . the chicago board of censors required a cut of the intertitle
i have just learned the simpsons are not married .
mary pickford film corporation production ; distributed by artcraft pictures corporation . / produced by mary pickford . scenario by frances marion , from the play adaptation rebecca of sunnybrook farm by kate douglas wiggin and charlotte thompson of the novel rebecca of sunnybrook farm by kate douglas wiggin . art direction by wilfred buckland . assistant director , dudley blanchard . photographed ( cinematography ) by walter stradling . / © 4 september 1917 by artcraft pictures corporation [ lp11348 ] . released 22 september 1917 . / standard 35mm spherical 1 . 33 : 1 format . / the film was rereleased in the usa in june 1920 .
like many american films of the time , rebecca of sunnybrook farm was subject to cuts by city and state film censorship boards . the chicago board of censors required a cut of the intertitle
i have just learned the simpsons are not married .
[ 5 ]
a successful persona pigeonholed actors into various features , so repetition in film plots isn’t new . with filmmaking still in its infancy in 1917 films didn’t repeat themselves so much as live in the skin of a previous success , and pickford’s films can get stale very quickly . watching rebecca of sunnybrook farm after the poor little rich girl deviates slightly , albeit from the character’s monetary background , but it’s hard wiping away the stain of other films . if you’ve watched shirley temple’s take on the material , rebecca of sunnybrook farm’s treasure chest has been revealed .
rebecca of sunnybrook farm ( 1917 ) starring : mary pickford , eugene o ' brien , helen jerome , marjorie daw , charles ogle , mayme kelso , jane wolfe , josephine crowell , jack mcdonald , violet wilkey , emma gordes directed by marshall neilan william thomas sherman , wts @ gunjones . com , urltoken
it was filmed by fox film corporation and directed by alfred santell . the film starred marian nixon as rebecca and co - starred ralph bellamy .
local historian charles huff said the filming made an impression on the town . he even came across a pink ribbon handed out to residents exclaiming , “i was there for the filming of rebecca of sunnybrook farm . ” and some even participated directly on the project .
england , george allan ( 1917 ) , the greater crime , london : cassell and co .
the area’s history was not lost to paula wujek , who knew for several years that “rebecca of sunnybrook farm” was filmed in the city . as a fan of kate douglas wiggin’s story , which was published in 1903 , wujek thought it would make a great play .
rebecca of sunnybrook farm moves along in perfect unison , devoid of padding , minus the wastage of one foot of film , engrossing and impressive , yet with perfect accord in its relation to suspense and cumulative appeal . in adapting the kate douglas wiggin book for the screen , frances marion wrought well . the original story has been retained , [ … ]
“then it came back to me , ” the director said , recalling the process of deciding which play to produce as part of the pleasanton civic arts stage company program this year . “rebecca of sunnybrook farm” will be performed may 6 to 15 at the firehouse arts center . two casts of 19 members each — including professional actors — will take on the tale of the gregarious farm girl sent to the city to live with her two aunts .
the american film institute catalog feature films : 1911 - 20 by the american film institute , c . 1988
survival status : prints exist in the ucla film and television archive film archive [ 35mm preservation positive ] ; and in the mary pickford institute for film education film collection [ 35mm duplicate negative , 35mm duplicate positives ] .
after rebecca ( shirley temple ) is mistakenly rejected at an audition for a radio advertising campaign , her stepfather takes her upstate to stay at sunnybrook farm with her aunt miranda ( helen westley ) , who bans her from show business . meanwhile , advertising exec tony kent ( randolph scott ) desperately searches for rebecca , who he has only heard , unaware that she ' s on the farm next to his . tony ' s search is interrupted by many things - - including rebecca ' s attractive cousin , gwen ( gloria stuart ) .
a young girl from sunnybrook goes to live with her wealthy relatives and falls in love with a doctor .
crew : silent . ( b & w ) available on dvd . extract of a review from 1917 . running time : 74 min .
exhibitors herald ( jun - dec 1917 ) : exhibitors herald co . : free download , borrow , and streaming : internet archive
mary pickford made a lot of films in 1917 when she was about 25 , this time she played a teenager rather than a child which was a change . she plays rebecca , who is sent to live with her unsunny aunt , luckily rebecca has the sunshine everyone needs . this was a nicely amusing film and i felt more comfortable seeing pickford play someone a little closer to her age .
rebecca of sunnybrook farm is way too episodic in nature and some of its subplots aren ' t as well incorporated , but it mostly works as an adaptation as it is well directed , well acted and well shot and it works as a great time capsule . the ending is so sweet and rewarding , the film is so charming and endearing and it benefits from mary pickford ' s marvelous performance as she steals the show here with her obvious charm and plenty of charisma .
is one of these figures and pickford makes the biblical moral of the story explicit in the opening logo of the 1922 film version .
hollywood loves the simplicity of recycling . what works for one star will surely work for another , and so it was when the studio discovered another pint - sized sprite with sausage curls : shirley temple . temple was groomed and marketed as the next mary pickford so it stands to reason many of temple’s films were previously pickford vehicles , like rebecca of sunnybrook farm . based on the novel and play by kate douglas wiggin this thinly plotted tale of a country girl grasping the mores of society will please fans of little women or , another pickford film , pollyanna .
hollywood loves the simplicity of recycling . what works for one star will surely work for another , and so it was when the studio discovered another pint - sized sprite with sausage curls : shirley temple . temple was groomed and marketed as the next mary pickford so it stands to reason many of temple’s films were previously pickford vehicles , like rebecca of sunnybrook farm . based on the novel and play by kate douglas wiggin this thinly plotted tale of a country girl grasping the mores of society will please fans of little women or , another pickford film , pollyanna .
what : “rebecca of sunnybrook farm” when : 7 : 30 p . m . may 6 , 7 , 13 and 14 ; 2 p . m . may 7 , 8 , 14 and 15 where : firehouse arts center , 4444 railroad ave . , pleasanton cost : tickets range from $ 6 - $ 18 and can be purchased at urltoken , or call 924 - 931 - 4848
“the grim entrance of the penitentiary filled him with exultation . its very massiveness and all the ingenious safeguards thrown about the unhappy victims of an insane social system spoke to him of his own safety . ” ( england 1917 : 169 )
rebecca doesn’t know what to make of this girl , but soon she’s jabbing the point - end of her umbrella in minnie’s solar plexus , backing her down .
with her family in financial difficulties , rebecca is sent to live with her two strict , unfeeling aunts , who do not appreciate the young girl ' s charm and energy . rebecca must make new . . . see full summary »
note : a young zasu pitts had a role as an extra in the film .
when the film was complete , the executives at famous players - lasky / paramount ( including studio heads adolph zukor and jesse l . lasky ) disliked the final result so much that they considered not releasing the movie at all . pickford and marion were devastated by the news–marion especially was worried that her involvement had somehow “ruined” mary’s career . but when the film was finally screened in new york , it was an instant hit with audiences , and marion was contracted ( for a large salary ) to write future films for pickford . and because of the success of the poor little rich girl , the conceit of pickford playing a child for the length of the film was repeated in their next two collaborations , rebecca of sunnybrook farm , released six months later , and the little princess , released a mere two months after that .
as described in a film magazine , rebecca randall ( pickford ) is taken into the home of her aunt hannah ( eddy ) , a strict new england woman . rebecca meets adam ladd ( o ' brien ) , a young man of the village , and they become great friends . one day rebecca promises to marry adam when she becomes of age . unable to withstand her pranks any longer , her aunt sends her away to a boarding school . she graduates a beautiful young lady . shortly thereafter , adam demands a fulfillment of her promise .
as described in a film magazine , [ 4 ] rebecca randall ( pickford ) is taken into the home of her aunt hannah ( eddy ) , a strict new england woman . rebecca meets adam ladd ( o ' brien ) , a young man of the village , and they become great friends . one day rebecca promises to marry adam when she becomes of age . unable to withstand her pranks any longer , her aunt sends her away to a boarding school . she graduates a beautiful young lady . shortly thereafter , adam demands a fulfillment of her promise .
rebecca of sunnybrook farm was the first film version of the kate douglas wiggin novel and play . mary pickford , 23 years old but looking at least ten years younger , stars as the spunky little girl who is left with her tight - lipped aunt helen jerome eddy by her impoverished mother . it ' s an uphill battle , but rebecca manages to spread a little sunshine around the staid new england community where her aunt resides . her reward comes when she is
all grow ' d up ,
at which time she falls in love with handsome eugene o ' brien . yes , we know that none of this happens in the 1938 shirley temple version . remember , though , that mary pickford could play a little girl who grows up in the course of a single film , while shirley was stuck at age 9 , whether she liked it or not .
tony , a necessary piece on one of the women who helped us rethink notions of the female early in film history . such a fine piece of research and impassioned thinking .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
rebecca randall is adopted by her stern maiden aunts , emma jane perkins and miranda sawyer , to relieve her mother , who has six other children to rear . rebecca ' s girlish antics severely try her cranky old aunts , who finally pack her off to boarding school . she returns a young lady and wins the heart of adam ladd , an upstanding young man . rebecca ' s happiness is clouded when aunt miranda passes away , but as the months pass , sunshine returns to her life when the mortgage is paid on her mother ' s farm and she marries adam .
a growing source of silent era film information . this listing is from the progressive silent film list by carl bennett . copyright © 1999 - 2018 by carl bennett and the silent era company . all rights reserved .
rebecca randall ( pickford ) leaves her mother and six siblings to go live with her two aunts . rebecca tries to do right but finds herself at odds with her aunts law and order policy and a snooty rival named minnie smellie ( violet wilkey ) .
superlatives , so indiscriminately used with reference to pictures in many instances , seem inadequate in properly approximating the transcendent merit of the latest artcraft production , ‘rebecca of sunnybrook farm , ’ with mary pickford in the titular role . it is a master work that is going to stand supreme in its particular niche for several years to come . … miss pickford plays as she never played before , varying lights and shades to elicit the major interest , tearful at one moment and laughing the next , holding the auditor at all times in mute admiration .
everything remains consistently upbeat – even the death of rebecca’s aunt has an air of happiness and peace to it – so there’s little reason to fear for rebecca or wager any stakes . things are focused on exploring the vivacity of youth and teaching children proper manners . the aimless plot can lead to watch watching since there’s no three - act structure or momentum .
the play follows rebecca through her new life , as she encounters the mean queen bee of the school , millie smellia , and learns to live more like a lady .
a silent film about a women who seduces a married man which in turn leads to deadly consequences .
to pay homage , wujek said the set will incorporate both stills from the film and other historic shots of pleasanton during the time period . and to educate the cast about the location’s heritage , wujek introduced them to the silent film .
but rebecca acclimates to life rather quickly , and though the aunts and her continue butting heads that’s not really the plot of the movie . rebecca and her friend emma jane perkins ( marjorie daw ) do a good turn for a neighbor by saving soap premiums , the group puts on a circus , and then rebecca’s grown and ready for marriage with adam ladd ( eugene o’brien ) – you have no idea how many times i almost spelled alan ladd .
britton , andrew ( 2009 ) , britton on film . detroit , michigan : wayne state university press .
the exhibit is located on the fourth floor of the lightbox , in the new canadian film gallery , and features some 300 items , including photographs , posters , memorabilia , postcards , and products endorsed by pickford , assembled over a 30 - year period by private collector rob brooks . it’s curated by sylvia frank , director of the toronto international film festival’s film reference library and special collections .
marion was hired to write the film at pickford’s insistence , and the two of them conspired to add elements of comedy ( a mud fight , playful antics in the girl’s bathroom ) to lighten the relatively dark source material–much to the disgust of the film’s director , maurice tourneur . tourneur had the reputation of being a gruff , sometimes combative director , and he clashed frequently with the seasoned star of the film . he wanted the film to adhere more closely to the original play ; pickford , supported by marion , felt the play was too dreary and needed moments of laughter so as not to weigh down the final product . in the end , of course , pickford won .
reconstruction of the last indian rebellion of mocovíes in san javier , north of the province of santa fe , in 1904 . silent movie .
the productions from thanhouser ' s mature period , 1915 - 1917 , clearly show the advancements that set the stage for the first cinematic golden age , the 1920s . such advances are evident in this . . . see full summary »
pleasanton — pleasanton is proud of its prominent place in the silent film industry in the early part of the 20th century . the city even boasts about its distinction as the former “hollywood of the north” on its website .
with her family in financial difficulties , rebecca is sent to live with her two strict , unfeeling aunts , who do not appreciate the young girl ' s charm and energy . rebecca must make new friends and must adjust to surroundings that are sometimes difficult . but she still finds time to think of numerous ways to help others in her new hometown .
works of astor piazzolla , antonio vivaldi , manuel de falla , niccolo paganini , fernando sor , and maria newman . . . and a little taste of mahma :
tender hearts
( 1909 silent short film ) starring america ' s sweetheart , mary pickford performed with music live to the film .
their most important collaboration may have been the 1917 film the poor little rich girl , which marion adapted from the same - named 1913 play by eleanor gates . the movie became the biggest hit of pickford’s career up to that point , and with its release , marion became the highest - paid screenwriter in hollywood , while pickford further secured control of her own career in a way that few actors–male or female–had been able to do .
( 1917 ) . her repertoire was far more varied . even her child roles revealed an independent sense of self - reliance and struggle against the harsh conditions of human existence whether familial or social that belied any attempt to confine her significance to fantasized images of childhood . although these appear to be the dominant image of the actress they are not in the majority and within these roles are important sites of contestation and contradiction that deserve further examination .
this 1914 production belongs very much to the socially critical films of the pre - wwi era , but incorporation of romantic motifs with biblical precepts contained in the source novel prevents the film from realizing its more radical potentials . hollywood could not allow the appearance of a film that condemned a system permitting class oppression and the neo - starvation of the less well - off members of society . the original 1909 source novel by grace miller white who lived in ithaca for most of her life exhibits both a feminist sensibility as well as condemnation of the hypocritical practices of the affluent class who may read their bible but do not practice its precepts , a motif that appears in the opening caption of the 1922 film version .
tony williams is professor and area head of film studies in the department of english , southern illinois university at carbondale . he has recently published the second edition of george a . romero : knight of the living dead ( new york : columbia university press , 2015 ) . references
rebecca’s like a ginseng cure to the closed and quietly unhappy lives of her guardians ; like marilla cuthbert or daddy warbucks , they unfurl in the presence of the child ; returning to balance . but we don’t see much of this going on ; we mostly just witness its results . in
mary’s rebecca is a plucky little girl with boundless energy and a kind heart , and rebecca’s charms as a feature are due to pickford’s vivacity . more so than in the poor little rich girl you buy into pickford’s trick of acting younger , maybe because director marshall neilan lights and frames her in a way that makes her as youthful as she is gorgeous ( or maybe it was the benefits of a better print ) .
ross , steven j . ( 1998 ) , working - class hollywood : silent film and the shaping of class in america , new jersey : princeton university press .
( 1919 ) that depicts the railroading of another victim of the social system . the film’s nominal hero william turner ( kenneth harlan ) must have also shared the feelings of england’s main character when he began his one year sentence in the penitentiary .
chris edwards captures in words the essence of what the silent camera captures on film .
shirley hughes founder , executive director toronto silent film festival
as a long - time member of the toronto film society and its board of directors , i find it refreshing to read chris edwards ' reviews of silent films . his writing is unique , personal , and thoughtful . he has a quick sense of humour and catches details others miss . having seen many of the films chris reviews , i look forward to reading what he has to say about them on his blog .
caren feldman seminar chairperson toronto film society
actions speak louder at this blog .
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( 1926 ) is one of the star’s major cinematic achievements . undoubtedly influenced by german cinematography , the film combines expressionist horror with the social dickensian features of pickford’s earlier films . it not only anticipates clint eastwood’s
williams , anne ( 1995 ) art of darkness : a poetics of gothic . chicago : the university of chicago press .
customers and clerks frolic in a general store . roscoe walks out of the freezer wearing a fur coat , then does some clever cleaver tossing . in buster ' s film debut he buys a pail of molasses .
huff , an architect , said some of pleasanton’s downtown area was featured as backdrops in the film , including the church at second and neal streets , a former presbyterian place of worship that now is lighthouse baptist church .
with her family in trouble rebecca is sent to live with her aunts . she finds it difficult to fit in and doesn ' t get along with her aunts . music : kevin macleod
role : rebecca randall co - stars : eugene o’brien , helen jerome eddy , charles ogle prod / dist co : mary pickford film corporation / artcraft pictures corporation director : marshall neilan screenwriter : frances marion , based on the 1909 play by charlotte thompson and kate douglas wiggin , adapted from the 1903 novel by kate douglas wiggin cinematographer : walter stradling filming location : exterior scenes shot in pleasanton , ca . farm house scenes shot in gladwyne , pa and at nearby valley forge studios ; interiors shot at famous players - lasky studio at 1520 vine st . in hollywood , ca .
fab article ! i adore mary pickford ! i hope netflix has a silent film category in the near future . i’d love that . 🙂
pickford is charming and very funny here . i don ' t really understand why rebecca hates millie smellie except for her awful name , but honestly that ' s on millie ' s parents .
evidence within many films suggests a much more self - aware actress often understanding the nature of the roles she played and their artificial constructions . while mary was no brechtian actress certain opening scenes suggests a particular type of self - awareness . the first version of her favorite film
the story of the training of a racehorse , the whip , of the amnesiac nobleman who loves the horse , and of the villains who attempt to keep it from racing .
a stranger comes to work at widow halla ' s farm . halla and the stranger fall in love , but when he is revealed as eyvind , an escaped thief forced into crime by his family ' s starvation , they . . . see full summary »
at about the eight - minute mark , pickford demonstrates hers . after rebecca arrives in riverboro , but before she meets her aunts , she’s accosted by the town’s reigning alpha - tween : minnie smellie
barely an hour the feature wanders from scene to scene with little connection then rebecca randall herself . her aunts try to instill proper manners into her which rebecca resists . fun comedy arises when rebecca is denied dinner and , while taking the dishes into the kitchen , tries to sneak a bite . a religious sign on the wall chastises her with “thou shalt not steal” causing rebecca to quickly put her hands behind her back before a contradictory message – “god helps those who help themselves” – inspires her to eat . the silent medium perfectly played up pickford’s comedic timing regarding facial expressions and hand gestures . her sideways glances , puckered lips and sneaky hands illustrate a rambunctious little girl far more clever than the average kid . and this scene , in particular , provides a nice little jab at religion’s mixed messages .
rebecca goes on to have many adventures : selling soap door - to - door to help the needy ; staging a frighteningly dangerous circus show manned by children ; using visitor’s day to debut her poem about minnie’s impending beatdown in front of their class , teachers , and town elders . each scene works as a self - contained piece of comedy , more or less , but all you can really say for them is that pickford’s front and centre , and consistently good . likewise for rebecca’s few moments of true pathos , though if you ask me , neilan never wanted us to feel moved by them , at least for long . the film’s too aware of its own silliness , its own contrivances , to ask for sympathy . it’s rather modern that way .
viewers of this film would have been well familiar with the original novel as well as interpreting the gestures of those on the screen . tess does not want frederick to think the baby is hers but is honor bound to keep “a woman’s secret . ”
featuring harvest music festival artists performing exceptional works of j . s . bach , joaquin turina , gabriel faure , gioachino rossini , rebecca clarke , william bolcom , max janowski , ernest bloch , aminadav aloni , bela bartok , edgar allan poe , and maria newman
mary’s last film secrets ( 1933 ) , directed by frank borzage , reveals her as an accomplished actress ageing from youth to old age mourning her deceased baby in an earlier scene in the best traditions of silent film acting . the film was not commercially successful , a factor which probably had more to do with the great depression affecting audience attendance than her acting in general . a new era had arrived , cinematically and historically , that would render her stardom anachronistic ( through no fault of her own ) leading to her decision to retire from the screen . [ 10 ]
niccolo paganini : sonata concertata maria newman : chilmark trio mary pickford in : tender hearts ( 1909 silent film ) . . . also featuring solo works for guitar
( 1914 ) opens with a glamorous image of the star very different from her urchin performance as if emphasizing the difference between star charisma and the role that she plays in the film , one far from glamorous .
i ' m a college student getting my master ' s in english , but dreams of getting an additional degree in film . i ' m a movie reviewer for several sites , but i also write classic film reviews for several other sites . i stretch myself pretty thin these days . you can usually find me at a bookstore , or a movie theater . i dream of the day when the two are combined . i base a lot of my friendships on favorite movies .
for those who have seen as many of her films as possible and overcome the misleading stereotype of saccharine innocence the comments of james card are very relevant .
suds ( 1920 ) saw mary undertaking another non - glamorous role as a cockney laundress in london’s east end . despite dreams of upward mobility , the film emphasizes that such fantasies are not realizable . suds states this moral in two scenes . one is a fantasy scene with the glamorous mary who , like the other aristocrats , speaks in working - class lingo , and the other later expresses her realization that no solid relationship can happen with the upper class man of her dreams . “it came to her , swiftly , poignantly – he would be ashamed of her . ” at the end of the film suds is seen happily enjoying the company of her working - class boyfriend and the horse she has rescued from the glue factory suggesting the earlier fantasy’s associations with freud’s 1917 “escape fantasy” of the “family romance” thus placing it within the category of those fictions that “allow one to come to terms with the real world through stories about the past – about the origins and history of self and community” ( williams 1995 : 89 ) . life may be grim in mary’s working class worlds but it is far better to struggle against the harsh realities of everyday existence than indulging in impossible dreams of class mobility .
this is the pinnacle of the entire novel and the 1914 film version . however , author and star cannot consciously follow the implications of this scene , one that would lead towards forming an alternative working - class marxist feminist community . instead , all versions must submit to the tenets of the dominant ideology of capitalist society and move towards that inevitable , but false , happy ending .
adapted from frances hodgson’s burnett’s novel by frances marion but directed by one of mary’s key directors marshall neilan , a little princess ( 1917 ) is a version of the cinderella story in reverse as well as a nightmare of downward mobility . following the loss of her father in india , the orphaned sara crewe loses her privileged status in miss minchin’s boarding school and is cast into the bottom of the social pit becoming a menial servant like working - class cockney becky whom she earlier befriended despite class differences . as she said to her earlier speaking lines anticipating her fall from upper - class grace into working class hell , “i’m only a little girl like you , becky , and it’s just an accident that i’m not you and you’re not me . ” yet accidents do happen in film and real life as sara abruptly discovers when she finds herself one of jack london’s the people of the abyss .
figure of gustav von seyffertiz’s mr . grimes ) but also by savage carnivorous alligators . at the end of
[ … ] those which reveal other forms of less privileged lives . ” examining the films of mary pickford , tony williams writes of her transcendent acting and ingenious deployment of celebrity with an observant sympathy that [ … ]
the film moves to its climax . teola dies in the church with her dead baby in her arms . tess rejects the hypocritical upper - class community . however , for 1922 , a more affirmative and non - political ending must occur . elias openly admits that tess has taught him “the true meaning of charity . ” if the film does not conclude like the original novel and the 1914 film version with “but i air your squatter , ” the 1922 adaptation reveals that any happy ending for these lovers of different classes is totally absurd and illusory . it ends outside tess’ hut with she and frederick blissfully embracing knee deep in snow !
( 1929 ) was the only film in which fairbanks and pickford co - starred and one which they both expressed dissatisfaction with later . however , in retrospect , this is one of the better early sound films made and far superior to
child - like mary pickford is a poor girl from a large family sent to live with her grouchy aunts . her mischievous but cheerful ways transform their lives and the lives of the town in the usual fashion for stories of this nature . there is some good fun here , mostly thanks to pickford’s boundless charm and energy , despite a story that , even in 1917 , was utterly cliche . pickford made a career out of playing this role over and over again , but watching her play it , you can see how achieved such popularity .
[ 8 ] for a very fine analysis on mary pickford’s acting see eileen whitfield 2012 : 7 - 20 . she describes the role of tess ( 1914 ) on paper as not only resembling “a schizophrenic mess of clashing traits” ( 8 ) but also pickford’s portrayal as exhibiting “the soul of modern acting in the first great performance of feature film” ( 20 ; for pickford’s affinity with the plight of the unfortunates in society and her portrayals of the less fortunate see also 15 , note 7 ) . for pickford’s awareness of the flaws of several directors including porter and her acute awareness of the intricacies of film production see brownlow 2012 : 35 . despite demille’s pompous reference to her supposed “right - to - work” support in his introduction to her autobiography , brownlow mentions ample evidence for her consideration of others on set , preferential treatment to union members in hiring , and being “among the few who signed up for the closed - shop agreement” ( brownlow 2012 : 42 , note 39 ) .
yet , her films contain both recognition of the harsh side of existence for poor people and a desire to alleviate sufferings . no matter how sentimental and overtly religious her sensibilities may seem to viewers today , she never denied the existence of another side of life and to her credit exhibited the darker side of american society in many of her films
_ _ _ ( 2012 ) , “the natural : transitions in mary pickford’s acting from the footlights to her greatest role in film , ” in schmidt ( ed . ) 2012 .
is a self - aware film as if star , screenwriter , and director fully understood what must be repressed to create the illusion of hollywood stardom . the contrasting glamor and naturalistic cinematic techniques used to depict both heroines are revealing in themselves .
many of mary’s films reveal what patrick mcgilligan has described elsewhere about the actor as auteur . although she valued the skills of her many collaborators , “with few exceptions , mary chose directors who were capable but passive . through them , pickford’s vision would shape the film” ( whitfield 1997 : 237 ) .
if you want to reach me with recommendations for silent films , or for other film - related stuff , email chris [ dot ] scott [ dot ] edwards @ gmail . com .
a couple recounted their brushes with fame in newspaper stories of the time : emma oliveira received a 48 - star flag used as a film prop for allowing the crew to shoot a horse riding across her lawn ; beuford hall was helped by pickford after he fell off his bicycle in front of her .
[ 6 ] in her 1959 canadian broadcast corporation interview , she stated that the 1914 version of tess of the storm country was the one feature she was really proud of .
[ 10 ] as brownlow ( 1999 : 247 ) points out , “the film opened in twenty - five key cities the very day president roosevelt declared a bank holiday . the public had largely lost interest in pickford , as it had with many other great silent stars , and wanted new faces and personalities that seemed to be more in step with the new styles and attitudes of the 1930s . the film was a financial disaster . ”
“pluck is the operative word for the film and no real attempt is made to deal with social inequities except as something to be personally overcome . yet mary’s characters did not advocate passivity . in
the umbrella but concludes a series of subtler actions . first are the nervous glances rebecca darts toward the girls ; intercut with wilkey’s own stern , unchanging and aggressive face . rebecca’s eyebrows rise and her mouth pulls down to a pout ; she sizes up minnie and her followers , then turns attention to her own hat , umbrella , and shoes ; realizing they’re the cause of minnie’s scorn . now her mouth tightens and she holds her chin high in defiance . snaps her head to one side as a threat . turns away . no words are spoken here , even through intertitles , but no one could misunderstand . emotions flow over pickford’s face like liquid .
check out highlights from some of the best recent trailers including mandy , the predator , zoe , and the king of thieves .
cast : mary pickford [ rebecca randall ] , eugene o’brien [ adam ladd ] , helen jerome eddy [ hannah randall ] , charles ogle [ mr . cobb ] , marjorie daw [ emma jane perkins ] , mayme kelso [ aunt jane sawyer ] , jane wolff [ mrs . randall , rebecca’s mother ] , josephine crowell [ aunt miranda sawyer ] , jack mcdonald [ reverend jonathan smellie ] , violet wilkey [ minnie smellie ] , frank turner [ mr . simpson ] , kate toncray [ mrs . simpson ] , emma gerdes [ clara belle simpson ] , zasu pitts
according to a newspaper article of the time , directors spoke highly of the city , with one metro motion picture company representative calling it an “ideal spot for a certain class of picture work . ”
card , james ( 2012 ) , “the films of mary pickford , ” in christel schmidt ( ed . ) , mary pickford : queen of the movies , lexington : university of kentucky press .
s ends with mary now adopted by a rich benefactor in the same way as oliver twist , leading her flock in a rendition of “shall we gather at the river , ” john ford’s favorite hymn which he often used to express the utopian ideals of a society that very rarely lived up to its promises . at this point of film history , the hope exists that some segments of society may achieve a better life even though it is only represented on the cinema screen .
references : film credits , film viewing : afi - f1 n . f1 . 3648 ; eyman - pickford pp . 14 , 330 ; fell - history p . 84 ; higashi - virgins pp . 43 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 - 50 ; leish - cinema p . 29 ; shipman - cinema p . 61 ; sinyard - silent p . 75 : website - legacy ; website - pickford .
in adapting the kate douglas wiggin book for the screen , frances marion wrought well . the original story has been retained , with the necessary elaboration . compared with the dramatic production , which was excellently done , the screen version seems magnitudinous . the story is of rebecca , a member of a large family , who is sent to the home of her aunts for rearing , ultimately inheriting their estate , and , incidentally , marrying the finest young man in the town . it attained its great popularity through its fidelity in picturing the atmosphere of new england .
“we watched the movie as a cast during one of the rehearsals , ” she said . “that was a lot of fun . ”
rowe , kathleen ( 1995 ) , the unruly woman : gender and the genres of laughter , austin : university of texas press .
one of the breeziest , purely funniest pickford films around . it’s more a collection of one - reeler comedies than a whole movie , and i suspect a lot of its source material is missing here ( i haven’t read the book ) . what is intact is rebecca randall ( pickford ) : the second of seven children , raised by a widowed mom with little money ; precocious , bright , but unappreciated ; selected to move to riverboro , maine , to live with her spinster aunts : the fearsome disciplinarian , miranda , and the heartbroken milquetoast , jane .
one cannot and should not expect to find any traces of revolutionary tendencies in the films of mary pickford , let alone the writings of john bunyan . the actress remained conservative during her life and career .
[ after his parents have left , thinking he is ill ]
they bought it . incredible ! one of the worst performances of my…
the parents of five children were killed when a car made a turn in front of their motorcycles during a ride in the minnesota countryside .
alcoholic lawyer sydney carton travels to paris during the reign of terror to rescue french aristocrat charles darnay , husband of the woman he loves .
schmidt , christel ( ed . ) ( 2012 ) , mary pickford : queen of the movies , lexington : university of kentucky press .
but is evident to any perceptive viewer . speaking of a god who accounts for every sparrow in the world ( hence the film’s title ) , molly reveres a christian savior good shepherd who will welcome a dead baby into a better world than the one it left . as in many of mary’s films , religion has more of a social gospel connotation , one neglected in her era and even more today . she is an impoverished rural virgin mary tending her flock in the hope of some unexpected form of salvation and she leads them into the wilderness of the swamp where they are threatened not only by satan ( who already exists in the monstrous
( 1920 ) but also another biograph - type social expose of the baby farms where illegitimate offspring of unwed mothers and prostitutes were deposited to work as slave laborers or sold to farmers for the same purpose . mary’s molly is the oldest of this group who acts as mother to foundlings of different ages , whether babies or younger kids , and who teaches them biblical axioms to help them survive the harsh conditions of their existence . as the dvd audio - commentary mentions , they are all abused children and the film hints at a condition that now cannot be explicitly revealed as in
members of the upper class regularly frequent alexander nyberg ' s elegant establishment . affairs of the heart and misunderstandings create the comedic scenarios that accompany the guests . based on the gustav esmann play of the same name .
like the savior whose humanitarian teachings she reveres , tess now understands that due to her promise to keep teola’s illegitimate birth secret , she is now to bear a no - less stigmatized version of “bearing the sin” of a hypocritically social world . one of the most powerful passages in the novel follows one that could not be articulated in any silent film caption but suggested by contemporary conventions of silent screen performance . tess defiantly responds to frederick’s attitude by telling him explicitly to mind his “damn business” over her supposed illegitimate action .
( 1926 ) , are hailed as high art . yet pickford was massively talented ; a formidable physical comedienne and dramatic mime , and she’s in total command in this film ; so much so that i sensed we were seeing the ‘real’ mary onscreen . rebecca is more than the stubborn , plucky waif of pickford’s lesser films—she has an edge and doesn’t suffer fools , and the look on her face when she meets one isn’t couched . pickford must have had this steely streak in her . she was a businessperson , as well as an artist—a very driven human being . neilan witnessed this , and at times , probably suffered its consequences . with
a restless young girl yearns to leave her rural environment and
get away from it all
. one day she stumbles upon a film crew shooting a western near her home . she makes friends with the . . . see full summary »
( 1920 ) , a role pickford hated ( marion 1972 : 67 ) . in addition to slapstick scenes is the line spoken by the heroine about wanting to marry a missionary when she grows up since they are easy to cook for because they don’t eat much , a line expressing both skepticism for the delusion of calls to the ministry as much as society’s material rewards for such dedication . mary does not remain in the realm of childhood at the end of the film but is last seen as a mother with a brood of children . her child roles often look forward to adulthood with the continuation of youthful resilient qualities . earlier in
works best as a slapstick shakespearian comedy with doug’s petruchio being an exaggerated version of those swashbuckling heroes he played in his heyday and mary being a mature version of those spitfire roles she was well - known for in the silent era . as brownlow points out , “she is both funny and , at the end of the bedroom scene , touching . and her close - ups , lit by karl struss , are ravishing” ( 1999 : 236 ) . furthermore , her tongue - in - cheek delivery of spousal obedience delivered at the end of the film to bride - to - be bianca ( dorothy jordan ) reveal much of the accomplished controlled businesswoman she was in everyday life . despite mary’s reservations , this is one of the best of her early sound films and had the real - life partnership with fairbanks continued , one could envisage them appearing in several screwball comedies and perhaps pioneering
. adopted from a turgid and verbose novel by british writer william j . locke , the film narrates two parallel narratives dealing with girls from different class backgrounds both played by mary herself . stella maris is the beautiful bed - ridden ward of lord and lady blount who aim to conceal from her the ugly realities of everyday existence . shot in the lighting style designed to elevate mary’s glamorous image , stella represents a combination of those fragile heroines from nineteenth century literature such as dora from charles dickens’s
[ 7 ] i quote the line “films of social conscience” from the actual dust jacket title since it aptly defines the relevant content of the author’s fine study .
in a boarding school for girls margarita is called to reception : the duchess widow of santauro , mother of margarita , has gone to take her out . her friend laura , the daughter of dr . reyes , . . . see full summary »
pack your beach blanket for a bittersweet tale of love and summer ' s magic .
a ranch foreman battles a rich stockbroker for the affections of a beautiful young woman .
among the simple fisher - folk of a little island off the west coast of scotland lives mactavish , head of a clan . here he rules as a chieftain and his word is law . one day a hurricane sweeps . . . see full summary »
for the purposes of this exploration the following silent films will be examined in terms of their exemplification of female characters emphasizing agency rather than passivity and who are aware of the vast extremes of affluence and poverty existing in society such as : tess of the storm country ( 1914 and 1922 ) , stella maris , amarilly of clothes line alley ( both 1918 ) , heart o’the hills ( 1919 ) , little annie rooney ( 1925 ) , sparrows ( 1926 ) , and my best girl ( 1927 ) . the article concludes with comments on her generally neglected sound films such as coquette ( 1929 ) , the taming of the shrew ( 1929 ) , kiki ( 1931 ) , and secrets ( 1933 ) in terms of the revealing contrasts to pickford’s recognizable screen image .


celeste and jesse forever is a 2012 american romantic comedy-drama film directed by lee toland krieger .

it stars rashida jones and andy samberg , and was written by jones and will mccormack , who also has a role in the film .

it was released on august 3 , 2012 , in new york and los angeles .

celeste and jesse forever

“celeste and jesse forever” is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . curses and dope .
andy samberg and rashida jones play high - school sweethearts headed for divorce in celeste and jesse forever . photo : david lanzenberg
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing celeste and jesse forever near you .
celeste and jesse forever leaves us with this good takeaway , as told to riley by celeste : the pain from relationships never gets better , but we do .
celeste and jesse forever is that much needed refreshing take on the modern romantic comedy that ' s become worn down by repeated tries and mediocre duplicates .
utah – celeste and jesse forever is a modern movie about letting go that can be funny , cute and awesomely sad all at the same time .
celeste and jesse forever feels longer than it is , but the chemistry between the two leads rashida jones and andy samberg more than make up for that .
from left : chris messina , rashida jones , andy samberg , will mccorm - ack , and ari graynor at the “celeste and jesse forever” premiere party .
in addition to celeste and jesse forever , olsen can next be seen in the feature films the thing a prequel to the 1980 ' s classic film .
lee toland krieger wasn ' t planning to read the script for
celeste and jesse forever
in one night . it just sort of happened that way .
it ' s supposed to exemplify witty , edgy , indie comedy . but
celeste and jesse forever
turns out to be a formula movie . . .
to its credit ,
celeste and jesse forever
wants to be more than a formulaic farce . it succeeds to the extent that the neighbors keep up with jones .
can ' t wait for lee toland krieger ' s celeste & jesse forever . lots of buzz from sundance and the trailer looks really sweet . | pinterest | andy samberg and rash…
celeste and jesse have been best friends forever . they dated in high school , got married , and now they ' re getting divorced . their best friends don ' t think they can maintain their friendship throughout the dissolution of their marriage , but celeste and jesse don ' t think there will be a problem . but that ' s before jesse gets into a relationship that celeste doesn ' t think he can handle , and celeste finds it harder to move on than she originally thought .
the bottom line : despite a good deal of clichéd tropes and plot points , “celeste and jesse forever” brings a refreshing , unique portrayal of a very unorthodox – and lovely – relationship . check it out .
celeste and jesse forever marks will ' s first - produced screenplay . he and his writing partner rashida jones are currently writing frenemy of the state and a pilot for showtime called
we are puppets .
celeste ( rashida jones ) and jesse ( andy samberg ) are high school sweethearts who married young and are now at a crossroads at the age of thirty . while celeste is a success in business , jesse is unemployed and adrift . celeste thinks that if they divorce now they could still remain friends . jesse passively accepts the decision even though he is still in love with her . as reality sets in , celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship , but her timing with jesse is less than fortuitous .
but celeste’s book and her character–along with andy samberg’s jesse–are portrayed with stone - cold seriousness , not satirization . whereas the mumblecore movement’s understanding portrayals of emotionally stilted late - twentysomethings comedically own up to the immaturity of their characters , “celeste and jesse forever” never allows the viewer to laugh at celeste as she copes with looming adulthood . as such , the exercise is no more than a mopey and pathetic grab for non - existent viewer sympathy .
in addition to starring in celeste and jesse forever , rebecca dayan ' s film credits include neil burger ' s limitless opposite bradley cooper and from paris with love opposite jonathan rhys meyers . a native of france , rebecca currently resides in new york city .
there are time - honored formulas for romantic comedies , and
celeste and jesse forever
avoids them . it begins with a group of believable modern los angelinos , embeds them in a fantasy and then introduces a plot twist that ' s both unexpected and devastating to their cozy routine .
the question of whether men and women can ever really be friends lies at the heart of so many romantic comedies and dramas that celeste and jesse forever deserves a healthy dose of praise just for finding a new angle on this enduring debate . the movie subverts our expectations very quickly . after establishing the seemingly perfect relationship of celeste . . . read more
it ' s jesse , surprisingly , that falls more quickly into a new relationship , sending celeste into denial , and then a tailspin - - and the film ' s main emotional arc .
jesse and celeste met in high school and got married very young . after a few years , their marriage starts falling apart and they don ' t know what else to do in order to save it , plus jesse is unemployed . they decide to go separate ways and be just friends , celeste thought this was the best decision they could make . but she didn ' t realize how much she loved jesse when they decided to get a divorce . so , she finds herself struggling while jesse is moving on with his life . although they still love each other , celeste and jesse find themselves learning that sometimes you ' ve got to let it go , even though if it hurts . this is a very beautiful movie , funny and very entertaining .
on the silver screen , he can be found in the romantic comedy ruby sparks , opposite actress / writer zoe kazan and paul dano out july 25th ; the comedy celeste and jesse forever , opposite rashida jones , elijah wood and emma roberts ; and the thriller argo , opposite director ben affleck , bryan cranston , and john goodman and out october 12th .
with
celeste and jesse forever
out in new york and los angeles now ( a wider rollout will follow soon ) , krieger chatted with huffpost entertainment about his inspirations for the film , how he got such a great performance out of samberg , and whether he was satisfied with the script ' s bittersweet ending .
celeste and jesse forever bounces along with nimble invention , from a photo montage that colors in an entire romantic history to the hilarious scene in which celeste , increasingly jealous , gets caught going through jesse’s garbage can . i won’t even hint at what happens , since the movie keeps taking us , like its characters , by surprise . i will say that it’s been a while since a romantic comedy mustered this much charm by looking this much like life . a -
urltoken -
celeste and jesse forever
- official trailer a divorcing couple tries to maintain their friendship while they both pursue other people . director : lee toland krieger writers : rashida jones ( screenplay ) , will mccormack ( screenplay ) stars : andy samberg , elijah wood and emma roberts copyright @ sony pictures
in an hour and a half , celeste and jesse , or rashida jones and andy samberg , are forced to confront the fact that the idea of a simple divorce and continued closeness is impossible , and that moving away from their comfortable rapport is inevitable .
rashida jones’ celeste , the protagonist of “celeste and jesse forever , ” publishes a non - fiction book called shitegeist , which , as you may have inferred , is about how the zeitgeist has been turned to ‘shite’ by entitled rich kids and talentless pop - stars . this could have been the basis for a sharp , funny observation of the fact that the zeitgeist has actually been co - opted by hipsters like celeste who portend to be cultural experts through doomsday characterizations of where american society is headed .
allow me to enlighten you with examples of celeste and jesse’s “human” behaviors from the first 10 minutes of the film alone . they drive by walt disney concert hall , which celeste refuses to even glance at so as to not seem touristy . they meet up with friends at a mexican restaurant , which said friends quickly leave after celeste and jesse pontificate about what they’ll order in irritating cartoon voices . they pretend to masturbate a squeeze - bottle of lip balm on the drive home — apparently a regular hobby of theirs .
writing and acting in celeste and jesse forever , her new long - awaited dramedy , were trips down a haunted memory lane . stung by a relationship gone awry , she teamed up with mccormack to pen what she calls the
boy - meets - girl story , but inverted ,
in which she plays celeste , a well - adjusted - - if slightly control freak - - woman who is in the midst of a more - than - amicable divorce from her slacker - dreamer husband jesse , played by former snl star andy samberg .
through all of the aforementioned criticisms , i do not mean to imply that celeste and jesse bear no resemblance to real people . on the contrary , their breed of intelligent , but practically inept hipster adult is an increasingly common one in urban america . as actors , jones and samberg are believable and do their darndest to make the characters’ over - written theatrics feel organically obnoxious . but “celeste and jesse forever” is dead - on - arrival in that it fails to approach these characters critically — something that even the rosiest , most sympathetic of portraits must do in order to earn their emotions .
as jesse and celeste drift apart and come back to each other over and over , in an unhealthy but realistic look at how hard it can be to let go , they grow up . and friends beth and tucker , celeste ' s gay business partner ( elijah wood ) , and their tarted - up pop - star client riley ( emma roberts ) , help them along the slow and agonizing path to being ok .
celeste and jesse forever
is about two people who met in high school , married young and are growing apart . now thirty , they decide to get divorced and attempt to stay best friends while pursuing other relationships . this plan is not as simple as they had imagined . celeste - - imperious , successful and driven - - is convinced that divorcing the boyish jesse is the right thing to do . jesse passively accepts this transition into friendship , even though he still is in love with her . as the reality of their separation sets in , celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship . but her timing with jesse is less than fortuitous . while navigating the turbulent changes in their lives and in their hearts , these two learn that in order to truly love someone , you may have to let them go . the film is a humorous and honest examination of a broken heart and the long , hard road it takes to heal it .
huh ? celeste and jesse forever throws us that curveball early on , and it establishes the movie as a romantic comedy powered by a question as novel and provocative as the one that drove when harry met sally … : can a man and woman be friends ? the question here is more along the lines of : can a man and woman who were more than friends realize they still might be ? so why are celeste and jesse splitting up ? we hear the rationale in bits and pieces , and it doesn’t sound all that major — mostly issues of unequal careers . she’s a celebrity trend - spotter , he’s a gifted graphic artist who’s doing…not much . he’s a passive underachiever .
in addition to celeste and jesse forever , ari graynor will next be seen in for a good time call that premiered at the 2012 sundance film festival , which she also executive produced , opposite lauren miller and justin long . graynor also completed a role in my mother ' s curse with barbra streisand and seth rogen , and will star in ten year , written and directed by jamie linden , also starring channing tatum and rosario dawson , which premiered at the 2011 toronto international film festival .
as you might recall , i had similar misgivings about the conclusion of ruby sparks ; it upholds the convention of other love stories featuring manic pixie dream girls when the narcissistic novelist finally releases his titular creation from his magical spell and later goes on to meet the girl of his dreams who resembles his ideal far too much . when it comes to celeste and jesse forever , hornaday laments that jones’s eponymous character , a
the film begins with celeste and jesse in the odd honeymoon stage of their breakup , still living together and trying to avoid the despair that seems an automatic accompaniment to the end of a marriage . unwedded bliss doesn ' t last forever , though , resulting in what jones calls
a romantic comedy , but inverted .
perhaps it was that twist that kept a major studio , always risk - averse , from snatching it up .
there is no meet - cute between celeste and jesse in this film , no courting or dating or proposal or wedding for the pair . the story starts right in the middle of their separation , a legal arrangement whose real - life consequences have yet to be felt .
hornaday also reminds us that tim burton’s version of alice in wonderland ( 2010 ) and this spring’s mega - hit the hunger games ( gary ross , 2012 ) also feature strong - willed female teens who don’t need a prince charming to rescue them , as they fight epic duels on their respective quests to right evil social injustices . by comparison , the female leads of ruby sparks and celeste and jesse forever , for example , are pathetic . in particular , hornaday writes ,
also tuesday , the distribution rights for two of the most overtly commercial movies screening at sundance were sold . focus features picked up the raunchy phone - sex lark for a good time , call… , written and costarring lauren anne miller ( a . k . a . mrs . seth rogen ) , for a reported $ 2 million . and sony pictures classics acquired celeste and jesse forever , a comedy - drama starring rashida jones and snl ’s andy samberg as high - school sweethearts who decide to divorce while attempting to remain friends .
it appears they can coast along forever as best friends , especially if it were up to jesse to initiate change . their status quo is jolted , however , when jesse receives a completely unexpected piece of news . no , it ' s not something like being told he has only weeks to live . that would place the story on a fixed trajectory . his new information , which i won ' t reveal , brings a sudden infusion of reality into their lives — especially into celeste ' s , because it ' s the kind of one - upmanship she ' s temperamentally incapable of dealing with . jesse , who is so conveniently passive , suddenly finds himself holding the winning card in their game of emotions .
in the supporting cast we get small but not cookie - cutter roles for actors such as ari graynor as celeste ' s devastated best friend , emma roberts as a freshly minted teen queen , and elijah wood as celeste ' s buddy at work in an l . a . trend - spotting shop .
the viewer is practically supposed to sit in awe of the supposed wit of celeste and jesse–a couple who married young and , even after they agree to divorce , can’t find it in themselves to spend time apart–as they rattle off one carefully manufactured quip after another . before director lee toland krieger can firmly establish a tone , during the opening scenes , one makes the reasonable assumption that krieger is staging a critique of the pair’s self - absorbed , immature quirks that don’t match their adult bodies . but once the movie gets going , it becomes clear that krieger intends for celeste and jesse’s over - precious dialogue and actions to be reasons for the viewer to like them .
celeste and jesse forever
is a good - hearted romantic comedy about a likable couple — so likable , indeed , that it swims upstream against the current of our desires . the two have been happily married for years , long enough so their friends think of them as a unit , and now they ' ve decided she ' ll stay in the house and he ' ll move into his studio in the backyard .
but we ' re still best friends ,
they explain to everyone . to me those are five of the saddest words in romance .
this decision upsets and even offends their friends , because after certain people become fixed stars in their firmament , they feel threatened if things change . if the marriage between celeste and jesse isn ' t working out , what can they expect to happen in their own lives ? in a sense they have the duty to stay together just to set a good example .
our idiot brother is a 2011 american comedy - drama film directed by jesse peretz and starring paul rudd , elizabeth banks , zooey deschanel , and emily mortimer . the script was written by evgenia . . . more
celeste and jesse is definitely our friendship , we do all those little stupid things that they do in the movie ,
mccormack laughed ,
and then from the sort of break up part of the movie , i think we had both been in sort of dysfunctional , complicated loving but sort of vaguely defined relationships with people , and it felt like a good premise for a film .
i think anybody who has had a long relationship and has had a really hard time letting go , wants to feel like it’s not all for naught , and it’s meaningful , because it makes you who you are ,
she reasons .
my first love , i’ll never forget , and it’s such a big part of who i am , and in so many ways , we could never be together , but that doesn’t mean that it’s not forever . because it is forever .
celeste ' s struggle with facing her mistakes , regrets and true feelings about losing jesse is what really drives the movie . she ' s cold , self - righteous , self - involved and totally messed up , but she is endearing and relatable in a funny but cringe - worthy
been there
sort of way . jones ' performance stands out as the strongest of a good cast – she ' s messed up , but honest .
celeste and jesse is far from simply a film about a crushing sense of loss and trip into emotional wilderness ; existential crises are only effective because of the pair ' s cute inside jokes ( which include masturbating baby carrots ) and obvious affection . even the depressing moments are punctured by humor , with bouts of stoned crying , drunk partying and witty interplay a constant . while jones and mccormack borrowed from their own separate experiences for the heartbreak , it was their long history as best friends that provided the basis for comedy .
we felt like there was this real kind of thing in the zeitgeist with our friends , where they were having these relationships , where they were their first adult relationships , out of high school or college relationships , and it feels like the person you’re going to be with forever ,
she says .
and , it turns out it’s not forever , and you change and grow , and you don’t realize you’re going to change and grow . and you don’t want to lose the person who you feel really is integral to your identity , so you try to sidestep , outfox the inevitable pain of separation , and just dive right into friendship , and this is a cautionary tale about how it doesn’t work out .
coming to terms with a new life without celeste , or perhaps anyone , is faced head - on by jesse . he states his feelings outwardly , cries frequently , and in the beginning is certain this split is just a phase . samberg does a good job in the more serious scenes , but still manages to get through it all with his brand of humor – without his usual saturday night live gimmicks .
to pad the runtime , there is a subplot that finds celeste’s marketing firm–yes , against the odds , she co - owns a functioning company–working for a client that is antithetical to her cultural beliefs : the artistically inept pop - star riley ( emma robers ) . while roberts does her best ke $ ha / selena gomez parody , her increasingly softening interactions with celeste don’t add much substantive insight to the equation . elijah wood is likewise wasted , playing the “gay best friend” - stereotype as effectively as it will allow–which is to say , not very–in the role of celeste’s business partner .
celeste and jesse are played by rashida jones and andy samberg , who make an appealing couple . that doesn ' t come as a surprise about jones , but samberg shows a dimension here that would have been difficult to guess from
saturday night live .
the movie benefits from a sound screenplay by jones and will mccormack , who write dialogue and create supporting characters who don ' t seem like air - headed plot puppets , the way so many rom - com characters do . there ' s a certain respect for their feelings .
the give and take here feels completely real , and each character is likable while also flawed and vulnerable .
adds mccormack , who plays a lovable dunce pot dealer named skillz in the film ,
i have a sister who had a boyfriend forever , and they were so in love , and i was little , i was young , and they finally broke up and i was devastated , i said , ‘why’d you break up , why’d you break up ? you love each other so much . ’
the film , which premiered over the weekend at the sundance film festival , was co - written and co - produced by rashida jones , whose celeste is possibly the best role the actress has ever had . a successful thirty - something , celeste seriously struggles with showing weakness and being wrong ( splitting up was
right ,
so she has to pretend to be fine with their current arrangement , though clearly she is not ) . the emotional toll of the divorce creeps up on her slowly , then hits her dramatically .
the evocation of old hollywood is intentional . like screwball comedies of the 1930s and ’40s “celeste and jesse” hinges on the assumption that marriage is invariably rough going . once upon a studio time , screwball comedy was where men and women redefined gender relations in between zingers and slapstick . in some screwball romances a man and a woman battle their way into marriage ; in others it’s an estranged couple who fight their way back into love . as gender relations evolved , the romantic comedy rarely rose to the great screwball occasion , dragged down by antediluvian stereotypes and formulas . equality between the sexes , or so it seems , turned out to be a joke killer , one reason bromances exist : if you can’t imagine women as equals , just sidestep them .
graynor was born in boston , massachusetts and currently resides in both new york city and los angeles .
of course they play opposites , but opposites attract . she ' s type a , he ' s type zzzzzz . they comfortably occupy what seems to be the same double act , in which they can spin off in - jokes of indefinite length for their own amusement . given their personality types , of course it ' s celeste who asks for the divorce . jesse would never arouse himself to such a pitch . she is ambitious for herself , ambitious for him , ambitious for their marriage , and incapable of staying in a marriage that has no particular problems except that she can imagine a better one . they ' ve been married for six years , and she ' s closing in on the seven - year itch .
cop out is a 2010 american buddy cop comedy film directed and edited by kevin smith , and also written by cullen brothers mark and robb cullen , and starring bruce willis , tracy morgan , kevin . . . more
feature films include syriana , boiler room , american outlaws , prime and abandon . television credits include the sopranos , the shield , in plain sight and brothers and sisters .
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certainly , i cannot just take this one critic’s word as the gospel truth . i will see these movies , eventually , to make up my own mind , but i can understand what hornaday is saying . after all , both ruby and celeste are characters defined by the relationships that they have with the men in their lives . marion of 2 days in new york , which hornaday doesn’t discuss , also fits the bill , and she’s also a mom .
if you ever need like someone to be with you and hold you and caress you , i think i could be that guy .
this past year , she was seen in five films . most recently , she starred in disney ' s hit the muppets opposite jason segel and amy adams . prior to that , was the big year opposite steve martin , jack black and owen wilson . she stole scenes in jesse peretz ' s our idiot brother opposite paul rudd , elizabeth banks and zooey deschanel . the film premiered at the sundance film festival in january 2011 . rashida also starred in adam shapiro ' s relationship drama monogamy opposite chris messina , which premiered at the tribeca film festival , where it won best new york narrative . she also had a cameo in this year ' s friends with benefits opposite justin timberlake and mila kunis .
the indie from co - stars and co - writers jones and will mccormack went through an incredible hollywood drama - - before the cameras ever rolled .
and she said , ‘sometimes love is not enough . ’ and it was such a cruel lesson ,
he continues .
and you learn that sometimes love is not enough . it comes down to timing , people grow at different times , and that’s a hard lesson in life .
andy samberg and rashida jones , as a couple who broke up , but still live together , and end up driving at least one friend crazy .
i love you , man is a 2009 american bromantic comedy film originally titled let ' s be friends and written by larry levin before john hamburg rewrote and directed the film . it stars paul rudd and . . . more
skillz :
if you ever need like someone to be with you and hold you and caress you , i think i could be that guy .
tulip talks to god , and it’s not a pleasant conversation , and we learn a little more custer family history in one of season three’s funniest episodes .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
following the late - night reading frenzy , krieger had a meeting with producer jennifer todd and co - writers rashida jones and will mccormack to make his case as director .
explore popular sci - fi movies and tv shows available to stream with prime video .
and so , just like that , i was invested , against my better judgment .
olsen currently portrays ' detective marty deeks ' on the cbs television series ncis : los angeles . eric ' s television credits include starring roles in get real and the loop , as well as guest appearances in brothers and sisters , er , 24 and community .
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first - person essays , features , interviews and q & as ; about life today .
thematic murkiness aside , the film achieves a mostly successful mix of mainstream and indie sensibilities .
the pair seek to stay friends , and even continue living with each other after the split , in an effort to defy the customs and logic of the crumbling of a marriage .
samberg recently completed his 7th and final season as a cast member on saturday night live .
they hide in plain sight , suddenly visible in one frame and gone in the next .
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go behind the scenes of the mission : impossible movies , check out the latest videos and trailers , and see which spy movies topped the box office in our mission : impossible guide .
wood is an active member and supporter of the art of elysium , a non - profit organization founded in 1997 that encourages working actors , artists and musicians to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children who are battling serious medical conditions . the art of elysium provides artistic workshops in acting , art , comedy , fashion , music , radio , songwriting and creative writing .
rashida jones , with her versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles and her growing presence in hollywood as a screenwriter , has quickly established herself as one of the industry ' s bright stars .
put - together and on - track young woman who , as she navigates a complicated relationship with the far less directed man in her life ( played by andy samberg ) , is made to look either uptight , witchily judgmental or miserably alone — before she sees the light and realizes that she’s the problem , what with her intelligence and high expectations and all [ emphasis in original ] .
not bad . not one to watch over and over , but good for a one off watch .
eric christian olsen starred in several feature films , including fired up , the last kiss , not another teen movie , local boys , the hot chick and dumb and dumberer : when harry met lloyd .
wanted is a 2005 tv film directed by guy norman bee , félix enríquez alcalá and davis guggenheim .
little black book is a 2004 satirical comedy film directed by nick hurran , and starring brittany murphy and ron livingston in the main roles . holly hunter , julianne nicholson , josie maran , . . . more
takes some unique angles at familiar situations and allows the nerdy chemistry between its leads to play out naturally .
nominations for the 85th annual academy awards were announced yesterday , and highly coveted titles such as best actor and best picture have already sparked lively pre - show debates among oscar enthusiasts . however , many people tend to forget about the awards for best original score and best original song , honorable categories that shouldn’t go unmentioned .
although this “little - indie - that - could” received four oscar nominations in more esteemed categories ( best director , best picture , best adapted screenplay and best actress for then six - year - old star quevanzané wallis ) , the powerful and deeply moving soundtrack deserves equal credit . as composed by dan romer and director benh zeitlan , each note is a testament to one little girl’s strength and courage in the face of insurmountable odds .
a different kind of romantic comedy : one that starts at the end and tries to make sense of itself .
riley banks . . . i don ' t understand . she ' s like a vagina and a hairdo .
roberts was also seen in the critically acclaimed focus features production it ' s kind of a funny story opposite zach galifianakis , viola davis and lauren graham , directed by ryan fleck and anna boden , the british independent thriller
4 . 3 . 2 . 1 . ,
directed by bafta winner noel clarke .
4 . 3 . 2 . 1 .
was released exclusively in the uk last summer and joel schumacher ' s
twelve , based on the novel by nick mcdowell and co - starring chace crawford , kiefer sutherland , 50 cent and ellen barkin .
big little lies was alluring , but sharp objects is intoxicating , thanks in large part to its direction and editing .
movie fans who love rashida jones have also been known to enjoy films starring amy poehler and julia louis - dreyfus .
the ten is a 2007 american comedy film , directed by david wain and cowritten by wain and ken marino , released through thinkfilm . the film was released on august 3 , 2007 . the dvd was released on . . . more
did you give any thought to having them get back together at the end ? will and rashida said they had the ending before they wrote the script . when i read it , one of the first things i said in the meeting was ,
i love this ending and i think it ' s honest and real and not contrived and i want to make sure that never changes .
and they jumped right in and said that ' s the ending no matter what . a lot of times , you get into these situations when you ' re trying to figure out how to get the movie made and an investor comes along and says ,
i ' ll pay for it , but you have to change the ending .
we wanted to make sure that wasn ' t the case . if you sit with the movie and these characters , you do understand that sometimes you ' re in love with somebody but they ' re not
the one .
this is a great example of two people who were meant to be best friends and not lovers . to pull a punch there would have marginalized the movie in a way that would have made it feel more contrived in a way the bigger studio rom - coms do . we wanted it to feel a little left of center .
other film credits include : will gluck ' s friends with benefits opposite justin timberlake and mila kunis ; mark mylod ' s what ' s your number ? opposite anna faris ; john hamberg ' s i love you , man opposite paul rudd and jason segel ; chris miller ' s animated feature cloudy with a chance of meatballs with bill hader , anna farris and james caan ; voicing the lead character , ham iii , in fox studios animated film space chimps ; and akiva schaffer ' s hot rod , starring jorma taccone , ian mcshane , sissy spacek , isla fisher , and bill hader .
a smart and visually stunning thriller deserves an equally impressive soundtrack , which composer nathan johnson delivers in style . pretty piano quickly morphs into dark percussive rumblings , jarring and alien to match looper ‘s bizarre plot twists and turns . this high - concept action movie thrives on johnson’s perfectly - constructed chaos , like a tightrope walker dangling then successfully skimming across a wire .
wired honest , complex and sharp script is executed perfectly to make this a hilariously sad but introspective anti - romantic comedy .
mary hubert is a performing artist , director , and arts administrator in the seattle area . when not producing strange performance concoctions with her company , the horse in motion , she is wild about watching weird theater , whiskey , writing and weightlifting .
upon their arrival in new york , sally and harry enjoy a bite at katz’s—much to sally’s memorable delight . image courtesy of
and best friends who try hard not to let their dealings with men dictate who they are as individuals . image courtesy of
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an enjoyable rom - com that finds itself smarter and more insightful than it really is , but still it benefits from a great chemistry between the adorable leads - and jones proves that she is quite talented enough to carry a film on her shoulders .
the script is quick and sharp , and seriously funny at times , but with emotional maturity : here ' s real heartbreak , and here ' s how we survive it . directed by lee toland krieger , the film finds a way of telling a story that seems familiar but evolves into something new . the depth of the characters makes their twisted , insecure attachment so compelling , their love real , and their comedy so infectious . in this way , the movie succeeds where many others have failed .
this is a little blog with big , idiosyncratic aspirations . while its name is a corruption of the more recognizable word
cinephilia ,
it is an otherwise well - curated collection of impassioned ideas and feelings about the cinema past , present , and future . in 2014 , cine feel yeah began covering tv and books as they relate to film or audiovisual materials more generally .
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with a diverse range of comedic talents , andy samberg has emerged as a captivating and hilarious leading man on screens both big and small . as an emmy® award winning writer , samberg is achieving as much success behind the scenes as he is on screen .
at the box office , the summer of 2012 may be about breaking records with movies about boys and their toys ( “hulk smash , ” indeed ) . but culturally , the season’s been all about the girls . beginning with snow white and the huntsman , continuing through brave and with a dash of talk - worthy premium cable thrown in , girls seem to have taken over screens both large and small , their inner struggles magnified into mythic battles , their most mundane problems examined with probing , disarmingly frank intimacy .
a miami businesswoman is transferred to rural minnesota , and while she is there she re - evaluates her big - city values .
death of a dynasty is a comedy film first screened in 2003 . it is a satire of the hip hop music industry centered on roc - a - fella records , and stars ebon moss - bachrach , capone and damon dash . it . . . more
for a film about a breakup , the soundtrack to c & j is unexpectedly chill - wave . this charming tale about the tricky intimacies of love pulses with indie jam and soul , beginning with lily allen’s “the littlest things” and ending with “as for tonight” by sunny levine . other standout tracks include “rescue song” by mr . little jeans and the freddie scott classic “you’re all i need . ”
danny baldwin has been writing about film on the internet for over a decade , initially for bucketreviews and now for critic speak . he holds a master ' s degree in critical studies from the university of southern california and in past years served as a member of both the online film critics society and the san diego film critics society . danny ' s favorite films include “the 400 blows , ” “imitation of life
( 1959 ) , “my neighbor totoro” and “the silence of the lambs . ” he lives in los angeles .
turtleneck and chain is the highly anticipated follow up to the lonely island ' s first album incredibad , which included the emmy® winning sensation
d * * * in a box ,
featuring superstar justin timberlake . incredibad also featured the follow - up gold record
j * * z in my pants ,
which has over 100 million views on youtube and the grammy® nominated , third single
i ' m on a boat
, which went platinum and catapulted the album to the # 1 selling comedy album in 2009 and 2010 .
roberts also starred in the indie film what ' s wrong with virginia opposite ed harris and jennifer connelly which premiered at the toronto film festival last year . the film is directed by dustin lance black ( oscar winner for milk ) and executive produced by gus van sant .
i won’t tell you how the movie ends . no spoilers from this lady . and i also won’t tell you to drop everything and go see this movie , because to a certain extent , you’ve seen it before . but what i will say is , if you’re in the mood for some humor , some heartbreak , and some romance , i’d choose this one over “21 dresses” any day of the week .
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messina will next be seen onscreen in aaron sorkin ' s the newsroom premiering june 24th on hbo , opposite jeff daniels ; and damages premiering july 20th on direct tv , opposite glenn close and rose byrne . he also recently wrapped production on the untitled mindy kaling / fox project .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
is a shrewd rom - com that benefits from its likable cast and trumpets the arrival of rashida jones as a bona fide big screen talent .
while sweeping epics like lincoln and les mis are hard - wired for oscar gold , quirky indie films rarely get the accolades that they deserve . in lieu of these omissions , here’s a shortlist of the best under - the - radar soundtracks and scores that the academy should have recognized .
thanks , jake 88 , for your comment . i absolutely agree that we need far fewer “dick flicks” ( that’s a good one ! ) . and i’m saying just that , because i am arguing that we need more leading roles for women . “chick flicks” are only part of the problem because the term denigrates women and marginalizes movies about women ( the term has a negative connotation for most people ) . you’re right , we should be thankful that they exist at all , what with hollywood’s current business model focusing on actioners and comic book adaptations to attract boys and young men to the theater . but can you really argue that making more films—especially by women—with less formulaic stories and more dynamic female characters is a bad thing ?
in february 2010 , roberts co - starred alongside jessica biel , bradley cooper , patrick dempsey , jennifer garner , ashton kutcher , carter jenkins and julia roberts in the romantic comedy valentine ' s day . jenkins and roberts re - teamed after sharing the screen in unfabulous to play a young couple who are contemplating whether to take a crucial step in the relationship . the film is directed by gary marshall and was released by warner bros .
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on television , rashida can currently be seen on nbc ' s
parks and recreation .
as ann perkins the nurse , she stars opposite amy poehler . the show was recently renewed for a fifth season and was nominated for a 2010 tca award for
outstanding achievement in comedy ,
a 2011 emmy award for
best series , comedy
and was listed as one of afi ' s top programs in 2011 . rashida caught attention of audiences and the industry alike when she portrayed the ambitious saleswoman , karen filippelli , in nbc ' s emmy award winning comedy
the office .
upon landing her very first audition , roberts booked the role of johnny depp and penélope cruz ' s daughter in blow , which was directed by the late ted demme for new line cinema . soon after , she starred in the sundance short film big love directed by leif tilden and starring sam rockwell . roberts went on to play one of the lead roles in the independent feature film grand champion opposite joey lauren adams and directed by barry tubb .
even plays written by men that are “particularly masculine and talk about issues particular to men , are never called ‘men’s plays , ’ ” she added .
you met with rashida , will and jen after reading the script . how ' d you sell yourself to them ? what i tried to present were that my touchstones for this movie were going to be
broadcast news ,
husbands & wives
and
when harry met sally ,
and not so much a contemporary , fluffier rom - com , for lack of a better description . will , rashida and jen were determined to make the film as authentic as possible in terms of putting on the screen what it ' s like to really have a broken heart and go through the six stages of grief we go through . i don ' t think they wanted to pull any punches either . that ' s what they responded to primarily .
the roles afforded women in movies are no better . we’ve heard this a million times before . writing an op - ed piece for the washington post , melissa silverstein , the founder and editor of the indiewire blog women and hollywood and the co - founder and artistic director of the woman - centric athena film festival , argues that the upper echelons of the american film industrial complex , aka “hollywood , ” should be more accommodating to stories about women because they represent half the ticket - buying public in the u . s . ( she cites data from the motion picture association of america ) . silverstein writes ,
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
but when the dialog begins , everything seems normal . their easiness around each other , weird inside jokes and obvious mutual adoration make them the couple everyone else hates . this is when we , laughing with a tinge of jealously , learn that they are getting divorced – and that things have never been better .
widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation , elijah wood continues to challenge himself with roles spanning the spectrum of style and genre .
i think in order to be in any way good or real , you have to bring your own thing to it ,
jones adds .
and , in the writing of this movie , i was for sure processing some pain . and in the filming of this movie , i was processing some stuff , too . it is like a totally selfish pursuit in some ways , acting , because you get this enormous overblown cathartic experience , and you get to go through it and come out the other side with a little bit more understanding of yourself . so , it’s kind of a lucky thing to have .
additional credits oxford murders opposite john hurt ; paris , je t ' aime ; day zero ; george miller ' s animated film happy feet ; emilio estevez ' s bobby ; liev schreiber ' s everything is illuminated ; and michel gondry ' s critically acclaimed eternal sunshine of the spotless mind . additional credits include lexi alexander ' s hooligans ; frank miller ' s graphic novel sin city , co - directed by robert rodriguez and miller ; ang lee ' s the ice storm ; martin duffy ' s independent film the bumblee flies away ; jeffrey porter ' s try seventeen ; ash wednesday ; and james toback ' s black and white .
although a series of blizzards has battered the festival , dumping several feet of snow throughout this winter - sport wonderland at the base of the wasatch mountains and making the schlep from screening to swag suite to open bar tricky to navigate , sundance dealmaking heated up tuesday with sony pictures classics and focus features acquiring the distribution rights to festival entries . and fox searchlight has emerged as most purchase - happy of studio suitors so far , picking up two movies here in park city , utah .