Denise Calls Up

Last updated

Denise Calls Up
Denise Calls Up poster.jpg
Directed by Hal Salwen
Written byHal Salwen
Produced by J. Todd Harris
Starring
Distributed by Davis Entertainment
Rastar
Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates
  • April 1995 (1995-04)(WorldFest-Houston)
  • March 29, 1996 (1996-03-29)(United States)
Running time
80 minutes
LanguageEnglish
Box office$148,121 [1]

Denise Calls Up is a 1995 American comedy film written and directed by Hal Salwen. [2] It has an ensemble cast which includes Liev Schreiber, Timothy Daly, and Alanna Ubach. The plot revolves around a group of friends in New York City who, while working at their PCs and laptops and keeping in touch by phone and fax, never seem to be able to get together. The film won the Jury Prize at the Deauville American Film Festival and a Special Mention for the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Contents

Plot

Linda wakes up one morning to her ringing phone. Her friend, Gale wants to know how her party went last night. To her dismay, Linda tells her that no one showed up, "not a one." Thus begins Denise Calls Up, the story of seven friends living in New York City who no longer find it necessary to actually meet face to face due to the new age of the internet and wireless phones. But Gale is less upset about the absolute absenteeism, than about the fact that her friend Barbara never got to meet Jerry. Gale has been trying to set them up. So she calls Barbara, chastising her for not making it to Linda's and goading her into meeting Jerry. After protesting that she's just been too busy, Barbara eventually acquiesces. Meanwhile, Denise, who has gotten pregnant by an anonymous sperm insemination, locates the donor, Martin, and decides to call him. And so it goes, as the characters, via phone and fax, duck and miss each other time after time, using one excuse after the other to avoid meetings, births, and even a funeral until, finally, Frank, determined to finally get everyone together, plans a New Year's Eve party. All swear that they will be there.

Cast

Production

Hal Salwen allowed the actors to meet each other once before filming began, then had them shoot their phone scenes separately. [3]

Release

The film premiered at WorldFest-Houston in April 1995. It screened at the Cannes Film Festival Directors' Fortnight that May [4] [5] and played at Cinéfest Sudbury in September. It was given a limited theatrical release on March 29, 1996. [1]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 74% rating based on 23 reviews. [6]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Salwen's storytelling gambit may sound like a stunt, but he does a remarkably agile job of sustaining it throughout a sunny 80-minute comedy." [7] The Washington Post was very positive, with Desson Thomson calling it "an amusing, soundbite-era satire about the dehumanizing link-up between deep human impulses (specifically love) and telephone/computer technology." [8] He added, "What's funniest about the movie is the way information ricochets from person to person, through a combination of speed-dialing, conference calling and call waiting." [8] Hal Hinson, also of The Post, called it a "stunning satire of yuppie life in Manhattan" and concluded "Salwen has captured and properly identified a very particular modern American species. His emergence as a filmmaker is a true event." [9]

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade of C, but said he enjoyed the characters of Jerry and Barbara. [10] In the San Francisco Examiner , Barbara Shulgasser said, "As witty as this film is, Salwen can't get around the fact that a movie about people who don't meet saddles a director with a lot of scenes focusing on one person talking to no one but a piece of machinery." [11] Roger Ebert said the film’s idea was too slight for a full-length feature. [12] In Variety , Emanuel Levy wrote, "At times, 'Denise Calls Up' feels like an overextended, one-joke movie, but the joke’s a good one." [13]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<i>A Man and a Woman</i> 1966 film by Claude Lelouch

A Man and a Woman is a 1966 French romantic drama film directed by Claude Lelouch and starring Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant. Written by Pierre Uytterhoeven and Lelouch, the film concerns a young widow and widower who meet by chance at their children's boarding school and whose budding relationship is complicated by the memories of their deceased spouses. The film is known for its lush photography, which features frequent segues among full color, black-and-white, and sepia-toned shots, and for its music score by Francis Lai.

<i>Twilight</i> (1998 film) 1998 thriller/Neo-noir film directed by Robert Benton

Twilight is a 1998 American neo-noir thriller film directed by Robert Benton, written by Benton and Richard Russo, and starring Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Reese Witherspoon, Stockard Channing, and James Garner. The film's original score was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deauville American Film Festival</span> Film festival

The Deauville American Film Festival is a yearly film festival devoted to American cinema, which has taken place since 1975 in Deauville, France.

<i>Heavy</i> (film) 1995 American drama film by James Mangold

Heavy is a 1995 American independent drama film written and directed by James Mangold, in his directorial debut. It stars Liv Tyler, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Shelley Winters, and Deborah Harry. The plot focuses on an unhappy overweight cook (Vince) whose life is changed after an enchanting college drop-out (Tyler) begins working as a waitress at his and his mother's roadside tavern. The film explores themes of loneliness, false hope, unrequited love, and self-worth.

<i>Clockwatchers</i> 1997 film by Jill Sprecher

Clockwatchers is a 1997 American comedy-drama film directed by Jill Sprecher. It stars Toni Collette, Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow, and Alanna Ubach as temporary office staffers in an office complex. The four become misfit friends in an office environment where they are ignored and mistrusted by their co-workers.

<i>Georgia</i> (1995 film) 1995 film by Ulu Grosbard

Georgia is a 1995 American independent film directed by Ulu Grosbard. It follows a barroom punk singer who has a complicated relationship with her older sister.

<i>Swimming with Sharks</i> 1994 film by George Huang

Swimming with Sharks is a 1994 American satire film written and directed by George Huang and starring Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley and Michelle Forbes.

<i>Pacific Heights</i> (film) 1990 film by John Schlesinger

Pacific Heights is a 1990 American psychological thriller film directed by John Schlesinger and written by Daniel Pyne. The film stars Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, and Michael Keaton.

<i>Last Dance</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

Last Dance is a 1996 crime drama thriller film directed by Bruce Beresford and starring Sharon Stone, Rob Morrow, Randy Quaid and Peter Gallagher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal Salwen</span> American film director

Hal Salwen is an American film director, producer, and writer. His films have received numerous awards and nominations, with Denise Calls Up notable for being the only American film to win an award at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. With the premiere of his second film, "His & Hers", at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, Salwen was named by Daily Variety as one of its "Top Ten Filmmakers To Watch" along with Mary Harron, Wes Anderson, and Alfonso Cuaron, among others.

<i>The Governess</i> 1998 film

The Governess is a 1998 British period drama film written and directed by Sandra Goldbacher. The screenplay focuses on a young Jewish woman of Sephardic background, who reinvents herself as a gentile governess when she is forced to find work to support her family.

<i>Reckless</i> (1995 film) 1995 American film

Reckless is a 1995 American dark comedy film directed by Norman René. The screenplay by Craig Lucas is based on his 1983 play of the same title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 Cannes Film Festival</span>

The 48th Cannes Film Festival was held from 17 to 28 May 1995. The Palme d'Or went to Underground by Emir Kusturica.

<i>The Russia House</i> (film) 1990 American film by Fred Schepisi

The Russia House is a 1990 American spy film directed by Fred Schepisi and starring Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, Klaus Maria Brandauer and director Ken Russell. Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay based on John le Carré's 1989 novel of the same name. It was the first US motion picture to be shot substantially on location in the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanna Ubach</span> American actress

Alanna Ubach is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Serena McGuire in Legally Blonde (2001) & Legally Blonde 2 (2003), Isabel Villalobos in Meet the Fockers (2004), Maria in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Noreen in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Jane in Clockwatchers (1997), Naomi in Waiting... (2005) and Still Waiting... (2009), Margarete in Being Us (2011), Jeanine Pirro in Bombshell (2019), and the voice of Mamá Imelda in Coco (2017), as well as Jo Hernandez-Frumpkis on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, Suze Howard on Euphoria, Amy Hobbs on See Dad Run, Tessa Flores on Guilty Party, Carol Atkinson on The Flight Attendant, and Susan Bennett on Ted.

<i>Friends</i> (1993 film) 1993 film by Elaine Proctor

Friends is a 1993 South African drama film directed by Elaine Proctor. It was entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, where it won an award for Caméra d'Or Special Distinction. The film is set during apartheid in Johannesburg and follows three friends who each represent a different faction of South African society.

<i>His & Hers</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

His & Hers is a 1997 American independent comedy film which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Hal Salwen, it is a modern screwball comedy, the plot of which centers around the accidental amputation of a finger.

<i>Chuck</i> (film) 2016 American film

Chuck is a 2016 American biographical sports drama film directed by Philippe Falardeau and written by Jeff Feuerzeig, Jerry Stahl, Michael Cristofer and Liev Schreiber, who also stars in the title role. The cast includes Elisabeth Moss, Ron Perlman, Naomi Watts, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Rapaport, Pooch Hall, Morgan Spector, Jason Jones and Catherine Corcoran. The film depicts the life of heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner and his 1975 title fight with the heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, which inspired Sylvester Stallone's character and screenplay for the 1976 film Rocky.

Annie Silverstein is an American film director and screenwriter.

Duane Incarnate is a 2004 American independent comedy film which premiered at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival. It was written and directed by Hal Salwen and stars Crystal Bock, Danny Burstein, Caroleen Feeney, Jim Gaffigan, Peter Hermann and Kristen Johnston.

References

  1. 1 2 "Denise Calls Up". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Crew - Denise Calls Up". Sony Pictures Classics. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Production Notes - Denise Calls Up". Sony Pictures Classics. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Denise Calls Up | Denise au téléphone". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Feinstein, Howard. "Critics Week at Cannes". The Independent Film & Video Monthly. Vol. January/February 1996. p. 13. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Denise Calls Up (1995)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  7. ↑ Maslin, Janet (March 27, 1996). "FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW;Techno-Yuppies Who Live and Die by the Microchip". The New York Times .
  8. 1 2 Thomson, Desson (April 26, 1996). "Pick Up, 'Denise' Is Calling". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hinson, Hal (April 26, 1996). "'Denise Calls': Busy Signals". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (April 4, 1996). "Call girl films". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Shulgasser, Barbara (April 19, 1996). "Phone friends don't connect during "Denise Calls Up"". San Francisco Examiner. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  12. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 26, 1996). "Denise Calls Up". Chicago Sun-Times .
  13. ↑ Levy, Emanuel (March 13, 1995). "Denise Calls Up". Variety .
  14. ↑ "1995 | 21ème Festival du Cinéma Américain". Deauville American Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 4, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
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.