The Present (2024 film)

Last updated
The Present
Directed by Christian Ditter
Written byJay Martel
Produced by Stuart Ford
Linda McDonough
Marcei Brown
Jessica Malanaphy
Starring Isla Fisher
Greg Kinnear
CinematographyJon Chema
Edited byJosie Azzam
Kristine McPherson
Music byFil Eisler
Production
companies
CatchLightStudios
AGC Studios
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures
Release date
  • June 14, 2024 (2024-06-14)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Present is a 2024 American comedy film written by Jay Martel, directed by Christian Ditter and starring Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear.

Contents

The plot revolves around Taylor Diehl, a young boy who discovers that a newly inherited grandfather clock can be used to turn back time 12 hours, which he does repeatedly in the hopes of preventing his parents' impending separation.

The film was released by Gravitas on June 14, 2024 and has had lukewarm reviews.

Plot

Taylor Diehl is a nonverbal boy who finds himself consumed by the emotional turmoil of his family’s impending separation. Through an inscription he reads on the newly arrived family heirloom—his grandfather's old clock—he discovers it holds the extraordinary ability to turn back time by 12 hours, so he sees a glimmer of hope.

Determined to alter the course of his family’s fate, Taylor decides to rewind the clock to the morning of the fateful day when his parents announce their separation. As he embarks on this quest to mend his family, he soon realizes that his initial plans to simply reset the day are far more complicated than he anticipated.

Discovering his mother Jen has interest in Richard from her spinning class, the hypersensitive, likely 'on the spectrum' Taylor tries to sabotage the connection. He startles a driver, causing him to accidentally crash into Robert's flashy convertible. He also manages to expose him to nuts on their lunch date, so it ends soon after Jen stabs him with his EpiPen

Each attempt to alter the present not only leads to frustrating failures but also brings unforeseen consequences. Recognizing the limitations of his efforts, Taylor seeks the assistance of his older sister Emma, who provides a logical perspective. He lets her know the secret truth of the clock, revealing he has already reset this day over 20 times.

On one of the day reboots, they enlist their younger brother Max, who approaches their predicament with youthful exuberance. Together, the siblings hatch increasingly elaborate schemes to harness the clock's power, resorting to creative yet risky solutions in their desperate bid to save their parents’ marriage.

With each jump back in time, they are ignited by hope but also face the harsh reality that the clock is gradually aging and becoming more physically fragile. It becomes a race against time as they grapple with the possibility that every use of the clock may be one step closer to its ultimate demise.

As they navigate their unravelling family dynamics, the children are forced to confront a painful truth: despite their best efforts to control the situation, some things simply cannot be changed. Throughout their journey, they learn profound lessons about the importance of family bonds, acceptance, and the painful yet necessary understanding of what is truly within their power to influence.

As the clock ticks down, the siblings must reconcile their desires with the inevitable reality of life, ultimately discovering that sometimes the most valuable moments are found not in changing the past, but in embracing the present.

Cast

Production

Production on the film began in Los Angeles in May 2022. [3] Ross Butler was initially cast in the role portrayed by Guzman. [4]

Release

In March 2024, it was announced that Gravitas Ventures acquired distribution rights to the film, which was released on June 14, 2024. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Kinnear</span> American actor (born 1963)

Gregory Buck Kinnear is an American actor and former talk show host. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in As Good as It Gets (1997).

<i>Stuck on You</i> (film) 2003 American film

Stuck on You is a 2003 American comedy film written and directed by the Farrelly brothers, and starring Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear as conjoined twin brothers, whose conflicting aspirations provide both conflict and humorous situations, in particular when one of them wishes to move to Hollywood to pursue a career as an actor.

Cedric Yarbrough is an American actor and comedian. He has starred in the series Reno 911! as Deputy S. Jones and as Kenneth on the ABC sitcom Speechless, as well as voicing Gerald Fitzgerald on the Netflix comedy Paradise PD, Officer Meow Meow Fuzzyface on the Netflix comedy-drama BoJack Horseman, and Tom DuBois and Colonel H. Stinkmeaner on the Adult Swim sitcom The Boondocks.

Roadside Attractions, LLC is an American production company and film distributor based in Los Angeles, California, founded on July 27, 2000, by Howard Cohen and Eric d'Arbeloff. Lionsgate Films bought a portion of Roadside in 2007, and has majorly served as the arthouse division for the studio since then.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave McCary</span> American comedian, writer, and director (born 1985)

David Lawrence McCary is an American comedian, writer, producer, and director. From 2013 to 2018, he was a segment director and writer for Saturday Night Live. He is married to actress Emma Stone, with whom he co-founded the production company Fruit Tree.

<i>Murder of a Cat</i> 2014 film by Gillian Greene

Murder of a Cat is a 2014 American comedy thriller film directed by Gillian Greene and starring Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, J. K. Simmons, Dileep Rao, Blythe Danner, and Greg Kinnear. The film premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, and was given a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 5, 2014, by Gravitas Ventures.

Ross Fleming Butler is a Singaporean-born American actor. He is best known for his role as Zach Dempsey in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and as Brett Willis on K.C. Undercover. He was also cast as Reggie Mantle in the Netflix/The CW show Riverdale, but left the role after one season due to filming commitments to 13 Reasons Why. In 2019, he joined the DC Extended Universe as Superhero Eugene Choi in the film Shazam!, and reprised the role in Shazam! Fury of the Gods in 2023.

<i>Visions</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

Visions is a 2015 American supernatural horror film directed and edited by Kevin Greutert. It is written by Lucas Sussman. Jason Blum serves as a producer through his production company Blumhouse Productions. The film stars Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs, Jim Parsons, Joanna Cassidy, and Eva Longoria. It was released by Universal Pictures through video on demand on January 19, 2016, prior to being released through home media formats on February 2, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophia Ali</span> American actress

Sophia Taylor Ali is an American actress. She is best known for her work in the MTV romantic comedy series Faking It, the ABC medical drama series Grey's Anatomy, and The Wilds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gravitas Ventures</span> Film distribution company

Gravitas Ventures is a film distribution company owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment. The company was founded by Nolan Gallagher in Los Angeles in 2006, and moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to Cleveland in 2019. It focuses on the distribution of independent feature films and documentaries.

<i>Dog Man</i> (film) Upcoming DreamWorks Animation film

Dog Man is an upcoming American animated superhero comedy film based on Dav Pilkey's children's graphic novel series Dog Man, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. A spin-off and story within a story of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017) and the second film in the Captain Underpants franchise, it is being directed by Peter Hastings. The film stars the voices of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu, Stephen Root, Billy Boyd and Ricky Gervais with Hastings providing vocal effects for the titular character.

<i>Unplugging</i> 2022 film by Debra Neil-Fisher

Unplugging is a 2022 American comedy film directed by Debra Neil-Fisher, in her directorial debut, from a screenplay by Brad Morris and Matt Walsh. It stars Walsh, Eva Longoria, Lea Thompson, Keith David, Nicole Byer, and Al Madrigal. It was released on April 22, 2022, by Vertical Entertainment.

Shay Rudolph is an American actress known for starring in the Netflix series The Baby-Sitters Club as Stacey McGill. She also starred in Fox's crime-drama television series Lethal Weapon as the daughter of lead character Wesley Cole. She also played the role of guitarist in the music video "You Ruined Nirvana" song by Mckenna Grace.

Jonathan Schwartz is an American film producer and former entertainment lawyer, known for producing independent features. Schwartz's credits include Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006), Douchebag (2010), Like Crazy (2011), Smashed (2012), Nobody Walks (2012), Breathe In (2013), Imperial Dreams (2014), and The Vanishing of Sidney Hall (2017). Through his production label, Super Crispy Entertainment, most of Schwartz's works have screened, won awards and secured distribution at the Sundance Film Festival. Throughout his career, he has collaborated extensively with producer Andrea Sperling, director Drake Doremus and actor-producer Logan Lerman.

Unit 234: The Lock Up is a 2024 American thriller film directed by Andy Tennant, written by Derek Steiner, and starring Isabelle Fuhrman. Don Johnson, who also stars, and Colleen Camp serve as executive producers of the film.

<i>Bad Behaviour</i> (2023 film) Film by Alice Englert

Bad Behaviour is a 2023 New Zealand dark comedy film directed and written by Alice Englert in her feature directorial debut. She also stars in the film alongside Jennifer Connelly, Dasha Nekrasova, Karan Gill, Marlon Williams and Ben Whishaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brady Noon</span> American actor (born 2005)

Brady Noon is an American actor. He is known for his roles in Boardwalk Empire, Good Boys, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and Family Switch.

Shiver is an upcoming American romantic fantasy film directed by Claire McCarthy and co-written by Jett Tattersall. It is based on the young adult novel of the same name by Maggie Stiefvater. It stars Maddie Ziegler, Levi Miller, Sofia Wylie, Iman Vellani, Lyon Daniels, Alexander Ludwig, Ross Butler, Alicia Witt, and Greg Kinnear.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Grobar, Matt (May 17, 2022). "Isla Fisher & Greg Kinnear To Topline Family Comedy 'The Present' From 'How To Be Single' Helmer Christian Ditter". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  2. ↑ Echebiri, Makuochi (June 22, 2022). "Ryan Guzman Replaces Ross Butler in the Family Comedy 'The Present'". Collider. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hazelton, John (May 17, 2022). "AGC's 'The Present' starts Los Angeles shoot". Screen Daily. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  4. ↑ Grobar, Matt (June 21, 2022). "Ryan Guzman Replaces Ross Butler In Isla Fisher Comedy 'The Present'; 'Walker: Independence' Actor Justin Johnson Cortez To Lead Drama 'Gift Of Fear'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ Grobar, Matt (March 22, 2024). "Gravitas Acquires Jennifer Connelly Dark Comedy 'Bad Behaviour,' Family Comedy 'The Present' Starring Isla Fisher, Greg Kinnear – Film Briefs". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
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.