Andrew Bujalski Movies
In this typically low-key comedy drama from independent writer/director Andrew Bujalski, Jeannie (Tilly Hatcher) and Lauren (Maggie Hatcher) are a pair of twin sisters living in Austin, TX, who are close without having much in common. Jeannie, who is confined to a wheelchair, runs a well-established vintage clothing store called Storyville with her longtime friend Amanda (Anne Dodge), while Lauren drifts from job to job and is pondering an offer to teach English in Kenya. Jeannie and Amanda have had a falling out and Jeannie is worried about her stake in the business, especially since the original partnership agreements were drawn up by Amanda's father. When Amanda suggests she may take legal action to take full control of Storyville, Jeannie decides she needs legal advice and turns to Merrill (Alex Karpovsky), a former boyfriend who has almost completed his law degree. Merrill is feeling frazzled as he tries to pass the bar exam and he welcomes the distraction, but it isn't long before he forgets one of the first rules of legal ethics and begins sleeping with Jeannie. Lauren, meanwhile, wants to be of assistance to her sister, but she gets roped into helping her mother with her myriad problems while trying to make sense of her own future. Beeswax was an official selection at the 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tilly Hatcher, Maggie Hatcher, (more)
Two people stumble into a relationship as they sort out their emotional baggage in this low-key independent comedy. Thirty-something Kira (Kenya Miles) has just broken up with her boyfriend of seven years and has lost her job, forcing her to look for new employment as soon as possible. Kira happens to meet Max (Wiley Wiggins), a fashion-challenged slacker who work in the office of a local elected official, training new volunteers and offering them unsolicited advice about throwing away their principles. Kira and Max have a one night stand, which proves a bit embarrassing for both of them, especially since Max happens to have a steady girlfriend, Sara (Ia Hernandez), who works with drug addicts and the handicapped and has the patience of a saint. As Kira is forced to jump through hoops in order to land a copy editing position that's clearly beneath her qualifications, she finds herself fascinated with Max, while he keeps thinking about her and asking his best friend Mason (Andrew Bujalski) is this makes him a bad person. Sorry, Thanks was the first feature from writer and director Dia Sokol, and an official selection at the 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kenya Miles, Wiley Wiggins, (more)
- 2008
A registered sex offender discovers that the only thing worse than being sent to prison for his crime is trying to reintegrate into society once he's released in this darkly comic tale starring Gabriel McIver, Kristin Tucker, and Kevin Corrigan. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gabriel McIver, Kristen Tucker, (more)
American independent filmmaker Joe Swanberg's 2007 feature Hannah Takes the Stairs concerns Hannah (Greta Gerwig), a recent college graduate who spends one long, unsatisfying summer in the Windy City attempting to achieve romantic fulfillment in a seemingly endless series of relationships. Drifting in and out of infatuation, but never quite reaching satisfaction, Hannah begins to pose an emotional threat to herself and those around her. The picture co-stars filmmakers Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha) and Todd Rohal (The Guatemalan Handshake) as well as screenwriter Kent Osborne (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie). Gerwig co-authored the script with Osborne and Swanberg. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, (more)
A man who already has too many problems to deal with finds himself finally beginning to crack when his beloved cat goes missing and he launches a tireless search campaign that spans the entire city. His wife is divorcing him, he's miserable at his job, but at least he has his feline friend Goliath to stave off the loneliness. But when Goliath disappears, it all just becomes too much to take. Now, in order to bring his furry little pal back home safe and sound, the miserable cat owner will cover his neighborhood in flyers, offer a hearty reward, and even enlist the aid of a private investigator. In the end, when his worst fears are confirmed, the grief simply becomes too much to take. Yet despite his sorrow, the man soon discovers that the cold darkness of true misery ultimately gives way to the warm glow of true hope. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, (more)
Alan's (Justin Rice) band, the Bumblebees, has recently broken up after releasing an EP that got some attention. Alan has moved to Brooklyn, where he is trying to get solo gigs, and spending a lot of time with his old friend Lawrence (Andrew Bujalski, the film's writer/director) and Lawrence's girlfriend, Ellie (Rachel Clift). Alan quickly books a gig at hip Brooklyn club Northsix, and does a radio interview with Sara (Seung-Min Lee), during which he mentions that he doesn't even have a drummer. As luck would have it, Sara's brother, Dennis (Kevin Micka), is a drummer. Sara also makes it clear that she's attracted to Alan, which creates a problem when he decides he doesn't want to get involved with her. On the night of his gig, a friend of Alan's father with purported record-industry connections shows up, and invites Alan, Sara, and Dennis to his well-appointed apartment. Afterward, Alan drunkenly goes to a party where he was supposed to meet Lawrence and Ellie. As it turned out, they didn't make it, but a trio of women there (including one played by Kate Dollenmayer, who starred in Bujalski's debut feature, Funny Ha Ha), also drunk, have their own plans for him. Eventually, the unspoken attraction between Alan and Ellie comes to the fore. Mutual Appreciation was shot in black-and-white, and was a hit on the festival circuit before its theatrical release in September of 2006. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Justin Rice, Rachel Clift, (more)
American independent filmmaker Andrew Bujalski makes his feature debut as a writer/director with the microbudgeted Funny Ha Ha. Shot on-location in Boston on 16 mm film, the movie is predominately cast with unprofessional actors engaging in realistic discourse. Main character Marnie is played by first-time actress Kate Dollenmayer, a student at CalArts who previously worked on Richard Linklater's Waking Life. Marnie goes about her everyday life with a conflicted love for her friend Alex (Christian Rudder) and a dispassionate attitude toward her job as a temp office worker. While at work she meets the nervous Mitchell, played by the director. Funny Ha Ha was shown at the 2003 IFP Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Dollenmayer, Christian Rudder, (more)
