Losing Chase

Last updated
Losing Chase
Losing chase.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Kevin Bacon
Written byAnne Meredith
Produced byMilton Justice
Starring Helen Mirren
Kyra Sedgwick
Beau Bridges
CinematographyRichard Quinlan
Edited by Alan Baumgarten
Distributed byShowtime
Release date
  • December 6, 1996 (1996-12-06) [1] [2]
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$64,161 [1]

Losing Chase is a 1996 American drama film made for television, directed by Kevin Bacon in his directorial debut. [3] [4] The screenplay was written by Anne Meredith. Set in Martha's Vineyard, it stars Helen Mirren, Kyra Sedgwick and Beau Bridges. Losing Chase had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1996. [5] [6]

Contents

Produced for the Showtime network, [7] it was broadcast on August 18, 1996. [2] After receiving a generally positive reception it was given a limited theatrical release in December. Losing Chase was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards. [8]

Plot

Following a nervous breakdown and upon returning home following treatment, Chase Phillips (Helen Mirren) is hired a helper, Elizabeth (Kyra Sedgwick) by her husband, Richard (Beau Bridges). Chase is opposed to being given a helper and treats both her husband and Elizabeth with contempt. Chase snidely asks Elizabeth what she plans to do with the money she earns from being a helper; Elizabeth replies that she is not doing it for the money. Chase's two young sons, Little Richard (Michael Yarmush) and Jason (Lucas Denton), are returned to the family home the same day Elizabeth arrives. The youngest son, Jason, is eager to see his mother but Little Richard treats her with hostility.

The following day after questioning her, Elizabeth tells the children that she has one sibling, a sister who is "unwell" and that her mother is dead. When asked what happened to her mother, Elizabeth states, "She had a hard time living." Jason later relays this information to Chase. The next day Richard befriends Elizabeth whilst she is planting tomatoes, which causes tension between him and Chase.

Later Elizabeth takes a day off and flies to visit her sister Catherine who is in an institution. After a brief conversation Catherine suddenly becomes enraged at Elizabeth, accusing her of various things. After Catherine is escorted away by a nurse, Elizabeth returns to the Phillips residence, where she discovers Chase ripping up all the tomatoes she planted out of spite. Elizabeth lashes out at Chase, initially over Chase's behaviour however as her tearful rage continues she screams at Chase for committing suicide while Elizabeth and her sister were so young and for ruining their lives. Taken back, Chase manages to calm Elizabeth, telling her she is not her mother. Elizabeth realises what she has been saying, and sobbingly embraces Chase, who returns the hug.

The following day Chase's attitude has improved, and she befriends Elizabeth. Richard announces that he will be returning to working away from home, leaving Elizabeth to continue caring for Chase and the children. Chase accompanies Elizabeth and the boys and leaves the house for the first time since returning from treatment. Chase and Elizabeth's friendship grows; Chase tells Elizabeth how the expectations to get married and conform to small-town life caused her original breakdown.

As the days go by closeness grows between Elizabeth, Chase and the children. Chase gives her old car to Elizabeth as a gift for everything Elizabeth has done for her. Chase laments that Elizabeth will be leaving when summer is over.

At a day on the beach Chase watches Elizabeth go swimming as she naps. When she awakes she cannot see Elizabeth in the water and immediately panics. Chase frantically tries to get Little Richard to help her search for Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who had finished swimming and has been preparing lunch, hears the argument between Little Richard and Chase and comes to investigate. As Elizabeth walks away with Chase, trying to figure out exactly why Chase is so upset, Chase kisses her on the lips. Elizabeth initially kisses her back, but then states she cannot do it and runs away. Little Richard sees the kiss.

As Chase and Elizabeth deny their feelings for each other tensions grow between both of them and Little Richard. Elizabeth contemplates leaving. Little Richard calls his father in distress. Richard returns and confronts his wife. Chase confesses she is in love with Elizabeth, who has made her feel alive again in a way that he never could. Richard takes Elizabeth home the next morning whilst Chase is still sleeping. Chase races to the dock to be able to say goodbye, and insists that Elizabeth take the car she previously gave to her. Chase and Elizabeth embrace before Elizabeth leaves.

Chase narrates an epilogue. She breaks up with Richard, though they remain on good terms and share custody of the children. She states she still sees Elizabeth in her dreams. She concludes with the line, “It was one hell of a storm. Will there be others? There usually are. You just have to wait and see."

Cast

Release

The film earned $64,161 at the box office from a limited release at 10 theatres. [1] It opened in Manhattan on December 6, 1996. [2]

The film received a positive reception at the Sundance Film Festival. [7] Caryn James from The New York Times called it an "exquisitely written and acted film", [7] though criticised the romantic twist between Chase and Elizabeth as a "trendy way to punch up the story". [2] Leo Russo from Boxoffice also criticised the romance as "a cheap way out for a film that had promise." [9] Alison Macor from The Austin Chronicle gave the film 3 stars out of 5, praising the main actors and stating, "Kevin Bacon proves as adept at directing as he is at acting." Macor concludes the film may "give Bacon the attention his work deserves but rarely receives, making him known for something other than the cult party game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” [4]

The film was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, one of which it won. It received a nomination for Best Miniseries or TV Film and Beau Bridges was also nominated for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film for his portrayal of Mr. Richard Phillips. [8] Helen Mirren won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for her portrayal of Chase Phillips. [4]

YearGroupAwardNomineeResult
1996 Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Beau Bridges Nominated [8]
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Helen Mirren Won [4] [10]
Best Miniseries or TV FilmLosing ChaseNominated [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Bacon</span> American actor (born 1958)

Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American actor. Known for his leading man and character roles, Bacon has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award.

The year 1989 involved many significant films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Mirren</span> British actor (born 1945)

Dame Helen Mirren is a British actor. She is the recipient of numerous accolades and is the only performer to have achieved both the American and the British Triple Crowns of Acting. Mirren has received an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for portraying the same character in The Audience, three British Academy Television Awards for her performance as DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Children's and Family Emmy Award.

<i>Prime Suspect</i> Television series (1991–2006)

Prime Suspect is a British police procedural television series devised by Lynda La Plante. It stars Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison, one of the first female Detective Chief Inspectors in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, who rises to the rank of Detective Superintendent while confronting institutionalised sexism within the police force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfre Woodard</span> American actress (born 1952)

Alfre Woodard is an American actress. Known for portraying strong-willed and dignified roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two Canadian Screen Awards, as well as nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and two Grammy Awards. In 2020, The New York Times ranked her as one of "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century". She is a board member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyra Sedgwick</span> American actress (born 1965)

Kyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American actress, producer and director.

<i>The Woodsman</i> (film) 2004 film by Nicole Kassell

The Woodsman is a 2004 American drama film directed by Nicole Kassell in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Kassell and Steven Fechter, and based on the play of the same name by Fechter. Starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, the film follows a convicted child molester who must adjust to life after being released from prison. The title of the film refers to the woodsman from the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, who kills the wolf to save the titular child.

<i>Elizabeth I</i> (2005 TV series) 2005 two-part British historical drama television miniseries

Elizabeth I is a two-part 2005 British-American historical drama television serial directed by Tom Hooper, written by Nigel Williams, and starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I of England. The drama covers approximately the last 24 years of her nearly 45-year reign. Part 1 focuses on the final years of her relationship with the Earl of Leicester, played by Jeremy Irons. Part 2 focuses on her subsequent relationship with the Earl of Essex, played by Hugh Dancy.

Lisa Cholodenko is an American screenwriter and director. Cholodenko wrote and directed the films High Art (1998), Laurel Canyon (2002), and The Kids Are All Right (2010). She has also directed television, including the miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014) and Unbelievable (2019). She has been nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe and has won an Emmy and a DGA Award.

<i>Loverboy</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Kevin Bacon

Loverboy is a 2005 American drama film directed by Kevin Bacon. The cast includes his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, as well as both of their children, Travis and Sosie, the latter of whom went on to further her acting career in film and television. The film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.

The 11th Satellite Awards, honoring the best in film and television of 2006, were given on December 18, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Bacon (musician)</span> American musician

Michael Bacon is an American singer-songwriter, musician and film score composer. He is the older brother of actor Kevin Bacon. He is a faculty member in music at Lehman College.

<i>Story of a Girl</i> (novel) Book by Sara Zarr

Story of a Girl is a 2007 young-adult novel by Sara Zarr. The story follows Deanna Lambert, a 16-year-old girl from Pacifica in the San Francisco Bay Area who struggles with slut shaming, gossip, and sexuality. The novel was a finalist for the National Book Award, and was adapted into a Lifetime movie also titled Story of a Girl in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sosie Bacon</span> American actress (born 1992)

Sosie Ruth Bacon is an American actress. Her first role was playing 10-year-old Emily in the film Loverboy (2005), which was directed by her father, Kevin Bacon, and stars her mother, Kyra Sedgwick. Encouraged by producer James Duff, she appeared in The Closer (2009). Since then her credits include Wishin' and Hopin' (2014), Ana Maria in Novela Land (2015), Scream (2016), Story of a Girl (2017), 13 Reasons Why (2017-2018), Charlie Says (2018), The Last Summer (2019), Wyrm (2019), Narcos: Mexico (2020), Mare of Easttown (2021), As We See It (2022) and Smile (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">71st Golden Globe Awards</span>

The 71st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and American television of 2013, was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 12, 2014, by NBC, as part of the 2013-14 film awards season. The ceremony was produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Woody Allen was announced as the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree for his lifetime achievements on September 13, 2013, and Diane Keaton accepted the award for him. On October 15, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were announced as the co-hosts for the second time in a row and as the co-hosts for the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. The nominations were announced on December 12, 2013, by Aziz Ansari, Zoe Saldana and Olivia Wilde. American Hustle, Behind the Candelabra, Breaking Bad, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Dallas Buyers Club were among the films and television shows that received multiple awards.

Family Pictures is a 1993 American made-for-television drama film based on the novel of the same name by Sue Miller. It was directed by Philip Saville and stars Anjelica Huston, Sam Neill, Kyra Sedgwick, and Dermot Mulroney.

The Triple Crown of Acting is a term used in the American entertainment industry to describe actors who have won a competitive Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award in the acting categories, the highest awards recognized in American film, television, and theater, respectively. The term is related to other competitive areas, such as the Triple Crown of horse racing.

<i>Story of a Girl</i> (film) 2017 television film by Kyra Sedgwick

Story of a Girl is a 2017 American drama television film directed by Kyra Sedgwick and written by Laurie Collyer and Emily Bickford Lansbury, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Sara Zarr. The film stars Kevin Bacon, Jon Tenney, Ryann Shane, Sosie Bacon and Tyler Johnston. It aired on July 23, 2017, in the United States on the Lifetime network.

Catherine the Great is a British-American miniseries in four parts written by Nigel Williams and directed by Philip Martin for Sky Atlantic and HBO Miniseries. It stars Helen Mirren as the titular Catherine the Great.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Losing Chase". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 James, Caryn (December 6, 1996). "Troubled Kindred Spirits". The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ Bobbin, Jay (August 18, 1996). "'Losing Chase' (SHOW)Actor Kevin Bacon ("Apollo 13,"..." Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Macor, Alison (February 7, 1997). "Losing Chase". The Austin Chronicle . Archived from the original on August 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Losing Chase". Sundance Film Festival . 1996. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "The 1996 Sundance Film Festival Program". Film Scouts. 1996. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 James, Caryn (February 4, 1996). "The Unknown Sundance, in Unlikely Places". The New York Times . Archived from the original on November 5, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Elber, Lynn (December 20, 1996). "'English Patient' Gets 7 Globe Nominations". Deseret News . Archived from the original on July 28, 2020.
  9. ↑ Russo, Leo (December 6, 1996). "Losing Chase". Boxoffice . Archived from the original on March 9, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Golden Globes for 'English Patient' and Madonna". The New York Times . January 21, 1997. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013.

Further reading

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.