Little Sister (2016 film)

Last updated
Little Sister
LittleSisterPoster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed byZach Clark
Written byZach Clark
Story byZach Clark
Melodie Sisk
Produced byZach Clark
Daryl Pittman
Melodie Sisk
Starring Addison Timlin
Ally Sheedy
Keith Poulson
Peter Hedges
Barbara Crampton
CinematographyDaryl Pittman
Edited byZach Clark
Music byFritz Myers
Distributed byForager Films
Release dates
  • March 12, 2016 (2016-03-12)(SXSW)
  • October 14, 2016 (2016-10-14)(US)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Little Sister is a 2016 American dark comedy film written and directed by Zach Clark. The film stars Addison Timlin as a young nun visiting her childhood home after her brother's return from Iraq.

Contents

Synopsis

In October 2008, young nun-in-training Colleen avoids all contact with her family, until an email from her mother announces that her brother has returned from the war in Iraq. Temporarily abandoning her studies, Colleen arrives at her childhood home in Asheville, North Carolina, where she finds her old room exactly how she left it – painted black and covered in goth and heavy metal posters. Although her parents are happy to see her, unease and awkwardness abound, and her brother is living as a recluse in the guesthouse.

Cast

Production

When asked in an interview if he added any autobiographical details to the film's story, director Zach Clark said, "My producer and creative life partner Melodie Sisk was generous enough to let me steal liberally from her life...We put our respective familial histories in a blender and that became the emotional backbone of Little Sister. I have a sister named Colleen, a brother named Jacob, a dad named Bill, and a mom named Joani. Melodie’s stepdad’s last name is Lunsford. We shot most of the movie in her parents’ house. No character is a verbatim representation of their namesakes, but every emotional beat in the movie has a real-life resonance for myself or Melodie." [1]

The prosthetic effects for the character of Jacob Lunsford were designed by Brian Spears and applied by Peter Gerner. [1]

On the subject of period detail, Clark said, "Our costume designer, David Withrow, was a real stickler for what was and wasn’t in fashion in 2008, and I think his work is the most meticulous in terms of selling the period. Beyond that, it was a lot of double-checking to make sure certain props or products would’ve existed in the period. I took it pretty seriously. The news reports they watch on TV are almost verbatim recreations of the look and feel of Asheville, NC local news from the era. Website design was also pretty important for the period vibe. In exterior shots, we tried to keep out-of-period cars to a minimum, but that’s probably where we were the most lax with the period setting." [1]

Release

Little Sister premiered at South by Southwest on March 12, 2016. [2] The movie's distribution rights were acquired by Joe Swanberg's Forager Films, a first for the company. [3]

The movie was given a limited theatrical release in New York on October 14, 2016, with a simultaneous release on Amazon Video and iTunes in the US and worldwide on Vimeo. [4] Its theatrical release was later expanded to Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and additional cities. [3]

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 7, 2017. [5]

Critical reception

Little Sister received positive reviews from film critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 94% approval rating based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Little Sister subverts indie drama expectations with a refreshingly off-kilter look at family dynamics that makes its points through solid characterizations and earnest effort." [6] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating, the film has a score of 74 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7]

Katie Rife of The A.V. Club gave the film a B, saying it was, "a slight, sweetly cynical indie dramedy about family and belonging and the ways we cope with life's disappointments." [8] Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter called the film, "Winningly wry and understated," and argued, "Flirting with sitcommy high jinks, Clark instead gives us a bittersweet cocktail of soul-weary defeat and unassuming vigor." [9] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film three out of four stars, stating, "In Little Sister, a skillful blend of humor and heartbreak (minus sappy sentiment), Clark takes us to places and head spaces we don’t see coming." Travers further added, "Clark takes the story he concocted with producer Melodie Sisk down dark alleys, but Little Sister is never cynical or inhumane...He's made a transfixing film about a family that looks touchingly and unnervingly like yours and mine." [10]

New Yorker film critic Richard Brody named it the best movie of 2016. [11]

Oleg Ivanov of Slant Magazine gave the film one and a half out of four stars, writing, "The film's attempt at political insight and portrayal of social malaise are meant to give it the illusion of depth, but they barely conceal what at its core is an exploitation melodrama." [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Diaz</span> American actress (born 1972)

Cameron Michelle Diaz is an American actress. Known for her work in both comedy and drama, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Diaz established herself as a sex symbol and one of Hollywood's most bankable stars, and in 2013 she was named the highest-paid actress over 40. She has received various accolades, including nominations for a BAFTA Award and four Golden Globe Awards.

<i>The Animal</i> 2001 film by Luke Greenfield

The Animal is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Luke Greenfield, written by Tom Brady and Rob Schneider from a story conceived by Brady. It stars Schneider in the lead role, alongside Colleen Haskell, John C. McGinley, Guy Torry, and Edward Asner with supporting roles by Michael Caton and Louis Lombardi. The film depicts a police station evidence clerk who is critically injured and is put back together by a mad scientist who transplants animal parts, resulting in strange animalistic changes to his behavior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Lynskey</span> New Zealand actress (born 1977)

Melanie Jayne Lynskey is a New Zealand actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women and her command of American accents, she works predominantly in independent films and television. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including three Critics' Choice Awards and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Elizabeth Winstead</span> American actress (born 1984)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. Her first major role was that of Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera Passions (1999–2000). She came to wider attention for her roles in the horror series Wolf Lake (2001–2002), the horror films Final Destination 3 (2006) and Death Proof (2007), and the slasher film Black Christmas (2006); by the end of the 2000s she had gained a reputation as a scream queen.

Addison Timlin is an American actress. She played Jami Lerner in The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), Colleen Lunsford in Little Sister (2016) and Sasha Bingham in Showtime's Californication.

Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent film characterized by naturalistic acting and dialogue, low budgets, an emphasis on dialogue over plot, and a focus on the personal relationships of young adults. Filmmakers associated with the genre include Andrew Bujalski, Lynn Shelton, the Duplass brothers Mark and Jay, Greta Gerwig, Aaron Katz, Joe Swanberg, and Ry Russo-Young. In many cases, though, these directors reject the term. The genre is a mostly American phenomenon. The related term mumblegore has been used for films mixing the mumblecore and horror genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saoirse Ronan</span> American-born Irish actress (born 1994)

Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards and five British Academy Film Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abigail Breslin</span> American actress (born 1996)

Abigail Breslin is an American actress. Following a string of film parts as a young child, she rose to prominence at age 10 when she played Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine (2006), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Breslin went on to establish herself as a mainstream actress with roles in films such as No Reservations (2007), Nim's Island, Definitely, Maybe, My Sister's Keeper, Zombieland, Rango (2011), The Call, August: Osage County, Maggie (2015), and Stillwater (2021). Her other projects include the Fox series Scream Queens (2015–2016), where she portrayed Libby Putney, her first regular role on television.

<i>Hannah Takes the Stairs</i> 2007 American film

Hannah Takes the Stairs is a 2007 American independent mumblecore film by Joe Swanberg. It has been described "as the defining movie of the low-budget, dialogue-driven 'mumblecore' movement."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greta Gerwig</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1983)

Greta Celeste Gerwig is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. Initially known for working on various mumblecore films, she has since expanded from acting in and co-writing independent films to directing major studio films. Gerwig was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2018.

<i>Alexander the Last</i> 2009 American film

Alexander the Last is a 2009 American drama film written and directed by Joe Swanberg and starring Jess Weixler, Justin Rice, Barlow Jacobs, and Amy Seimetz. The film is about a married actress and her sister. The film premiered in 2009 and was released on DVD in 2010.

<i>White Reindeer</i> (2013 film) 2013 American film

White Reindeer is a 2013 American dark comedy film written and directed by Zach Clark. The film stars Anna Margaret Hollyman as a real estate agent who must deal with the recent death of her husband as the holidays approach. Also appearing are Laura Lemar-Goldsborough, Joe Swanberg, Nathan Williams, Chris Doubek, and Melodie Sisk.

<i>The Town That Dreaded Sundown</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

The Town That Dreaded Sundown is a 2014 American slasher film and serves as a metafictional sequel to the 1976 film of the same name. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon in his feature-length directorial debut, the film was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and produced by Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy. The film stars Addison Timlin, Travis Tope, Spencer Treat Clark, Veronica Cartwright and Gary Cole and was one of the last films of Ed Lauter and Edward Herrmann before their deaths in October 2013 and December 2014, respectively.

<i>Summer of Blood</i> 2014 American film

Summer of Blood is a 2014 horror comedy vampire film written, edited, and directed by Onur Tukel. The film stars Tukel, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Dakota Goldhor, Jason Selvig, and Dustin Guy Defa.

<i>Digging for Fire</i> 2015 film by Joe Swanberg

Digging for Fire is a 2015 American comedy-drama film directed by Joe Swanberg and co-written by Swanberg and Jake Johnson. It stars an ensemble cast led by Johnson, Rosemarie DeWitt, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom and Mike Birbiglia. Johnson and DeWitt play a married couple who find a gun and a bone in the backyard of a house they are staying in.

<i>Hitchcock/Truffaut</i> (film) 2015 film

Hitchcock/Truffaut is a 2015 documentary film directed by Kent Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Pugh</span> English actress (born 1996)

Florence Pugh is an English actress. She made her acting debut in 2014 in the drama film The Falling. Pugh gained recognition in 2016 for her leading role as a young bride in the independent drama Lady Macbeth, winning a British Independent Film Award, and drew praise for starring in the miniseries The Little Drummer Girl (2018).

Darby Eliza Camp is an American actress. Her career had begun through her mother, an actress herself. Camp's breakout role came in HBO's Big Little Lies (2017–2019) in the recurring role of Chloe Adaline Mackenzie, the daughter of Madeline Martha Mackenzie. She garnered further recognition for her appearances in films as Frankie Hughes in Benji (2018), Kate Pierce in The Christmas Chronicles (2018), and Phoebe Evans in Dreamland (2019). She reprised her role of Kate Pierce in The Christmas Chronicles 2. In addition, she starred in Paramount Pictures's Clifford the Big Red Dog and Starz's Gaslit.

Modern Love Is Automatic is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Zach Clark, starring Melodie Sisk, Maggie Ross and Carlos Bustamante.

The Becomers is a 2023 American film by Zach Clark.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bernstein, Paula (October 28, 2016). "Writer-Director Zach Clark on His Twisted Little Sister". Filmmaker . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ Lodge, Guy (March 12, 2016). "SXSW Film Review: 'Little Sister'". Variety . Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Hipes, Patrick (August 24, 2016). "Joe Swanberg's Forager Films Wades Into Distribution With 'Little Sister'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  4. ↑ "On Demand - Little Sister". Archived from the original on October 19, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Little Sister DVD/Blu-ray Release Date". dvdsreleasedates.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Little Sister (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Little Sister reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  8. ↑ Rife, Katie (October 12, 2016). "Slight and sweet, Little Sister scores one for the weirdos". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  9. ↑ Linden, Sheri (October 13, 2016). "'Little Sister': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  10. ↑ Travers, Peter (October 12, 2016). "'Little Sister' Review: Indie Comedy Channels John Waters and John Hughes". Rolling Stone . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  11. ↑ Brody, Richard (December 9, 2016). "The best movies of 2016". The New Yorker . Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  12. ↑ Ivanov, Oleg (October 12, 2016). "Little Sister". Slant Magazine . Retrieved May 9, 2017.
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.