Every profession has its share of outlandish behavior, and filmmaking is fabled as an industry where behind-the-scenes stories are often more fascinating than the productions. But as the setting for a tale about power, decision making, and life at the top, maybe Hollywood isn’t any more extreme or bizarre than the worlds of Wall Street, publishing, or even the military. Which is not to say that the rocky road for a Hollywood producer is ever mundane or dull.

The vision that Academy Award–winning director Barry Levinson’s sometimes-mordant, often-penetrating, and fiercely comic chronicle brings to the screen is as human and universal as any insider's tale, a story about a man at the top of his game who has to deal with prima donnas, crazy artists, shameless egotists, and difficult marriages. This adaptation of Art Linson’s account of his day-to-day existence as a studio producer resonates with truth, insight, and the absurdity that often fills our lives. Because it’s personal and detailed and virtuously enacted by Robert De Niro and a spectacular supporting cast, it's even touching. Not only in Hollywood is maintaining your dignity so difficult; life is a humbling experience for all of us.

Barry Levinson - Academy Award–winning director/screenwriter/producer Barry Levinson has crafted an enviable reputation as a director of literate and intelligent films. He won an Academy Award as best director for the multiple-award-winning film Rain Man in 1998, and 1991's Bugsy, which he directed and produced, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. Born and raised in Baltimore, Levinson has used his hometown as the setting for four feature films—Diner, Tin Men, Avalon, and Liberty Heights—and the television series Homicide: Life on the Streets. Levinson has also received three Oscar nominations as screenwriter: ...And Justice for All, Diner, and Avalon.

Screenings:

Sat. January 19, 6:15pm, Eccles Theatre, Park City
Sun. January 20, 8:30am, Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Mon. January 21, 9:30pm, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC
Wed. January 23, 6:30pm, Peery's Egyptian Theater, Ogden
Sat. January 26, 6:00pm, Screening Room, Sundance Resort

Michael Kupferberg
42 West
220 W. 42nd St., 12th Fl.
New York 10036
New York

(646) 723-9697
michael.kupferberg@42west.net