The Good Girl - Jeremy Walker



Presents

In Association with WMF V

A FLAN DE COCO FILM

The Good Girl

Directed by Miguel Arteta

Written by Mike White

Preliminary Press Notes

PRESS CONTACT: JEREMY WALKER + ASSOCIATES

Land Lines: 435- 487-3237 or 435-487-3236

Jeremy Walker mobile: 917-597-7286

Rudi Fürstberger mobile: 917-597-7269

Christine Richardson mobile: 917-771-3668

Jessica Haines mobile: 609-410-7101

Cast

(in order of appearance)

Justine Last Jennifer Aniston

Gwen Jackson Deborah Rush

Corny Mike White

Jack Field, Your Store Manager John Carroll Lynch

Holden Worther Jake Gyllenhaal

Cheryl Zooey Deschanel

Phil Last John C. Reilly

Bubba Tim Blake Nelson

Heavy Set Woman Jacquie Barnbrook

Haggard Woman Annie O’Donnell

Mr. Worther John Doe

Mrs. Worther Roxanne Hart

Lester Jonathan Shere

Big Haired Woman Alice Amter

Old Woman Jean Rhodes

Nurse Aimee Garcia

Blackberry Vendor Lalo Guerrero

Floberta Michael Hyatt

Reporter Ken Rudulph

Stunts Bob Jauregui

Bits Enzo

Filmmakers

Directed by Miguel Arteta

Written By Mike White

Producer Matthew Greenfield

Co-Producers Shelly Glasser, Gina Kwon

Executive Producers Kirk D’Amico, Philip Von Alvensleben, Carol Baum

Director of Photography Enrique Chediak

Production Designer Daniel Bradford

Editor Jeff Betancourt

Art Director Macie Vener

Casting Joanna Colbert

Costume Designer Nancy Steiner

Set Decorator Susan Emshwiller

Music Supervisor Margaret Yen

Sound Mixer Yehuda Maayan

Key Make-up Artist Carol Schwartz

Key Hairstylist Daniel Curet

Key Costumer Christie Wittenborn

The Good Girl

“As a girl you see the world like a giant candy store.” This is one of the first things we hear from Justine (Jennifer Aniston), the title character of THE GOOD GIRL. Justine, though, is no longer a girl – she is grown up, married and longs to start a family. Without a doubt her husband Phil (John C. Reilly) loves her, but they have so far been unable to conceive, and Justine wonders if all the pot he smokes with his best friend Bubba (Tim Blake Nelson) might be the reason why. But one day at work at Retail Rodeo, Justine discovers something of a soul mate in Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal), a creative, passionate young man who represents a chance for Justine to escape into a new world of emotional and sexual awakening. But when the affair quickly moves from liberation to poisonous obsession, Justine finds herself ensnared in a chaotic web of blackmail, larceny and love. Is Justine ultimately a good girl? Can she make the right choice between her dependable husband and disturbed lover? Written by Mike White and directed by Miguel Arteta, THE GOOD GIRL gives Aniston the chance to create a character with the complexity of a present-day suburban Emma Bovary.

* * * *

About The Production

The makers of THE GOOD GIRL put its star, Jennifer Aniston, in a new place that is sort of like a funhouse at a carnival – full of strangers and disorienting and sometimes scary, but still a thrilling chance to see yourself like you never have before. An independent film in every sense, THE GOOD GIRL attracted a cast that includes John C. Reilly (“Boogie Nights,” “Magnolia,”), Tim Blake Nelson (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Cherish,” also at Sundance), Jake Gyllenhaal (“October Sky,” “Donnie Darko”) and Zooey Deschanel (“Almost Famous”). In great company, and with a role that she related to without knowing precisely why (“I didn’t know if it was a personal thing or if it was my own mother or just women I know”), Aniston embarked on a 33-day shoot that was shoehorned around her Thursday and Friday commitment to Friends.

“Miguel is the kindest, most soft-spoken man,” Aniston says later. “It was weird. There was just something about trusting this man and I put my life in his hands and let him go with it.”

***

Director Miguel Arteta and producer Matthew Greenfield forged the start of their longstanding collaboration while studying film. The two met by chance in the hallways of Wesleyan University and, as Arteta recalls, “There was just something about the way Matthew was walking towards me.” Arteta followed his gut instincts and immediately asked Greenfield to produce his short film “Every Day is Beautiful,” a musical which garnered a Student Academy Award nomination and screened at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Arteta and Greenfield reunited on their celebrated feature debut “Star Maps.” With Mike White, another Wesleyan alumnus, in a cameo, “Star Maps” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released to critical acclaim by Fox Searchlight. Later, the trio partnered on White’s script “Chuck & Buck,” which also premiered and sold at Sundance. THE GOOD GIRL marks the team’s third feature outing.

Like their previous work, THE GOOD GIRL seeks truth, the crucial element which defines their collective cinematic vision. Again, the team deftly examines the life of outsiders. Arteta explains the central theme of his work. “All the films deal with characters who do not have the tools they need to live a full life and to cope with life properly.” However, it is their honest approach to creating characters that gives Justine, like Chuck in “Chuck & Buck” and Carlos in “Star Maps,” her universal appeal.

White penned THE GOOD GIRL during a “dark spot” in his personal life. He had recently completed the script for “Chuck & Buck,” which at the time seemed to have no foreseeable future. Meanwhile, White’s savings had dwindled and like the character Justine he would soon create, he saw no means for escape. “I wanted to write the film like a prison movie,” explains White. “I wanted to capture the feeling that everyone is imprisoned and secretly plotting their escapes,” he continues.

White would apply his trademark style as he developed the screenplay. His genuine approach to storytelling would allow him to again defy conventional genres as he created a provocative story, which is simultaneously heart-wrenching and humorous, creating what he has coined “a comic ode to depression.” “I like films that walk the delicate line between comedy and pathos,” states White. “The fun of writing is to explore that balance, trying to find something entertaining on the surface but something much weightier underneath.”

White’s humanistic touch also greatly appealed to executive producer Carol Baum: “My son Will, who is a screenwriter and friends with Mike, gave me THE GOOD GIRL script three years ago. I thought the script was amazingly fresh, funny and very moving.” A seasoned producer who forged an expansive career based on high-profile literary adaptations and a keen eye for discovering new voices, Baum instantly recognized White as a “rare talent” and signed onto the project.

Baum then brought the script for THE GOOD GIRL to executive producer Kirk D’Amico about a year after he had formed his financing and sales company Myriad Pictures. “We fell in love with the material,” recalls D’Amico. “At the time, Mike White was thinking about directing the film himself and the script was already attracting some of the hottest young actors and a lot of interest from multiple potential sources of financing and distribution in Hollywood.” At the end of the day, THE GOOD GIRL had dances with a number of potential partners, both in terms of actors and financing, and White went on to “Chuck & Buck,” a film he wrote and starred in. Directed by Miguel Arteta and produced by Matthew Greenfield, “Chuck & Buck” debuted to great acclaim at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.

“I’ll never forget seeing Mike and Miguel in a coffee shop at Sundance the morning after ‘Chuck & Buck’ was sold, says D’Amico. They looked completely wasted. Since we’d last talked about THE GOOD GIRL they had decided that Miguel should direct it. I thought that sounded great.”

Eight or nine months later, Myriad and the producers had reached a deal to make the movie and started to assemble the cast that appears in the film today. Collaborating intimately with the filmmakers on every detail from pre-production onward, D’Amico, the team at Myriad and the filmmakers brought THE GOOD GIRL through principal photography on time and on budget.

Although White rendered his signature approach to storytelling and character, he delicately balanced the screenplay’s darker elements with broader human appeal. Wasteland Texas, a stark metaphor for Justine’s emptiness, is juxtaposed with the story’s compelling and sexy subject matter. White adroitly pierces the surface of human apathy to expose a virtual abyss of carnal and emotional desire. Again, White journeys to the fringe of society. However, with THE GOOD GIRL, he taps the deepest and most universal of human needs – companionship, touch and understanding.

* * *

White’s early work struck a chord with Arteta -- whose personal yet highly accessible work also focuses on transcending comedy-drama formulas in favor of the candid study of the human condition -- and his producing partner Greenfield. “The honesty of his characters is amazing,” says Arteta. He continues: “His honesty cuts right through the bullshit. These characters are often very damaged individuals but easy to relate to.”

Greenfield concurs, explaining that White’s screenplays are “actor driven and about performance.” Greenfield was drawn to White’s comic yet sensitive portraits, describing White’s characters as “people in difficult circumstances who make terrible choices that hurt the people around them.” Still, Greenfield notes, “The stories have empathy and humor without belittling the characters.”

When Arteta and Greenfield made “Chuck & Buck,” as a writer White had at times felt like a backseat driver, hovering over a director’s shoulder, but he quickly grew to trust Arteta implicitly. White remarks, “Miguel is great. I feel totally confident when I walk away that Miguel is going to get it right while bringing his own creative perspective to the film.”

Arteta had championed White’s work for years and expressed a deep, personal interest in directing THE GOOD GIRL as well. He related to the characters’ alienation and was intrigued by the accessible nature of Justine and Phil’s relationship. “Despite seven years of marriage, they have never admitted to each other that they are each secretly yearning to escape their lives,” says Arteta. “It’s incredible how cut off we can feel from our own worlds,” Arteta concludes.

Independent filmmaking, jests Arteta, also serves a needed therapeutic purpose and the director could not resist an opportunity to confront alienation issues this time. “I was a very obsessive person in my past relationships,” admits Arteta. “I feel like I worked through it with ‘Chuck & Buck,’” Arteta confesses. He concludes: “Independent film is free therapy. It’s brutal but it does bring you to the other side.”

Greenfield also reacted personally to the screenplay and, specifically, to the character Justine. Greenfield says, “Justine is a character whose life feels familiar in some respects.” He notes: “She is unhappy with her job and her life but she is afraid to make changes. I understand being in that space.” Greenfield understands that although Justine’s life changes, it does not necessarily get better. “Like many people in the world, she does not learn,” he explains.

With Arteta and Greenfield on board, the project gained the full support and financial backing of international production entity Myriad Pictures and its executives Kirk D’Amico and Philip von Alvensleben, who served as executive producers on the film. D’Amico, who had long admired Arteta’s work, was excited to help bring THE GOOD GIRL to life, and says, “The story is easily accessible because on some level, we all feel alone.” Von Alvensleben adds, “We all feel like we live outside of the world.”

The film was fast-tracked into pre-production and soon, accompanying the team in the casting process was acclaimed casting director Joanna Colbert. The role of Justine had attracted the interest of several actresses but the creative team was eager to meet with Jennifer Aniston, whose gift for comedy and, more importantly, knack for grounding comedy in reality made her an intriguing candidate.

While the dramatic role would mark a departure for Aniston, Arteta sensed that she could capture the irony of Justine, a seemingly “good girl” whose behavior, despite the best intentions, is at times anything but good. The two soon met and as executive producer Carol Baum recalls, “Miguel and Jennifer really hit it off.”

THE GOOD GIRL, recalls Aniston, “was such a gift.” Although the talented actress had long enjoyed success, she yearned for a fresh challenge, a serious understatement considering the strenuous demands of the role. “Justine is so complicated, so layered, yet seems so simple on the outside,” explains Aniston.

Originally drawn to the script, Aniston notes, “I was riveted and just read page after page.” She instinctually understood Phil and Justine’s loving but unfulfilling relationship, grasping the core of Justine – an empty woman desperately wanting to come alive. “Justine meets this young guy and feels something for the first time in a long time,” she explains. Aniston was anxious to attack such a challenging project and felt, despite the film’s emotional appeal, the project was certain to become the “feel-weird movie of the year.”

Casting the role of Holden, Justine’s young, fervent lover -- nicknamed after J. D. Salinger’s literary symbol for male adolescent angst -- posed a complex challenge. Arteta, Greenfield and White realized that they needed to find an actor who could capture Holden’s magnified earnestness without becoming cartoonish and quickly began the painstaking process of interviewing roughly 100 actors.

After an exhaustive search, the team found their Holden in Jake Gyllenhaal – the perfect actor for the role who, as Arteta notes, “has the ability to be tragic and funny at the same time.” Gyllenhaal’s talent for coupling sincerity and arched menace appealed to Arteta, Greenfield and White; and fittingly, the team, which found great success at Sundance, first approached Gyllenhaal last year at the festival. Gyllenhaal grasped the tragic undertone of Justine and Holden’s connection, explaining: “They are just two lost people, who desperately want more out of their lives.” The filmmakers responded to Gyllenhaal’s take on the character and Arteta notes that the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Aniston was immediate.

Gyllenhaal saw the role as an opportunity to grow as an actor: “For a long time I thought that being able to play a characteristic or mannerism was what acting was all about.” Gyllenhaal recognized that the part of Holden, the adamant boy in a man’s body, could easily slip into two-dimensional caricature, and welcomed the chance to “toe the line” delicately. Sharing the filmmakers’ obsession with truthful emotion, Gyllenhaal comments, “Being real to a certain feeling is more courageous, scarier and certainly more interesting to watch.”

The filmmakers were excited to learn that John C. Reilly was available for the role of Phil, Justine’s pothead husband. Reilly had been loosely attached to the project for some time. “I just could not get John out of my mind,” recalls Arteta, who calls Reilly one of the most “monumental” actors of our age. White, whom Reilly had known for years through mutual friends, phoned Reilly to formally invite him on board. Reilly remembers the call: “Mike called me and said, ‘John, it’s Mike White and I’m just calling to say let’s party down.’ He just left a message and said ‘party down’ four or five times. And I said, ‘Alright, Mike, let’s party down.’”

Likewise, Tim Blake Nelson, who voiced early interest in the script, quickly enlisted for the role of Bubba, Phil’s sidekick, a casting choice which suited Reilly perfectly. Reilly remarks, “I worked with Tim before on ‘The Thin Red Line’ and I’ve known him for years. He is the ideal person to play the part.”

For Nelson, whose work includes writing and directing as well, the selection process as an actor has narrowed considerably: “My guiding principle as an actor is to be involved in interesting projects.” Nelson was excited to be working with Reilly again and furthermore, he explains, “I wanted to make a movie with Miguel Arteta.”

The 1997 Sundance Film Festival marked the feature directorial debuts for both Nelson and Arteta and the two worked alongside each other at the Seattle Film Festival, where both participated in the Fly Filmmaking Series – a program where directors write, cast, shoot and edit a short film in one week. “We lived through that together,” says Arteta, who remembers thinking “there’s Bubba” when he saw Nelson’s performance in Joel and Ethan Coen’s “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

To fill out the cast, Arteta found rising talent Zooey Deschanel to fill the role of Gwen, the eccentric clerk who shares the cosmetics counter with Justine. Deschanel relished the opportunity to work with Arteta and White, whom she had admired for some time, and was invigorated by Arteta’s “playful” directorial style. “Miguel is very much a perfectionist but he wants to see different things,” says Deschanel.

Finally, although White did not write the part for himself, Arteta asked him to accept the role of Corny, Retail Rodeo’s bible-thumping security guard, which was originally designed for an older actor. Asked about the unusual casting decision, Arteta comments, “I knew from the moment I read the script.” Arteta explains: “Mike grew up in a religious environment. His father is a minister, so it is interesting that he plays the character who copes with his alienation through religion.”

With central casting complete, Arteta and Greenfield assembled a top-notch crew, including production designer Daniel Bradford, cinematographer Enrique Chediak and costume designer Nancy Steiner, for pre-production. Rehearsals began but it is important to note that Arteta presumes that rehearsals are only designed to familiarize the actors with each other, with their characters and with the filmmaking team. “I do not like to rehearse too much,” professes Arteta. He clarifies: “I mostly like to have the actors have lunch and read the scenes without really acting them, just to break the ice.”

Arteta’s process revolves around discovery and it is important to the director that the actors avoid contrived preparation. Adversely, Arteta rehearses the cast during production with the camera rolling with the hope of capturing the organic and inspirational process of discovery on film. Arteta asks that the actors work on their feet, constantly exploring their characters and each other while involved in the moment of a scene, however, the director imposes the same terrifying but invigorating impromptu methodology on himself. Arteta, too, participates in the sometimes unnerving discovery process, noting, “The audience can sense when there is an earnest attempt to reach truth, even if you don’t always reach it.”

The director’s direct approach to truth-seeking character study transcends his work with the actors, coloring the overall design of the film as well. Production designer Daniel Bradford recalls, “Working with Miguel was great, as his primary focus was on storytelling.” Bradford continues: “This meant the art department was not required to invent arbitrary and unusual special effects. Rather, we were able to direct our efforts towards establishing what was true and essential to each environment.”

Attention to detail defines all the film’s design elements. The team began as Bradford describes, “a simple story, told simply,” with the Retail Rodeo -- the film’s primary location and, according to Arteta and White, the key to the film’s prison metaphor. Arteta and production designer Daniel Bradford concentrated on creating an authentic Retail Rodeo that surpassed the thin veil of camp comedy to fit the film’s darker elements. An abandoned store in Simi Valley was dressed to fit the part but, as Greenfield recalls, it was vital to eschew the cowboy hats and Texas cliches in order to create a believable, suffocating environment. “Life is the same every day at the Retail Rodeo,” explains Greenfield. “We wanted to convey the feeling that life was bearable there but not much more than that,” he says.

Although the design concept was naturalistic, finding locations in sunny California to pass for small town Texas was difficult, specifically the search for Justine and Phil’s house, which is painstakingly defined in the script. “Our principal character lived physically and emotionally in the very last house on the street, out from which stretched miles of dry, barren nothingness,” clarifies Bradford. He continues, “And of course, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere there are palm trees which are not appropriate for West Texas.”

Cinematographer Enrique Chediak also worked with Arteta to achieve a simple way to tell the story without detracting from it. The director was not interested in “razzle dazzle” camera work. Adversely, Arteta proclaims: “We were going to let the characters dictate what happens. The actors do not feel technically assaulted and they know that the honesty of what they are trying to convey is what the camera is following.”

Chediak and Arteta tried several different styles before agreeing to shoot the film using an underexposure technique. Greenfield defines the process: “We pushed the film two stops, underexposing the film, and then compensated for the underexposure in the processing. The technique opens up the grain and changes the colors slightly, creating a subtle, gritty effect that helps to ground the film in reality.”

Despite the seemingly fashionable cast, costume designer Nancy Steiner confesses: “There is no fashion in this film.” Steiner continues, “We were trying to remain subtle and true to the characters.”

Like the other design elements, Arteta focused on a realistic look. Greenfield explains: “We wanted it to feel real and to create an unglamorous look with hair and makeup. We wanted it to be very different from the look, in Jennifer’s case, that people are used to.”

Notwithstanding the skilled cast and crew, the shooting schedule was strenuous. “We had a fast schedule and that’s hard,” recalls Arteta. “There are over 200 scenes in the film and we shot in 33 days,” he says. Greenfield adds, “Justine is in almost every scene. There were no days off, no breaks.”

“There was nothing but this movie and sleep and the movie and sleep,” says Aniston.

Arteta and Greenfield were elated with how Aniston responded to the pressure. “Surprisingly, Jennifer, who comes from a bigger budget world, led the spirit on set,” Arteta remembers. “Jennifer encouraged everyone to feel like it was a special thing we were doing it, to enjoy and appreciate it,” he continues.

Executive producer Carol Baum credits Arteta and Greenfield’s collaborative relationship with the production’s success. Baum says, “Miguel and Matthew’s partnership is what producer/director partnerships should be. They are friends, collaborators and truly respectful of one another. They have an enviable relationship.”

Finally, regarding partnerships, Arteta reunited with his longstanding editor Jeff Betancourt, who previously worked with Arteta on “Chuck & Buck” and “Star Maps.” Arteta and Betancourt have developed an understood shorthand and bring the same focus to editing that Arteta brings to the rest of the filmmaking process. Betancourt explains: “Miguel and I are constantly searching for the truth of a scene. We are constantly striving to bring out the honesty of a particular moment.”

“Editing is in a sense another revision of the script,” says Greenfield. He adds: “Miguel and Jeff take two approaches. They find the best performances and work hard to place them in a context that works. Then, they are very conscious of making the film work for the audience, constantly balancing the drama and comedy.”

Together, they endeavor to match the film’s various elements tonally and to unfurl the truthful cinematic moments for which Arteta and his team have become known.

* * *

ABOUT THE CAST

*JENNIFER ANISTON (Justine) was recently seen starring opposite Mark Wahlberg in Warner Bros.’ “Rock Star,” directed by Stephen Herek. For her work on the television comedy “Friends,” she has earned an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a People’s Choice Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.

Aniston’s recent film credits include: “She’s the One” opposite Ed Burns and Cameron Diaz; “Picture Perfect” opposite Kevin Bacon and Olympia Dukakis; “‘Til There Was You” with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dylan McDermott; and the critically praised “The Object of My Affection” opposite Paul Rudd. Her other film credits include “Office Space” and “Dreams for an Insomniac.”

* JAKE GYLLENHAAL (Holden) recently came to prominence with his performance in Universal’s “October Sky.” A native of Los Angeles, he has been acting from an early age, starring as Billy Crystal’s son in the hit film “City Slickers” and as Robin Williams’ son in the acclaimed “Bop Gun” episode of the television series “Homicide.”

Gyllenhaal was recently seen starring in Disney’s romantic comedy “The Bubble Boy” opposite Swoosie Kurtz and Marley Shelton. Gyllenhaal starred as the title character in the fantasy thriller “Donnie Darko” opposite Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone and Noah Wyle. The film was well received at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. He is currently shooting the lead role in the Disney film “Baby’s In Black” opposite Dustin Hoffman and Susan Sarandon. Gyllenhaal’s other upcoming projects include a small yet memorable role in Nicole Holofcener’s “Lovely and Amazing,” a comedy starring Catherine Keener and Brenda Blethyn, and “Highway” opposite Jared Leto and Selma Blair.

* JOHN C. REILLY (Phil) is an accomplished film and stage actor, recently nominated for a Tony for his performance on Broadway in “True West” opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman. Reilly was recently seen on screen starring in Warner Bros.’ blockbuster hit “Perfect Storm,” Paul Thomas Anderson’s critically acclaimed ensemble drama “Magnolia,” as well as the independent feature “Anniversary Party,” directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cummings. He just completed work on Martin Scorcese’s period drama “Gangs of New York” opposite Daniel Day Lewis and Leonardo DeCaprio, and Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours” opposite Julianne Moore. He will soon begin work on the new untitled Paul Thomas Anderson project.

Reilly starred with Mark Wahlberg in Anderson’s Oscar-nominated “Boogie Nights” and previously worked with the director on “Hard Eight” with Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson. Other film credits include “The Thin Red Line,” “For Love of the Game,” “Never Been Kissed,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?,” “State of Grace,” “Days of Thunder,” “Hoffa” and “Casualties of War.”

*TIM BLAKE NELSON (Bubba) acts in two films debuting at the 2002 Sundance film festival, THE GOOD GIRL and CHERISH directed by Finn Taylor and co-starring Robin Tunney, which is screening in the Dramatic Competition.

As an actor, Nelson is perhaps best known for playing Delmar, the dingbat convict on the lam with George Clooney and John Turturro in the Coen brothers’ O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? He will be seen later this year in Steven Spielberg's MINORITY REPORT, co-starring Tom Cruise, Samantha Morton and Colin Farrell. He is currently in production on A FOREIGN AFFAIR, written and directed by Dutch filmmakers Geert Heetebrij and Helmut Schleppi, in which he stars opposite David Arquette.

As a director, Nelson is perhaps best known for “O,” the controversial screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, starring Mekhi Phifer, Josh Hartnett and Julia Stiles. Nelson’s most recent film, THE GREY ZONE, which he wrote and directed, stars Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi, Mira Sorvino, David Arquette, Allan Corduner and Natasha Lyonne. THE GREY ZONE made its debut at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival to great acclaim. THE GREY ZONE is a dramatic story of the Sonderkommandos, special squads of Jews who processed corpses in the crematoria at Birkenau. Shot in Bulgaria, THE GREY ZONE is based on Nelson’s award winning play and will be released by Lions Gate Films in the fall.

Nelson’s debut as a filmmaker was the drama EYE OF GOD, which he also wrote. Starring Martha Plimpton, Hal Holbrook, and Kevin Anderson, the film had its world premiere in the Dramatic Competition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and was released theatrically in the United States later that year. The film received the top award at the 1997 Seattle Film Festival, as well as the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo Film Festival.

Nelson's other screen acting credits also include Terrence Malick's THE THIN RED LINE, Mike Newell's DONNIE BRASCO, Hal Hartley's AMATEUR, Nora Ephron's THIS IS MY LIFE, and Larry McMurtry's DEAD MAN'S WALK.

As a playwright, Nelson's produced and published plays include The Grey Zone, Eye of God and Anadarko. He has also acted extensively in New York Theatre. Tim's New York theatre credits include Oedipus, Troilus and Cressida, Les Bourgeois Avant-Garde, Mac Wellman's Dracula, The Amazon's Voice, An Imaginary Life, The Baltimore Waltz, Mad Forest, The Innocents Crusade, Richard III, and Twelfth Night.

* ZOOEY DESCHANEL (Cheryl) made her film debut in 1999 in Lawrence Kasdan’s “Mumford” and recently co-starred with Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand in Cameron Crowe’s critically-acclaimed “Almost Famous.” She starred in the 2001 Sundance Film Festival selection “Manic” with Don Cheadle and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and will next be seen in Disney’s “Big Trouble” for director Barry Sonnenfeld and in a leading role in Revolution Studios’ “The New Guy.” She is currently on location shooting “Abandon” opposite Katie Holmes.

* * * *

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

MIGUEL ARTETA (Director) was recently honored with the 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature (under $500,000) for the highly acclaimed “Chuck & Buck,” which teamed Arteta with longstanding producer Matthew Greenfield and THE GOOD GIRL writer Mike White. Starring White, “Chuck & Buck” was released by Artisan Entertainment and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where Arteta came to prominence in 1997 with his feature debut “Star Maps.” Lauded by critics and audiences alike, “Star Maps” was released by Fox Searchlight and garnered five Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.

Arteta made his network television debut directing an episode of “Homicide: Life on the Street” and has also directed episodes of “Freaks and Geeks,” “Six Feet Under” and the ABC pilot “Elizabeth Street,” produced by Martin Scorsese and Barbara De Fina.

After graduating from Wesleyan University, Arteta received an MFA from American Film Institute in 1993. His musical “Every Day Is a Beautiful Day” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for a Student Academy Award in 1990. He attended the 1996 Sundance Institute Writer’s Lab to work on “Ball and Chain,” a script co-written with Ron Nyswaner (“Philadelphia”).

*MIKE WHITE (Writer /”Corny”) wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed “Chuck & Buck,” which won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature, Under $500,000 at the 2001 Independent Spirit Awards. The film was directed by Miguel Arteta, whom White met and became friends with when he had a small part in Arteta’s first film “Star Maps.”

White returned to his native Los Angeles after graduating from Wesleyan University and wrote the script for the comedy “Dead Man On Campus,” which starred Tom Everett Scott and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. He was one of the original writers on the television series “Dawson’s Creek,” on which he worked for two years. This past year, White wrote and was one of the producers on the critically acclaimed series “Freaks and Geeks” and he scripted “Orange County,” directed by Jake Kasdan. He is currently writing feature scripts for Tim Burton’s “House of Usher” and Adam Sandler’s “American Neurotic.”

*MATTHEW GREENFIELD (Producer) is an independent producer whose previous film, “Chuck & Buck,” was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, winning the award for Best Feature, Under $500,000. The digitally shot film was produced independently and premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival where it was picked up by Artisan. “Chuck & Buck” was also selected for the Dramatic Competition at the Deauville Film Festival, where it garnered the Best Actor Award.

Greenfield’s first feature production, “Star Maps,” premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, where it was picked up for worldwide distribution by Fox Searchlight. Made independently and based on a story Greenfield wrote with director Miguel Arteta, “Star Maps” was released nationally in July 1997. The film was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best First Screenplay.

Greenfield graduated in 1990 from the film studies program at Wesleyan University, where he directed, wrote and produced his thesis film, “Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggh!”

A seasoned film production and distribution executive, KIRK D’AMICO (Executive Producer) is president of Los Angeles-based Myriad Pictures. In July 2000, D’Amico sold a controlling interest in Myriad to Frankfurt-based media group IN-motion AG, which subsequently acquired the long established United Kingdom sales company J&M Entertainment. In December 2000, D’Amico was appointed to the board of In-motion AG and is now responsible at the executive level for its film and television operation.

As president of the combined companies, D’Amico currently oversees a diverse slate of feature films for worldwide theatrical release including: The Montecito Pictures Company thriller “Killing Me Softly,” starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes, directed by Chen Kaige and produced by Tom Pollock and Ivan Reitman; “People I Know,” starring Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, Tea Leoni and Ryan O’Neal, produced by Myriad Pictures and Southfork Pictures, a division of Robert Redford’s Wildwood Entertainment, and executive produced by Robert Redford, D’Amico and Philip von Alvensleben; “Double Whammy,” starring Elizabeth Hurley, Dennis Leary and Steve Buscemi; and “Good Advice,” starring Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards and Rosanna Arquette and directed by Steve Rash. Myriad’s slate also includes “Tangled,” produced by Myriad Pictures and Tapestry Films and starring Rachael Leigh Cook, and “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Tara Reid, also co-produced with Tapestry Films and executive produced by D’Amico and Philip von Alvensleben.

Prior to founding Myriad Pictures, D’Amico served as executive vice president of Village Roadshow Pictures, where he was responsible for the worldwide sales and co-productions of all theatrical and television product. He oversaw international sales for theatrical films such as “Tarzan and the Lost City,” the Australian comedy success “The Castle” and Beacon’s “Disturbing Behavior,” as well as a package of films from Dustin Hoffman’s Punch Productions including “A Walk on the Moon,” starring Diane Lane and Viggo Mortensen. D’Amico also has extensive experience in international television, having overseen all television distribution for Village Roadshow including the new “Flipper” series, Glen Larson’s “Nightman” series and “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” starring Michael Caine, which premiered in the United States on ABC.

As vice president of international at the Samuel Goldwyn Company from 1994 to 1996, D’Amico was responsible for international theatrical, video and television sales. Goldwyn’s library of more than 400 titles included the prestigious theatrical films “The Madness of King George” and “Angels and Insects.”

Before joining Goldwyn, D’Amico led production and distribution for Videfilm Producers International, Ltd. as president of the New York-based entertainment company. During his six-year tenure at Videfilm, he executive produced the highly acclaimed “Sarafina,” starring Whoopi Goldberg, and also co-produced, with PBS’ American Playhouse and Channel 4 in the UK, “Rocket to the Moon,” starring John Malkovich and Judy Davis. D’Amico’s production credits also include numerous documentaries including the Emmy Award-nominated “George Gershwin Remembered,” “Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul” and “A. Einstein: How I see the World.”

D’Amico began his career working as a staff attorney for the Federal Communication Commission in Washington D.C. before moving to New York, where he served as vice president of worldwide business affairs for RKO Pictures. He has a JD from Antioch School of Law and a BA from the College of the Holy Cross. D’Amico is also an active member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

PHILIP VON ALVENSLEBEN (Executive Producer) is one of Germany’s most experienced distribution and production executives. Von Alvensleben is one the principals of In-motion AG and is a member of In-motion’s executive board, overseeing all film and television. He also currently serves as co-president of Myriad Pictures. In-motion AG took a controlling interest in Myriad to expand their film and television operations in Los Angeles and London.

As co-president of the combined companies, von Alvensleben currently oversees a diverse slate of feature films for worldwide theatrical release including: The Montecito Pictures Company thriller “Killing Me Softly,” starring Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes, directed by Chen Kaige and produced by Tom Pollock and Ivan Reitman; “People I Know,” starring Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, Tea Leoni and Ryan O’Neal, produced by Myriad Pictures and Southfork Pictures, a division of Robert Redford’s Wildwood Entertainment, and executive produced by Robert Redford, Kirk D’Amico and von Alvensleben; “Double Whammy,” starring Elizabeth Hurley, Dennis Leary and Steve Buscemi; and “Good Advice,” starring Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards and Rosanna Arquette and directed by Steve Rash. Myriad’s slate also includes “Tangled,” produced by Myriad Pictures and Tapestry Films and starring Rachael Leigh Cook, and “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder,” starring Ryan Reynolds and Tara Reid, also co-produced with Tapestry Films and executive produced by Kirk D’Amico and von Alvensleben.

Formerly, von Alvensleben formed Alive Entertainment, which developed, financed and produced quality television series and feature films, and maintained a first-look deal with Canadian major Alliance Atlantis. Television projects with Alliance Atlantis include the celebrated ABC miniseries “Me and My Shadows” and “Invincible,” an action pilot/series from Mel Gibson and martial arts expert Jet Li for the TBS Superstation. Starring Judy Davis as the legendary Judy Garland, “Me and My Shadows” recently garnered 13 Emmy Award nominations. Additional television projects include “18 Wheels of Justice,” based on the true stories of Ray “Tex” Brown, and “Pensacola – Wings of Gold,” starring James Brolin. The original concept for the “Pensacola” series was developed by von Alvensleben and sold to Eyemark in 1997. Feature films include “Harlem Aria,” directed by William Jennings and starring Gabriel Casseus, Damon Wayans, Christian Camargo and Paul Sorvino, and “7-Teen Sips,” directed by Stephen Berra and starring Leo Fitzpatrick and Heather Bergdahl.

Prior to alive, von Alvensleben headed Tele Munchen Group (TMG) as managing director. TMG is Germany’s second largest television media company with interests in broadcasting, feature film, video and television distribution, as well as production and merchandising. Von Alvensleben started his tenure at TMG in 1991 as a sales executive. He received a BA in economics from McAlester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota and an MBA in international business and finance from Columbia Business School in New York.

* Prolific producer CAROL BAUM’s (Executive Producer) current projects include: “Carolina,” starring Julia Stiles, Alessandro Nivola and Shirley MacLaine; Academy Award-winning director Christine Lahti’s (“Lieberman in Love”) “My First Mister,” starring Leelee Sobieski and Albert Brooks, which Paramount is releasing this October; and a remake of Billy Wilder’s comic delight “Midnight” to be written and directed by Doug McGrath.

Baum and Howard Rosenman, her former partner at Sandollar, have recently re-teamed to produce a number of upcoming projects, including Wolfgang Peterson’s “Ten Good Men.” Additional Baum-Rosenman projects include: “Doria and Gloria,” a comic twist on the classic The Picture of Dorian Gray; a remake of the Goldie Hawn / Chevy Chase comedy “Foul Play”; “Crime Law” to star Michael Douglas; and the supernatural romantic comedy “Park Avenue Ghost” with Rupert Everett and LL Cool J attached.

Recently, Baum served as executive producer on Scott Hicks’ “Snow Falling On Cedars,” starring Ethan Hawke. Adapted for the screen by acclaimed screenwriter Ron Bass, the film garnered an Academy Award nomination for cinematographer Robert Richardson. Baum, with John Veitch, produced Columbia Pictures’ “Fly Away Home,” starring Anna Paquin and Jeff Daniels, which received an Oscar nomination for cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. Her television credits include the Daniel Stern-starrer “Tourist Trap,” which aired on “The Wonderful World of Disney” on ABC in spring 1999, and the forthcoming Disney project “It Looks Alive to Me,” adapted from a book by Tom Baum about the Museum of Natural History coming to life.

At Sandollar Productions, Baum served as president for ten years, producing such hits as “Father of the Bride” and its sequel, in addition to the Academy Award-winning HBO documentary “Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt” and the quadruple Ace Award-winning HBO Showcase presentation “Tidy Endings,” starring Harvey Fierstein. Additional Sandollar credits include “IQ,” “True Identity,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Gross Anatomy,” “Shining Through” and “Straight Talk.”

Prior to joining Sandollar, Baum executive produced David Cronenberg’s “Dead Ringers” and James Foley’s “Reckless.” She also served as vice president at both Twentieth Century Fox and Lorimar and developed Taylor Hackford’s “An Officer and a Gentleman” and David Cronenberg’s “The Dead Zone.”

Baum’s roots are in New York where she spent her early career in publishing, working for both Bantam Books and Random House as well as scouting for the English publisher Corgi. She began her film career at Edgar Scherick’s Palomar Pictures where she developed the screen adaptation of Ira Levin’s The Stepford Wives. At The Producer’s Circle in New York, she developed the film versions of two best-selling novels: Stephen King’s The Shining and Ira Levin’s The Boys from Brazil.

For the past three years, Baum has taught script development to graduate students at The Peter Stark Producing Program at U.S.C.’s School of Cinema-Television.

* SHELLY GLASSER (Co-Producer) is a co-producer on “Flypaper,” which is currently in development at Newmarket. Glasser recently served as senior vice president of production and acquisition at Initial Entertainment Group, where she oversaw all aspects of acquisition, development, production and post-production. As head of production, Glasser presided over several high profile projects, including “Ping” with Judge Reinhold; “Very Bad Things,” starring Christian Slater and Cameron Diaz; “Savior,” produced by Oliver Stone and starring Dennis Quaid; “Montana,” starring Kyra Sedgwick and Stanley Tucci; “Florentine” with Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Jim Belushi and Michael Madsen; and the Leslie Nielson star vehicle “Family Plan.”

Prior to IEG, Glasser co-produced Hollywood Pictures’ “Prefontaine.” Her line-producing credits include Miramax’s “Curdled” and Showtime’s “Riot,” the acclaimed anthology piece about the L.A. riots. She supervised production of “Jason’s Lyric” for Gramercy, Universal’s “American Me” and the acclaimed pilot episode of “ER” for Warner Brothers. Her production management credits include “White Man’s Burden” and the Academy Award-winning short film “Trevor.”

Glasser began her career at KABC-TV before moving on to associate produce the Academy Awards telecasts. She later worked as a production coordinator with credits including Robert Altman’s "Short Cuts.” Glasser graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Texas, Austin.

* Independent producer GINA KWON’s (Co-Producer) career has successfully spanned the worlds of feature film and documentary production. In the feature arena, Kwon has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with THE GOOD GIRL’s filmmaking team – director Miguel Arteta and producer Matthew Greenfield – starting with their first feature production “Star Maps,” on which Kwon served as production manager. Kwon re-teamed with Arteta and Greenfield as associate producer on their second hit “Chuck & Buck,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was later released by Artisan Entertainment, garnering critical accolades and an Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature Under $500,000.

Kwon served as the associate producer and a story editor for the 2001 Emmy Award-winning documentary series “American High,” a 13-part cinema vérité program following a group of high school students in suburban Chicago. Created by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker R.J. Cutler, “American High” was produced for Fox Television and subsequently aired on PBS nationwide. Currently, Kwon is co-producing a new series for TNT, also created by Cutler, entitled “The Residents,” which follows the harrowing lives of medical doctors throughout their first years of residency at UCLA Hospital. Additional projects include “Steve McQueen: King of Cool,” on which Kwon served as associate producer, and “Screening,” a short film directed by Gil Cates Jr. and produced by Kwon, which aired on the Sundance Channel.

Recently, Kwon served as vice president at Myriad Pictures, spearheading acquisitions as well as worldwide sales of the company’s extensive library of specialized feature and documentary films. During her tenure at Myriad, Kwon acquired the rights to the Academy Award-nominated documentaries “Waco: The Rules of Engagement” and “Speaking in Strings: Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg.” Kwon began her career as international sales coordinator at Westinghouse Broadcasting International, where she managed worldwide distribution of television programming, and later moved on to serve as director of development and distribution for Real Life Entertainment. Kwon graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a BA in economics and rhetoric.

ENRIQUE CHEDIAK’s (Director of Photography) recent credits include: director Rose Troche’s “The Safety of Objects,” produced by Killer Films, which screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival; Forty Acres and a Mule’s “3 AM,” which screened at the Sundance Film Festival; and Rigas Entertainment’s 2000 Sundance entry “Songcatcher,” which was released by Lions Gate Films this past summer. Chediak is currently working with director Rick Famuyiwa on Fox Searchlight’s “Brown Sugar.”

Honored by Variety as one of the “Ten Cinematographers to Watch” in 1999, Chediak’s additional credits include New Line’s “Boiler Room” for Team Todd and director Ben Younger, as well as Robert Rodriguez’ “The Faculty” for Miramax. Chediak received the 1997 Sundance Film Festival’s cinematography award for his work on director Morgan J. Freeman’s “Hurricane Streets,” and later worked with the director on “Desert Blue.” Additional credits include “Frogs for Snakes” and “Getting Off.”

Born in Quito, Ecuador, Chediak studied photography in Madrid and communications in Santiago, Chile before entering NYU’s film graduate program. Chediak received the cinematography award at NYU’s First Run Film Festival for the student shorts “Angeles Don’t Know,” “Memorial Day” and “Darkness.” In 1997, he wrote and directed his graduate thesis film “El Rio,” which garnered second place at the 1998 NYU Wasserman Awards, the Best Student Short Award at the 1998 Hamptons Film Festival and both the Best Student Short and Audience Awards at the 1998 Shorts International Film Festival.

Enrique resides in New York City with his wife and daughter.

* JEFF BETANCOURT (Editor) previously worked with director Miguel Arteta on both “Star Maps” and “Chuck & Buck.” Additional feature projects include “Get Over It” and “Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss” with director Tommy O’Haver. Betancourt served as co-editor on “The Magic of Marciano,” which screened at the 2000 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, as well as on “The Girl’s Room,” which screened at the 2000 Santa Barbara Film Festival. He has also worked in television, editing the Warner Bros.’ one-hour comedy “Opposite Sex,” which aired on Fox in 1999.

Betancourt completed a Walt Disney Feature Film Screenwriting Fellowship and graduated with an MFA from USC School of Cinema-Television.

* DANIEL BRADFORD (Production Designer) funnels his diverse design background, encompassing art direction, set design and building design, to mark his debut feature as production designer with THE GOOD GIRL. Most recently, Bradford served as art director for the Reese Witherspoon smash comedy, “Legally Blonde.” Additional art direction credits include “Bounce,” “Panic,” “She’s So Lovely” and “Jackie Brown” for director Quentin Tarantino, with whom Bradford previously partnered as set designer on “Pulp Fiction.”

Bradford’s set design credits include “Rushmore,” “Godzilla,” “Eraser” and “Oleanna.” Bradford began working as a feature set designer on David Mamet’s “A Life in the Theater,” starring Jack Lemmon and Matthew Broderick. Additionally, Bradford has lent his set design expertise to the television programs “Arliss” and “The Ben Stiller Show.”

In his spare time, Bradford art directs the ongoing renovation of his 1920s Spanish bungalow in the greater Los Angeles area.

* Costume designer and stylist NANCY STEINER (Costume Designer) has worked extensively in film, music videos, commercials and print. Film credits include: director Michael Gondry’s “Human Nature,” starring Patricia Arquette, Tim Robbins, Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto and Rosie Perez, which Fine Line will release early 2002; “The Million Dollar Hotel,” directed by Wim Wenders and starring Mel Gibson and Milla Jovovitch; Sophia Coppola’s acclaimed film debut “The Virgin Suicides,” starring James Woods, Kathleen Turner and Kirsten Dunst; Todd Haynes’ “Safe,” starring Julianne Moore; “The Winner,” directed by Alex Cox and starring Rebecca DeMornay, Vincent D’Onofrio, Delroy Lindo and Billy Bob Thornton; and “Bongwater,” starring Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt and Andy Dick, directed by Richard Sears.

In the music video arena, Steiner has worked with some of today’s hottest acts, including No Doubt, David Bowie, Macy Gray, Janet Jackson, Sheryl Crow, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, R.E.M. and the Rolling Stones. Commercial campaigns include Levi’s, Earthlink, Gap, Volvo, Nike, Volkswagen, Sprint, Adidas and Budweiser. As a stylist, Steiner’s print career includes work with Cameron Diaz, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jenny McCarthy, Sade, Milla Jovovitch, Sheryl Crow, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks and R.E.M. Her work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Allure, Interview, US, Rolling Stone, Detour and Premiere, among others.

* * * *

-----------------------

[pic]

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download