Beyond the Sea (2004) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error A swooning study of "Mack the Knife" singer Bobby Darin (Spacey) specifically, and his relationship with his wife Sandra Dee (Bosworth).

Director: From $5.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON TV Lady Gaga Calls Tony Bennett 'Family' During Star-Studded 90th Birthday Concert: 'You Really Changed My Life' 20 December 2016 9:36 PM, -08:00 | Entertainment Tonight Johnny Depp Reveals What Type of Sandwich He Would Be During Hilarious Fan Q&A (Hint: It's Not Fancy) 30 March 2016 1:45 PM, -08:00 | PEOPLE.com a list of 27 titles created 26 Jun 2011 a list of 45 titles created 15 Aug 2011 a list of 28 titles created 25 Mar 2012 a list of 40 titles created 02 Jul 2014 a list of 43 titles created 2 months ago Title: Beyond the Sea (2004) 6.7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Another 5 nominations. See more awards » Videos An emotionally-beaten man with his young daughter moves to his ancestral home in Newfoundland to reclaim his life. Director: Lasse Hallström A hot shot Washington DC lobbyist and his protégé go down hard as their schemes to peddle influence lead to corruption and murder. Director: George Hickenlooper Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients. Director: Jonas Pate A troubled young man, Li faces pressure at work and problems at home with his moody wife. Chuck, rescues Li from the brink of despair and becomes an unlikely mentor. But who is Chuck really? Director: Dayyan Eng A young, naive Hollywood studio assistant finally turns the tables on his incredibly abusive producer boss. Director: George Huang Brilliant, flamboyant master criminal Michael Lynch is more interested in his image and his posterity than the actual profit from his ill-gotten gains.

Director: Thaddeus O'Sullivan After 8 years in prison, inventor Robert Axle struggles to win over his estranged family and catch up on current technology as he works to once again become the king of the infomercial. Director: Trent Cooper Two veteran salesmen dissect a sales pitch to a particular client, through their young protégé. Director: John Swanbeck A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance. Director: Mimi Leder Edit Storyline Consummate entertainer Bobby Darin (1936-1973) is making a movie about his life. He's volatile, driven by the love of performing, ambition, perfectionism, and belief that he's living on borrowed time. He begins in the Bronx: a fatherless lad learning music and dance from his mom. His career starts slowly, then "Splish Splash" puts him at the top of the charts and on "Bandstand." He wants to be an entertainer, not a pop star, so he aims for the Copacabana; then it's on to the movies, where he meets and marries Sandra Dee.

After, it's balancing career, health, marriage and family life, balances he doesn't always keep. Throughout, conversations with his boyhood self give him perspective. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com> BOBBY DARIN . . . in the era of cool he was the soundtrack. See more » Genres: Rated PG-13 for some strong language and a scene of sensuality | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 29 December 2004 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Bobby Darin Biopic See more » Filming Locations: £179,558 (UK) (26 November 2004) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia As research for his role of pop crooner Bobby Darin , Kevin Spacey attended several of Michael Bublé 's performances.

See more » Goofs In the first scene when Bobby sings 'Mack the Knife' he tosses in an ad-lib by throwing a karate kick and shouting 'ah-so, Madame Myook.' This is based on an actual ad-lib which can be heard on a 10 November 1963 recording of 'Mack the Knife' at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. However, the real Bobby Darin says 'Madame NHU' and not 'Madame Myook.' Madame Nhu was considered the first lady of South Vietnam from 1955-1963. And, she was well known to the American public in the early 1960s because of her notorious political comments, staunch conservatism, and high sense of fashion. See more » Quotes Steve Blauner : Listen you prick, there are four guys around here who can't be fired. And you're not one of them. David Gershenson : He may be an asshole... See more » Crazy Credits During the end credits we see Kevin Spacey performing another song. In the background there are lines moving to the music.

See more » Connections (United States) – See all my reviews For those who cannot "suspend disbelief" in order to enjoy a musical, this movie, and my review, are not for you. For the rest of us, "Beyond the Sea" is a delight. I read critics who said Kevin Spacey is too old to pull off a 20-something Bobby Darin. Wrong! Kevin Spacey's acting captures the essence of BD; after the first ten minutes of the movie it seemed that Kevin Spacey WAS Bobby Darin irrespective of age. I also read critics who said Spacey's dancing was stiff and awkward. Wrong! The production numbers were fabulous. His singing, acting, dancing were awesome, and it's a performance that should not be short-changed in this year's awards' season (although I fear it might be overlooked). Kate Blodgett, too, did a great job of portraying Sandra Dee (but I wish they had kept her hairstyles more true to Sandra Dee of the 1960's). My only disappointment is that so many important details about Bobby Darin's life were quickly glossed over or totally omitted.

For example, there was no mention of his early years in the Pocono's; his unfulfilled romance with Connie Francis; his friendship with Dick Clark; his songwriting collaboration with Don Kirshner; and his subsequent marriage after divorcing Sandra Dee. Nevertheless, I loved "Beyond the Sea" and plan to see it again this week. I'm afraid it won't still be in the theaters next week. It almost appears as though some of Hollywood and the newsprint critics have dissed it with almost a jealousy toward Kevin Spacey's Herculean efforts to bring this to the screen, not to mention his compelling performance. I don't know if it will attract a younger viewing audience; but, if you're a Baby Boomer, this is a must-see. 71 of 102 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes SCREEN IT! ARTISTIC REVIEW: BEYOND THE SEA Drama: A famous singer looks back at his unlikely life and varied musical career. PLOT: Bobby Darin (KEVIN SPACEY) is a famous singer who's creating a self-portrait film about his life and career in which he's playing himself.

At a young age, Little Bobby (WILLIAM ULLRICH) is still reeling from the effects of rheumatic fever that have left him weakened and not expected to live past his teens. With the encouragement of his former vaudeville performer mom, Polly Cassotto (BRENDA BLETHYN), older sister, Nina Cassotto Maffia (CAROLINE AARON), and her husband, Charlie (BOB HOSKINS), however, he not only does that, but also develops quite a musical talent. As a young adult, he becomes a success, singing various pop songs such as "Splish Splash." Yet, he's unhappy and wants to be a serious performer, like Frank Sinatra. With the aid of his manager, Steve Blauner (JOHN GOODMAN), and musical arranger, Dick Behrke (PETER CINCOTTI), he bucks the odds and becomes just that. He also manages to meet and fall for Sandra Dee (KATE BOSWORTH) while appearing in a movie with her, much to the chagrin of Sandra's ambitious and overly protective mother, Mary Duvan (GRETA SCACCHI). Nevertheless, the two eventually marry and have a child.

The demands of their professions, their resultant time spent apart, Bobby's growing unrest with his music, and his involvement with politics, however, soon puts a strain on their relationship as well as Bobby's status as a legendary performer. OUR TAKE: 5 out of 10 "Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babe...Scarlet billows start to spread" --Bobby Darin, "Mack the Knife" Kevin Spacey looks alternately fatigued and awkward as Bobby Darin. Outfitted with a time-period-perfected array of toupees, golf sweaters, and tuxedos, the actor's efforts toward putting together his longtime pet project (some have called it a vanity project) are visible in most every frame of "Beyond the Sea." Given at least one of the film's premises -- that singing and dancing is actual work -- the existence of its full-on musical numbers, with folks bursting into song and dancing in the street, all done up in vibrant costumes and waving their arms exuberantly, makes charming sense.

Such flights of fancy are rendered here as labor, even as they are magically transformed into (welcome) breaks from the plot, all gonzo energy and luscious choreography, against fall-away sets and featuring moderately acrobatic dancers. The craning camera, booming orchestra, and brightly smiling performers all go to show the extraordinariness of the very concept of a musical. And so it is that, amid all this happy production and excitement, Spacey's Darin is something of anomaly: sickly, fretful, angry, extremely competitive, in particular with his boyhood idol, Frank Sinatra. If he does nothing else, he insists even as a child, Bobby will perform at the Copacabana, and outsell Sinatra to boot. He's helped along in this endeavor by the usual biopic figures -- the harried, supportive mom Polly (Brenda Blethyn); the endlessly loyal and endlessly working class sister Nina (Caroline Aaron) and brother-in-law Charlie (Bob Hoskins); and the devoted, strangely wise manager Steve (John Goodman). Alternately buoyed and battered by his supporting cast, Bobby struggles to find his own voice, to determine who he wants to be.

Born Walden Robert Cassotto, the story goes, Darin suffered as a child with rheumatic fever, which damaged his heart (he died in 1973 at age 37), but instilled in him a crucial ambition and work ethic. He's inspired in large part by his mother, who insists that he listen to great (pop) music and learn to play the piano. Following his first pop charts triumph with "Splish Splash," he figures out how to make hits, and the value of pedestrian formula. Seeking stardom, he works in television and nightclubs, the sort of performing that privileges the "latest thing" (which is really the same thing, repackaged) over invention, politics, and self-expression. Still, he's smart enough to cover "Mack the Knife" in 1959 and then writes and performs "Beyond the Sea" in 1960, both songs that have become identified with his synthetic persona. Though he revels in his success, Bobby also feels frustrated by industry impositions and fickle audiences, eventually distrusting not only his own instincts, but also the encouragement of his family and friends.

He seeks support elsewhere, specifically, in intricate embodiments of the industry he both adores and despises, including the prettiest girl star (Sandra Dee, perfectly played by Kate Bosworth), with whom he costars -- as second lead to Rock Hudson -- in "Come September" (1961). The pursuit of this new Hollywood identity entails winning over Sandy's intimidating stage mom Mary Duvan (Greta Scacchi), a process that brings to the forefront the class schisms between Bobby's past (Charlie and Nina chew loudly at dinner) and the future he wants -- or thinks he wants -- so badly. The couple looks doomed ("I'm married to Tammy!"), and yet it lasts (in real life, legend has it, Sandra Dee has remained dedicated to his memory). Their first night as man and wife makes for one of the film's oddest, most disturbing, and most compelling scenes, as she fears for her virginity and he agrees never to touch her until she asks, literally placing a sword across the middle of their bed to mark their sides and, no small thing, to dramatize his decency. Bobby is above all else, a fabulous self-promoter. "Beyond the Sea" is all about staging.

It opens with Darin walking through the back halls and kitchen of the Copa -- the camera tracking "Goodfellas"style -- as a PA announces, "We're walking." The film goes so far as to remark on its own clever artifice within, quite ineffectively. Partly structured as a film that Bobby's making about his own life, it includes an early moment when someone notes that he is, after all, too old to "play himself" (Spacey being near 50, this is manifest throughout, especially when he plays the artist as a young man). While Charlie has the right answer-question for this curmudgeon ("How can you be too old to play yourself?"), the note has been struck: the movie can't quite get out from under its first self-consciousness about this seeming problem. But while the age business might be mildly diverting, it's nothing compared to the film's most off-putting and tired device, Bobby's exchanges with a little boy version of himself (William Ullrich). Cute and talented, the kid is nonetheless an interruption, advising Bobby on how to make the film, and contending that he "knows" him better than anyone.

While the youthful, na�ve Bobby is surely resilient and admirable, he's also annoying. For all the Bobbys, the show is all that matters; Darin is advised and comes to believe that "People hear what they see" (a good if inadvertent lesson, perhaps, for today's lip-syncers). This realization hits home for the movie's Darin after a series of career and personal crises that leave him feeling emotionally and spiritually stranded and quite unsure how to "come back." He decides to reinvent himself as a folk singer, disillusioned by the assassination of Bobby Kennedy (for whom he campaigned) and wanting to protest the war in Vietnam, he conjures a terrifically bad idea of a Vegas show -- the newly earnest "Bob" Darin on acoustic guitar and a black gospel choir behind him. The term "tone deaf" doesn't begin to describe it. "Beyond the Sea" rates as a 5 out of 10.

Reviewed November 15, 2004 / Posted December 29, 2004 If You're Ready to Find Out Exactly What's in the Movies Your Kids are Watching, Click the Add to Cart button below and join the Screen It family for just $7.95/month or $47/year USATODAY.com - Spacey does it all in Bobby Darin biopic  Kids & Family Spacey does it all in Bobby Darin biopic TORONTO (AP)  Bobby Darin wanted it all and pretty much got it: Pop music stardom, success as a folk singer, a reputation as one of the great stage showmen, acclaim as a movie actor. Spacey starred, directed, co-wrote, sang and danced in his Darin film biography Beyond the Sea. By Ann Johansson, AP When it came to his Darin film biography Beyond the Sea, Kevin Spacey also wanted it all and pretty much got it. Spacey starred, directed, co-wrote, sang and danced.

He's even going on tour with a 19-piece big band to promote the film, crooning tunes from Darin's eclectic repertoire, which includes Splish-Splash,Mack the Knife,Dream Lover,If I Were a Carpenter and the movie's title track. Multitasking to that extent is a risk for any actor. For Spacey, the gamble is even greater, coming at a career downturn in which his big-screen bankability has waned. Since winning his second Academy Award for 1999's American Beauty, Spacey, 45, has starred in four straight studio flicks that proved to be critical and commercial duds —Pay It Forward,K-PAX,The Shipping News and The Life of David Gale. "The studio films I've done, I was an actor for hire, so the responsibility of being the storyteller wasn't mine," Spacey said in an interview at September's Toronto International Film Festival, where Beyond the Sea premiered. "And in this case it is, so if this film works, it's because of the vast talents of a great number of people, and if it doesn't, there's nobody to blame but me. And I accept that going in.

My eyes are wide open." Early reaction to the film has been lukewarm, though Spacey earned praise for his warm, energetic performance and spirited vocals. Spacey had performed in musicals from his early teens into his 20s, but good singing roles had since eluded him. He chose to sing himself because he's generally not a fan of lip-synched performances, and relying on his own voice allowed him to expand on the music without being tied to Darin's original vocal tracks. "This wasn't about an actor's ego, wanting to get my rocks off by singing in a movie. This was about trying to do something that would honor him as an entertainer," Spacey said. "This is all about Bobby. It's about trying to reintroduce people to his catalog and hoping that this film will ignite a kind of recognition of his body of work that's just been denied too long." Beyond the Sea traces Darin's cloistered childhood, when he was afflicted with rheumatic fever, through his varied recording and acting career, which culminated in an Academy Award nomination for his role in 1963's Captain Newman, M.D.

A Darin devotee since his teens, Spacey dreamed of making Beyond the Sea for 12 years. Studios were unwilling to finance a film about a comparatively forgotten singer who died in 1973 at 37 after open-heart surgery. "Every door slammed in my face," said Spacey, who eventually found overseas financing. "Politely, but every door slammed in my face." Darin's family also had objections, first, to the film itself, second, to the thought that anyone's voice but Darin's would be used for the soundtrack. Spacey gradually won over Darin's reluctant loved ones, including manager and pal Steve Blauner, played by John Goodman, and son Dodd from his marriage to teen idol Sandra Dee, played by Kate Bosworth. The film also co-stars Brenda Blethyn as Darin's mother, Caroline Aaron as his sister and Bob Hoskins as his brother-in-law. Hoskins recalls his initial skepticism when he met with Spacey over dinner to discuss the film.

"He said, 'I'm going to direct it, I'm going to act in it, and I'm going to sing the songs, and I'm doing the dancing.' 'Yeah, you are, are you?'" Hoskins said. "And he said, 'Really, I am.' Well, I thought, if anybody's going to stick their neck out that far, I'm going with them." Spacey has stuck his neck out before. After a successful early career on stage, Spacey broke into movies but found himself typecast as sleazes or outright monsters, including the serial killer of Seven and a motor-mouthed low-life in The Usual Suspects, for which he won the supporting-actor Oscar. Consciously trying to reinvent himself, Spacey bulled his way to more varied roles with L.A. Confidential,Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,The Negotiator and American Beauty, for which he won the best-actor Oscar as an acerbically funny husband in a midlife crisis. Though his movies since have flopped, Spacey cannot be accused of going for safe roles. In Pay It Forward, he played a lonely teacher scarred physically and emotionally by childhood burns.

In K-PAX, he was a psychiatric patient who may or may not have been what he claimed to be: An alien from a distant world. The Shipping News cast Spacey as a taciturn, meandering loser awakened from his passivity by a new life in his ancestral home. "He's such a chameleon," said Beyond the Sea co-star Bosworth. "He can go from one role to the next and the next and the next, from playing a frustrated husband to an alien. That's a pretty big range." Spacey filmed a supporting role in the upcoming cop drama Edison, with Justin Timberlake and Morgan Freeman. He also continues overseeing his production company, Trigger Street, which produced such smaller films featuring Spacey as The Big Kahuna,The United States of Leland and Ordinary Decent Criminal. For the foreseeable future, though, Spacey plans to stick largely to the stage. "I'm going to be a theater rat for a while," Spacey said.

"I'll probably do less movies than plays for the next five, six, seven, eight years." Spacey took over this year as artistic director of London's Old Vic theater and plans to star in two plays there in 2005: Dennis McIntyre's National Anthems and The Philadelphia Story, the basis for the classic film comedy starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and James Stewart. Spacey will play Grant's role as a conniving ex-husband. He got off to a rough start at the Old Vic, where critics trashed his first production this fall, the Dutch drama Cloaca, which Spacey directed. Spacey shrugs off his artistic misfires, including his recent string of film flops, saying he wants to keep his career focus on the long haul. "There were a lot of years when people were really crapping on Paul Simon. Whatever happened to Paul Simon? He used to be good," Spacey said. "Then Graceland came out, and everybody was in love with Paul Simon again. "We live in a very temporal attitude about whether somebody's hot, or in or out, or whether their movies make money or don't. And that's not where my focus is. My focus is on the journey.

And at the end of the journey, over a reasonable period of time and a body of work, that's when somebody should be judged." Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Beyond the Sea **** (2004, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Greta Scacchi) Classic Movie Review 1329 | Derek Winnert This article was written on 15 Jun 2014, and is filled under Reviews . Current post is tagged Beyond the Sea **** (2004, Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Greta Scacchi) Classic Movie Review 1329 Writer-director Kevin Spacey’s 2004 movie is his second as director, following 1996’s Albino Alligator. They couldn’t be more different films. That one was a set-bound, ensemble thriller with no appearance by the star. This one is a glossy musical biopic, a showy star showcase, with that firecracker actor Spacey as the star in question.

And he’s a sensation – pulling off a bravura acting-singing-dancing turn, as Bobby Darin, Fifties teen idol, Sixties crooner and Vietnam War protest singer. Darin rises from his lower class Italian-American roots to become one of the most popular rock ‘n roll and big band performers of all time, but dies at 37 from blood poisoning after surgery to repair his mechanical heart valve. Using his own sweet singing voice in an uncanny imitation of Darin for the musical numbers, Spacey trills Splish Splash, Mack the Knife and Beyond the Sea in high style. Excellent lookalike Kate Bosworth strikes sparks as Darin’s unhappy movie star actress wife Sandra Dee, while Greta Scacchi has a fine old as her bitchy mother. Gleefully blending showbiz gossip, camp value, musical numbers, personal drama and social comment, this is a total treat, stirred up to near perfection by Spacey as director and screenwriter in what’s clearly a labour of love. So what if he’s a bit too old for the part? He convinces and entertains. And that’s what matters.

The end is very touching, as after his death Darin meets his younger self and the two duet on ‘As Long As I’m Singing’. Bob Hoskins plays Charlie Cassotto Maffia, a father figure who considers Darin to be his son, Brenda Blethyn plays Polly Cassotto, Darin’s maternal grandmother who teaches him music, and John Goodman plays Stephen Blauner, Bobby’s manager. Filmed in Germany, Beyond the Sea of course takes its title from Darin’s hit version of the song. Sadly, it was not a hit, but Darin’s son Dodd, Sandra Dee and Steve Blauner spoke highly of Spacey’s work. Critics praised Spacey’s performance, especially the use of his own singing voice, and he earned Golden Globe and Grammy nominations. After all the hard work, it cost $25million and earned only $8.45 million. In 1997 Spacey by coincidence had performed a cover version of Darin’s ‘That Old Black Magic’ for the soundtrack of his film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

In 2004 Spacey did a 12-city United States concert tour titled An Evening Celebrating the Music of Bobby Darin, performing with a 19-piece band. (C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1329 Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more film reviews: Bobby Darin, Fifties teen idol, Sixties crooner. Beyond the Sea (2004) | Dan the Man's Movie Reviews Dan the Man's Movie Reviews 3 Comments Posted by Dan O. on August 2, 2016 Yup. Still can’t get that song out of my head. Despite being told that he would not live past 15 years of age due to a heart condition, Bobby Darin (Kevin Spacey) set out to leave his mark on show business, vowing to be a legend by 25. That is exactly what he did, and this is his story. Is Bobby Darin a legend? Better yet, does there deserve to be a two-hour biopic made about him? To answer both questions, probably not.

But that still doesn’t stop celebrities like Kevin Spacey from making movies about him, even if, at the end of the day, people will wonder, “why?”And yes, as is the case with most passion projects, Beyond the Sea feels like the kind of movie that probably didn’t need to made, but because it’s done by smart, dependable people, it’s not so bad. I hope he sings that song about the sea! Just a tad unnecessary, is all. As writer/director/producer/star, Spacey has a lot to do and it’s surprising just how much effort he put into the way this thing moves. In a way, he wants to make a musical out of this flick, what with a bunch of wacky, wild, and fun dance-numbers taking place seemingly out of nowhere, but he also wants to make a warts-and-all biopic about this troubled celebrity’s life. Is it uneven? Yes. Is it messy? You betcha. But is it boring? Nope. Not really. And honestly, that’s good enough for me, especially considering that mostly all musical biopics can be downright dull, regardless of whether or not you know the subject the movie is made about.

But even so, there’s some glaring issues with the film, that seem to come directly from Spacey himself, in that he doesn’t always nail down the right tone. One of the best examples is a fight that Darin and his wife have, which plays out like a scene in a dark comedy, but ends up being very serious and mean with both of them ending up in tears. It’s a funny scene, that goes to being very strange and shows you that Spacey may have not had the right touch for certain scenes. Even when all of the dark drama does eventually come into the story, it somewhat bogs everything down and doesn’t even really seem interesting. But if there’s the biggest issue with Spacey’s direction, it’s that, when all is said and done, we never really find out much about Darin himself. Sure, we know the guy has a heart problem, yes, we know the guy wants to be bigger than Sinatra, but what else is there? Occasionally, they’ll bring up the whole fact that he was apparently arrogant in real-life, but that rarely ever comes up or even shows. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be any flaws of his pointed out throughout this film once.

This isn’t me assuming that Darin was the devil in real life, but he sure as hell wasn’t no latter-day saint, either. Maybe because this was Spacey’s own way of paying tribute to a singer/songwriter he immortalized as a kid, but if you’re going to do a biopic, you might as well do it the right way and allow us to see the full picture. I agree. What about John? After all, the more shades you show of a character, the more the audience is able to care for them when they, as Darin does, die. As for Darin, he was only 37 when he died, so some people may be a bit thrown-off when they see Spacey, who was 44-years old at the time, playing a guy in his teens with tons and tons of prosthetic make-up. It’s goofy and sometimes distracting, but you know what? Spacey is somehow able to make it work by being as charismatic as he can be. Spacey has quite the knack for these darker roles where you just don’t like him, but at the same time, love that aspect about him.

Here, you get to actually see him lighten-up some and let loose with a real life figure that seemed to go throughout life in such a frantic movement, that it’s hard not to enjoy and watch. Many will also be impressed that all of the songs are sung by Spacey himself, and the guy shows that he has the chops to not only direct, write, and star in his own movie, but the guy can freakin’ belt it out like no other as well. Spacey’s got it all going for himself and watching him is worth the watch alone. And yeah, others like Bob Hoskins, John Goodman, Sandra Dee, and Kate Bosworth all show up and give a little, but really, it’s Spacey’s show through and through. They know that, he knows that, everyone knows that. It’s a shame that it wasn’t more of Darin’s show, but honestly, did we need anything more than what we got? Or, can we assume that his life was the same as any other celebrity’s? Who knows? Maybe there’s another Bobby Darin biopic out there looming on the horizon.

Consensus: Spacey does what he can to tool around the biopic narrative, allowing for Beyond the Sea to be a bit more interesting than the usual fare, but also seems to short Bobby Darin himself in not getting deep down to the root of who the person actually was. 6 / 10 Kevin Spacey - News NEWS Kevin Spacey More at IMDbPro » Connect with IMDb 24 December 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news » Actor Kevin Spacey has developed such an obsession with singer Bobby Darin , he's commissioned six oil portraits of himself playing the singer in his latest movie. The Hollywood star - who brings the crooner back to life in Beyond The Sea - modeled for the paintings for over half a year, which ultimately cost him $90,000. Artist William Quigley says, "He sat for me for over six months. Kevin was very intense as a model. We started off just doing two canvases, one with an open collar and the other in black tie.

But then the project mushroomed." » 29 November 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news » Hollywood star Kevin Spacey is considering quitting movie acting, to concentrate on his musical career. The Oscar winner, who plays fifties crooner Bobby Darin in the Beyond The Sea , is keen to return to his roots and concentrate on living the life of a singer-songwriter. The actor has already planned to tour with Beyond The Sea co-stars, The John Wilson Orchestra, in America. Spacey explains, "My background was on stage and in musicals so it's a case of going back to my roots. If this all goes well - the tour and the movie - I have a good mind to jack in all the acting things and just live the life of a singer-songwriter. Sounds good, right? Well, you'll just have to wait and see." » 30 September 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news » British actor Joseph Fiennes has accused Kevin Spacey of encouraging dull, formal theatres - by criticizing noisy audiences.

The American Beauty star, who is currently artistic director of the Old Vic theatre, launched a scathing attack on theatre-goers who didn't switch off their mobile phones, or opened sweet packets during performances. The Enemy At The Gates star counters, "I think that it is sad that anything as minimal as crushing sweet papers has been picked up on. Here at the Young Vic, we are against that sort of arch, slightly bourgeois environment, with expensive seating and that sense of formality. We want to be more than that." David Lan, Spacey's counterpart at the Young Vic, adds, "Basically, we think exactly the opposite of Spacey. We would like audiences to be made up of people coming who don't normally go to the theatre. We want to put on big, difficult productions.

We don't mind noisy audiences." » 24 September 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » The 2004 edition of the AFI Fest will feature gala showings of Kevin Spacey 's Beyond the Sea , Michael Radford 's The Merchant of Venice , Zhang Yimou 's House of Flying Daggers , Pedro Almodovar 's Bad Education and Alejandro Amenabar 's The Sea Inside . However, when the films unspool at the event -- scheduled for Nov. 4-14 at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood -- the festival will be known under a different name, AFI Fest 2004 presented by Audi. The luxury automobile-maker has signed on with AFI to become the festival's premier sponsor, making them the first car manufacturer to be a lead sponsor for a major film festival and one of the largest single sponsors of a film festival outside of American Express' involvement with the Tribeca Film Festival. The pact between Audi and AFI also includes AFI's extended year-round film programming activities at ArcLight Hollywood.

The weekly program of film series and special events will now be known as AFI at ArcLight presented by Audi. » 22 September 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news » Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has hit out at audiences at London's Old Vic theater, insisting they need to learn to behave in a proper manner. The American Beauty star - who is artistic director at the historic playhouse - has become so incensed by the disruption caused by ringing mobile phones and the opening of sweet packets during performances, he now personally issues a warning to audiences. Spacey argues, "I don't think people take those things seriously. That's why mobile phones go off in the theater, and that's why people open candy bars thinking if they open it slowly it will be less annoying than if they open it fast. My answer is that I say to each audience 'Don't!' You have to respect the fact there is some degree of behavior that we expect in the theater and we're going to demand it at the Old Vic. It's a phone-free zone.

We don't want them ringing and we certainly don't want them ringing and people ignoring them pretending that it's not theirs." The Oscar winner is currently making his directorial debut at the Old Vic with the play Cloaca. » 8 September 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Trigger Street partners Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti have partnered with filmmaker brothers Adam and Mark Kassen to form Trigger Street Independent, a fully financed production company that plans to produce three or more digital features per year. The newly launched New York-based outfit is headed by the Kassens and already has strategic partnerships lined up with Technicolor, Goldcrest Post Production, ZGC and Panasonic. The alliances, which offer discounted rates on equipment and services, will allow Trigger Street Independent to make a series of digital or HD features on a budget of about $1 million or less per film. Also unique to the company is a business model that Will Grant profit participation to cast and crew who work on Trigger Street Independent projects. Although not unprecedented, the rare model is catching on in Hollywood with other companies, like Serenade Films, and productions, like Rodrigo Garcia 's Nine Lives , also employing the profit-sharing system.

» 26 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » Rhys Ifans is a character actor par excellence, a skilled scene-stealer who has lifted from the likes of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts ( Notting Hill ), Tim Robbins ( Human Nature ), Kevin Spacey ( The Shipping News ) and Adam Sandler ( Little Nicky ). In the warm, sparkling character comedy Danny Deckchair , the Welsh actor moves to center stage, but it has taken a trip to Australia to get him there. With its engaging performances, left-of-center humor, winning sense of warmth and the presence of Ifans, Danny Deckchair may just float its way to some low-key art house success. A fable-like quality is often difficult to catch, but debut feature director Jeff Balsmeyer (an American living in Sydney) has done just that. While the town of Clarence is grounded in reality, there's just enough magic about it to suggest that this all might be a figment of Danny's imagination. As well as capturing the elusive glow of magic realism, Balsmeyer also succeeds in drawing fine performances out of his cast.

Ifans is all charm and sturdy sweetness as Danny, while Otto (about as far away from her icily dignified turn in "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" as you could get) is the perfect foil, equally sweet but with an earthier verve. Clarke is superb as Trudy, giving her character enough levels to make her so much more interesting than the garden-variety villain that she could have been. The only real problem with Danny Deckchair is that writer-director Balsmeyer fails to set up the changes that Danny will undergo when he arrives in Clarence. We are shown nothing of his real potential in the early stages of the film, so his sudden transformation (where he has advice for everyone and even moves into small-town politics) comes out of nowhere. DANNY DECKCHAIR The Cobalt Media Group and Macquarie Film Corp.

in association with Crusader Entertainment presents a City Production Credits: 25 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » TORONTO -- Looking to become a bastion of heavyweight, star-filled indie cinema, the Toronto International Film Festival unveiled Tuesday a 328-film lineup that includes 100 world premieres and 81 North American premieres. Among the 20 high-profile films to receive red-carpet treatment at Roy Thomson Hall are Mike Barker 's A Good Woman , a Beyond Films comedy about Americans in Italy that stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson , and Kevin Spacey 's second film, Lions Gate Films' Beyond the Sea , in which Spacey stars as Bobby Darin . Elsewhere, the festival is hosting the world premiere of Oliver Hirschbiegel 's Downfall , a German thriller about Adolf Hitler 's final hours that stars Bruno Ganz , and a matinee gala for John Stephenson 's Five Children and It , a kids' tale that stars Kenneth Branagh and Tara Fitzgerald .

» 24 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » TORONTO -- Looking to become a bastion of heavyweight, star-filled indie cinema, the Toronto International Film Festival unveiled Tuesday a 328-film lineup that includes 100 world premieres and 81 North American premieres. Among the 20 high-profile films to receive red-carpet treatment at Roy Thomson Hall are Mike Barker 's A Good Woman , a Beyond Films comedy about Americans in Italy that stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson , and Kevin Spacey 's second film, Lions Gate Films' Beyond the Sea , in which Spacey stars as Bobby Darin . Elsewhere, the festival is hosting the world premiere of Oliver Hirschbiegel 's Downfall , a German thriller about Adolf Hitler 's final hours that stars Bruno Ganz , and a matinee gala for John Stephenson 's Five Children and It , a kids' tale that stars Kenneth Branagh and Tara Fitzgerald .

» 24 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » TORONTO -- Looking to become a bastion of heavyweight, star-filled indie cinema, the Toronto International Film Festival unveiled Tuesday a 328-film lineup that includes 100 world premieres and 81 North American premieres. Among the 20 high-profile films to receive red-carpet treatment at Roy Thomson Hall are Mike Barker 's A Good Woman , a Beyond Films comedy about Americans in Italy that stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson , and Kevin Spacey 's second film, Lions Gate Films' Beyond the Sea , in which Spacey stars as Bobby Darin . Elsewhere, the festival is hosting the world premiere of Oliver Hirschbiegel 's Downfall , a German thriller about Adolf Hitler 's final hours that stars Bruno Ganz , and a matinee gala for John Stephenson 's Five Children and It , a kids' tale that stars Kenneth Branagh and Tara Fitzgerald .

» 24 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » TORONTO -- Looking to become a bastion of heavyweight, star-filled indie cinema, the Toronto International Film Festival unveiled Tuesday a 328-film lineup that includes 100 world premieres and 81 North American premieres. Among the 20 high-profile films to receive red-carpet treatment at Roy Thomson Hall are Mike Barker 's A Good Woman , a Beyond Films comedy about Americans in Italy that stars Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson , and Kevin Spacey 's second film, Lions Gate Films' Beyond the Sea , in which Spacey stars as Bobby Darin . Elsewhere, the festival is hosting the world premiere of Oliver Hirschbiegel 's Downfall , a German thriller about Adolf Hitler 's final hours that stars Bruno Ganz , and a matinee gala for John Stephenson 's Five Children and It , a kids' tale that stars Kenneth Branagh and Tara Fitzgerald .

» 2 August 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » 20th Century Fox has picked up an untitled adventure project from screenwriter Christian Forte that Mikkel Bondesen will produce. The story is described as a lighthearted caper about a group of men in prison who use their incarceration as the perfect alibi when they conspire to steal a stash of diamonds. Robby Brenner is the studio executive on the project. Forte's credits include writing Albino Alligator for Miramax. Alligator was directed by Kevin Spacey and starred Matt Dillon , Faye Dunaway , Gary Sinise and Viggo Mortensen . Forte is repped by Endeavor, manager Bondesen and attorney Carlos Goodman. » 25 July 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » COLOGNE, Germany -- Lew Horwitz , founder and former head of veteran financing group LHO, has signed on as an adviser to leading independent German film fund VIP, VIP co-head Andreas Schmid has said.

A 24-year film financing veteran, Horwitz helped source backing for such films as Nine 1/2 Weeks , My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Devil and Daniel Webster . He also has plenty of experience with the German film fund scene, having worked with various funds on projects spanning FearDotCom , Undisputed and Patty Jenkins ' Monster , which was co-financed by VIP. Horwitz will advise VIP on contract negotiations with independent producers and studios as well as future projects. Munich-based VIP, Germany's largest independent film fund, has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in private investor capital to back big-budget features like The Punisher and independent fare like The I Inside . Upcoming projects include the Adrien Brody-Keira Knightley thriller The Jacket and Havoc , starring Kevin Spacey , Morgan Freeman and Justin Timberlake . VIP's latest fund has so far raised about $150 million, and the company expects to top $200 million by year's end. » 7 May 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news » Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey 's older brother Randall Fowler has unveiled a dark harrowing past, where he was sexually abused by their Nazi-obsessed father.

Fowler, who earns his money as a Rod Stewart look-alike, is currently working on a book called I'm Spacey's Brother Whether He Likes It Or Not, in which he plans to expose an array of buried family secrets - including his own abuse by his would-be writer father Geoff, who died in 1992 at the age of 68. According to Fowler, his father was an ultra right-wing, perverted sadist and a member of the American Nazi party who trimmed his moustache to resemble his idol Adolf Hitler . And while he claims his father regularly beat Kevin and their sister Julie, Randall says he was put through the horror of sexual molestation. He says, "I constantly threatened my father that if he ever touched (Kevin) I'd confront my mother with what was going on and that would destroy the family. I really felt I was sacrificing myself for the sake of my little bother. (Kevin) was so determined to avoid the whippings, that he just minded his Ps and Qs until there was nothing inside.

He had no feelings." Spacey's spokesperson Staci Wolfe tells America's Star magazine, "(Randall's) claim against his father is a very serious one and has been a difficult personal family matter. The family all feel deeply for his situation. Kevin has not experienced any of the distress his brother describes - he has never been a victim of abuse. He can only sympathize with him." Randall claims that in 1987, he confronted Spacey about his sexuality, to which the actor responded, "I don't consider myself heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual - just sexual." Randall adds, "To the best of my knowledge, Kevin has never had a real relationship with anyone except our mother. He's an empty vessel. Neither of us had a chance, growing up with two such damaged parents." » 23 April 2004 | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news » LONDON -- Kevin Spacey said Thursday that he will stage four plays in his first season as artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre Co., directing one and starring in two, including the first British performance of Philip Barry's The Philadelphia Story.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor, now fully based in the United Kingdom, said he will take the Cary Grant role of C.K. Dexter-Haven in Philadelphia Story, but said the remainder of the cast would not be chosen until a director has been selected. "It could be a big star or a complete unknown," said Spacey, who was named to the Old Vic position more than a year ago. Spacey joined producer David Liddiment in a news conference in the 180-year-old theater Thursday to detail the four productions of the Old Vic Company's £2 million ($3.5 million) season. » 23 April 2004 | WENN | See recent WENN news » Hollywood star Kevin Spacey has laughed off his supposed mugging in London last weekend, claiming he was paid to keep soccer star David Beckham off newspaper front pages. The Oscar-winner claimed he was robbed of his mobile phone in south London park at 4.30am on Saturday morning, before later confessing he was actually the victim of a con artist.

Now Spacey - whose actions have prompted further speculation about his sexuality - has joked that the whole incident was a cunning plan to divert attention from Beckham's alleged infidelity, a story that has dominated the British media in recent weeks. The actor - currently artistic director of London's Old Vic theatre - said at the launch of the theatre's new season yesterday, "I would like to put to rest a rumor that has been spreading about town for the past two days that I think is entirely unfair. That is that David Beckham would donate £100,000 to the Old Vic if I would take him off the front pages for a few days.

In fact I am going to text David myself if someone will let me replace my mobile phone - I seem to have misplaced mine." » 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 1-20 of 32 items from 2004 « Prev | Next » IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.

WORST: 'Beyond the Sea' (2004) | Reality Bites: The 25 Best and Worst Biopics | Rolling Stone Reality Bites: The 25 Best and Worst Biopics Donald Trump's Inauguration: By the Numbers Reality Bites: The 25 Best and Worst Biopics From raging bulls to lizard kings, we look back at the great (and the grating) movies that took on true-life stories 25 All Stories WORST: 'Beyond the Sea' (2004) He looks like Bobby Darin and he sounds like Bobby Darin — so why shouldn't superfan Kevin Spacey play Bobby Darin? And direct the movie as well, why he's at it? Never mind that the 45-year-old Usual Suspects actor was a little on the older side when it came to portraying the "Mack the Knife" singer as a teen idol and a twentysomething crooner; this was his pet project and hey, there's movie magic to smooth over the rough edges, right? Once again, the factor that has sunk many a biopic rears its ugly head: ego.

Even if the pacing didn't seem several beats off and you could suspend your disbelief over the age factor, the movie ultimately ends up being little more than a vanity project. Roger Ebert said it best: "[It's] as much about Spacey playing Darin as Darin himself."—David Fear OFC Reviews -- Beyond the Sea Beyond the Sea Directed by Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey opens his labor of love, Beyond the Sea, with a nod to the audience ï¿½ he is asked on-screen if heï¿½s too old to play Bobby Darin (Darin died at 37 while Spacey, at 44, plays Darin starting as a very young man.) The short ice-breaking scene is a plea to work with meï¿½ I know Iï¿½m old for this role, but give me a chance. I was familiar with this project well in advance of seeing the film so I was prepared for the 44-year-old actor playing the young Darin. It worked for me but I can see how some people might find that a stretch.

Kevin Spacey, who wrote the screenplay as well as directing and playing the lead, shepherded this project through years of development ï¿½ heï¿½s obviously a big fan of Darin. To succeed at a high level in show biz takes tremendous motivation, so all film and music stars certainly have it. I think Spacey and Darin not only shared a high level of drive but tended to wear it on their shirt sleeve more than most. Spacey has always impressed me as a push-push, get-it-done kind of performing artist and that quality was an essential element in Bobby Darinï¿½s life story ï¿½ Bobby knew his life would be short (due to a childhood illness, he had chronic heart problems and wasnï¿½t expected to live as long as he did) ï¿½ so he lived every day with an intensely focused agenda to succeed not only in several musical styles but in film as well. As such an ultra-motivated artist himself, Spacey didnï¿½t have to stretch to convey that essential quality in Bobby Darin.

Kate Bosworth was very well cast as 1950s/60s blond bombshell Sandra Dee ï¿½ possibly best known for playing the lead in 1959ï¿½s Gidget. She married Darin after meeting him on a movie set. Kate Bosworth shaped the character as a very young woman with little formal education who nevertheless had the street smarts to achieve and hold onto her status as a major star for more than a decade. The contrasting personalities of Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin helped to illustrate how driven he was ï¿½ as much as he loved her, he could hardly contain his ambition to succeed in every arena possible. My favorite scenes in Beyond involved Greta Scacchi as Sandra Deeï¿½s intense stage mom. When Bobby played up to mom, she ate it up, but when he started romancing her young daughter, she went ballistic. Stage mothers have long been a rich source of humor in movies set in show biz ï¿½ she was the funniest character in this film. The smartest thing about the character: they had the good judgment not to overdo it ï¿½ every scene with her was hilarious and they left me wanting more.

I think Iï¿½ve figured out something about Kevin Spaceyï¿½s on-screen persona ï¿½ common to almost all of his movies ï¿½ he has a swagger, a hipster swagger thatï¿½s different from a jockï¿½s swagger ï¿½ it says ï¿½Iï¿½m cool and I donï¿½t care if you get it or notï¿½. That quality fit perfectly into his Bobby Darin character. Spacey is a talented singer and managed to mimic Bobby Darinï¿½s vocal inflections perfectly, but he just doesnï¿½t have a voice like Darin. My one major complaint about Beyond the Sea is the absence of the real Bobby Darinï¿½s voice. I donï¿½t know if it was a problem obtaining the rights or a creative decision, but I missed the actual recordings of the songs. Even if they used Kevin Spaceyï¿½s voice during his on-camera numbers, they could have put in Bobby Darinï¿½s recordings in scenes where Spacey isnï¿½t shown singing.

Having Darinï¿½s classic version of ï¿½Mack the Knifeï¿½ play over the end credits would have been a perfect ending. Beyond includes several dance numbers that had a 1950s-musical look ï¿½ very nice, sharp looking, with flashy production design and costuming from that colorful period. The scenes set in Italy (while Darin romanced Dee on the set of 1961ï¿½s Come September) were also beautifully produced, adding to the visual appeal of the film. Overall, the movie has a bright, uplifting look -- a good idea -- some filmmakers would have been tempted to make a sad, dark film, given Darinï¿½s illness and early death. While Beyond is a very good looking movie thatï¿½s meant to be appreciated in a theater, it isnï¿½t so visually oriented that it would be tragic to see it only on DVD. The strength of Beyond is in the characters ï¿½ youï¿½ll get all of that from the DVD.

Bobby Darinï¿½s career is summarized pretty accurately in Beyond the Sea -- his start as pop star in the early years of rock-n-roll, followed by his greater success as Rat-Pack-style crooner, and his less-successful attempt reinvent himself as a politically-oriented folk singer in the mid to late 1960s. I think that Beyond could have been a little clearer that his ï¿½croonerï¿½ phase was, by far, his most successful and those songs ï¿½ notably 1959ï¿½s ï¿½Mack the Knifeï¿½ and 1960ï¿½s ï¿½Beyond the Seaï¿½ ï¿½ form the core of his legacy. Darin was an incredibly versatile artist wrote, sang, acted and dabbled in so many musical genres that you couldnï¿½t cover it all in a two hour movie. The movie does succeed in portraying a highly motivated and talented young man who had no time in life for anything that slowed down his ascent to stardom ï¿½ Kevin Spacey did a great job of capturing that.

The most interesting angle is the parallel personalities that I see -- between Kevin Spacey and Bobby Darin ï¿½ which make Spacey just the right guy to play Darin ï¿½ screw the age difference. In the year of so many biopics, Beyond ranks up there with the best ï¿½ maybe a notch below The Aviator. As a director, Spacey is no Martin Scorsese and this film isnï¿½t as visual as The Aviator but the underlying material ï¿½ the short life of a fascinating artist make this a must-see for all music lovers. After my second viewing -- my reaction to a few things about Beyond changed. I now believe the film could have been edited down by about twenty minutes or a half-hour, mostly by reducing the screen time devoted to his later years as folk singer ï¿½ itï¿½s important to make the point that he went through that phase but that could have been done more quickly.

Kate Bosworthï¿½s performance grew on me ï¿½ particularly when I compare it to her earlier films: 2000ï¿½s Remember the Titans and 2002ï¿½s Blue Crush -- both good movies that I recommend. She has made considerable progress as a performer. Itï¿½s interesting to watch a young actor develop over the early years of a career. I remain committed to the idea that Kevin Spacey is the best actor to play Bobby Darin. Iï¿½ve read quite a lot of criticism centered around his age but I didnï¿½t find it hard at all to go along on that point. Photographs are copyright Lions Gate Films. For more information about this film including detailed cast and crew credits, check out The Internet Movie Database by clicking here .

Question: In the 2004 film biopic Beyond the Sea, Kevin Spacey plays which 1960s singer
Answer: Bobby Darin