Fray (film)

Last updated

Fray
Fray poster.jpg
Release poster for Fray
Directed byGeoff Ryan
Written byGeoff Ryan
Produced byJodi Redmond
StarringBryan Kaplan
Marisa Costa
Wes Harris
Cinematography Jarin Blaschke
Edited byGeoff Ryan
Music byJacob Lawson
Distributed by Indie Rights
Release dates
  • April 13, 2012 (2012-04-13)(Arizona International Film Festival)
  • April 18, 2014 (2014-04-18)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Fray is a 2012 independent film starring Bryan Kaplan and Marisa Costa. It was written and directed by Geoff Ryan, [1] with cinematography by Jarin Blaschke, and produced by Jodi Redmond. [2]

Contents

Fray was the winner of numerous awards during its film festival run, including Best Feature Film at both the UK Film Festival [3] and the Arizona International Film Festival. [4]

Plot

Justin (Kaplan) is a United States Marine who has come home from five tours of duty, having seen combat action in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Life back home isn't much easier; he passes his time doing clean-up work at a lumber mill or tending to his injured leg at his barely furnished apartment. He attends classes at the nearby community college as he works to create a life beyond his military service. A romance begins with a young instructor (Costa), but Justin finds navigating commitment to be challenging. Paul (Harris), his boss at the mill, is an old veteran who offers help, but Justin has trouble accepting it.

Thanks to spotty work hours in a difficult economy, Justin is perpetually late with his rent. The difficulties in readjusting to home life leave him yelling at noises made by the neighbors or escaping into the woods for a little quiet time. When he gets news that some of his buddies overseas have died in a battle, he retreats into the woods as if to disappear there. Still, Cheri and Paul continue their efforts to break through.

Cast

Production

Writer-director Geoff Ryan got the idea for his film when his wounded cousin returned home from Iraq. The veteran recovered well, largely because he had a tight family to lean on for whatever support he needed, but told stories of some of his buddies who had to deal with issues that were "not just the physical or the psychological, but the bureaucratic" that Ryan had never heard before. [5] Some of the men were discharged from hospitals only to wind up on the streets. [6]

Ryan said it would be impossible for him to understand what going through combat was like, but decided that their experience back home was something he could tap into. [7] He began traveling across the United States to meet with and interview homeless veterans. Ryan initially wanted to do a documentary, but found his subjects unwilling to open up in front of a camera. [8]

He tried a "short film experiment", and it turned out well enough that he began looking for actors for a feature film version. He wrote the part of Justin with Bryan Kaplan in mind because "I knew he could pull it off." [9] Ryan gathered a "phenomenally talented group of friends" in 2010; [10] principal photography was completed over one month in the mountains along the Oregon coast. [11] The response by critics and audiences surprised Ryan, who thought the film "would be on YouTube for five or six friends to see." [12]

Critical reception

Film Threat in its 2012 review praised the "realism and humanity" in a "slow-boiling drama" that puts the burden on the performers to keep the audience engaged. "To that end, Bryan Kaplan is tasked with carrying the entire film and shows that he is up to the challenge." [13] Dances With Films called Fray "the Coming Home for this generation of veterans of foreign wars" and said it will break the viewer's heart, "only to put it back together stronger than it was before." [14]

Fray made its theatrical debut at the Arena Cinema Hollywood on April 18, 2014. [15] The Los Angeles Times called Fray "a stirring and involving character study that may not cover much new ground but still packs a quiet punch." Writer Gary Goldstein praised Kaplan and Costa in particular, along with the film's "grit and authenticity—and a welcome lack of mind's-eye combat flashbacks". Though numerous films have tackled the story of war veterans struggling to return to civilian life, Goldstein suggested that film-goers "give Fray a chance." [10]

LA Weekly called the film's "quietude" its greatest strength. Michael Nordine found the dialogue between Justin and his new lover "a little too direct, and their key emotional scene escalates much too quickly," but said the look in Justin's eyes when a prospective employer compares the job to a battlefield makes "the flaws fall away". [16]

Awards

Related Research Articles

Marisa Tomei American actress (born 1964)

Marisa Tomei is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, in addition to nominations for a British Academy Film Award, a Daytime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Ryan Phillippe American actor

Matthew Ryan Phillippe is an American actor. After appearing as Billy Douglas on the soap opera One Life to Live, he came to fame in the late 1990s with starring roles in films including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and 54. In the 2000s, he appeared in several films, including Gosford Park (2001), Crash (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Breach (2007), Stop-Loss (2008), MacGruber (2010), and The Lincoln Lawyer (2011). In 2010, Phillippe played photographer Greg Marinovich in The Bang Bang Club, and then in the lead role of Bob Lee Swagger in the USA Network thriller drama Shooter (2016–2018).

Ryan Gosling Canadian actor (born 1980)

Ryan Thomas Gosling is a Canadian actor. Prominent in independent film, he has also worked in blockbuster films of varying genres, and has accrued a worldwide box office gross of over 1.9 billion USD. He has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, and nominations for two Academy Awards and a BAFTA Award.

Justin Bartha American actor

Justin Lee Bartha is an American actor, known for his roles as Riley Poole in the National Treasure film series, Doug Billings in The Hangover trilogy, and David Sawyer in the NBC comedy series The New Normal. He starred as Colin Morrello in the CBS All Access legal and political drama The Good Fight.

Mark Teixeira American baseball player

Mark Charles Teixeira, nicknamed "Tex", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and New York Yankees. Before his professional career, he played college baseball at Georgia Tech, where in 2000 he won the Dick Howser Trophy as the national collegiate baseball player of the year. One of the most prolific switch hitters in MLB history, Teixeira was an integral part of the Yankees' 27th World Series championship in 2009, leading the American League (AL) in home runs and runs batted in (RBI) while finishing second in the Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) balloting. Teixeira was a three-time All-Star, won five Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards, and also holds the all-time major league record for most games with a home run from both sides of the plate, with 14. He was the fifth switch hitter in MLB history to reach 400 home runs.

Justin Upton American baseball player

Justin Irvin Upton is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "J-Up", he has previously played in MLB for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Angels. He has been a teammate of his brother B. J. Upton with both the Braves and the Padres. While primarily a right fielder throughout his career, Upton has since transitioned to left field for the Braves, Padres and Tigers.

Chris Pine American actor

Chris Pine is an American actor. Pine made his feature film debut as Lord Devereaux in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). His roles include James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot film series (2009–Present), Will Colson in Unstoppable (2010), Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods (2014), Jack Ryan in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014), Toby Howard in Hell or High Water (2016), Bernie Webber in The Finest Hours (2016), Steve Trevor in Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Dr. Alexander Murry in A Wrinkle in Time (2018), and Robert the Bruce in Outlaw King (2018). Pine also voiced Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians (2012).

Scott Haze American actor and filmmaker (born 1983)

Scott Haze is an American actor and filmmaker.

<i>The New Normal</i> (TV series)

The New Normal is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 10, 2012, to April 2, 2013. The series was created and principally written by Ryan Murphy and Ali Adler. The storyline follows wealthy gay couple Bryan and David, who are living in Los Angeles. Deciding to have a child, they choose a surrogate mother, Goldie Clemmons, who moves into their home with her 9-year-old daughter Shania . The series aired Tuesdays at 9:30 pm Eastern/8:30 pm Central after the new comedy series Go On, as part of the 2012–13 United States network television schedule. On October 2, 2012, NBC commissioned a full season of The New Normal.

Christopher Abbott American actor (born Feb 1st 1986)

Christopher Jacob Abbott is an American actor. Abbott made his feature film debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011). Abbott's other notable films include Hello I Must Be Going (2012) and The Sleepwalker (2014). In 2015, Abbott starred as the titular character in the critically acclaimed film James White. In 2017, he starred opposite Joel Edgerton in the psychological horror film It Comes at Night. In 2018, he portrayed astronaut David Scott in the film First Man, and a reporter in Vox Lux. Abbott portrayed John Yossarian as the lead role in the 2019 miniseries Catch-22 based on the Joseph Heller novel of the same name, for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film. In 2020, he co-starred in the films Black Bear, Possessor and The World to Come.

<i>The Rewrite</i> 2014 American film

The Rewrite is a 2014 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence. It stars Hugh Grant as a washed-up screenwriter who begins teaching at Binghamton University, and Marisa Tomei as a single mother with whom the screenwriter finds romance. It began development at Castle Rock Entertainment in October 2012, and filming began in New York in April 2013.

Destin Daniel Cretton American film director and screenwriter

Destin Daniel Cretton is an American filmmaker. He is best known for his films Short Term 12 (2013), The Glass Castle (2017), Just Mercy (2019) and the Marvel Studios film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

<i>The Flash</i> (film) Upcoming superhero film by Andy Muschietti

The Flash is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. Produced by DC Films, Double Dream, and The Disco Factory, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is intended to be the 15th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by Andy Muschietti from a screenplay by Christina Hodson and stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash alongside Ron Livingston, Michael Keaton, Kiersey Clemons, Michael Shannon, Antje Traue, Sasha Calle, and Ben Affleck. In the film, Barry travels back in time to prevent his mother's murder, which brings unintended consequences.

<i>Spotlight</i> (film) 2015 film directed by Tom McCarthy

Spotlight is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed by Tom McCarthy and written by McCarthy and Josh Singer. The film follows The Boston Globe's "Spotlight" team, the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States, and its investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests. Although the plot was original, it is loosely based on a series of stories by the Spotlight team that earned The Globe the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. The film features an ensemble cast including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci, with Brian d'Arcy James, Liev Schreiber, and Billy Crudup in supporting roles.

Indie Rights

Indie Rights, Inc. is an American distributor of independent films, based in Los Angeles, California. Indie Rights is a subsidiary of Nelson Madison Films and was incorporated in 2007 to act as distributor for other independent filmmakers. The corporation began as a private MySpace group where the makers of independent films could get information about the changing face of film distribution; founders Linda Nelson and Michael Madison created Indie Rights so that distribution contracts could be signed by a legal entity. The corporation distributes films largely through video on demand services, though more recently it has overseen such theatrical releases as We Are Kings and Fray, both in 2014.

<i>Trumbo</i> (2015 film) 2015 film directed by Jay Roach

Trumbo is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed by Jay Roach and written by John McNamara. The film stars Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg as Edward G. Robinson, Dean O'Gorman as Kirk Douglas, and David James Elliott as John Wayne. The film follows the life of Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, and is based on the 1977 biography Dalton Trumbo by Bruce Alexander Cook.

Bryan H. Carroll American film director

Bryan H. Carroll is an American director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is best known for his award winning documentary Why We Ride, his distinctions from the American Motorcyclist Association and contributions to Titanic, Public Enemies, Die Hard, Predator, Collateral, Miami Vice, Ali, Skid Row and The Phantom.

<i>Only the Brave</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Joseph Kosinski

Only the Brave is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski, and written by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer, based on the GQ article "No Exit" by Sean Flynn. The film tells the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew of firefighters from Prescott, Arizona who lost 19 of 20 members while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013, and is dedicated to their memory. It features an ensemble cast, including Josh Brolin, James Badge Dale, Jeff Bridges, Miles Teller, Alex Russell, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Hardy, Thad Luckinbill, Geoff Stults, Scott Haze, Andie MacDowell, and Jennifer Connelly.

<i>Last Flag Flying</i> 2017 film by Richard Linklater

Last Flag Flying is a 2017 American war comedy-drama film directed by Richard Linklater with a screenplay by Linklater and Darryl Ponicsan, based upon the latter's 2005 novel of the same name. It stars Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne as three Vietnam War veterans who reunite after one of their sons is killed in the Iraq War.

<i>Apartment Troubles</i> 2014 American film

Apartment Troubles is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Jess Weixler and Jennifer Prediger. The film marks the screenwriting and directorial debut of both Weixler and Prediger.

References

  1. ↑ "Fray: Bryan Kaplan, Marisa Costa, Wes Harris, Drew Hicks". Amazon.com . Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Fray (2012) - IMDb".
  3. ↑ "Awards". UK Film Festival . Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  4. ↑ "2012 Arizona International Film Festival Best of Category". Arizona International Film Festival 2012 . Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ Indie Filmmaking: Fray Director Geoff Ryan. YouTube . Brave New Hollywood. 2014. Event occurs at 0:23–0:33. Retrieved September 29, 2014. Cited as Brave New Hollywood.
  6. ↑ Brave New Hollywood, 0:42–0:43
  7. ↑ Calabrese, Kelly. "Send the Right Message: Filmmaker Geoff Ryan Shares His Story Telling Insight". NYCastings. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  8. ↑ Brave New Hollywood, 0:50–1:29
  9. ↑ Brave New Hollywood, 1:36–1:53
  10. 1 2 Goldstein, Gary (April 17, 2014). "Review: Fray Stands At, and Deserves, Attention". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  11. ↑ Brave New Hollywood, 2:00–2:22
  12. ↑ Brave New Hollywood, 2:49–3:04
  13. ↑ Bell, Mark (June 26, 2012). "Fray". Film Threat . Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  14. ↑ Mellette, Robert (May 2012). "Buzz!". Dances With Films . Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Fray Opening Movie Premiere Hits LA". Bourgeois Magazine LA. (Los Angeles, California). April 21, 2014. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  16. ↑ Nordine, Michael. "Fray". LA Weekly . Retrieved September 29, 2014.
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.