Gardener of Eden

Last updated
Gardener of Eden
Gardener of eden movie poster.jpg
Movie poster
Directed by Kevin Connolly
Written byAdam "Tex" Davis [1]
Produced byAllen Bain [1]
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brad Simpson [1]
Starring Lukas Haas
Erika Christensen
Giovanni Ribisi
CinematographyLisa Rinzler [1]
Edited byPete Beaudreau [1]
Michael Berenbaum [1]
Music by Paul Haslinger [1]
Production
company
Distributed by Virtual Studios
Release date
  • April 26, 2007 (2007-04-26)(Tribeca Film Festival)
Running time
88 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Gardener of Eden is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Kevin Connolly. It stars Lukas Haas, Erika Christensen and Giovanni Ribisi.

Contents

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and was Connolly's directorial debut. It was produced by his friend Leonardo DiCaprio. [2]

Plot

Adam Harris, a twenty-something college dropout, returns to his hometown, the fictional "Bickleton" in New Jersey, and moves back in with his parents. Lacking real direction in his life, Adam spends his time working at a local deli and hanging out with his equally unambitious friends. Adam soon finds himself unemployed and cut off by his friends.

Adam's life changes dramatically when he accidentally captures a serial rapist named Richard Pope who has just attacked a local girl, Mona Hukley. The new-found attention inspires him to become a vigilante.

Cast

Release

Gardener of Eden premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2007. [3] After the film was shown, Connolly gave a short-lived Q&A session. [2]

Reception

In a review for The Hollywood Reporter , Frank Scheck praised the film's "resolute strangeness and darkness" and Haas's "memorably quirky performance", but suggested that it "lacks the necessary dramatic urgency or black humor to connect with audiences". [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonardo DiCaprio</span> American actor (born 1974)

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. Known for his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. As of 2019, his films have grossed over $7.2 billion worldwide, and he has been placed eight times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tobey Maguire</span> American actor and film producer (born 1975)

Tobias Vincent Maguire is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007), and later reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

<i>East of Eden</i> (film) 1955 film by Elia Kazan

East of Eden is a 1955 American epic period drama film directed by Elia Kazan and written by Paul Osborn, adapted from the fourth and final part of John Steinbeck's epic 1952 novel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Ribisi</span> American actor (born 1974)

Antonino Giovanni Ribisi, known professionally as Giovanni Ribisi and sometimes credited as Vonni Ribisi, is an American actor and cinematographer. He has appeared in the films Saving Private Ryan (1998), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Heaven (2002), Lost In Translation (2003), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Perfect Stranger (2007), Avatar (2009), Public Enemies (2009), Gangster Squad (2013), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), and Papa: Hemingway in Cuba (2015). He had starring roles in the TV sitcom Dads (2013–2014) and the crime drama series Sneaky Pete (2015–2019). He also had recurring roles in television series such as The Wonder Years (1992–1993), Friends and My Name Is Earl (2005–2008).

<i>Dons Plum</i> R. D. Robb film, filmed in 1996, released in 2001

Don's Plum is a 2001 black-and-white independent drama film directed by R. D. Robb, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Kevin Connolly. It was filmed in 1995–1996, and written by Robb with Bethany Ashton, Tawd Beckman, David Stutman and Dale Wheatley. The film takes place over the course of one night in which a group of young adults discuss life while eating at a diner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erika Christensen</span> American actress

Erika Jane Christensen is an American actress. Her filmography includes roles in Traffic (2000), Swimfan (2002), The Banger Sisters (2002), The Perfect Score (2004), Flightplan (2005), How to Rob a Bank (2007), The Tortured (2010), and The Case for Christ (2017). For her performance in Traffic, she won the MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture along with her co-stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Connolly (actor)</span> American actor

Kevin Connolly is an American actor and director. He is best known for his role as Eric Murphy in the HBO series Entourage, and his role as the eldest son Ryan Malloy in the 1990s television sitcom Unhappily Ever After. Connolly is also a director, having directed many television episodes as well as the films Gardener of Eden, Dear Eleanor, and Gotti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology and celebrities</span> Church of Scientology recruiting

The Church of Scientology has recruited celebrities for their endorsement of Scientology as a public relations strategy. The organization has had a written program governing celebrity recruitment since at least 1955, when L. Ron Hubbard created "Project Celebrity", offering rewards to Scientologists who recruited targeted celebrities. Early interested parties included former silent-screen star Gloria Swanson and jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. The Scientology organization has a particular interest in international focus on wealthy businesspeople and influencers to help promote its ideals. A Scientology policy letter of 1976 states that "rehabilitation of celebrities who are just beyond or just approaching their prime" enables the "rapid dissemination" of Scientology.

<i>James Dean</i> (2001 film) 2001 television film by Mark Rydell

James Dean is a 2001 American made-for-television biographical drama film based on the life of the American actor James Dean. James Franco plays the title role under the direction of Mark Rydell, who chronicles Dean's rise from a struggling actor to an A-list movie star in 1950s Hollywood. The film's supporting roles included Michael Moriarty, Valentina Cervi, Enrico Colantoni, and Edward Herrmann.

Thomas L. Harper is a British actor.

<i>Friends</i> season 2 Season of television series

The second season of Friends, an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, premiered on NBC on September 21, 1995. Friends was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television. The season contains 24 episodes and concluded airing on May 16, 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appian Way Productions</span> American film production company

Appian Way Productions is an American film and television production company founded in 2001 by actor and producer Leonardo DiCaprio. Since its launch, Appian Way has released a diverse slate of films, including Academy Award–winning films The Aviator (2004) and The Revenant (2015), and Academy Award–nominated films The Ides of March (2011) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). The company has also produced television series such as The Right Stuff (2020) for Disney+.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonardo DiCaprio filmography</span>

Leonardo DiCaprio is an American actor who began his career performing as a child on television. He appeared on the shows The New Lassie (1989) and Santa Barbara (1990) and also had long-running roles in the comedy-drama Parenthood (1990) and the sitcom Growing Pains (1991). DiCaprio played Tobias "Toby" Wolff opposite Robert De Niro in the biographical coming-of-age drama This Boy's Life in 1993. In the same year, he had a supporting role as a developmentally disabled boy Arnie Grape in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. In 1995, DiCaprio played the leading roles of an American author Jim Carroll in The Basketball Diaries and the French poet Arthur Rimbaud in Total Eclipse. The following year he played Romeo Montague in the Baz Luhrmann-directed film Romeo + Juliet (1996). DiCaprio starred with Kate Winslet in the James Cameron-directed film Titanic (1997). The film became the highest grossing at the worldwide box-office, and made him famous globally. For his performance as Jack Dawson, he received the MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance and his first nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.

<i>Life Partners</i> 2014 film by Susanna Fogel

Life Partners is a 2014 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Susanna Fogel and co-written with Joni Lefkowitz. It is Fogel's feature film directorial debut. The film stars Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody, Greer Grammer, Gabourey Sidibe, and Julie White. The film premiered on April 18, 2014, at the Tribeca Film Festival in the Spotlight section. The film was released on demand platforms on November 6, 2014, and in select theaters on December 5, 2014.

<i>The Revenant</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film by Alejandro González Iñárritu

The Revenant is a 2015 American Western action drama film directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. The screenplay by Mark L. Smith and Iñárritu is based in part on Michael Punke's 2002 novel The Revenant, which describes frontiersman Hugh Glass's experiences in 1823, and which is based on the 1915 poem The Song of Hugh Glass. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. The film is considered a remake of the film Man in the Wilderness (1971).

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

Take is a 2007 American crime thriller directed and written by Charles Oliver and starring Minnie Driver, Jeremy Renner, Bobby Coleman, Adam Rodríguez and David Denman. The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival on April 27, 2007.

<i>Meadowland</i> (film) 2015 film

Meadowland is a 2015 drama film written by Chris Rossi and directed by Reed Morano in her feature debut. The film stars Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Juno Temple, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, John Leguizamo, and Ty Simpkins.

<i>The Violent Heart</i> 2020 American drama film

The Violent Heart is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Kerem Sanga. It stars Jovan Adepo, Grace Van Patten, Lukas Haas, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Cress Williams, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, and Mary J. Blige. The film premiered at the Deauville Film Festival on September 9, 2020, and was released on February 19, 2021 by Gravitas Ventures.

<i>Dont Look Up</i> 2021 American film by Adam McKay

Don't Look Up is a 2021 American apocalyptic political satire black comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Adam McKay from a story he co-wrote with David Sirota. It stars an ensemble cast featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi, Cate Blanchett, and Meryl Streep. The film tells the story of two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching comet that will destroy human civilization. The impact event is an allegory for climate change, and the film is a satire of government, political, celebrity, and media indifference to the climate crisis.

<i>Kid 90</i> 2021 American documentary film

Kid 90 is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Soleil Moon Frye. The film follows Moon Frye who carried a camera around with her everywhere she went. Leonardo DiCaprio serves as an executive producer under his Appian Way Productions banner.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Scheck, Frank (April 26, 2007). "The Gardener of Eden". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "DiCaprio, The Gardener of Eden Premiere And The Real Entourage". HuffPost. April 27, 2007. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  3. Lodge, Guy (June 15, 2018). "The eight most criminally awful things about John Travolta's Gotti". The Guardian. Retrieved February 23, 2020.