Bridge and Tunnel (film)

Last updated
Bridge and Tunnel
Bridge and Tunnel poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Jason Michael Brescia
Written byJason Michael Brescia
Produced byHamza Ahmad
Bob Burton
Ben Levitt
Sean Murray
Douglas Torres
Adam Lawrence
StarringRyan Metcalf
Mary Kate Wiles
Arjun Gupta
Annet Mahendru
Joe Murphy
Chris Viemeister
CinematographyTrevor Wineman
Edited byAlex Oppenheimer
Music byRyan Hunter
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures
Glacier Road Productions
Release date
  • May 30, 2014 (2014-05-30)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bridge and Tunnel is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Jason Michael Brescia and released by Glacier Road Productions. The film stars Ryan Metcalf, Mary Kate Wiles and Annet Mahendru and tells the story of a group of twentysomething millennials coming of age in Long Island, New York. [1] The film highlights the psychological impact of the September 11 attacks on the generation that grew up in the early part of the twenty-first century, the effects of the great recession on America's youth, and the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. [2]

Contents

Plot

The film begins on New Year's Day as six Long Island natives: Sal, his wife Meghan, Terry, Nate, Eric, and his girlfriend Lina discuss the pro's and con's of going into Manhattan on New Year's Eve. The group spent the holiday in Nassau County going to bars, and Terry makes the decision to drive home while intoxicated, resulting in a DWI arrest. [3]

The first part of the film takes place from New Year's Day 2012 to the beginning of Spring and the main tension revolves around the characters struggling to cope with the transition to adulthood. Terry still lives at home with his mother and now has no vehicle due to his DWI. Sal and Meghan are debating whether or not they want to start a family, Nate is unemployed, and Eric and Lina's relationship is tested as Eric struggles to pay off his student loans while Lina desperately wants to leave the "change at Jamaica crowd" for the glitz and glamor of New York City. [4]

The film then transitions into the spring and summer where the characters attempt to situate their love lives. Sal and Meghan decide that they're going to try to have a child, but are struggling to conceive. Nate tries to solve his relationship woes through online dating, while Eric finds a new love in Christine, a hair salon owner. Meanwhile, Terry begins courting Kelly, a classmate of his from a drunk drivers education course, while Lina moves into the Manhattan and begins working at an art gallery.

As the Summer transitions to Autumn, the male characters develop problems of their own amongst one another in the wake of the loss of a loved one. These differences are tested when Hurricane Sandy destroys Sal and Meghan's Long Beach apartment and brings everyone into the same room for the film's climax. [5]

A year passes from the film's opening scene when on December 31, 2012, Terry, Lina, Nate, Eric, Sal, and Meghan make plans to go into Manhattan to visit Kelly at her new apartment for a New Year's party.

Cast

Production

The first shooting date of the film was December 1, 2012, thirty-two days after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the shores of Long Island. [6] Initially the storm was not part of the script, but Brescia incorporated it into the film days after the events, understanding that the event was a major part of life on Long Island in 2012. [7]

The film was shot throughout Long Island in both Nassau and Suffolk County. Some of the movie was filmed at the Rockville Centre Long Island Rail Road station. [8]

The production was shot in increments to give the feeling of seasons changing. The second shooting installment was in the spring of 2013, followed by a shoot in June. On August 19, 2013 the principal photography of the film wrapped in Long Beach, New York on the new boardwalk while it was being built in place of the one that was destroyed in Sandy. [9]

Release

"Bridge and Tunnel" was scheduled to make its World Premiere in April 2014 at the Lewiston-Auburn Film Festival in Auburn, Maine but those plans deteriorated when the festival was cancelled after the arrest of its founder, Joshua Shea. [10]

Beginning in May 2014, "Bridge and Tunnel" appeared in several regional film festivals including; Catskill Mountains Film Festival, New York City International Film Festival, Sanford International Film Festival, Laugh or Die Comedy Film Festival, The Other Venice Film Festival, Hoboken International Film Festival, Long Island International Film Expo, Emerge Film Festival, [11] Long Beach International Film Festival, Temecula Valley International Film Festival, Paterson Falls Film Festival, Northeast Film Festival, [12] Central Florida Film Festival, Minneapolis Underground Film Festival, Maryland International Film Festival, Williamsburg International Film Festival, and Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival. [13] The film would win several awards during its film festival tour.

On September 26, 2014 "Bridge and Tunnel" opened its theatrical run in Beverly Hills, California [14] at the Laemmle Theatres Music Hall. [15]

On September 11, 2015, the film opened for its second theatrical run in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania at Midtown Cinema after a special September 11 screening of the film as part of the Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival, which was founded by "Bridge and Tunnel" producer Hamza Ahmad in order to bring independent film to the capital city of his home state of Pennsylvania. [16]

The film was released across video on demand platforms such as iTunes, Amazon Video, Verizon, Cox, Google Play, and AT&T U-verse on February 2, 2016.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Accolades

FestivalAwardRecipientResult
Central Florida Film Festival (Orlando, Florida)Best Feature FilmNominated
Hoboken International Film FestivalBest CinematographyTrevor WinemanNominated
Laugh or Die Comedy Festival (Chicago, Illinois)Best Supporting ActressAnnet MahendruNominated
Long Beach International Film Festival (Long Beach, New York)Best PictureNominated
Best Supporting Actress Annet Mahendru Nominated
Best Made in New York FilmWon
Best Original Song"Here Comes the Wolf" by John Nolan Nominated
Best Director Jason Michael Brescia Nominated
Long Island International Film Expo Jury Award for Best PictureNominated
Jury Award for Best Director Jason Michael Brescia Nominated
Jury Award for Best Long Island Produced FilmWon
Technical Award for Best Original Song"Here Comes the Wolf" by John Nolan Won
Maverick Movie Awards [17] Best PictureWon
Best Director Jason Michael Brescia Nominated
Best Original ScreenplayJason Michael BresciaNominated
Best AnimationJoe DietschNominated
Best ActorRyan MetcalfNominated
Best ActressNatalie KneppNominated
Best Supporting ActorArjun GuptaWon
Best Supporting ActorChris ViemeisterNominated
Best Supporting ActressBrianne BerksonWon
Best PerformanceEntire CastWon
Best EditingAlex OppenheimerNominated
Best Original ScoreRyan HunterNominated
Northeast Film Festival (New Jersey)Best PictureNominated
Best Director Jason Michael Brescia Nominated
Best ActorRyan MetcalfNominated
Best Supporting Actress Annet Mahendru Nominated
Best Ensemble CastWon
The Other Venice Film Festival (Venice Beach, California)Best Original Score Ryan Hunter Nominated
Best Original Song"Here Comes the Wolf" by John Nolan Won
Williamsburg International Film Festival (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)Best ActorRyan MetcalfWon
Best Screenplay Jason Michael Brescia Won

Soundtrack

The movie includes original music by John Nolan of Taking Back Sunday, Vinnie Caruana of I Am the Avalanche, Happy Body Slow Brain, Bayside, and NGHBRS.[ citation needed ]

In July 2014, John Nolan's original song for the movie entitled "Here Comes the Wolf" was awarded with the "Best Original Song" honor at the Long Island International Film Expo. [18] The song was also nominated for the same award at the Long Beach International Film Festival and The Other Venice Film Festival in Venice, California. [19]

On October 21, 2014 the soundtrack was digitally released through Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, and other online digital retailers. The digital release of the album does not include "Indiana" by Bayside or "Hold Up Girl" by NGHBRS, because those two songs had previously been released by the artists themselves.

After a soundtrack release show at Webster Hall headlined by John Nolan and Vinnie Caruana, [20] the soundtrack was released by Enjoy the Ride Records on December 30, 2014 with the following track listing: [21]

No.TitleArtistLength
1."My House is an Empty White Box Too" Ryan Hunter 3:01
2."Here Comes the Wolf" John Nolan 4:45
3."Indiana" Bayside 2:57
4."Hold Up Girl" NGHBRS 3:15
5."The Old Barman's Song"Giants at Large3:39
6."Captain Kidd's Theme"theMOUTH1:33
7."It's Been Way too Long" Vinnie Caruana 3:49
8."Wild Hogs"Dan Pursino1:43
9."Residue"Happy Body Slow Brain4:37
10."Round and Round" Gabriel the Marine feat. John Nolan 3:42
11."Subways"Ryan Hunter2:42

Score

The original score for Bridge and Tunnel was composed by Ryan Hunter, the former lead singer of Envy on the Coast. Hunter's score was engineered by his former bandmate Brian Byrne, and also features guest appearances by Isaac Bolivar and Dylan Ebrahimian. In creating the score Hunter stated, "I started watching the film a lot, picking out scenes that I wanted to make music to. I also decided upon making music for those scenes that the music might not even end up there ... I knew before going into it, it needed an organic and imperfect approach to it. I called Brian Byrne to help me produce it and to engineer it, his studio has a lot of cool old toys and half broken instruments to work with and that's kind of what this called for." [22]

The score was released digitally on September 16, 2014 [23] with the following track listing:

No.TitleLength
1."Springs, LI"4:52
2."Was It Worth It?"1:27
3."When the Beach Met the Bay"3:09
4."Resolutions"1:13
5."Springs, LI pt 2"2:07
6."A Stoner's Tribute to Scott Joplin"1:39
7."Subways"2:59
Total length:16:04

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrisburg, Pennsylvania</span> Capital city of Pennsylvania, United States

Harrisburg is the capital city of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of 2020, Harrisburg is the ninth-most populous city in Pennsylvania. It is the larger principal city of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area, also known as the Susquehanna Valley, which had a population of 591,712 in 2020 and is the fourth-most populous metro area in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River and is located 83 miles (134 km) southwest of Allentown and 107 miles (172 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrisburg Senators</span> Minor league baseball team

The Harrisburg Senators are a Minor League Baseball team who play in the Eastern League, and are the Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The team is based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and play their home games at FNB Field on City Island, which opened in 1987 and has a seating capacity of 6,187.

Bridge and Tunnel is a term – often used pejoratively – to describe people who live in communities surrounding the island of Manhattan in New York City, and commute to it for work or entertainment. It refers to the fact that vehicular travel to the island of Manhattan requires passing over a bridge or through a tunnel. Some use it to describe residents of the other four boroughs of New York City – Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island – but it typically refers to those who travel into the city from outside the area served by the New York City Subway, including the Hudson Valley, New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island.

<i>Last Summer</i> (1969 film) 1969 film by Frank Perry

Last Summer is a 1969 teen drama film directed by Frank Perry and written by his then-wife Eleanor Perry, based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Evan Hunter. It stars Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison, and Catherine Burns. The film follows the exploits of four teenagers during a summer vacation on Fire Island, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinnie Caruana</span> American singer

Vinnie Caruana is an American singer. He is the vocalist for Long Island punk band The Movielife and lead singer/songwriter for the indie/post hardcore band I Am the Avalanche.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center</span> Expo center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center, formerly known as State Farm Show Arena and informally known simply as the Farm Show, is a large exhibition center and indoor arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is primarily used for concerts, agricultural exhibitions, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, and indoor football. The complex also hosts more than 200 other exhibits and trade shows every year. The Farm Show Complex is 60 acres (240,000 m2), houses 24 acres (97,000 m2) under roof, spread throughout 11 connected buildings including three arenas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Nolan (musician)</span> American musician (born 1978)

John Thomas Nolan is an American musician best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Taking Back Sunday, and the former lead singer, pianist, and guitarist of Straylight Run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Barlow</span> American actor (born 1975)

Nate Barlow is an American film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, to two musicians and teaching parents, he spent two years as a child in Tanzania, where he attended the International School Moshi. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1996, after which he worked as a designer engineer for Symbol Technologies on Long Island before moving to Los Angeles to pursue his filmmaking career.

<i>The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams</i> 2007 American war film

The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams is a 2007 American war film starring Julian Adams, Amy Redford, Gwendolyn Edwards, Eric Holloway, Joshua Lindsey, Mickey Rooney and Tippi Hedren. The movie, released in 2007 by ThinkFilm, centers on the life of Captain Robert Adams II and his Northern bride, Eveline McCord, and received 10 awards on the film festival circuit. The film was produced by Weston Adams, Julian Adams and Billy Fox. The film was titled Strike the Tent by the filmmakers, and on the film festival circuit, and was changed by the distributor before the release.

<i>Anytown</i> (film) 2009 American film

Anytown is a 2009 drama film written and directed by Dave Rodriguez. The film has won three film awards. "Best Picture" at the Charleston International Film Festival, "Excellence in Filmmaking" at the Method Fest Independent Film Festival and "Best Screenplay" at the Long Island International Film Expo. The film was later released under the title American Bully. The story revolves around the outcomes of war in Iraq and the effects on an individual.

<i>On the Road</i> (2012 film) 2012 French film

On The Road is a 2012 adventure drama film directed by Walter Salles. It is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel On the Road and stars an ensemble cast featuring Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, Alice Braga, Amy Adams, Tom Sturridge, Danny Morgan, Elisabeth Moss, Kirsten Dunst, and Viggo Mortensen. The executive producers were Francis Ford Coppola, Patrick Batteux, Jerry Leider, and Tessa Ross. Filming began on August 4, 2010, in Montreal, Quebec, with a $25 million budget. The story is based on the years Kerouac spent travelling the United States in the late 1940s with his friend Neal Cassady and several other Beat Generation figures who would go on to fame in their own right, including William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. On May 23, 2012, the film premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The film received mixed early reviews after it premiered at the film festival. The film also premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Jason Michael Brescia is an American writer-director from Malverne, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania history</span>

This is a timeline of the major events in the history of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and vicinity.

<i>Strings</i> (2011 film) 2011 American film

Strings is a 2011 American dramatic thriller film about a musician who discovers his therapist manipulates patients into committing crimes. The film is the product of the Texas filmmaking team, Mark Dennis and Ben Foster. It was written, produced, and directed by Dennis and was produced and directed by Foster. Dennis and Foster graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Radio/TV/Film and are both musicians. The extremely low-budget film collected major awards at film festivals across the United States in 2011 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Island International Film Expo</span> Annual Film Festival held on Long Island, New York

The Long Island International Film Expo, founded in 1997 by Nassau County Film Office Director, Debra Markowitz. The festival generally receives between 400 and 450 submissions every year In 2009, 170 films from 23 countries were screened at the festival. Ed Burns, director of films such as The Brothers McMullen and Newlyweds was awarded a Creative Achievement Award during the 2011 festival. The festival hosts several panels on film distribution, screenwriting, and other relevant industry topics.

The Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo, or SPACE or S.P.A.C.E., is an annual convention in Columbus, Ohio, United States, for alternative comics, minicomics, and webcomics. Bob Corby founded the convention as a gathering place for "the comics and the creators with no distractions." The show is sponsored by Corby's Back Porch Comics, a Columbus small press comics publisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Penn Capitals</span> Former professional indoor football team in Pennsylvania, U.S.

The Central Penn Capitals were a professional indoor football team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Capitals played as members of American Indoor Football (AIF) from 2013 to 2016. The club was established in 2012 as an expansion team for the 2013 season when Jim Morris secured the rights to an AIF franchise in York, Pennsylvania at the York City Ice Arena. The team relocated to Harrisburg for the 2016 season with home games played at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center. The AIF ceased operations after the 2016 season and the Capitals did not join another league.

<i>The Newest Pledge</i> 2012 American film

The Newest Pledge is a 2012 comedy film written and directed by Jason Michael Brescia. The film is about the hard-partying Omega fraternity and their struggles to raise a baby that they find on their doorstep. The film was released in North America by Lionsgate.

<i>The Makings of You</i> American film

The Makings of You, also known as Never My Love, is a drama film directed by Matt Amato and starring Sheryl Lee and Jay R. Ferguson. The movie was shot in the director's hometown of St. Louis and is a "labor of love that includes some of the most beautiful images of his hometown ever captured on film." It is the reunion of Twin Peaks alum Sheryl Lee and Grace Zabriskie as mother and daughter, who also produced the film, with production company The Masses. The director is releasing a reedited version of the film in 2021.

<i>(Romance) in the Digital Age</i> 2017 American film

(Romance) in the Digital Age is a 2017 feature-length film written and directed by Jason Michael Brescia.

References

  1. Bell, Mark. "Review: Bridge and Tunnel". filmthreat.com.
  2. Guzman, Rafer. "Long Island International Film Expo 2014 lineup: 'The Historian,' more". www.newsday.com.
  3. Scancarelli, Derek. "'Bridge and Tunnel' gets Long Island right". underthegunreview.net.
  4. Packham, Chris. "Bridge and Tunnel". VillageVoice.com.
  5. Bloom, Karen (July 3, 2014). "Summer sizzle at the Long Island International Film Expo".
  6. "Superstorm Sandy blamed for at least 11 U.S deaths as it slams East Coast". CNN.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2014-10-03.
  7. Berov, David. "Bridging the Gap: On Set With Jason Brescia & Bridge and Tunnel". AfterTheCut.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
  8. "Bridge and Tunnel". MoviesfilmedonLongIsland.com.
  9. Ortiz, Jovanni (24 September 2014). "Catching up with Jason Brescia". lipulse.com.
  10. McLaughlin, Ryan (20 March 2014). "Auburn magazine publisher charged with possessing child pornography".
  11. "Emerge Film Fest to kick off with horror double feature". TwinCityTimes.com.
  12. "NORTHEAST FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THEIR 2014 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE AND LIST OF NOMINEES". 29 August 2014.
  13. Melville, Sammi Leigh (31 August 2015). "Life, Nothing More: "Bridge and Tunnel" A Must-see at the New Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival". TheBurgNews.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  14. Berov, David. "Bridge and Tunnel: 2/3rds of the way to Three Before 30". Archived from the original on 2014-09-13. Retrieved 2014-08-19.
  15. Goldstein, Gary (September 25, 2014). ""Bridge and Tunnel" Leads Nowhere".
  16. Melville, Sammi Leigh (31 August 2015). "Life, Nothing More: "Bridge and Tunnel" A Must See Selection in the New Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival". The Burg News.
  17. "Maverick Movie Awards 2014 Winners and Nominees". maverickmovieawards.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2014-10-16.
  18. Mansmann, Julie (July 23, 2014). "Bellmore rolls out the red carpet for LIIFE". Long Island Herald. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  19. Tate, Jason (29 February 2024). "Stream John Nolan's "Here Comes the Wolf"". AbsolutePunk.net.
  20. "Bridge and Tunnel Soundtrack Release Show". Last FM.
  21. Lantinen, Chris. "Tracklisting for 'Bridge and Tunnel' revealed". modern-vinyl.com.
  22. "Ryan Hunter Discusses Scoring Bridge and Tunnel, Solo Project & More". dailyslicemag.com.
  23. "We're excited to premiere". tablethreemedia.tumblr.com.