Eleanor Hutchins
- 2008
A grown man locked into an extended state of arrested adolescence returns to the nest while concocting a series of excuses as to why he cannot return to his wife and child in this existential comedy drama from filmmaker Azazel Jacobs. Mikey was preparing to board an airplane bound for California when he suddenly found himself fleeing from the airport and returning to the comfort of his parents' New York home. Even Mikey isn't sure exactly why he made the snap decision not to go home, all he knows is that he can't quite muster the courage to go back and assume the responsibilities of your typical family man. Of course, Mikey's doting mother is more than happy to enable her son's indecision -- and his father remains as emotionally distanced as ever -- but as time goes on, the grown-up man-child finds it increasingly difficult to make the choice between going back to reality, or drifting ever further into his second adolescence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Boren, Ken Jacobs, (more)
- 2007
Twenty-five years after a young girl is rendered comatose by a tragic accident, her childhood best friend is still struggling to reach out and make the breakthrough that will allow her to love a normal life again in this affecting independent drama from director Tina Murgas. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Johnson, Adam Johnson, (more)
Writer-director Michael Kang makes his feature debut with the coming-of-age comedy, The Motel. Newcomer Jeffrey Chyau stars as Ernest Chin, a chubby 13 year-old Chinese-American boy whose mother (Jade Wu) runs a sleazy motel in upstate New York. The clientele of The Motel are predominantly prostitutes and their johns, which spurs Ernest's budding sexual curiosity. When he's not cleaning rooms, eavesdropping on guests, avoiding the local bully, or tormenting his little sister Katie (Alexis Chin), Ernest harbors a crush on Christine (Samantha Futerman), who works at a nearby Chinese restaurant. Ernest has entered a writing contest at school with a story about his unhappy life at The Motel, and won an honorable mention. His scornful mother thinks his writing is a waste of time, and Ernest doesn't want her to see the story for fear that it will anger her. He's a social misfit, so he's intrigued when Sam Kim (Sung Kang of Better Luck Tomorrow), a Korean-American guest who frequently brings home prostitutes, befriends him. Sam takes Ernest under his wing, teaching him to drive and offering him his wisdom regarding women. Of course, Sam turns out to have his own serious issues with the opposite sex, and his advice to Ernest about Christine may not be exactly what the boy needs. Kang won the Asian American International Film Festival screenwriting competition with his script for The Motel in 2001, and the completed film was shown at the festival in 2005. The script was workshopped at the Sundance labs, where filmmaker Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl) signed on as a producer. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Chyau, Kang Sung, (more)
- 2004
An actress tries to sort out her life while those around her are busy doing the same in this independent comedy drama. Nina (Eleanor Hutchins) enjoyed a few years of minor celebrity when she joined the cast of a popular soap opera while still a teenager, but seven years later, after devoting most of her time to traveling the world on a budget, she decides it's time to get back to work when her bank account is nearly empty and her fan club has been reduced to a single member. Stuck in Rhode Island and needing a place to stay, Nina moves in with Jim (Barney Cheng), a librarian who is having some problems with his girlfriend, Carla (Alison Folland). While Nina struggles to get both her career and her love life back in gear, her best friend, Sheila (Reena Shah), is having problems of her own with her boyfriend, a flighty Frenchman (Pierre Mignard). Stay Until Tomorrow was screened in competition at the 2004 Avignon Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eleanor Hutchins
Joe Maggio's second film, Milk & Honey, is a tale of a marriage with problems. Rick (Clint Jordan) and Joyce (Kirsten Russell) go their separate ways into the night after a disastrous appearance together at an office function. The apparently mentally unstable Rick ends up offering money to a stranger if that person will kill him. Shot on digital video, Milk & Honey was screened at the Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Jordan, Kirsten Russell, (more)
It's hard to be hip and a mother at the same time, as one twenty-something New Yorker discovers in this independent comedy drama. Zelda (Eleanor Hutchins) is a struggling artist who lives with her boyfriend Max (Larry Fessenden), a would-be writer, in a bohemian neighborhood in Brooklyn favored by fellow creative types for the cheap rents and friendly atmosphere. Zelda is also the mother of a two-year-old boy, Little Z (Jonah Leland). Max is the child's father, but doesn't go out of his way to shoulder his share of the labor in caring for him; Zelda says that since she opted to keep the baby, the ultimate responsibility is hers, not his, but it's hard not to sense a hint of resentment in her attitude towards Max. Zelda strives to be a good mother and provide for her son while staying true to her on-the-edge personality, but she's begun to realize that she can't go on being the life of the party and a responsible single parent at the same time; she's also grown tired of sharing an apartment with five other adults, none of whom is holding down a full-time job. As Zelda is arriving at an emotional crossroads, her old friend Natali (Holly Ramos) re-enters her life; Natali has just gotten out of rehab after her latest attempt to wean herself off heroin, but with little to keep her occupied, her self-control is not especially strong, and Natali soon finds herself becoming quite friendly with Max, who is growing weary of his relationship with Zelda. Margarita Happy Hour was shown at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, where it was enthusiastically received by audiences and critics. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eleanor Hutchins, Larry Fessenden, (more)
