Infinitely Polar Bear

Last updated

Infinitely Polar Bear
Infinitely Polar Bear poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Maya Forbes
Written byMaya Forbes
Produced by Wallace Wolodarsky
Benji Kohn
Bingo Gubelmann
Sam Bisbee
Galt Niederhoffer
Starring Mark Ruffalo
Zoe Saldana
Imogene Wolodarsky
Ashley Aufderheide
Keir Dullea
CinematographyBobby Bukowski
Edited byMichael R. Miller
Music by Theodore Shapiro
Production
companies
Paper Street Films
Park Pictures
Bad Robot
KGB Media [1]
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics [2]
Release dates
Running time
90 minutes [3]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.7 million
Box office$2.1 million [4]

Infinitely Polar Bear is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Maya Forbes, and starring Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, and Ashley Aufderheide. The film premiered in competition at the 30th Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2014. [5] The film was released on June 19, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics.

Contents

Plot

In the late 1970s, Cameron Stuart is a Bostonian diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He has had a psychotic break, which has caused him to be fired from his job and hospitalized. To be able to afford to take care of their two young children, Cam's wife, Maggie, moves herself, and the children to a small rent-controlled apartment, and struggles to find enough work to support the three of them.

As Cameron is rehabilitated, he moves from a halfway house out on his own. Maggie begins to apply to business schools so the family will eventually become more financially secure, for the sake of the children who are attending a third-rate school in a bad part of town. Maggie manages to obtain a scholarship to attend Columbia University, and she asks Cameron to take care of their daughters while she moves to New York for eighteen months in order to obtain her M.B.A. degree. Cameron reluctantly agrees.

The girls are embarrassed to live with Cameron, who sometimes abandons them in the middle of the night, is aggressively friendly with their neighbors, and starts countless messy projects, making their apartment nearly unlivable. However, his daughters love Cameron deeply and try to help him raise them.

Cameron takes them to visit his grandmother, a wealthy Boston Brahmin who controls the family trust, and who pays the cost of their rent-controlled apartment. After his grandmother tries to give Cameron her Bentley, he asks her to instead pay for the girls to be privately educated, but she refuses.

Maggie begins to near graduation, which Cameron hopes will enable them to live as a family once more. However, he reveals to Maggie that he has been off his lithium since she left, and Maggie is unable to find a suitable job in Boston. Maggie decides to take a job she has been offered at E. F. Hutton & Co. in New York City, leaving Cameron behind in Boston, and taking the girls with her.

Seeing how unhappy the girls will be, and realizing that her new demanding job will force her to work upwards of twelve hours a day, Maggie decides that, although she will accept the job, she will leave the children in Boston with Cameron, sending money back, so that the girls will be able to attend a good private school. A year later, the girls are enrolled in private school, and Cameron continues to take care of them and watch them proudly.

Cast

Production

Amelia Stuart is a fictionalized version of Forbes. [6] Although some people questioned whether Wolodarsky (who had no previous professional acting experience) would be right for the role, Forbes was certain, particularly after seeing her daughter audition with Ruffalo and Saldana. [6]

Forbes told a reporter for USA Today that it was an advantage having her own daughter, Imogene Wolodarsky, play one of the starring roles: "I could make her cry. And I didn't have to worry 'What if I damage this kid forever.' Imogene's part is so demanding because of all the emotional stuff. I would go into a corner with her and I would cry about what the scene was about and tell her why I was crying and what it meant and she'd cry and then we'd go do the scene. She has such a huge heart." [6]

The shooting of the film began on April 9, 2013 in Providence, Rhode Island. [7] [8]

J. J. Abrams and Bryan Burk served as executive producers of the film. [9]

Release

Imogene Wolodarsky at the film's premiere at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival Infinitely Polar Bear 02 (15045434647) (2).jpg
Imogene Wolodarsky at the film's premiere at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival

After premiering at Sundance, the film was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for major territories in North America and Europe. [10]

The film has played at several film festivals including the Deauville American Film Festival, [11] the Toronto International Film Festival, [12] and the Vancouver International Film Festival. [13] The film was released on June 19, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics. [3]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 81% based on 118 reviews, with an average rating of 6.72/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Infinitely Polar Bear handles its thorny themes with a somewhat troublesomely light touch, but Mark Ruffalo's complex performance keeps the drama solidly grounded." [14] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]

The film also earned Mark Ruffalo a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipientResult
73rd Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Comedy or Musical Mark Ruffalo Nominated

Home media

Infinitely Polar Bear was released on DVD & Blu-ray on January 5, 2016.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Miller</span> American actress and film director (born 1962)

Rebecca Augusta Miller is an American filmmaker and novelist. She is known for her films Angela (1995), Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002), The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005), The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), and Maggie's Plan (2015), all of which she wrote and directed, as well as her novels The Private Lives of Pippa Lee and Jacob's Folly. Miller received the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Personal Velocity and the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director for Angela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoe Saldaña</span> American actress (born 1978)

Zoë Yadira Saldaña-Perego is an American actress. Known primarily for her work in science fiction film franchises, she has starred in four of the highest-grossing films of all time. Films she has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide and, as of 2024, she is the second highest-grossing lead actress and the highest-grossing actress overall. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Forbes</span> American musician (born 1970)

China Forbes is an American singer and songwriter who has been the lead singer of the band Pink Martini since 1995. In 2022 she was the Ella Fitzgerald award winner at the Montreal International Jazz Festival.

<i>We Dont Live Here Anymore</i> 2004 drama film by John Curran

We Don't Live Here Anymore is a 2004 drama film directed by John Curran and starring Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, Peter Krause, and Naomi Watts. It is based on the short stories We Don't Live Here Anymore and Adultery by Andre Dubus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bennett Miller</span> American film director (born 1966)

Bennett Altman Miller is an American film director, known for directing the films Capote (2005), Moneyball (2011), and Foxcatcher (2014). He has been nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Director.

Wallace Wolodarsky, also billed as Wally Wolodarsky, is an American screenwriter, television producer, film director, and actor known for being one of the writers for The Simpsons during the first four seasons with his writing partner Jay Kogen.

Anne Carey is President of Production at Archer Gray, a media production, finance, and venture investment company based in New York City. In her career as an independent producer, Carey has been associated with filmmakers such as Ang Lee, Anton Corbijn, Bill Condon, Todd Field, Greg Mottola, Tamara Jenkins, Alan Ball, Mike Mills and Nicole Holofcener. Carey’s films have been distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Warner Independent Pictures, Focus Features, Miramax and HBO; and her films have played and premiered at major domestic and international film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival, the Berlin International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>Baghead</i> 2008 American film

Baghead is a 2008 mumblecore comedy horror film written and directed by Jay and Mark Duplass. The film stars Ross Partridge, Elise Muller, Greta Gerwig, and Steve Zissis. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2008. The film was given a limited release by Sony Pictures Classics on July 13, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stage 6 Films</span> American film producer

Stage 6 Films, Inc. is an American film production label of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions that acquires and produces feature films that are low budget and that are being released direct-to-disc, on demand, or through streaming services. Some of their films are also being released theatrically. Once a film is finished, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions will decide if the film will be released theatrically or on a different platform.

Mynette Louie is an American film producer of Chinese descent. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and Critics Choice Award in 2018 for HBO's The Tale, won the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards John Cassavetes Award for Land Ho!, and won the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards Piaget Producers Award. She was also nominated twice for "Best First Feature" at the Independent Spirit Awards for I Carry You With Me and The Tale. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Sundance Film Festival</span>

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16, 2014 until January 26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance Resort in Utah. The festival opened with Whiplash directed by Damien Chazelle and closed with musical drama Rudderless directed by William H. Macy.

<i>The Diary of a Teenage Girl</i> 2015 American film

The Diary of a Teenage Girl is a 2015 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Marielle Heller, based on the hybrid novel of the same name by Phoebe Gloeckner. It stars Bel Powley as a 15-year-old girl who becomes sexually active by starting a relationship with her mother's boyfriend. It also stars Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Quinn Nagle, and Austin Lyon. It premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and had a limited release on August 7, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics.

<i>Lambert & Stamp</i> 2014 American film

Lambert & Stamp is a 2014 American documentary film, produced and directed by James D. Cooper. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2014.

<i>The Bronze</i> (film) 2015 American film

The Bronze is a 2015 American sports comedy-drama film directed by Bryan Buckley and written by Melissa Rauch and Winston Rauch. It was produced by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass through their Duplass Brothers Productions banner. The film stars Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Cecily Strong, Haley Lu Richardson and Dale Raoul. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2015, and was theatrically released on March 18, 2016, by Sony Pictures Classics.

<i>The Hollars</i> 2016 American film

The Hollars is a 2016 American comedy-drama film directed by John Krasinski and written by James C. Strouse. The film stars an ensemble cast led by Krasinski, starring Anna Kendrick, Sharlto Copley, Charlie Day, Richard Jenkins, and Margo Martindale. The world premiere took place at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2016, and it was released on August 26, 2016, by Sony Pictures Classics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Forbes</span> American screenwriter and television producer

Maya Forbes is an American screenwriter and television producer. She made her debut as a film director with Infinitely Polar Bear (2014). Her other writing credits include the screenplay of The Rocker (2008) and many episodes of The Larry Sanders Show. She was a co-executive producer of The Larry Sanders Show in its later seasons and executive producer of the sitcom The Naked Truth.

<i>Maggies Plan</i> 2015 film by Rebecca Miller

Maggie's Plan is a 2015 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller, based on an original story by Karen Rinaldi. The film stars Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel, Wallace Shawn, Ida Rohatyn, and Julianne Moore.

Austin Stark is an American film director, writer, and producer best known for films that explore social issues, from mental illness in Infinitely Polar Bear to class conflict in Coup!

<i>Novitiate</i> (film) 2017 American drama film by Maggie Betts

Novitiate is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Maggie Betts in her feature directorial debut. Starring Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Morgan Saylor, Dianna Agron, Julianne Nicholson, Liana Liberato, Denis O'Hare, and Maddie Hasson, the film follows a young woman (Qualley) who starts to question her faith as she trains to become a nun.

<i>Brigsby Bear</i> 2017 film by Dave McCary

Brigsby Bear is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Dave McCary in his feature directorial debut, written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney, and starring Mooney, Claire Danes, Mark Hamill, Greg Kinnear, Andy Samberg, Matt Walsh, and Michaela Watkins. It tells the story of a captive man raised in a bunker since he was a baby, where he obsessed over a children's television program titled Brigsby Bear, being rescued by the authorities. When he realizes Brigsby Bear was created by his captor that he called his dad, his fascination leads him to finish the storyline himself.

References

  1. ↑ Chang, Justin (January 18, 2014). "Sundance Film Review: Infinitely Polar Bear". Variety. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires 'Infinitely Polar Bear'". Deadline. February 1, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)". Box Office Mojo. April 5, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Infinitely Polar Bear (2015) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Sundance 2014: U.S. Dramatic Competition" . Retrieved April 14, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Puig, Claudia (January 23, 2014). "This year, Sundance films take family to a new level". USA Today. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Zoe Saldana Joins Mark Ruffalo In Indie Dramedy Infinitely Polar Bear". Indiewire.com. April 9, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Film starring Mark Ruffalo starts shooting in RI". Boston.com. April 9, 2013. Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  9. ↑ Sneider, Jeff; Shaw, Lucas (January 31, 2014). "Sony Pictures Classics Closing in on Mark Ruffalo's Infinitely Polar Bear". The Wrap.
  10. ↑ Paula Bernstein (February 1, 2014). "Sony Pictures Classics Nabs Infinitely Polar Bear Fresh From Sundance". Indiewire.com. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Infinitely Polar Bear (programme note)". Deauville American Film Festival. September 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  12. ↑ "TIFF 2014: Infinitely Polar Bear (programme note)". Toronto International Film Festival. September 11, 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Vancouver International Film Festival: Late Additions". Vancouver International Film Festival. October 9, 2014. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Infinitely Polar Bear (2015)" . Retrieved May 24, 2020– via www.rottentomatoes.com.
  15. ↑ "Infinitely Polar Bear" . Retrieved May 24, 2020– via www.metacritic.com.
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.