August Evening

Last updated

August Evening
August Evening VideoCover.png
DVD cover
Directed byChris Eska
Written byChris Eska
Produced by
  • Connie Hill
  • Jason Wehling
Starring
  • Pedro Castaneda
  • Veronica Loren
  • Abel Becerra
  • Walter Perez
  • Sandra Rios
  • Raquel Gavia
  • Cesar Flores
CinematographyYasu Tanida
Edited byChris Eska
Music by
Production
companies
  • Maya Pictures
  • Doki-Doki Productions
Distributed by Maya Entertainment
Release dates
  • June 21, 2007 (2007-06-21)(LAFF)
  • September 5, 2008 (2008-09-05)(United States)
Running time
128 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageSpanish
Budget$35,000 [2]
Box office$74,759 [3]

August Evening is a 2007 Spanish-language American drama film written, directed, and edited by Chris Eska (in his feature directorial debut). It stars Pedro Castaneda, Veronica Loren, Abel Becerra, Walter Perez, Sandra Rios, Raquel Gavia, and Cesar Flores. It follows the relationship between an aging, undocumented farm worker and his young, widowed daughter-in-law.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival on June 21, 2007, where it won the Target Filmmaker Award and the Best Ensemble Acting Award. It was theatrically released in the United States on September 5, 2008, by Maya Entertainment. It received positive reviews from critics, who mostly praised the performances of Castaneda and Loren. At the 23rd Independent Spirit Awards, the film was given the John Cassavetes Award and Castaneda was nominated for Best Male Lead.

Cast

As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):

Production

Chris Eska wrote the screenplay in just a few weeks, drawing inspiration from his own family and from Latino families he knew in Texas. In a 2008 interview, Eska recalled how the idea for August Evening came about:

I wanted to explore ideas that were important to me and that I rarely see in other films, even if it wouldn't strike Hollywood types as a potential blockbuster. The film deals with the meaning of family, the inevitability of change, the bittersweet nature of life, and finding peace with life's imperfections. [4]

Eska began casting in California and Texas in May 2005, with non-actor Pedro Castaneda selected to play the lead role. The film was shot in Gonzales, Texas in August 2005, and over 55 hours of footage was sifted and edited during the course of 2006. [1]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 92% of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "Chris Eska's debut feature is a simple but compelling film, with strong performances and a story that moves along slowly but never fails to engage its audience." [5] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 68 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [6]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times opined, "As the movie inches along, its virtues turn into faults. Its elliptical style leaves unanswered questions, the pace begins to feel choppy, and the lyrical pauses become a recurrent tic." [7] Karen Durbin of the same newspaper called the film "a deceptively quiet, Ozu-like drama set in southwest Texas" and praised Castaneda for his "remarkably eloquent" performance. [8]

Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times described August Evening as "a poignant film filled with ample rewards for those who submit to its leisurely pace and gentle observations" and wrote, "This artful film inches toward its not-unpredictable conclusion and could logically have ended several times before its final fadeout." [9]

Robert Koehler of Variety called the film "overly precious and studied" and noted, "Nonpro Castaneda and first-timer Loren sink deeper and deeper into their roles as the film progresses." However, Koehler criticized, "The complex visual concepts and sly narrative schemes of the Asian helmers Eska is clearly fond of tend to get translated here in rather superficial terms." [10]

Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter remarked, "The performances are first rate", "Cinematographer Yasu Tanida does a fine job depicting the desolate Texas landscapes", and "This film combines perfectly honed, naturalistic acting and visual lyricism." [11]

Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B+" rating and commented, "The filmmaker of August Evening creates a succession of quiet, elliptical scenes that accrue into an affecting big picture of family ties and immigrant experience." [12]

Accolades

Related Research Articles

<i>A Woman Under the Influence</i> 1974 film by John Cassavetes

A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. The story follows a woman whose unusual behavior leads to conflict with her blue-collar husband and family. It received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Actress and Best Director. The Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

<i>The Apostle</i> 1997 American film

The Apostle is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Robert Duvall, who stars in the title role. John Beasley, Farrah Fawcett, Walton Goggins, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Joe Shaver also appear. It was filmed on location in and around Saint Martinville and Des Allemands, Louisiana with some establishing shots done in the Dallas, Texas area. The majority of the film was shot in the Louisiana areas of Sunset and Lafayette.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gena Rowlands</span> American actress (1930–2024)

Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands was an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television spanned nearly seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she collaborated with her actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), both of which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Opening Night (1977). She appeared in Woody Allen's Another Woman (1988), and her son Nick Cassavetes's film, The Notebook (2004). In 2021, Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, "The most important and original movie actor of the past half century-plus is Gena Rowlands." In November 2015, Rowlands received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her unique screen performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cassavetes</span> Greek-American filmmaker and actor (1929–1989)

John Nicholas Cassavetes was a Greek-American filmmaker and actor. He began as an actor in film and television before helping to pioneer modern American independent cinema as a writer and director, often self-financing, producing, and distributing his own films. He received nominations for three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and an Emmy Award.

<i>Faces</i> (1968 film) 1968 film by John Cassavetes

Faces is a 1968 American drama film written, produced, and directed by John Cassavetes. It is his fourth directorial work. The film, shot in cinéma vérité-style, depicts the final stages of the disintegrating marriage of a middle-aged couple, played by John Marley and newcomer Lynn Carlin. Cassavetes regulars Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Fred Draper and Val Avery also star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alejandro González Iñárritu</span> Mexican filmmaker (b.1963)

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a Mexican filmmaker. He is primarily known for making modern psychological drama films about the human condition. His projects have garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades including four Academy Awards with a Special Achievement Award, three Golden Globe Awards, three BAFTA Awards, two Directors Guild of America Awards. His most notable films include Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010), Birdman (2014), The Revenant (2015), and Bardo (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Spirit Awards</span> Film awards dedicated to independent filmmakers

The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in 1984, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986. The ceremony is produced by Film Independent, a not-for-profit arts organization that used to produce the LA Film Festival. Film Independent members vote to determine the winners of the Spirit Awards.

<i>Opening Night</i> (1977 film) 1977 film by John Cassavetes

Opening Night is a 1977 American psychological drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes, and starring Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart, Zohra Lampert, and Cassavetes. Its plot follows a stage actress who, after witnessing the accidental death of a fan, struggles through a nervous breakdown while she prepares for an upcoming Broadway premiere.

<i>Half Nelson</i> (film) 2006 American film

Half Nelson is a 2006 American drama film directed by Ryan Fleck and written by Fleck and Anna Boden. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps and Anthony Mackie. It was scored by Canadian band Broken Social Scene. 26-year-old Gosling was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, becoming the seventh-youngest nominee in the category at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verónica Forqué</span> Spanish actress (1955–2021)

Verónica Forqué Vázquez-Vigo was a Spanish stage, film and television actress. She was a four-time Goya Award winner, the most award-winning actress alongside Carmen Maura. She had a knack for characters "between ridiculous and tender, stunned and vehement".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Baker (filmmaker)</span> American director, producer and screenwriter (born 1971)

Sean Baker is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing independent feature films about the lives of marginalized people, especially sex workers. His films include Take Out (2004), Starlet (2012), Tangerine (2015), The Florida Project (2017), Red Rocket (2021), and Anora (2024), the last of which won him the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. He is also known for creating the Fox/IFC puppet sitcom Greg the Bunny (2002–2006) and its spin-offs.

IndieWire is a film industry and film criticism website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "include all aspects of Hollywood and the expanding universes of TV and streaming". IndieWire is part of Penske Media Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Cassavetes</span> American actress

Zoe Rowlands Cassavetes is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She is the daughter of filmmaker John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. She is best known for her 2007 film Broken English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dany Saadia</span>

Dany Saadia is a Mexican filmmaker, screenwriter, podcaster and entrepreneur who won the 2008 Best Director Malaga Festival award as well as the Best Feature Film award at the Mostra de València (Spain). As of 2024 he is the CEO of Dixo, the first and most relevant podcasting production company in Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Byington</span> American film director

Robert Byington is an American film director, screenwriter and actor living in Austin, Texas. He is most noted for his films RSO (2008), Harmony and Me (2009), Somebody Up There Likes Me (2012), winner of The Special Jury Prize at the 2012 Locarno Film Festival, 7 Chinese Brothers (2015) starring Jason Schwartzman, Olympia Dukakis and Tunde Adebimpe, Infinity Baby (2017) starring Kieran Culkin, Nick Offerman, and Martin Starr, and Lousy Carter (2023) starring David Krumholtz, Olivia Thirlby, and Starr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37th Venice International Film Festival</span>

The 37th annual Venice International Film Festival was held on 28 August to 8 September, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takeshi Fukunaga</span> Japanese filmmaker based in New York (born 1982)

Takeshi Fukunaga is a Japanese filmmaker based in New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Carter (filmmaker)</span> American film director

Nestor Gregory Carter, professionally known as Greg Carter, is a filmmaker from Texas who has produced more than nineteen feature films and documentaries, nine of which he directed and six he wrote. He is a native of Houston. Carter has been inducted into the Texas Filmmakers' Hall of Fame in 2006, in recognition of his film and community contributions.

Inti Briones Arredondo is a cinematographer and film producer. He is known for his work in various media formats, media digital video and motion picture film. In 2013, he was named as one of Variety Magazine's "10 Cinematographers to Watch.". His work has been noted for the sensitivity with which he approaches both rural and urban locations in different parts of the world. He has worked with Chilean filmmakers such as Raúl Ruiz, José Luis Torres Leiva, Cristián Jiménez, Alejandro Fernández Almendras and Dominga Sotomayor Castillo. Briones grew up in Lima with his Chilean mother, Sybila Arredondo, widow of José María Arguedas. At the age of 15, in Peru, he entered the Armando Robles Godoy Film and Television School. In his early 20's, he moved to Santiago, Chile; although he had already taken film courses in Peru and workshops in France, he was determined to study with Héctor Ríos Henríquez, director of photography of El chacal de Nahueltoro.

References

  1. 1 2 "August Evening" (DOC) (Press release). Archived from the original on March 4, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  2. ↑ Turner, Rosanna (March 28, 2014). "Vail Film Festival: High quality, low budget". Vail Daily . Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  3. ↑ "August Evening". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  4. ↑ "indieWIRE INTERVIEW | "August Evening" Director Chris Eska". IndieWire . September 4, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  5. ↑ "August Evening". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  6. ↑ "August Evening". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ Holden, Stephen (September 4, 2008). "Immigrant Seeks Work, Gratitude and Future". The New York Times . Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Durbin, Karen (September 7, 2008). "PEDRO CASTANEDA AUGUST EVENING; Busting Into The Spotlight". The New York Times . Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  9. ↑ Goldstein, Gary (September 26, 2008). "Immigrant tale gently unfolds". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  10. ↑ Koehler, Robert (June 26, 2007). "August Evening". Variety . Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ Farber, Stephen (July 9, 2007). "August Evening". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  12. ↑ Schwarzbaum, Lisa (September 10, 2008). "August Evening". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.