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SUNDANCE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHTS
We have been chatting and emailing with producers and directors whose work has been selected for screening at
this year's Sundance Film Festival. Below are interviews for both 'Diminished Capacity', 'Smart People' and 'The
Yellow Handkerchief'.
We have been chatting and emailing with producers and directors whose work has been selected for screening at
this year's Sundance Film Festival. Below are interviews for both 'Diminished Capacity', 'Smart People' and 'The
Yellow Handkerchief'.
'Diminished Capacity' with Mathew
Broderick, Virginia Madsen and Alan
Alda.
Broderick, Virginia Madsen and Alan
Alda.
AFFP: What's 'Diminished Capacity' about?
Ever since he banged his head at a Cubs game, Cooper (Matthew Broderick) has been having trouble with his
memory. He can barely find his way from his adopted Chicago back to his rural hometown, where his aging
Uncle Rollie (Alan Alda) has memory problems of his own-- what doctors call a case of “diminished capacity.”
Uncle Rollie’s got a collectible baseball card that could fetch enough money to keep him out of a nursing home,
and Cooper’s got the Chicago connections to sell the card during the upcoming World Series. But between the
two of them, they’ll be lucky to find their way out of the driveway. Thankfully Cooper’s high school sweetheart
Charlotte (Virginia Madsen) and her son Dillon (Jimmy Bennett) offer them a lift to the big city, where Cooper,
Rollie, and a motley group of hometown friends hit the baseball memorabilia show. But as soon as they arrive, it’s
clear that two guys with “dimcap” are no match for a snakepit full of slick salesman, crooked dealers, and rabid
fans. As Cooper struggles to get his game on before it’s too late, he draws strength from his old friends-- and gets
an unexpected second chance at love.
AFFP: Is there a common thread between the films you've worked on?:
Our company looks for scripts we fall in love with. We like to make all kinds of different films, no one genre in
particular. We strive to make smart films, films that are touching.
AFFP: Where did you start out?
I personally started my career in the business world, as a consultant to media companies.
AFFP: Been to Sundance before?:
Plum Pictures has had 7 films at sundance. We feel incredibly luck, it is a great festival.
AFFP: What are you working on next?:
We will be making Jim Strouse’s next film. It is a fantastic script.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ever since he banged his head at a Cubs game, Cooper (Matthew Broderick) has been having trouble with his
memory. He can barely find his way from his adopted Chicago back to his rural hometown, where his aging
Uncle Rollie (Alan Alda) has memory problems of his own-- what doctors call a case of “diminished capacity.”
Uncle Rollie’s got a collectible baseball card that could fetch enough money to keep him out of a nursing home,
and Cooper’s got the Chicago connections to sell the card during the upcoming World Series. But between the
two of them, they’ll be lucky to find their way out of the driveway. Thankfully Cooper’s high school sweetheart
Charlotte (Virginia Madsen) and her son Dillon (Jimmy Bennett) offer them a lift to the big city, where Cooper,
Rollie, and a motley group of hometown friends hit the baseball memorabilia show. But as soon as they arrive, it’s
clear that two guys with “dimcap” are no match for a snakepit full of slick salesman, crooked dealers, and rabid
fans. As Cooper struggles to get his game on before it’s too late, he draws strength from his old friends-- and gets
an unexpected second chance at love.
AFFP: Is there a common thread between the films you've worked on?:
Our company looks for scripts we fall in love with. We like to make all kinds of different films, no one genre in
particular. We strive to make smart films, films that are touching.
AFFP: Where did you start out?
I personally started my career in the business world, as a consultant to media companies.
AFFP: Been to Sundance before?:
Plum Pictures has had 7 films at sundance. We feel incredibly luck, it is a great festival.
AFFP: What are you working on next?:
We will be making Jim Strouse’s next film. It is a fantastic script.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
'Smart People' with Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton
Holmes - Interview with producer Bridget Johnson:
AFFP: What is SMART PEOPLE about?
SMART PEOPLE is the story of a pompous, self-centered professor (Dennis Quaid), who has been
emotionally estranged from his overachieving preppy daughter (Ellen Page) and poetry-writing son
(Ashton Kutcher) since his wife died many years before. When he suffers a freak accident and can’t
drive, he finds himself at the mercy of his amusingly n’er-do-well adopted brother (Thomas Haden
Church), who moves in and starts rocking the family boat. He also finds himself falling for the ER
doctor who treated him (Sarah Jessica Parker), who has issues of her own. Basically, he has a choice
between remaining frozen in his habits and doomed to a lonely life, or taking some big chances to
experience love and reconnection with his family.
AFFP: Is there a common thread between the films you’ve been involved with?
Most of the films that I have worked on have been comedies that explore the absurdities of the human
condition and the painfully hilarious conundrums in which we find ourselves. Even in the bigger
studio comedies, we took care that the characters were memorable and their stories rang true. My
producing partner Michael Costigan’s films share a similar tendency, although he has also worked on
dramas such as BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and recently AMERICAN GANGSTER.
AFFP: What is your background as a filmmaker?
I was a studio executive at Tri-Star and Disney for many years before becoming a producer. My
transition to producer happened when I worked for Jim Brooks and he encouraged me to become
involved in all aspects of filmmaking, not just developing scripts and overseeing the process from an
executive point of view. The time I spent with him in the cutting room during post production on our
films was the most valuable experience I have had in my career. I have mostly worked on studio films
in the past; SMART PEOPLE is my first independent production. My producing partner Michael
Costigan shares a similar studio background, and he is now heading up production and producing
with Ridley and Tony Scott.
AFFP: Have you been to Sundance before?
This is the first time a film that we produced has been shown at Sundance; of course we have all
been to the festival many times in the past.
AFFP: What is your next project?
My next project is an independent film called HOLDING PATTERNS, which will mark the feature
directorial debut of Anna Mastro. It is a story in the tradition of John Hugh’s THE BREAKFAST CLUB,
about five twenty-something’s who meet and share a transformative experience when they are
stranded at an airport over Thanksgiving weekend. I am also branching out into television, and sold
a scripted drama series tentatively titled WARPAINT to MTV just before the strike.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Holmes - Interview with producer Bridget Johnson:
AFFP: What is SMART PEOPLE about?
SMART PEOPLE is the story of a pompous, self-centered professor (Dennis Quaid), who has been
emotionally estranged from his overachieving preppy daughter (Ellen Page) and poetry-writing son
(Ashton Kutcher) since his wife died many years before. When he suffers a freak accident and can’t
drive, he finds himself at the mercy of his amusingly n’er-do-well adopted brother (Thomas Haden
Church), who moves in and starts rocking the family boat. He also finds himself falling for the ER
doctor who treated him (Sarah Jessica Parker), who has issues of her own. Basically, he has a choice
between remaining frozen in his habits and doomed to a lonely life, or taking some big chances to
experience love and reconnection with his family.
AFFP: Is there a common thread between the films you’ve been involved with?
Most of the films that I have worked on have been comedies that explore the absurdities of the human
condition and the painfully hilarious conundrums in which we find ourselves. Even in the bigger
studio comedies, we took care that the characters were memorable and their stories rang true. My
producing partner Michael Costigan’s films share a similar tendency, although he has also worked on
dramas such as BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and recently AMERICAN GANGSTER.
AFFP: What is your background as a filmmaker?
I was a studio executive at Tri-Star and Disney for many years before becoming a producer. My
transition to producer happened when I worked for Jim Brooks and he encouraged me to become
involved in all aspects of filmmaking, not just developing scripts and overseeing the process from an
executive point of view. The time I spent with him in the cutting room during post production on our
films was the most valuable experience I have had in my career. I have mostly worked on studio films
in the past; SMART PEOPLE is my first independent production. My producing partner Michael
Costigan shares a similar studio background, and he is now heading up production and producing
with Ridley and Tony Scott.
AFFP: Have you been to Sundance before?
This is the first time a film that we produced has been shown at Sundance; of course we have all
been to the festival many times in the past.
AFFP: What is your next project?
My next project is an independent film called HOLDING PATTERNS, which will mark the feature
directorial debut of Anna Mastro. It is a story in the tradition of John Hugh’s THE BREAKFAST CLUB,
about five twenty-something’s who meet and share a transformative experience when they are
stranded at an airport over Thanksgiving weekend. I am also branching out into television, and sold
a scripted drama series tentatively titled WARPAINT to MTV just before the strike.
_____________________________________________________________________________
William Hurt and Maria Bello in 'The Yellow Handkerchief' - interview below with producer Arthur Cohn:
AFFP: What is 'The Yellow Handkerchief' about?
Yellow Handkerchief is in the first place a love story . Three strangers of two generations, bound by
loneliness, reach out to one another, embarking on a road trip through Lousiana. It takes them on an
emotional and revealing journey, and leads them to fulfillment through love. It's a film that tells us we
should never give up, that we all have second chances in life – whatever happens.
AFFP: Is there a common link between the films you've made?
I like to produce films which are emotionally sincere and forceful
AFFP: What is your film making background?
I became a producer because I learned in my early days as reporter that the audience is grateful if
you take them seriously and I wanted to create films which could be understood emotionally all over
the world. I just wanted to share my desire for sincere and emotionally forceful films with the world
AFFP:Been to Sundance before?
I was in Sundance in the late nineties with Walter Salles and "Central Station''.
The film was received in a most wonderful way by the audience and the critics in Sundance and it
was the first and extremely important step to its big worldwide success
AFFP: What's next on your slate?
My next project is film called "Etruscan Smile" based on the successful novel by Jose Luis
Sampedro a theme which is very important to me : you should never forget where you come - you
should never forget your roots - then you will grow wings to fly. This film is also about two generations
finding to each other.
AFFP: What is 'The Yellow Handkerchief' about?
Yellow Handkerchief is in the first place a love story . Three strangers of two generations, bound by
loneliness, reach out to one another, embarking on a road trip through Lousiana. It takes them on an
emotional and revealing journey, and leads them to fulfillment through love. It's a film that tells us we
should never give up, that we all have second chances in life – whatever happens.
AFFP: Is there a common link between the films you've made?
I like to produce films which are emotionally sincere and forceful
AFFP: What is your film making background?
I became a producer because I learned in my early days as reporter that the audience is grateful if
you take them seriously and I wanted to create films which could be understood emotionally all over
the world. I just wanted to share my desire for sincere and emotionally forceful films with the world
AFFP:Been to Sundance before?
I was in Sundance in the late nineties with Walter Salles and "Central Station''.
The film was received in a most wonderful way by the audience and the critics in Sundance and it
was the first and extremely important step to its big worldwide success
AFFP: What's next on your slate?
My next project is film called "Etruscan Smile" based on the successful novel by Jose Luis
Sampedro a theme which is very important to me : you should never forget where you come - you
should never forget your roots - then you will grow wings to fly. This film is also about two generations
finding to each other.
'Smart People' with Dennis Quaid,
Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden
Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes -
Interview with producer Bridget
Johnson:
Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden
Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes -
Interview with producer Bridget
Johnson:
William Hurt and Maria Bello in 'The
Yellow Handkerchief' - interview
below with producer Arthur Cohn:
Yellow Handkerchief' - interview
below with producer Arthur Cohn: