Everything Put Together

Last updated

Everything Put Together
Everything Put Together.jpg
Directed by Marc Forster
Written byMarc Forster
Adam Forgash
Catherine Lloyd Burns
Produced bySean Furst
Starring Radha Mitchell
Megan Mullally
Louis Ferreira
Cinematography Roberto Schaefer
Edited by Matt Chesse
Music by Thomas Koppel
Distributed by Vitagraph Films [1]
Release dates
  • January 24, 2000 (2000-01-24)(Sundance Film Festival)
  • November 2, 2001 (2001-11-02)(U.S.)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2,963 [2]

Everything Put Together is a 2000 drama film directed by Marc Forster starring Radha Mitchell, Megan Mullally and Louis Ferreira. The story focuses on a Californian couple expecting a child and their group of friends who are confronted with the tragedy of a big loss.

Contents

The film premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and later received a limited theatrical release in North America on November 2, 2001.

Plot

Angie and Russ, a couple in an affluent California suburb, are expecting a baby. The couple excitedly prepares for impending parenthood by celebrating with their closest friends, including Angie's girlfriends Judith and Barbie, both of whom are also expecting. Angie and Russ’ bliss is abruptly shattered with an unexpected loss when their newborn succumbs to SIDS. As Angie spirals into depression from her grief, she finds herself ostracized by Judith and Barbie, who assume she wants solitude to deal with the loss.

Cast

Production

The film, which is Forster's directorial debut, was shot in two weeks on a digital camera on a budget of less than $10,000. [1]

Everything Put Together premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, where it garnered comparisons to films like Rosemary's Baby . [1] [3] The distribution arm of American Cinematheque picked up the film and released it in a limited rollout that nearly coincided with the release of Forster's follow-up, Monster's Ball . [1]

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 69% based on 29 reviews. [4]

Emanuel Levy of Variety called it a "riveting, haunting chronicle" and praised Mitchell's performance. [3] He noted the film's weakest aspects, such as the development of characters besides Angie's, "are almost overcome by Forster’s bravura visual style, endowing a rather familiar story with a fresh, bold treatment." [3]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times critiqued the film's tonal clashes, noting that on one level, the film plays as a "sober educational seminar on sudden infant death syndrome,” while on another level, "it is a psychological horror film that follows Angie's descent into a clinical depression accompanied by scary delusional fantasies." [5] Holden said the film was most effective in its "expressionistic critique of the suburban baby culture and its joys, fears and fetishes. Its satirically edged view of a group of pregnant women preparing for motherhood recalls the creepy scenes of suburban togetherness in Todd Haynes's film Safe ", adding, "If the movie's horror effects lend Everything Put Together an aura of creepiness, the scenes that hurt most are those in which she runs into old friends who can barely stifle their panic as they seek to flee her contaminating presence." [5]

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly was more critical and gave the film a grade of "B-", writing the film "is too responsible to erupt into the kind of operatic maternal horror it keeps threatening the audience with." [6]

Accolades

At the 2001 Independent Spirit Awards, Forster won the Someone to Watch Award and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature Under $500,000. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clea DuVall</span> American actress

Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Her film appearances include The Faculty (1998); But I'm a Cheerleader; Girl, Interrupted ; Ghosts of Mars (2001); Identity;21 Grams ; The Grudge (2004); Zodiac (2007); and Argo (2012). On television, DuVall starred as Emma Borden in Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (2014) and its miniseries spinoff, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles (2015). Her other credits include Carnivàle (2003–2005), Heroes (2006–2007), American Horror Story (2012–2013), Better Call Saul (2015–2017), Veep (2016–2019), and The Handmaid's Tale (2018–2022). She also voiced Elsa on Fox's HouseBroken, which she co-created, from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radha Mitchell</span> Australian actress

Radha Rani Amber Indigo Ananda Mitchell is an Australian actress. She began her career on television, playing Catherine O'Brien on the Australian soap opera Neighbours (1996–1997), before transitioning to working in Hollywood. Known for her work in the action and thriller genres, she is the recipient of an FCCA Award, as well as nominations for Fangoria Chainsaw, AFI, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<i>Tape</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Richard Linklater

Tape is a 2001 American camcorder drama film directed by Richard Linklater and written by Stephen Belber, based on his play of the same name. It stars Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, and Uma Thurman. The entire film takes place in real time.

<i>High Art</i> 1998 film by Lisa Cholodenko

High Art is a 1998 independent romantic drama written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, and starring Ally Sheedy and Radha Mitchell. It premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and saw a limited release in the United States on June 12, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Holden</span> American actress

Alexandra Paige Holden is an American actress. Known for her film work in the comedy and horror genres, her credits include In & Out (1997), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), Sugar & Spice (2001), The Hot Chick (2002), Wishcraft (2002), Dead End (2003), and Lovely Molly (2011). Her television work includes recurring roles on series such as Friends, Ally McBeal, Friday Night Lights, Franklin & Bash, and Rizzoli & Isles.

<i>Bones</i> (2001 film) 2001 American horror film by Ernest Dickerson

Bones is a 2001 American supernatural black horror film directed by Ernest Dickerson and starring rapper Snoop Dogg as the eponymous Jimmy Bones, a murdered numbers runner that rises from the grave to avenge his death. The film is presented as a homage to blaxploitation films of the 1970s and incorporates numerous elements from the genre.

<i>Edge of Seventeen</i> (film) 1998 film directed by David Moreton

Edge of Seventeen is a 1998 coming of age romantic comedy-drama film directed by David Moreton, written by Moreton and Todd Stephens, starring Chris Stafford, and co-starring Tina Holmes and Andersen Gabrych.

<i>Cthulhu</i> (2007 film) 2007 American film

Cthulhu is a 2007 American horror film directed by Dan Gildark and co-written by Grant Cogswell and Daniel Gildark. The film is loosely based on the novella The Shadow over Innsmouth (1936) by H. P. Lovecraft.

<i>Berkeley in the Sixties</i> 1990 American film

Berkeley in the Sixties is a 1990 documentary film by Mark Kitchell.

<i>Focus</i> (2001 film) 2001 American drama film by Neal Slavin

Focus is a 2001 American drama film starring William H. Macy, Laura Dern, David Paymer and Meat Loaf based on a 1945 novel by playwright Arthur Miller. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was given a limited release on October 19, 2001.

<i>The Crazies</i> (2010 film) 2010 American horror film by Breck Eisner

The Crazies is a 2010 American science fiction horror film directed by Breck Eisner from a screenplay from Scott Kosar and Ray Wright. The film is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name and stars Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson and Danielle Panabaker. George A. Romero, who wrote and directed the original, served as an executive producer. It is about a fictional Iowa town that becomes afflicted by a biological agent that turns those infected into violent killers. The film was released on February 26, 2010, and grossed $54 million on a $20 million budget. It received mixed reviews according to Metacritic, with the critical summary on Rotten Tomatoes calling the film "tense, nicely shot, and uncommonly intelligent".

Catherine Lloyd Burns is an American actress and author who portrayed Caroline Miller, the title character's teacher in the television series Malcolm in the Middle.

<i>Nobodys Baby</i> (2001 film) 2001 comedy film by David Seltzer

Nobody's Baby is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by David Seltzer and starring Gary Oldman and Skeet Ulrich.

<i>The Truth About Emanuel</i> 2013 American film

The Truth About Emanuel is a 2013 American thriller drama film written, directed, and produced by Francesca Gregorini. The film stars Jessica Biel, Kaya Scodelario, Alfred Molina, Jimmi Simpson, Aneurin Barnard and Frances O'Connor. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013.

<i>The Hallow</i> 2015 film

The Hallow is a 2015 Irish horror film directed by Corin Hardy, written by Hardy and Felipe Marino, and starring Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, and Michael Smiley. It is a British-Irish co-production filmed in Ireland. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2015.

<i>Pastime</i> (film) 1990 film by Robin B. Armstrong

Pastime is a 1990 American sports drama film directed by Robin B. Armstrong and written by David Eyre Jr. The film stars William Russ, Glenn Plummer, Noble Willingham, Jeffrey Tambor, and Scott Plank. The film premiered on November 8, 1990 at the London Film Festival and screened at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival under the title One Cup of Coffee, where it won the Audience Award for U.S. Dramatic Film. The film was acquired by Miramax Films and was theatrically released as Pastime on August 23, 1991.

Everything Relative is a 1996 American comedy-drama independent film written and directed by Sharon Pollack. It centers around a weekend reunion of seven women who were friends and political activists in college. The film has been compared to The Big Chill and Return of the Secaucus Seven in terms of theme and structure. It was presented at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival as part of the American Spectrum lineup.

<i>David Crosby: Remember My Name</i> 2019 documentary film

David Crosby: Remember My Name is a 2019 documentary about the musician David Crosby. It was directed by A.J. Eaton and produced by Cameron Crowe. The title is a play on the title of Crosby's 1971 album If I Could Only Remember My Name.

<i>Navalny</i> (film) 2022 American film

Navalny is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Daniel Roher. The film revolves around Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and events related to his poisoning. It was produced by HBO Max and CNN Films. The film premiered on January 25, 2022 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it received critical and audience acclaim and won the Audience Award in the US Documentary competition and the Festival Favorite Award. It also won the Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, won the award for Best Political Documentary at the 7th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards and picked up best documentary at the 76th BAFTA awards ceremony.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rochlin, Margy (December 23, 2001). "FILM; From Switzerland With Lots of Buzz". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Everything Put Together". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Levy, Emanuel (January 27, 2000). "Everything Put Together". Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Everything Put Together". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Holden, Stephen (November 9, 2001). "FILM REVIEW; Losing Her Child to a Mysterious Killer". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  6. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (November 23, 2001). "Everything Put Together". EW.com. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  7. ↑ "2001 Nominees" (PDF). Film Independent. pp. 36–37. Retrieved November 14, 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.