Nearly a decade ago, microbudget stalwarts Joshua Leonard (“The Blair Witch Project”) and Jess Weixler (“Teeth”) collaborated on “The Lie,” a witty deconstruction of the demands of parenthood. Leonard directed the entirely improvised adaptation of T.C. Boyle short story, with Weixler and co-star and Mark Webber sharing writing credit. Now, Leonard and Weixler are back with “Fully Realized Humans,”
The pair clearly operate on the same wavelength, which helps keep their winsome pregnancy comedy afloat. As explained via an amusing animated introduction and zippy opening credits, Elliot (Leonard) and Jackie (Weixler) are about to become parents for the first time, and they’re only slightly freaked out about it. They’re doing all the prep work they should: lots of comparing key items, plenty of reading, and even employing a soothing doula (real-life birth expert Erica Chidi Cohen) who doesn’t roll her eyes at their sillier inclinations.
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The pair clearly operate on the same wavelength, which helps keep their winsome pregnancy comedy afloat. As explained via an amusing animated introduction and zippy opening credits, Elliot (Leonard) and Jackie (Weixler) are about to become parents for the first time, and they’re only slightly freaked out about it. They’re doing all the prep work they should: lots of comparing key items, plenty of reading, and even employing a soothing doula (real-life birth expert Erica Chidi Cohen) who doesn’t roll her eyes at their sillier inclinations.
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- 4/17/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Toronto International Film Festival has unveiled its second batch of titles premiering in its Gala and Special Presentations programs next month, including four new Gala titles and a whopping 22 new Special Presentations, plus their star-studded Masters and Contemporary World Cinema sections.
Joining previously announced titles like “A Star Is Born,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “High Life,” and “Widows,” are a number of other major awards season titles, including Jonah Hill’s directorial debut “Mid90s,” Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased,” Jeremy Saulnier’s “Hold the Dark,” Paul Greengrass’ fact-based “22 July,” and Naomi Kawase’s English-language debut “Vision.”
The festival also announced this morning that that event will open with David Mackenzie’s “Outlaw King” and close with Justin Kelly’s “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy.”
“We’re rounding out the lineup of Galas and Special Presentations with some of the most exciting films of the year,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of Tiff,...
Joining previously announced titles like “A Star Is Born,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “High Life,” and “Widows,” are a number of other major awards season titles, including Jonah Hill’s directorial debut “Mid90s,” Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased,” Jeremy Saulnier’s “Hold the Dark,” Paul Greengrass’ fact-based “22 July,” and Naomi Kawase’s English-language debut “Vision.”
The festival also announced this morning that that event will open with David Mackenzie’s “Outlaw King” and close with Justin Kelly’s “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy.”
“We’re rounding out the lineup of Galas and Special Presentations with some of the most exciting films of the year,” said Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of Tiff,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Toronto International Film Festival has added a lineup of directors that range from Paul Greengrass to Jonah Hill and includes a large contingent of celebrated international auteurs.
The more than 100 additions to the Toronto lineup include Greengrass’ “22 July,” about 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway; Hill’s feature directorial debut, “Mid90s,” with Katherine Waterston and Lucas Hedges in a story of a Southern California teen who discovers skateboarding; “Green Book,” from “There’s Something About Mary” and “Dumb and Dumber” director Peter Farrelly; and Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased,” a coming-of-age drama written and directed by Edgerton and starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Lucas Hedges as a teen who is put in a gay conversion program.
The new films span five different sections of the festival: Galas, Special Presentations, Masters, Contemporary World Cinema and Wavelengths.
Also Read: 'Beautiful Boy,' 'A Star Is Born' Highlight Toronto Film...
The more than 100 additions to the Toronto lineup include Greengrass’ “22 July,” about 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway; Hill’s feature directorial debut, “Mid90s,” with Katherine Waterston and Lucas Hedges in a story of a Southern California teen who discovers skateboarding; “Green Book,” from “There’s Something About Mary” and “Dumb and Dumber” director Peter Farrelly; and Joel Edgerton’s “Boy Erased,” a coming-of-age drama written and directed by Edgerton and starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Lucas Hedges as a teen who is put in a gay conversion program.
The new films span five different sections of the festival: Galas, Special Presentations, Masters, Contemporary World Cinema and Wavelengths.
Also Read: 'Beautiful Boy,' 'A Star Is Born' Highlight Toronto Film...
- 8/14/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
‘Green Book’, ‘Gloria Bell’ and ’Mid90s’ among titles added.
World premieres of Peter Farrelly’s 1960s-set race drama Green Book starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria remake Gloria Bell starring Julianne Moore, and Jonah Hill’s feature directorial debut Mid90s are among a giant announcement of new titles by the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) on Tuesday (August 14).
The selection of films comprises 26 additions to Galas and Special Presentations, 47 Contemporary World Cinema selections, 11 Masters entries, and shorts and features in the Wavelengths section. Earlier in the day Tiff announced the world premieres of Outlaw...
World premieres of Peter Farrelly’s 1960s-set race drama Green Book starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, Sebastian Lelio’s Gloria remake Gloria Bell starring Julianne Moore, and Jonah Hill’s feature directorial debut Mid90s are among a giant announcement of new titles by the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) on Tuesday (August 14).
The selection of films comprises 26 additions to Galas and Special Presentations, 47 Contemporary World Cinema selections, 11 Masters entries, and shorts and features in the Wavelengths section. Earlier in the day Tiff announced the world premieres of Outlaw...
- 8/14/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Outlaw King,” a biopic about Scottish hero Robert the Bruce, and “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” a look at an infamous literary fabulist, will both screen at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
The “Hell or High Water” team of director David MacKenzie and Chris Pine reunite for “Outlaw King,” which will be the opening night gala presentation. It’s being billed as a David-versus-Goliath story, one that chronicles the Bruce’s transformation from defeated nobleman to defiant freedom fighter.
“Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” stars Laura Dern as an author who adopts a fictitious persona of Jt LeRoy, a queer man. After her book tops the best-seller list and Jt LeRoy becomes an object of fixation among the literary set, she’s forced to come to terms with the consequences of her creative nom-de-plume. Kristen Stewart co-stars in the film. “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” will be the festival’s closing night offering.
In addition,...
The “Hell or High Water” team of director David MacKenzie and Chris Pine reunite for “Outlaw King,” which will be the opening night gala presentation. It’s being billed as a David-versus-Goliath story, one that chronicles the Bruce’s transformation from defeated nobleman to defiant freedom fighter.
“Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” stars Laura Dern as an author who adopts a fictitious persona of Jt LeRoy, a queer man. After her book tops the best-seller list and Jt LeRoy becomes an object of fixation among the literary set, she’s forced to come to terms with the consequences of her creative nom-de-plume. Kristen Stewart co-stars in the film. “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” will be the festival’s closing night offering.
In addition,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Joshua Leonard first came onto the scene with the lo-fi sensation The Blair Witch Project, then went on to receive rave reviews for his performance in Lynn Shelton’s Independent Spirit Award-winning Humpday. His narrative feature debut as director, The Lie, premiered at Sundance in 2011 and he just wrapped production on his sophomore feature Behold My Heart which stars Marisa Tomei. Currently he co-stars in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller Unsane, which was famously shot on an iPhone. Leonard talks about how freeing that was and how he’s dismayed, now that he’s a dad, at all the bad guy parts he’s being […]...
- 5/1/2018
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Joshua Leonard first came onto the scene with the lo-fi sensation The Blair Witch Project, then went on to receive rave reviews for his performance in Lynn Shelton’s Independent Spirit Award-winning Humpday. His narrative feature debut as director, The Lie, premiered at Sundance in 2011 and he just wrapped production on his sophomore feature Behold My Heart which stars Marisa Tomei. Currently he co-stars in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller Unsane, which was famously shot on an iPhone. Leonard talks about how freeing that was and how he’s dismayed, now that he’s a dad, at all the bad guy parts he’s being […]...
- 5/1/2018
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Tribeca Film Festival has finalized its juries for the 2018 fest, two days before it kicks off its 17th edition. Names including Martha Coolidge, Norman Reedus, André Holland, Ray Liotta, Chris Messina, Zosia Mamet, Sasheer Zamata, Alyssa Reiner, Josh Charles, Haifaa Al Mansour and Lakeith Stanfield have been set to oversee the features, shorts, Storyscapes section and awards categories.
The fest launches Wednesday night with the world premiere of the Gilda Radner documentary Love, Gilda. Tribeca runs April 18-29 in New York City.
Here’s the full list of jurors:
Feature Film Competition Categories
The jurors for the 2018 Us Narrative Competition section are:
Justin Bartha: Actor Justin Bartha has co-starred in two be-loved billion dollar franchises: The Hangover and National Treasure. Some of Bartha’s other notable film credits include White Girl, Holy Rollers, Dark Horse, The Rebound, opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Failure to Launch with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The fest launches Wednesday night with the world premiere of the Gilda Radner documentary Love, Gilda. Tribeca runs April 18-29 in New York City.
Here’s the full list of jurors:
Feature Film Competition Categories
The jurors for the 2018 Us Narrative Competition section are:
Justin Bartha: Actor Justin Bartha has co-starred in two be-loved billion dollar franchises: The Hangover and National Treasure. Some of Bartha’s other notable film credits include White Girl, Holy Rollers, Dark Horse, The Rebound, opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Failure to Launch with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker.
- 4/16/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
17 years ago, The Blair Witch Project burst into theaters on a massive wave of hype and made instant stars out of its directors, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, and its trio of lead actors: Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams, who made the cover of Newsweek magazine that same August. It was an unprecedented success that paved the way for the "found footage" genre that would explode over the subsequent decade, with films like Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield successfully exploiting the format's potential. None of these, though, would haunt viewers in quite the same way as Blair Witch, whose grainy, pre-smartphone aesthetic and terrifying denouement would stick with us long after the film's pop-cultural moment had passed. Of the film's three lead actors, Leonard has undoubtedly enjoyed the greatest run of Hollywood success post-Blair Witch, though it's worth noting that his career didn't really begin to heat...
- 9/16/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Marisa Tomei, Timothy Olyphant, Charlie Plummer and Mireille Enos are star in the independent drama "Behold My Heart".
The story centers on a woman (Tomei) and her teenage son (Plummer) in the aftermath of tragedy who must forge into uncharted territory in order to move on with their lives. David Call, Emily Robinson, Nik Dodani and Sakina Jaffrey also star.
Joshua Leonard ("The Lie") is directing from a script he wrote with Rebecca Lowman. Tomei, Mary Pat Bentel, David Hansen, Johnny Mac, Marcus Cox and Karrie Cox will produce.
Source: Variety...
The story centers on a woman (Tomei) and her teenage son (Plummer) in the aftermath of tragedy who must forge into uncharted territory in order to move on with their lives. David Call, Emily Robinson, Nik Dodani and Sakina Jaffrey also star.
Joshua Leonard ("The Lie") is directing from a script he wrote with Rebecca Lowman. Tomei, Mary Pat Bentel, David Hansen, Johnny Mac, Marcus Cox and Karrie Cox will produce.
Source: Variety...
- 12/9/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, Timothy Olyphant, Mireille Enos and Charlie Plummer (“Boardwalk Empire”) are set to star in the indie movie “Behold My Heart” from director Joshua Leonard (“The Lie”), who wrote the script with Rebecca Lowman. Tomei and Plummer play a mother and son who must forge into uncharted territory in order to move on with their lives in the aftermath of tragedy. The film co-stars David Call, Emily Robinson, Nik Dodani and Sakina Jaffrey. Also Read: Marisa Tomei in Final Negotiations to Play Aunt May in 'Spider-Man' Reboot Mary Pat Bentel, who previously collaborated with Leonard on “The Lie,...
- 12/8/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
X-Men franchise director Bryan Singer, whose first two features debuted at the Sundance Film Festival — including The Usual Suspects in 1995 — was one of the industry figures named to the Sundance juries that will judge this year’s films when the festival begins next week. Singer, who has X-Men: Days of Future Past due in May, will be one of five members of the U.S. Dramatic Jury. Other members of the juries include Tracy Chapman, Lone Scherfig, Leonard Maltin, and screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Prometheus). A complete list of the juries, courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival, can be viewed after the jump.
- 1/9/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
If you’ve somehow avoided the charms of actress Jess Weixler thus far, this first trailer for Jay Gammill‘s Free Samples may grate on your nerves. Who is this flighty chick fucking up something as simple as giving out free samples of ice cream from a truck? Who is this young lass breaking Jesse Eisenberg‘s heart? Who drops out of law school to be a loser? Why should I care? You should care precisely because it’s Weixler who is playing shiftless leading lady Jillian as said law-school-drop-out-ice-cream-loser and she is nothing short of consistently wonderful throughout her myriad indie roles. From The Lie to Peter and Vandy to Teeth (yup, that’s her!), Weixler is the best thing about every film she’s ever starred in, so if she’s headlining a lo-fi outing about ice cream shilling and deferred dreams, we’re sold. No wonder Eisenberg wants to get into “the good stuff...
- 4/30/2013
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Filmmaker and actor Joshua Leonard’s acting career was jump-started by his being able to work a camera as well. “I got hired for [‘The Blair Witch Project’] because of my technical prowess and the fact that I was able to run a camera because there was no omniscient camera,” says Leonard, noting that the project was cast through Backstage. It was a perfect fit for Leonard’s first film because it combined acting, improvisation, and filmmaking skills. “I got to hold a camera, which made me feel less self-conscious than I might have otherwise because I actually had something to do,” he says. The unexpected success of “The Blair Witch Project” led to other acting opportunities for Leonard, including the hit indie film “Humpday,” countless television roles, and his own projects, such as “The Lie,” which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Leonard acted as a child, but because his father was a theater director,...
- 3/6/2013
- backstage.com
Eleanor Rigby marches on, with a minor casting update quickly getting a big, exciting follow-up. ScreenDaily (via ThePlaylist) now reports that William Hurt, Viola Davis, Isabelle Huppert, Bill Hader, Ciaran Hinds, and Jess Weixler (Teeth, The Lie) have all been signed for The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Hers.
If you haven’t been keeping up with this one, that lethal combination of onscreen talent ought to get it in your line of sight. Ned Benson is behind the two-part drama, in which James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain play a husband and wife, respectively (duh), from whom we see different perspectives on domestic strife. (The idea behind combining standalone films is to create “a fully, more complete look at these characters and their lives.”) As the husband (McAvoy) finds himself busy with running a New York City restaurant, his wife (Chastain) goes back to...
If you haven’t been keeping up with this one, that lethal combination of onscreen talent ought to get it in your line of sight. Ned Benson is behind the two-part drama, in which James McAvoy and Jessica Chastain play a husband and wife, respectively (duh), from whom we see different perspectives on domestic strife. (The idea behind combining standalone films is to create “a fully, more complete look at these characters and their lives.”) As the husband (McAvoy) finds himself busy with running a New York City restaurant, his wife (Chastain) goes back to...
- 7/16/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Another one of my favorite films from Sundance this year has been acquired for distribution. And it's one that really needed a good distributor, too. Variety reports that Wrekin Hill (Hesher, The Flowers of War, Comic-Con: Episode IV doc) has acquired Mark Webber's The End of Love, his film starring Mark and his 2-year-old son that he wrote and directed. It's a raw, but intimate and captivating look at a relationship between a baby boy and his father, and I highly suggest seeing it when it comes out. Which, the good news is, this film will get a day-and-date theatrical and VOD release this year, so everyone will be able to watch it. Mark Webber's The End of Love premiered at Sundance 2012 and stars Webber (who you might recognize from Scott Pilgrim, Shrink or The Lie), Shannyn Sossamon, even Michael Cera briefly, but primarily his 2-year-old son, Isaac Love.
- 3/21/2012
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Joshua Leonard's The Lie is a ballsy film that really tests the limits of how far a main character can go without losing the audience entirely because the entire movie is based around a concept that involves its main character (played by Joshua Leonard) lying about his baby's death in order to get out of work. It's a nasty thing to do -- and it's real hard to sympathize or relate to a character who would do such a thing -- but Leonard pulls it off, and he takes us to a place we've all been at one point or another. A place of isolation, despair and of wanting something better and more inspiring out of life, and it's that kind of stuff an audience can relate to. Tack on fun performances from Jess Weixler and Mark Webber, and The Lie is a...
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- 1/11/2012
- by Erik Davis
- Movies.com
With a stunning, uncompromised performance from Michael Fassbender, "Shame" is easily one of the most powerful films of the year. Fassbender plays a deeply conflicted sex addict hopelessly seeking anything to fill his needs.
The endlessly talented Carey Mulligan plays his quirky and also troubled sister, and their broken relationship is an acute link throughout the movie. The film generated headlines after it was dealt an Nc-17 rating, but everyone involved has now embraced it as a badge of honor. And unlike the last major motion picture to get that grade, the ill-fated "Showgirls," the Nc-17 delivers an unflinching and breathtaking experience.
Steering this ship is Steve McQueen, the award-winning director of "Hunger" who helmed and co-wrote "Shame." To delve into his buzzed-about pic, McQueen was kind enough to participate in our "Call-In Commentary" series, where filmmakers provide audio commentary to their trailers. "Shame" opens in limited release on December...
The endlessly talented Carey Mulligan plays his quirky and also troubled sister, and their broken relationship is an acute link throughout the movie. The film generated headlines after it was dealt an Nc-17 rating, but everyone involved has now embraced it as a badge of honor. And unlike the last major motion picture to get that grade, the ill-fated "Showgirls," the Nc-17 delivers an unflinching and breathtaking experience.
Steering this ship is Steve McQueen, the award-winning director of "Hunger" who helmed and co-wrote "Shame." To delve into his buzzed-about pic, McQueen was kind enough to participate in our "Call-In Commentary" series, where filmmakers provide audio commentary to their trailers. "Shame" opens in limited release on December...
- 12/1/2011
- by Brian Jacks
- ifc.com
Title: The Lie Director: Joshua Leonard Starring: Joshua Leonard, Jess Weixler, Mark Webber, Gerry Bednob, Jane Adams The directorial debut of Joshua Leonard, “The Lie” is an uncommonly assured and engaging portrait of post-millennial and particularly male uncertainty, and how the snowballing effects of impulsive dishonesty will eventually run you down from behind like a jackrabbit. Buoyed by strong performances, this meagerly budgeted but intelligently scaled and smartly told indie film deftly takes the pulse of anxious, arrested times. Married Los Angelenos Lonnie (Leonard) and Clover Leonard (Jess Weixler) were once upon a time go-it-their-own-way idealists. Now, faced with raising a two-year-old daughter, they’ve come to also face some of the...
- 11/29/2011
- by bsimon
- ShockYa
Tk Joshua Leonard
Based on a short story by author T.C. Boyle, “The Lie” follows Lonnie and Clover (Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler), an idealistic thirty-something couple with a 6-month-old baby, lots of bills and jobs that make them question their life choices. Lonnie also has an abusive boss, and while being yelled at over the phone, Lonnie impulsively says something that he knows that he can’t escape from. The movie is written and directed by Leonard who is...
Based on a short story by author T.C. Boyle, “The Lie” follows Lonnie and Clover (Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler), an idealistic thirty-something couple with a 6-month-old baby, lots of bills and jobs that make them question their life choices. Lonnie also has an abusive boss, and while being yelled at over the phone, Lonnie impulsively says something that he knows that he can’t escape from. The movie is written and directed by Leonard who is...
- 11/23/2011
- by Dennis Nishi
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Sometime late this month (or at the beginning of the month of December) the Sundance Film Festival will start unveiling the line-up for their 2012 edition. In an effort to give our readers a heads up on what we'll most likely be seeing at the fest, I've put together yet another predictions list. Caution: I cast a wide circle with a total of 80 predix so I'm bound to get some wrong, but as I've proven in prior years, I'm spot on with at least half the titles you'll find here. One of the most common questions I receive is: how do I know what'll be at the fest and where do I get my information? The answer: I've been going there seven years straight, been privileged to share professional relationships with those in the indie and foreign film sphere, but unless you're one of the programmers led by John Cooper, then...
- 11/21/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
Following in Harry Potter's footsteps, the Twilight franchise launches the first of an extended two part conclusion this weekend with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1. While it remains to be seen if it will actually work as a standalone story, it probably doesn't matter much as the hardcore fans have been camping out front of theatres all week. The other major release this weekend is the sequel to the Oscar-winning Happy Feet; the first film made almost $400 million worldwide, so Twilight could actually have some serious competition. In select theatres we also have Alexander Payne's latest film, The Descendants starring George Clooney, along with Paddy Considine's directorial debut Tyrannosaur and Joshua Leonard's The Lie. What will you be watching this weekend? The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 Happy Feet Two The Descendants (limited) Tyrannosaur (limited) The Lie (limited) Garbo: The Spy (limited)
For More Daily Movie Goodness,...
For More Daily Movie Goodness,...
- 11/18/2011
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
Joshua Leonard should look familiar to you by now. Not only was he one of the gang that helped revolutionize no-budget filmmaking with The Blair Witch Project, but he’s also become a go-to character actor over the last few years, including his acclaimed turn in Lynn Shelton’s Humpday. This week, Leonard releases his first feature as a writer-director, a dark drama-comedy titled The Lie, also featuring Jess Weixler (Teeth) and Mark Webber (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), which Leonard stars in as Lonnie, an unsatisfied family man and would-be musician who tells his employers that his newborn daughter has died in order to get out of work. I spoke with Leonard over the phone about his career move, the process of making the film, and the industry as a whole.
This is your first time directing a feature. What was it about the short story that made you say,...
This is your first time directing a feature. What was it about the short story that made you say,...
- 11/17/2011
- by Simon Howell
- SoundOnSight
[Editor's Note: This interview was published during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.] You’d never known it back in the day when he was running around forests looking for "Blair Witches" and all that nonsense, but Joshua Leonard is a very smart guy. His directorial debut in scripted narrative The Lie, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival under Next is a study both of our contemporary culture and a sociological situation that has existed for a long time and won’t go away anytime soon. The most fun part of The Lie is the actual lie, which I won’t give away here, but it’s something that we’ve all thought about, but wouldn’t admit to because we pretend we’re not as sick as Leonard’s Lonny in this film. We are though. We just fake it better. The real meat here though is the relationship between him and his wife, played by Jess Weixler. The...
- 11/17/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
[Editor's Note: This interview was published during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.] Many will dismiss The Lie as another mumblecore graduate and not get why it’s worth making a movie for this, which is fine. Let them. There are enough of us out there who do get this. Written by Leonard with the participation of Jess Weixler, Mark Webber and Jeff Feuerzeig (director of The Devil and Daniel Johnston and an upcoming Untitled Chuck Wepner Project), I see this as a modern telling of Elia Kazan's The Arrangement, but do not take that to mean Leonard is conjuring Kirk Douglas in any way. Although come to think of it, Weixler could probably do a very fine Deborah Kerr. I invite you to check out my review, and listen to my pre-festival phone interview below where writer/director/co-star Joshua Leonard --- where we dig into the fabric and genesis of the film and how the actor went from The Blair Witch Project...
- 11/17/2011
- IONCINEMA.com
First-time director Joshua Leonard's The Lie stretches the truth of its source material -- an obsidian fragment from author T.C. Boyle, published by the New Yorker in 2008 -- until its every glint is polished to a self-affirming glow. There's a dark crackle to Boyle's first-person account of a young man compressed to the point of fracture by the drudgery of his work as a tape logger at a film production house and the shackling disappointment of his domestic lot: He has a law student wife and an infant at home. Unable to face another day at the digital mine, the young man's avoidant, off-white fibbing gives way to an inky whopper, and his sins soon yield a shopping bag full of money. If two decades of Coen brothers movies have taught us anything, it's this: As good as a gun, that thing's going to go off.
- 11/17/2011
- Movieline
Author T.C. Boyle has written evocatively about an extraordinary range of subjects, but the common thread is an interest in characters whose idealism proves incompatible with reality. Whether they’re hippies (Drop City), environmentalists (When The Killing’s Done), or historical figures like Alfred Kinsey (The Inner Circle) or John Harvey Kellogg (The Road To Wellville), they face compromises that may be necessary, or may corrupt their souls. Based on a Boyle short story—originally published in The New Yorker, then later in the anthology Wild Child And Other Stories—Joshua Leonard’s perceptive The Lie runs the theme ...
- 11/17/2011
- avclub.com
There's no shortage of ways to deal with depression. You can ignore it and hope it goes away, for one, but that's not a recommended course. For some, therapy works. For others, medication is all they need, though that comes in a variety of forms: little tiny yellow pills, jagged red ones … and sometimes, something a bit greener, as you'll see in this exclusive clip from "The Lie."
"The Lie" stars and is written and directed by Joshua Leonard, perhaps best known for his groundbreaking work in "The Blair Witch Project," as Lonnie, a young man who finds his life altered after telling one little lie to get out of work. In today's exclusive clip from the new drama, Lonnie realizes that lying in therapy might be the key to getting, ah, "higher" in life.
Leonard's "The Lie" hits theaters on November 18, 2011.
"The Lie" stars and is written and directed by Joshua Leonard, perhaps best known for his groundbreaking work in "The Blair Witch Project," as Lonnie, a young man who finds his life altered after telling one little lie to get out of work. In today's exclusive clip from the new drama, Lonnie realizes that lying in therapy might be the key to getting, ah, "higher" in life.
Leonard's "The Lie" hits theaters on November 18, 2011.
- 11/16/2011
- by MTV Movies Team
- MTV Movies Blog
Lonnie's pretty young for a mid-life crisis but he's having one all the same. A still-shaggy recovering hippie somewhere in his thirties, Lonnie (Joshua Leonard) loves his wife Clover (Jess Weixler) and baby Xana and absolutely hates his job as a commercial editor. Already depressed, he's knocked for a loop when he learns Clover, who's just finishing law school, is about to accept a job at a pharmaceutical company, a decision that flies in the face of their family's progressive beliefs about public advocacy, holistic medicine and organic diapers. The next morning, Lonnie snaps. He plays hooky from work and has a blast smoking weed and recording music with his buddy Tank (Mark Webber). He has so much fun, in fact, he tries to skip out on work again the next day, but this time his boss won't hear it. Fumbling for an excuse, Lonnie blurts out maybe the worst...
- 11/16/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
At first glance, the likely choice for the directorial debut of uber-slacker-hipster actor Joshua Leonard (Humpday, The Blair Witch Project, Higher Ground) would not be an adaptation of a T. Coraghessan Boyle short story published in the New Yorker. And yet The Lie, Boyle's 2008 story, which serves as the basis for the feature film, opening November 18, seems to gel beautifully with the ethos and realms that Leonard has explored as a performer onscreen, especially with his breakout role in Humpday. In that Sundance sensation, Leonard played a wayward Gen-Xer who refuses to grow up; the film's conflict revolves around whether or not he will have sex with his best friend (played by Mark Duplass) in a demonstration of his manliness/hipness/et cetera. In The Lie, which garnered its financing amidst the buzz for Humpday, Leonard is in similar territory, albeit with decidedly higher stakes. Leonard plays Lonnie, a commercial...
- 11/15/2011
- TribecaFilm.com
In a sea of upcoming remakes, sequels and prequels, "American Reunion" has broken through them all. Sure it's technically a sequel to "American Pie," but it's more than that. It's a meta experiment about reuniting the entire original cast of a groundbreaking blockbuster for an in-movie high school reunion. The passage of years from the 1999 premiere is counted in real-time, with the characters having now entered their thirties. They have beards and kids and breast implants. But some things never change, and the film is based on the collision of those two identities.
For a breakdown of what's in store, we turned to Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who along with creating "Harold & Kumar," are now the writers and directors of "American Reunion." Both of them participated in our "Call-In Commentary" series, where filmmakers provide narration to their movie trailers and so in the video below, hear their approach to the whole project,...
For a breakdown of what's in store, we turned to Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who along with creating "Harold & Kumar," are now the writers and directors of "American Reunion." Both of them participated in our "Call-In Commentary" series, where filmmakers provide narration to their movie trailers and so in the video below, hear their approach to the whole project,...
- 11/7/2011
- by Brian Jacks
- ifc.com
We've all been guilty of telling a white lie to get out of something, but what if you accidentally made up a story that completely upended your life? That's the situation facing Lonnie in the new film "The Lie," who, in the spur of the moment to ditch work, tells his insufferable boss that his young daughter has died. As you can imagine, things begin to snowball quickly.
The director, co-writer and star of the film is Joshua Leonard, who you may know as one of the three students from "The Blair Witch Project." Since then Leonard has transitioned into filmmaking, with "The Lie" being his feature-length directorial debut. To get his personal take on his cinematic baby, we enlisted Leonard for our "Call-In Commentary" series where directors provide narration for their movie trailer. You can watch the results of that below. "The Lie" premieres in New York City on...
The director, co-writer and star of the film is Joshua Leonard, who you may know as one of the three students from "The Blair Witch Project." Since then Leonard has transitioned into filmmaking, with "The Lie" being his feature-length directorial debut. To get his personal take on his cinematic baby, we enlisted Leonard for our "Call-In Commentary" series where directors provide narration for their movie trailer. You can watch the results of that below. "The Lie" premieres in New York City on...
- 11/3/2011
- by Brian Jacks
- ifc.com
The mumblecore community (Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, Lynn Shelton and co.) continue to branch out into the mainstream, with Bujalski's indie muse Greta Gerwig in big-budget pictures like Greenberg and Arthur. This one's not really an exception: The Lie, based on a darkly comedic novella by T.C. Boyle, follows a mildly depressed man approaching middle-age whose life was derailed when his girlfriend (awesome Jess Weixler) unexpetedly became pregnant. He supports his young family with a sh*tty job.
One day he calls out of work and, as an excuse in the face of his supervisor's anger, unthinkingly blurts out a terrible lie. (I won't spoil it, but it's in the trailer below.)
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One day he calls out of work and, as an excuse in the face of his supervisor's anger, unthinkingly blurts out a terrible lie. (I won't spoil it, but it's in the trailer below.)
--
More: Ology Film News
Talk back! Want to connect with fellow Sundance Ologists? Join the discussion at My.Ology.
Follow Anna Breslaw on Twitter: @annaology...
- 10/4/2011
- by Anna Breslaw
- Filmology
Second trailer for The Lie, starring Joshua Leonard, Jess Wexler and Mark Webber Joshua Leonard directs the drama as well as scripting alongside Mark Webber, Jess Weixler and Jeff Feuerzeig based on the short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle. The film opens on November 18th via Screen Media Films and tells of Lonnie and Clover who, when they first met, were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script. Lonnie put his music on hold and got a shitty job. And now Clover is abandoning her activism for an "opportunity" in the corporate world. Drowning in disappointments, Lonnie decides he needs some time off work to reexamine his life. He calls in sick, but his abusive boss demands he show up or get fired...
- 9/26/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Second trailer for The Lie, starring Joshua Leonard, Jess Wexler and Mark Webber Joshua Leonard directs the drama as well as scripting alongside Mark Webber, Jess Weixler and Jeff Feuerzeig based on the short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle. The film opens on November 18th via Screen Media Films and tells of Lonnie and Clover who, when they first met, were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script. Lonnie put his music on hold and got a shitty job. And now Clover is abandoning her activism for an "opportunity" in the corporate world. Drowning in disappointments, Lonnie decides he needs some time off work to reexamine his life. He calls in sick, but his abusive boss demands he show up or get fired...
- 9/26/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Joshua Leonard’s name is one I confess I haven’t heard much of in the past. He was one of the leads in The Blair Witch Project way back when, but hasn’t done a huge amount since then.
Until now, that is. Making his directorial feature debut with The Lie, Joshua Leonard has helmed and starred in what looks to be a fantastic indie film, based on a short story by American writer, Tc Boyle.
The film’s great first poster has been released over at The Playlist, and Apple have given us its brilliant first trailer – two terrific firsts for what should be an excellent film, that just goes to show you don’t need an A-list cast and millions upon millions of dollars to make a great movie.
“When they first met, Lonnie and Clover were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script.
Until now, that is. Making his directorial feature debut with The Lie, Joshua Leonard has helmed and starred in what looks to be a fantastic indie film, based on a short story by American writer, Tc Boyle.
The film’s great first poster has been released over at The Playlist, and Apple have given us its brilliant first trailer – two terrific firsts for what should be an excellent film, that just goes to show you don’t need an A-list cast and millions upon millions of dollars to make a great movie.
“When they first met, Lonnie and Clover were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script.
- 9/24/2011
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
There are a few great, underhyped films coming our way in the next few months, and we're getting a little advance taste of what the future will bring with some new trailers and one-sheets for four of them. In that quartet we have 13, which stars Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, and Mickey Rourke; Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, and Ed Harris; The Son of No One featuring Channing Tatum, Tracy Morgan, Katie Holmes, and Al Pacino; and The Lie, the one I've already had the pleasure of seeing, has a barebones but great cast including Joshua Leonard, Jess Wexler, and Mark Webber.
Read more...
Read more...
- 9/23/2011
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
There are a few great, underhyped films coming our way in the next few months, and we're getting a little advance taste of what the future will bring with some new trailers and one-sheets for four of them. In that quartet we have 13, which stars Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, and Mickey Rourke; Man on a Ledge starring Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, and Ed Harris; The Son of No One featuring Channing Tatum, Tracy Morgan, Katie Holmes, and Al Pacino; and The Lie, the one I've already had the pleasure of seeing, has a barebones but great cast including Joshua Leonard, Jess Wexler, and Mark Webber.
Read more...
Read more...
- 9/23/2011
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
Some people just don't have a knack for deception. The key to the perfect lie is as follows: 1) it needs to be small, 2) you have to be able to come up with multiple details that make your lie sound like it could be the truth, and 3) some of those details actually have to be true. Once you break one of those three rules you open yourself up to a devastating downward spiral that will end only when you're either exposed or simply forced to reveal the truth. The character played by Joshua Leonard in the The Lie makes the mistake of not following rule #1. The trailer for the film, which played at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival is now online. Check it out below or in HD over on Apple. The movie centers on a young couple that is forced to give up their idealistic dreams when they welcome an unexpected...
- 9/23/2011
- cinemablend.com
Some people just don't have a knack for deception. The key to the perfect lie is as follows: 1) it needs to be small, 2) you have to be able to come up with multiple details that make your lie sound like it could be the truth, and 3) some of those details actually have to be true. Once you break one of those three rules you open yourself up to a devastating downward spiral that will end only when you're either exposed or simply forced to reveal the truth. The character played by Joshua Leonard in the Mark Webber-directed The Lie makes the mistake of not following rule #1. The trailer for the film, which played at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival is now online. Check it out below or in HD over on Apple. The movie centers on a young couple that is forced to give up their idealistic dreams when they...
- 9/23/2011
- cinemablend.com
"The Lie," actor Joshua Leonard's first solo directing credit, was generally well received by critics at Sundance earlier this year following its world premiere. Our own Eric Kohn wrote, "A basic domestic drama with flashes of light comedy, the movie feels both cautionary and sincere about the prospects of running away from debilitating mistakes." The trailer for the drama is now online and judging by the preview, it looks like ...
- 9/21/2011
- Indiewire
Poster and trailer for The Lie, starring Joshua Leonard, Jess Wexler and Mark Webber The Screen Media Films drama opens on November 18th and is helmed by Joshua Leonar, who scripts alongside Mark Webber, Jess Weixler and Jeff Feuerzeig based on the short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle. When they first met, Lonnie and Clover were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script. Lonnie put his music on hold and got a shitty job. And now Clover is abandoning her activism for an "opportunity" in the corporate world. Drowning in disappointments, Lonnie decides he needs some time off work to reexamine his life. He calls in sick, but his abusive boss demands he show up or get fired. Lonnie panics and tells a shocking lie...
- 9/21/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Poster and trailer for The Lie, starring Joshua Leonard, Jess Wexler and Mark Webber The Screen Media Films drama opens on November 18th and is helmed by Joshua Leonar, who scripts alongside Mark Webber, Jess Weixler and Jeff Feuerzeig based on the short story by T. Coraghessan Boyle. When they first met, Lonnie and Clover were young idealists, but an unplanned baby forced them to flip the script. Lonnie put his music on hold and got a shitty job. And now Clover is abandoning her activism for an "opportunity" in the corporate world. Drowning in disappointments, Lonnie decides he needs some time off work to reexamine his life. He calls in sick, but his abusive boss demands he show up or get fired. Lonnie panics and tells a shocking lie...
- 9/21/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
After writing about the poster earlier today, we now have a trailer for Joshua Leonard‘s The Lie. The Blair Witch actor also wrote and starred in this drama, which premiered at Sundance this year to generally positive reviews and an acquisition from Screen Media Films. This is actually the first trailer for the picture, and it also seems to be our first look at any kind of footage. So, if you were anticipating this — I guess today is your lucky day.
Based off the preview, it would appear that this is a movie that really wears its indie sleeve rights on its shoulder, from the style of directing to the cinematography, and even the way characters dress. Thankfully, however, the driving force behind the story seems like it leaves plenty of room for interesting conflicts and character development; if that’s actually the case, this could override those aforementioned issues I have.
Based off the preview, it would appear that this is a movie that really wears its indie sleeve rights on its shoulder, from the style of directing to the cinematography, and even the way characters dress. Thankfully, however, the driving force behind the story seems like it leaves plenty of room for interesting conflicts and character development; if that’s actually the case, this could override those aforementioned issues I have.
- 9/20/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
This year’s Sundance Film Festival will likely go down in history as “the one with all the cult films,” meaning literal cult films, like films about cults, not box office flops that later gain traction with college kids who are into dress-up. But in between the more buzzed-about titles like Martha Marcy May Marlene and Sound of My Voice, Sundance 2011 also provided a proving ground for films focused on the intricacies of intimacy – namely, how honesty (and the lack of it) between partners can make or break a relationship. Miranda July’s The Future did it with a twee sweetness, and Joshua Leonard’s The Lie did it with a much darker bitterness. And that doesn’t quite explain the first poster for the film (which Leonard also directed from a T.C. Boyle story and some material from Jeff Feuerzeig that Leonard, Jess Weixler, and Mark Webber cobbled into their own screenplay), which makes the film...
- 9/19/2011
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
It’s starting to seem like there are more posters for We Need to Talk About Kevin then there are people who know what We Need to Talk About Kevin even is, but they’ve been pretty impressive on their own; complaints feel a little unnecessary, is the thing. The latest one has shown up at IMPAwards, further displaying its star (and possible Oscar contender), Tilda Swinton, in addition to her anguish. This is certainly the most artful of all the ones we’ve seen up to this point — a Criterion vibe is emanating from the design — while the others looked like they were either advertising a ’70s horror movie or a bizarre romantic comedy. Lynne Ramsay‘s first film in nine years opens in limited release on December 2nd, and be sure to read our Cannes review.
Take a look at it below:
Another festival hit has received a poster,...
Take a look at it below:
Another festival hit has received a poster,...
- 9/19/2011
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Having already premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, we now have the exclusive poster to "The Lie," directed, written and starring Joshua Leonard of "Humpday" and "The Blair Witch Project" fame. Co-starring Jess Weixler ("Teeth"), Mark Webber ("Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World"), Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development"), Jane Adams ("Happiness"), Kelli Garner ("Thumbsucker," "Pan Am") and an appearance by Gerry Bednob ("The 40-Year-Old Virgin"), "The Lie" is based on a T.C. Boyle short story that first appeared in the New Yorker and centers on a man (Leonard) whose life inadvertently changes when he tells a lie to get…...
- 9/19/2011
- The Playlist
Joshua Leonard, as an actor who has directed himself, found his time starring in Higher Ground opposite Vera Farmiga a mind-blowing experience. Farmiga is making her directorial debut with Higher Ground and Leonard admitted, he thought he learned it all on the set of his The Lie, and then he spent months on a Farmiga set and came away completely inspired.
Leonard is sitting with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview from the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. The star, who first came to audience awareness in the legendary Blair Witch Project, portrays Ethan, the object of Farmiga’s affection. Ethan is the husband of Farmiga’s Corinne and the story follows the two as they discover Christianity and the winding road that is life and how it is influenced by deity.
Since starring in Blair Witch in 1999, Leonard has appeared in dozens of films and television shows.
Leonard is sitting with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview from the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. The star, who first came to audience awareness in the legendary Blair Witch Project, portrays Ethan, the object of Farmiga’s affection. Ethan is the husband of Farmiga’s Corinne and the story follows the two as they discover Christianity and the winding road that is life and how it is influenced by deity.
Since starring in Blair Witch in 1999, Leonard has appeared in dozens of films and television shows.
- 8/25/2011
- by webmaster@moviefanatic.com (Movie Fanatic Staff)
- Reel Movie News
Honest -- Screen Media has acquired U.S. distribution rights to "The Lie," a dark comedy directed by, written by and starring Joshua Leonard, the company announced Thursday. The movie is based on a T.C.Boyle short story that originally was published in the "New Yorker." In the story, a man tells a fib in order to get out of work. That lie ultimately changes the course of his life. Leonard plays Lonnie, the man who calls in sick one day. Jess Weixler plays his wife. Mark Webber ("Scott Pilgrim vs. The World") also stars. Mary...
- 7/21/2011
- by Joshua L. Weinstein
- The Wrap
U.S. rights to Joshua Leonard's Sundance dark comedy, "The Lie," have been picked up by Screen Media. Starring Leonard, Screen Media plans a fall 2011 theatrical release in select cities with a simultaneous VOD release. The full release follows: Screen Media, one of the leading American distributors of independent films, announced today it has acquired U.S. distribution rights to Joshua Leonard’s "The Lie," a critically acclaimed dark comedy that premiered ...
- 7/21/2011
- Indiewire
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