P. Jennifer Dana Movies
- 2006
An ex-con trying to put his life back on track turns to his family, but they aren't so sure they want him back in the fold in this independent drama from writer and director Todd S. Yellin. Jake Groden (Scott Cohen) is the black sheep in his family, an alcoholic and habitual felon who has spent 14 years in jail. Jake has always suffered in comparisons with his hardworking twin brother, and when his brother dies unexpectedly not long after Jake is released from jail, he braces himself for an uncomfortable reunion with his family. Jake's father, Leo (Judd Hirsch), makes no secret that he doesn't trust his son, and he recedes into his strong Jewish faith rather than reconnect with his errant son. Jake's sister-in-law, Emily (Susan Floyd), is still coming to terms with the death of her husband and having to raise their son on her own, and she's torn between a resentment of Jake and her attraction to a man who closely resembles the man she still loves. And Adam (Elliot Korte), Emily's son, is curious about the man who vanished from his family a decade and a half before. About the only thing his family will say in Jake's favor is that he's very good with woodworking, and in an effort to mend fences with his father and keep himself on the straight and narrow, Jake focuses his attention to saving the family business, a cabinetry shop that's seen better days. Brother's Shadow received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Cohen, Judd Hirsch, (more)
Money and emotions lead to a difficult reunion between a father and daughter in this drama. Reese Holden (Zooey Deschanel) is a struggling stage actress in New York City whose life has become an uphill struggle -- her career isn't giving her satisfaction, her relationship with would-be rock star Ray (Dallas Roberts) is stuck in neutral, an affair with her friend Rob (Robert Beitzel) brings no excitement, and her colleague Deirdre (Deirdre O'Connell) simply doesn't understand her problems. Reese is also short on money, which is why she's willing to listen to a proposal from a publisher who wants to release a series of love letters that her mother, a well-known author who died years ago, wrote to her father, Don (Ed Harris), another respected novelist who has fallen out of the limelight but is said to be working on a final major work. Having accepted an advance for the collection, Reese pays a visit to Don in Michigan to get his OK for the project and collect the letters, but discovers two strangers have moved in with Don -- Shelly (Amelia Warner), who studied under Don and has installed herself as his business manager, and Corbit (Will Ferrell), a neighborhood sad sack who helps with the housekeeping and runs errands for the reclusive writer. As Reese vies with Shelly for her father's attention, she struggles to come to terms with issues from her childhood and the dissatisfaction with her life. Winter Passing was written and directed by noted playwright Adam Rapp; it was his first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
