What Maisie Knew

Divorce can be an ugly thing, especially for a child caught in the middle. In What Maisie Knew, one young girl navigates her parents’ bitter custody battle with innocence and charm. This contemporary version of Henry James’ classic novel highlights the toll that divorce and neglect can take on a child—and the life-affirming grace that a child can bring to a parent.

Six-year-old Maisie (Onata Aprile) is caught between a rock and a hard place. Neither her father, aging rock star Beale (Steve Coogan), nor her mother, contemporary art dealer Susanna (Julianne Moore), have ever cared about her well-being. Their custody battle is just one more fight for superiority in a divorce that has become a clash of wills. As Beale and Susanna raise the stakes for their daughter, Maisie must find a way to coexist or risk losing a parent. Lauded as giving “the most remarkable performance ever seen by a child this age,” Maisie shows that there’s light in even the darkest of situations.

Written for the screen by Nancy Doyle and Carroll Cartwright, and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, What Maisie Knew will see a limited theatrical release in New York  and Los Angeles on May 3, 2013 and May 17, 2013 respectively. This Millennium Films drama also stars Alexander Skarsgard and Joanna Vanderham. Rated R for some language.

 

The English Teacher

Where’s the fun in life if you don’t take a few risks? In The English Teacher, Linda Sinclair (Julianne Moore) is about to have her carefully balanced world turned upside down. A forty-year-old unmarried high school teacher in rural Pennsylvania, Linda lives alone with her cats and her books, preferring the company of great literature to real-life drama. But when one of her former students returns home, she finds that she may have to give up her quiet life of books if she wants to help him succeed in the real world.

Jason Sherwood (Michael Angaro) had been one of Linda’s best pupils, but now he has fallen upon hard times. Forced to move back in with his parents after failing as a playwright in New York, Jason is about ready to switch careers and go to law school. But Linda can’t bear to watch one of her star pupils abandon his dreams, so she agrees to stage one of his plays as a high school drama production, directed by flamboyant drama teacher Carl Kapinas (Nathan Lane). With her career and reputation on the line, will Linda be able to find the courage to fight for what she knows is right?

Written by Dan and Stacy Charlton and directed by Craig Zisk, The English Teacher will be released into limited theaters on May 17, 2013. This Cinedigm comedy also stars Greg Kinnear and Lily Collins.

Crazy Stupid Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love is the 2011 romantic-comedy that has everybody talking.  With “Sexiest Man of the Year” candidate Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone, Crazy, Stupid, Love is crazy packed with laughs, fun and a set of actors that make not loving them just seem…stupid.

Cal and Emily Weaver have had their tough times, but this time, no therapy will be able to save them; Emily wants a divorce.  Cal, totally blind sighted by his sweethearts desire to separate, goes into a comma of self-loathing and despair, plaguing everybody at the bar with his dejected attitude.  But when stud Jacob Palmer see’s Cal down on his luck, he decides to lend a helping hand.

While Jacob is helping Cal, he finds a challenge of his own; wow Hannah, the new Law School grad, into coming home with him.  When she says no, he becomes motivated that much more.  Finally coercing her to come home with him after her breakup with her boyfriend, he soon finds that she’s much different than the girls he’s been known to be attracted to.  When Jacob finds out something no one could have expected, his interest in Hannah is stunted as Cal’s new bad boy imagine is shattered at the stunning news.

Directed by Gleen Ficarra and John Requa, Crazy, Stupid, Love brings that light-hearted ambiance that most rom-com’s lack while still delivering killer punchlines.  Crazy, Stupid, Love is able to do both; entertain us with witty comebacks while still keeping the mood real and upbeat.  It’s realistic nature coupled with real-to-life situations make this movie a must-see.

Rebecca Wang – Producer
Rebecca Wang Entertainment