Movie reviews, production notes, and more! - "Beyond the Sea"

Movie : Beyond the Sea

Notes Provided by Lions Gate Films SHORT SYNOPSIS For BOBBY DARIN (Kevin Spacey), performing was his life. It kept his heart beating. He came alive onstage, even when he was near collapse offstage. In BEYOND THE SEA, Bobby tells us his own story, in his last great performance. With a heart damaged by rheumatic fever, Walden Robert Cassotto - Little BOBBY (William Ullrich) isn't supposed to live to see age 15. But when his mother POLLY (Brenda Blethyn) shows him the happiness that comes with music, Bobby finds the inspiration he needs to stay alive. Making music opens a world beyond sickness, where prodigious talent, drive and imagination can overcome a faulty heart. With the help and support of his devoted family - Polly, his older sister NINA (Caroline Aaron) and Nina's husband CHARLIE (Bob Hoskins) - Bobby will become a star. And so he does. Working with his best friend and manager, STEVE BLAUNER (John Goodman), Bobby charts his own stubbornly eclectic musical path, writing original songs and performing in a range of genres. Turning his sights beyond music, Bobby launches a movie career and marries America's favorite young star, SANDRA DEE (Kate Bosworth). But Bobby's relentless professional ambition has begun to poison his private life, and the late 60s find him isolated, confused and directionless. In the end, with his childhood illness finally catching up with him, Bobby must look to his friends, family and extraordinary talent to quell his demons and accept who he is and what his life has meant. LONG SYNOPSIS Making music is more to me than a pleasure, 'cause me and music, we go together like notes in a measure. As long as I'm singing, then the world's all right and everything's swingin' long as I'm singing my song. -- "As Long As I'm Singing," Bobby Darin For BOBBY DARIN (Kevin Spacey), performing was his life. It kept his heart beating. He came alive onstage, even when he was near collapse offstage. In BEYOND THE SEA, Bobby tells us his own story, in his last great performance. From the age of seven, Walden Robert Cassotto - Little BOBBY (William Ullrich) knows the odds are stacked against him. Rheumatic fever has permanently damaged his heart, and he's not expected to make it to age fifteen. Bobby's family - his mother POLLY (Brenda Blethyn), his older sister NINA (Caroline Aaron) and Nina's husband CHARLIE (Bob Hoskins) - pour all their energies into caring for him. Bobby's frail heart may be one truth, but Polly, a former singer, introduces her boy to another wonderful truth: music. Music becomes Bobby's bargaining chip against time; he's not only singing, but also playing piano, drums and guitar before he even hits his teens. Music takes him into a world beyond the Bronx, and beyond sickness. It's a world of effortlessly swinging songs, and couples dancing to the lilt of Bobby's voice. Bobby has a plan, and no heart ailment will stop him. By 20, Bobby is working the nightclub circuit, accompanied by a protective team that includes Charlie, Bobby's best friend and manager STEVE BLAUNER (John Goodman) and musical director DICK BEHRKE (Peter Cincotti). Audiences don't always respond, but rejection only strengthens Bobby, making him even cockier and more confident. He signs a record deal, but his first handful of singles flop. With his career on the line, Bobby writes a song in 20 minutes and records it. "Splish Splash" is a sensation, and Bobby Darin becomes America's newest teen idol. But Bobby is not about to limit himself to one style of music, nor is he content to make records strictly for teenagers. Confident of his ability to turn out hits, he insists on recording an album of standards. The gamble pays off, and "Mack the Knife" makes Bobby the star he's dreamed of becoming. It's now time for the next challenge: the movies. Bobby leaves for Italy to film a lead role in COME SEPTEMBER, opposite the hugely popular movie star SANDRA DEE (Kate Bosworth). Immediately smitten, Bobby marshals his considerable charms to woo the innocent young actress, who is kept on a tight leash by her ambitious mother MARY (Greta Scacchi). Despite Mary's objections, Bobby and Sandy marry and move into a showcase house in Beverly Hills. Bobby continues to make hit records, and headlines New York's legendary Copacabana, achieving the dream that he and Polly cherished most. In 1964, his movie career reaches a new peak when he is nominated for an Academy Award for CAPTAIN NEWMAN, M.D. To the world, Bobby and Sandy look like Hollywood's fairytale couple. But Sandy's career is floundering, and Bobby's relentless schedule of filming, recording and touring puts a strain on the relationship. His dogged pursuit of fame and popularity isolates him from the very people who love him and believe in him most. Confused and directionless, Bobby leaves Sandy in the late 1960s and looks for new meaning in his life by becoming politically active and leaving behind the Las Vegas glitz for anti-war protest songs and hippie hairstyles. But the new 'Bob Darin' is roundly rejected by fans expecting a polished nightclub entertainer. In the end, with his childhood illness finally catching up with him, he must look to his friends, family and extraordinary talent to quell his demons and return to the stage to accept who he is and what his life has meant. BEYOND THE SEA is directed by Kevin Spacey, produced by Andy Paterson, Kevin Spacey, Jan Fantl and Arthur E. Friedman. The film was written by Lewis Colick and Kevin Spacey. The director of photography is Eduardo Serra, the production designer is Andrew Laws, and the editor is Trevor Waite. The costume designer is Ruth Myers, the choreographer is Rob Ashford, and the hair and makeup designer is Peter Swords King. The music producer is Phil Ramone, and the musical director is John Wilson. The casting is by Joanna Colbert. BEYOND THE SEA stars Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, John Goodman, Bob Hoskins, Brenda Blethyn, Greta Scacchi, Caroline Aaron, Peter Cincotti and William Ullrich. ABOUT THE PRODUCTION BEYOND THE SEA is Academy AwardŽ-winning actor/filmmaker Kevin Spacey's vividly imagined and superbly crafted look at the life and times of Bobby Darin, who blazed an incredible trail across the fields of popular music, nightclub performance, film and television in his 14 year career. While people around the world know Darin's music, particularly hits like "Splish Splash" and "Mack the Knife," his individual story is less familiar. Spacey's BEYOND THE SEA traces Darin's remarkable artistic and personal journey through the very music that made him a huge star - and which brought the scrappy kid from the Bronx into the orbit of America's favorite young movie star, Sandra Dee. Performing Darin's songs himself, Spacey embodies the charisma, style and vitality that made Darin such a magical entertainer. At the same time, the film doesn't skirt the darker implications of Darin's relentless drive for stardom, exploring how an entertainer touches not only his audience, but also the people who know and love him. With his swinging musicality and deft phrasing, Bobby Darin would have stood out on the basis of his vocals alone. But Darin's talent went well beyond singing and song interpretation; a self-taught musician, he was a songwriter who played guitar, drums and piano. In the late 1950s, he rocketed to success with the gold records "Splish Splash," "Queen of the Hop" and Dream Lover," becoming a teen idol in the process. But Darin wasn't content to stay in one musical place, and devoted his second album, 1959's "That's All," to standards. That LP yielded Darin's classic, finger-snapping version of "Mack the Knife," which was #1 on the Billboard charts for nine weeks and won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, while the 23-year-old Darin won Best New Artist. He swiftly became one of Las Vegas' top headliners, and even surpassed Frank Sinatra's attendance record at New York's legendary Copacabana nightclub. Over the course of his career, Darin scored nine Top 10 hits and recorded in a range of musical genres, including country, Broadway, folk and R&B. He had his first starring film role in the 1961 romantic comedy COME SEPTEMBER, and went on to act for directors including John Cassavetes, in the drama TOO LATE BLUES, and Don Siegel, in the war drama HELL IS FOR HEROES. In 1963, he received Academy AwardŽ and Golden Globe nominations for his role in the comedy/drama CAPTAIN NEWMAN, M.D., with Gregory Peck. He also hosted a popular television variety series, "The Bobby Darin Amusement Company." Kevin Spacey first became aware of Bobby Darin as a child. His father's extensive record collection included Darin's LPs, and Spacey also grew up listening to and loving the big band music that influenced Darin. But there was something about Darin, his music and his persona, that made a strong impression on the future performer. As Spacey puts it, "I just thought he was the coolest cat that ever walked the face of the earth. His style, his attack had certain echoes of Sinatra, but it was its own thing." As Spacey grew up, he heard more of Darin's music, and his appreciation deepened. "I began to realize the breadth of his musical journey, how he went from rock & roll into pop music, gospel music, folk music, country/western and ultimately, into protest songs against the Vietnam war. When you then look at that trajectory in the context of his short 14-year career, that's a pretty remarkable road." In taking on the role of director as well as star of BEYOND THE SEA, Spacey sought to honor Darin's unique identity as a performer. "What was at the forefront of my mind was to make an entertaining film about an entertainer," the actor/filmmaker explains. "A person who walked out there every night and sang his guts out for two hours and created the kind of intimate nightclub world that doesn't really exist anymore." To create that kind of portrait, Spacey felt he had to completely understand and absorb Darin's musical approach. Ultimately, he spent some four years working with Darin's music, listening, practicing and recording. Recalls Spacey, "Every time I was off somewhere doing a movie, I'd be in a hotel room with tracks learning, and going into studios, recording and learning about myself recording. I was trying to find a way to have the attack be Bobby's but not feel saddled by doing an imitation. I felt the vocals had to come from me in order for it to be alive." However, it was by no means a foregone conclusion that Spacey would sing in the film. Darin's manager Steve Blauner continues to supervise the use of Darin's music, vigilantly guarding his late friend's legacy. In licensing the rights to Darin's story, Blauner had insisted on a contractual provision requiring the use of Darin's actual recordings. When Spacey's representative called to explain that the actor wanted to sing and asked for his cooperation, Blauner says he didn't mince words. Speaking of Darin, he told Spacey's representative, "'This is my soul-mate, this is my brother. This is someone who I loved dearly, still love dearly, still think of all the time. And I can't be part of the movie if it's not Bobby's voice. It's just not possible for me. Go make your movie.'" Shortly thereafter, Blauner reports, "I get a phone call from Kevin, from London. I'd never met him, never talked to him. I said, 'Hi, how are you? I'm a big fan of yours. But you shouldn't sing.' Now, you would think that would be the end of the conversation. We talked for two hours." Darin's manager didn't change his mind, but he accepted Spacey's invitation to lunch when the actor came to Los Angeles. In person, Blauner again told Spacey he shouldn't sing. This time, they talked for over four hours. Remembers Blauner, "When I left that meeting, I said to myself, 'Well, for this man to still be talking to me, he's got to have this passion that is sometimes the most important thing.' I sat down with Bobby's son, and I said, 'Look, this is your call. This is your father. You want to cooperate, I'm with you; you don't want to cooperate, I'm with you.' He said, 'Let's cooperate.'" Blauner then took it upon himself to track down the original arrangements for Darin's recordings, and sent them to Spacey. He also sent Spacey several never-released recordings "so he could hear other sides of Bobby." With Blauner and Dodd Darin's blessing secured, the project moved forward. The opportunity to work with Spacey, as well as the subject, attracted some of the finest talents working in film today. Spacey was as painstaking in casting the film as he was in learning Darin's music. "It was critically important to me that I find all those characters," he notes. "Bobby Darin is the center of the story, but around him are a lot of people that meant a lot to him in his life and who went with him on this journey." Acclaimed young actress Kate Bosworth (BLUE CRUSH) was cast as Darin's wife, teen movie star Sandra Dee. The film offers an honest, empathetic portrait of a fabled show business marriage, and the inevitable tension of balancing two high-profile careers. "Sandra Dee was the biggest box office star in the United States for about seven years running. She and Bobby were the most talked about couple in Hollywood. They were the Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston of their day, I guess," remarks Spacey. "Kate Bosworth is beautiful, funny, surprising, and completely right as the idea of an icon, an American sweetheart." Says Bosworth, "Everyone had an image of Sandra Dee as this perfect, golden girl virgin; but she really had so much dysfunction in her life that she was actually quite a dark character. It was exciting to play the emotional journey of a character that ranges from age 16 to 27. In a single day, I might do a scene where I'm playing Sandra, as innocent as could be, at 16. And then the next scene, she might be 25, with a child, a full-blown alcoholic with a cigarette in her hand." The highly respected John Goodman (O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?) portrays Steve Blauner, Darin's manager and best friend. "Steve Blauner is kind of a force of nature, as Bobby was. He believed in Bobby enough to take him on; everybody believed in Bobby," says Goodman. "It's like this movie. Kevin believed in this thing so damn much, it was hard not to jump onto it. I've never seen anything like it. My respect for Kevin is enormous, and I've known him since 1981 when he got out of Juilliard." Academy AwardŽ nominee Bob Hoskins took on the role of Charlie Maffia, who married Nina Cassotto and cared for Bobby like a son. Says Hoskins, "I always knew Bobby Darin. I've got quite a lot of records of his. One of the things that interested me was the fact that I didn't know his history." The actor was moved by that story, and by Charlie's role in it. "Charlie was like Bobby's nurse, and he kept him alive. There's a DVD of Bobby's last performance on television, and it is extraordinary. Especially when you know that Charlie was in the wings with an oxygen tank, ready to pump oxygen into him when he came off the stage. During the songs, you see Bobby doing these movements with his hands, and you think it's, like, hip. It's not. He's trying to get blood into his hands. The man's courage was just amazing." BEYOND THE SEA also features young pop/jazz pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger sensation Peter Cincotti as Darin's longtime musical accompanist and arranger, Dick Behrke. Phil Ramone, BEYOND THE SEA's music producer, had produced Cincotti's acclaimed debut album as well as its recent follow-up. Though Cincotti had not previously considered acting, he was intrigued when Spacey discussed the film with him after Cincotti's performance at a London jazz club. Explains Cincotti, "One of the most important things that drew me to the film is the music. It's really a character in the film. Kevin is telling the story through the music." Filming on BEYOND THE SEA began in November 2003, with a cast that includes Academy AwardŽ nominee Brenda Blethyn as Polly, Darin's mother; Caroline Aaron as Nina, his sister; Greta Scacchi as Dee's mother, Mary; and 11-year-old William Ullrich as the young Bobby Cassotto. The production required large soundstages, which led the producers to the Marlene Dietrich stages at Studio Babelsberg, Germany. Located near Berlin, Babelsberg's cinematic history encompasses films from METROPOLIS and THE BLUE ANGEL to THE PIANIST. Berlin proved to be a rich ground for the film's location shoots, which recreate the glamorous environs of 1950s and '60s New York, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas. Comments production designer Andrew Laws, "There's a lot of mid-century architecture in Berlin, and we found some very fresh locations. One of the difficulties of doing a film like this in Los Angeles is that a lot of the mid-century architecture that's in really great shape gets shot quite a bit, and can be fairly recognizable. I think people are going to be surprised when they learn that we shot in Berlin." With its range of locations, different time frames and elaborate production numbers, BEYOND THE SEA was an undeniably complex undertaking. Helping Spacey achieve his vision were director of photography Eduardo Serra (GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING), production designer Laws (DOWN WITH LOVE), choreographer Rob Ashford (Tony Award winner for "Thoroughly Modern Millie"), costume designer Ruth Myers (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), and makeup and hair designer Peter Swords King (LORD OF THE RINGS). Says Spacey, "Because I was surrounded by a production designer and a cinematographer and a choreographer and a music producer and a producer and a script supervisor and a cast - all the people who took my dream and made it their own; because of them, I was able to focus on exactly what I needed to focus on. " The music for BEYOND THE SEA was recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios, the legendary home of The Beatles. Supervising the film's music is master producer Phil Ramone, who has collaborated with a long list of greats, including Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Paul McCartney. The Grammy-winning producer believes part of Darin's magic lies in his individual approach to the music he made. "Like Sinatra, Bobby Darin brought the street to the ballad. Bobby Darin did everything. He did blues. He did spirituals. He did folk music. He covered every genre, but what he added to all of them was the street. It was extraordinary." The acclaimed conductor/arranger/music historian John Wilson directed the orchestra, working from Darin's original arrangements that Blauner had given to Spacey. Notes Spacey, "We were doing note for note what Bobby did. I think somehow knowing that, this orchestra rose to a level of playing that John said he's never seen before. They were determined to capture that sound of that time. And because they raised their game, they raised my game. It was just the most remarkable 12 days I've ever spent. It was incredible to be in Abbey Road, in the studio where The Beatles laid down 178 tracks." Peter Cincotti was amazed by both Spacey's passion and precision in performing the film's songs. "Singing seems like something Kevin really loves, but forget about whether he loves it or not - he sounds great," the musician enthuses. "The natural response, which everybody had, was 'Wait, is that Bobby? Or is that you singing?' I think that's the biggest compliment one can give." After production wrapped, Spacey set to work with editor Trevor Waite. One of the first people he asked to view a rough cut was Steve Blauner, who says he was brought to tears. "I went right to the bathroom when the lights came up, because I didn't see the movie - I saw a part of my life." He adds that Dodd Darin also embraced BEYOND THE SEA. "He loved the movie. He called his mother, Sandra Dee, and said, 'Well, Dad's finally going to get his due.'" Giving Darin his due is precisely what Spacey set out to do with BEYOND THE SEA. "My intention and my hope is that we'll introduce Bobby Darin to a whole generation for whom he isn't known," he states. "Quite frankly, of all those guys in the sort of Rat Pack revival of the last several years, Bobby's been the forgotten one. And that's a real shame because, after Sammy Davis, Jr., he was probably the greatest nightclub entertainer we ever had. I hope that people will walk out of the theater and go, 'Wow, I didn't know anything about him. I want to go look him up on the Internet and get an album." BOBBY DARIN Biography A versatile and charismatic talent, Bobby Darin blazed a remarkable trail across the fields of popular music, nightclub performance, film and television. His swinging, savvy approach to adult pop and standards won him comparisons to Frank Sinatra, and many considered him second only to Sammy Davis Jr. as a nightclub performer. During his 14-year career, he recorded in a range of musical genres, including rock & roll, R&B, folk and country as well as adult pop. He had twenty-two Billboard Top 40 hits, including nine Top 10 singles. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto on May 14, 1936 and grew up in the Bronx. As a child, he experienced severe bouts of rheumatic fever, which resulted in a damaged heart and chronic health problems throughout his life. He developed an appetite for performing as a child, and started a band while still in high school. He was a largely self-taught musician, and played drums, piano and guitar. He dropped out of college to pursue a performing career, and adopted the name Bobby Darin. In 1956 he was signed to Decca Records, but none of his records there were successful. Darin was championed by his occasional songwriting partner Don Kirshner, and in 1957 was signed to Atco Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic. The following year, he became a national sensation with his song "Splish Splash," which he reportedly wrote in 20 minutes. Produced by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, "Splish Splash" sold 100,000 copies in just three weeks. Follow up hits, including "Queen of the Hop" and "Dream Lover," cemented Darin's teen-idol status, as did appearances on such television shows as "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "American Bandstand." Darin began tampering with audience, label and critical expectations early in his career, forgoing rock & roll for standards on his second LP, 1959's "That's All." The gamble paid off handsomely; Darin's now-classic version of "Mack the Knife" (from Brecht-Weill's "The Threepenny Opera") spent nine weeks as Billboard's #1 single. Capping off Darin's success were two Grammy Awards, for Best New Artist of 1959 and Record of the Year for "Mack the Knife." By his early 20s, he was top nightclub act in Las Vegas and had headlined New York's fabled Copacabana. Darin, who had studied theatre during his brief tenure at college, moved to Hollywood in 1960 and began an acting career. His first major role was in the romantic comedy COME SEPTEMBER, which introduced him to his future wife, Sandra Dee; the couple was married in December 1960. Darin's other films include John Cassavetes' TOO LATE BLUES, Don Siegel's HELL IS FOR HEROES, and Hubert Cornfeld's PRESSURE POINT with Sidney Poitier. In 1964, he was nominated for an Academy AwardŽ and a Golden Globe Award for his performance in CAPTAIN NEWMAN, M.D., with Gregory Peck and Tony Curtis. Throughout the 1960s, Darin tackled different genres of music. Notable recordings include "Bobby Darin Sings Ray Charles," which earned him a Grammy nomination for his hit version of "What'd I Say"; and "Two of a Kind," an acclaimed collaboration with the great singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer. In 1966 he had a Top 10 hit with his version of Tim Hardin folk song "If I Were a Carpenter." Darin had appeared on many television shows throughout his career, and in the summer of 1972 he hosted a variety series on NBC. A full season of the program was planned when Darin became sick. Darin died during heart surgery on December 20, 1973. ABOUT THE CAST Kevin Spacey (Bobby Darin/Director/Producer) Since childhood the theatre has been Kevin Spacey's primary allegiance with roles ranging from high school to Broadway. He trained at the Juilliard School of Drama and made his New York stage debut in Joseph Papp's Central Park production of HENRY IV, PART I. His breakthrough came when director Jonathan Miller cast Spacey as the ne'er-do-well son of the late Jack Lemmon in the 1986 Broadway production of Eugene O'Neil's LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT, which also played the Haymarket Theatre in London. Other favorite roles include Treplov in THE SEAGULL (Kennedy Center); Ben in NATIONAL ANTHEMS (Long Wharf); Paul in Barrie Keefe's BARBARIANS (SoHo Rep); Athol Fugard's PLAYLAND (Manhattan Theatre Club); and Uncle Louie in Neil Simon's LOST IN YONKERS, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor. His close association with Mr. Lemmon continued as they shared the screen on three other projects; George Steven's Jr's THE MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN for NBC, Gary David Goldberg's DAD for Paramount and David Mamet's screen adaptation of GLENGARY GLEN ROSS, co-starring Al Pacino, Ed Harris and Alec Baldwin. Nine years ago cinema audiences discovered Spacey in three distinct performances as Buddy Akerman in George Huang's SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, Verbal Kint in Bryan Singer's THE USUAL SUSPECTS and John Doe in David Fincher's SE7EN. He has continued to build an impressive body of work with such films as LA CONFIDENTIAL, MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL, THE NEGOTIATOR, HURLYBURLY, LOOKING FOR RICHARD, THE BIG KAHUNA, K-PAX, THE SHIPPING NEWS, THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE and AMERICAN BEAUTY. Many of these performances have won him nominations and awards including two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for SUSPECTS and Best Actor for AMERICAN BEAUTY as well as the Screen Actors Guild and British Academy Award for Best Actor. In 1998 he returned to the stage following a five year absence in Eugene O'Neill's classic THE ICEMAN COMETH. The production originated at London's Almedia Theatre and later transferred to the Old Vic Theatre and onto Broadway (with Spacey as producer), where it played a sold-out acclaimed run. For his performance as Hickey he was nominated for the Tony Award (the play received 5 nominations) and won the Evening Standard Award and the Laurence Olivier Award as Best Actor. His work on television has included 7 episodes of WISEGUY and the film DARROW for PBS. He made his directorial debut with the Miramax film ALBINO ALLIGATOR starring Matt Dillon, Gary Sinise, Faye Dunaway and Viggo Mortensen. Spacey formed Trigger Street Productions in 1997, which produced ICEMAN and KAHUNA and the off-Broadway production of Lee Blessing's COBB at the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Trigger Street's feature THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND, starring Don Cheadle and Ryan Gosling for first time writer/director Matthew Hoge premiered in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and was released by Paramount Classics. Trigger Street will next produce the film of Ben Mezrich's amazing tale of six MIT students who learned the art of card counting and took Vegas for millions in BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE for MGM, under the direction of Brett Ratner. Trigger Street is also producing the feature MINI'S FIRST TIME for first time writer/director Nick Guthe, starring Alec Baldwin, Nicky Reed, Carrie Ann Moss and Luke Wilson. In November 2002, Spacey and business partner Dana Brunetti launched TRIGGERSTREET.COM, the web-based filmmaker and screenwriter' community; an interactive site for the purpose of discovering and showcasing new and unique talent. Budweiser sponsors the site with Real Networks and in just two years the site has achieved over 150,000 active members with the top ten finalists in the short film competition having been given major screenings of their films at the Tribeca, Toronto and Sundance Film Festivals. As an actor Spacey most recently played opposite Morgan Freeman and Justin Timberlake in the film EDISON for writer/director David Burke, who was the head writer on the series WISEGUY. Kevin is now serving as the new artistic director of The Old Vic Theatre in London, where his first season has just launched with the new Dutch play, CLOACA that he directed. This will be followed by Sir Ian McKellen in the Panto ALADDIN. His acting debut in the company will begin next year in Dennis McIntyre's NATIONAL ANTHEMS, under the direction of David Grindley and then in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY to be directed by Jerry Zaks. He dedicates this film in loving memory of his mother. Kate Bosworth (Sandra Dee) Kate Bosworth made her feature film debut in Robert Redford's film THE HORSE WHISPERER and has been working steadily ever since. She recently starred in Robert Luketic's WIN A DATE WITH TAD HAMILTON featuring Topher Grace and Josh Duhamel. Later this year, she can be seen in BEE SEASON starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche. Bosworth's other credits include her starring role in John Stockwell's BLUE CRUSH; WONDERLAND opposite Val Kilmer and Lisa Kudrow; Roger Avary's RULES OF ATTRACTION starring James Van Der Beek and Jessica Biel; and the Jerry Bruckheimer feature REMEMBER THE TITANS starring Denzel Washington. She also garnered acclaim on the small screen with her television debut as 'Bella Banks' in the summer series Young Americans for the WB. Bosworth was born in California but moved to the East coast early during her childhood, where she developed her passion for horseback riding. She currently resides in Los Angeles. John Goodman (Steve Blauner) John Goodman is one of the entertainment industry's most respected actors. He earned a Golden Globe nomination in 1992 for his chilling performance in the Joel and Ethan Coen's heralded BARTON FINK. Coincidentally, Goodman's breakthrough motion picture performance was in RAISING ARIZONA, also a Coen Brothers film. He has since teamed with the Coens in THE BIG LEBOWSKI and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? Goodman can next be seen in "Center of the Universe," a new comedy series for CBS, which will air in the fall. He is also voicing one of the main characters in the new animated fall series "Father of the Pride," for NBC. Goodman has lent his voice to numerous other animated characters as well. His voice-over credits include MONSTERS, INC., THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE and THE JUNGLE BOOK II. Goodman was raised in St. Louis, Missouri by his mother, who was widowed when he was two. A high school football player, Goodman intended to play football at Southwest Missouri State but hurt a knee and was forced to sit out a year. He spent that year studying drama with fellow students Kathleen Turner and Tess Harper. He never returned to football and graduated in 1975 with a B.F.A. degree in theatre. He moved to New York and began pursuing an acting career. He performed in many dinner-theatre and children's theatre productions, and in several off-Broadway plays. His regional theatre credits include "Henry IV, Parts I and II," "Antony and Cleopatra" and "As You Like It." Things started to come together when he joined a road production of "The Robber Bridegroom." Eventually, he starred in two Broadway shows, "Loose Ends" in 1979 and "Big River" in 1985. In 2002, Goodman starred on Broadway in the Public Theatre's "Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui." In 2001, he starred in the Shakespeare in the Park production of "The Seagull." Goodman made his screen debut in the HBO production MYSTERY OF THE MORO CASTLE. His film credits include MASKED AND ANONYMOUS; STORYTELLING; O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU; COYOTE UGLY; WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM?; ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S; BRINGING OUT THE DEAD; FALLEN; THE BORROWERS; BLUES BROTHERS 2000; THE RUNNER; THE FLINTSTONES; MOTHER NIGHT; ARACHNOPHOBIA; ALWAYS; PIE IN THE SKY; BORN YESTERDAY; MATINEE; THE BABE; KING RALPH; PUNCHLINE; EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN; SEA OF LOVE; STELLA; EDDIE MACON'S RUN; C.H.U.D.; REVENGE OF THE NERDS; MARIA'S LOVERS; SWEET DREAMS; TRUE STORIES; THE BIG EASY; BURGLAR; and THE WRONG GUYS. Goodman has also given many acclaimed television performances. He received Emmy nominations for his starring role in TNT's KINGFISH: A STORY OF HUEY P. LONG and for his role as Mitch in the CBS production of Tennessee Williams' A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. He also starred in the HBO film THE JACK BULL. For eight seasons, John played Dan Conner in "Roseanne," a role that has earned him seven Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe Award. Bob Hoskins (Charlie Maffia) BOB HOSKINS is one of England's most visible actors and has frequently appeared in American films as well. Among his best known are WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, THE COTTON CLUB, MERMAIDS, NIXON, and MAID IN MANHATTAN. Born in Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, Hoskins left school at 15 with dreams of an acting career. He supported himself with odd jobs (including working in a circus as a fire eater) before gaining regular employment as a working actor on stage and in British television. American viewers first noticed him as the lead in the original British miniseries of Dennis Potter's "Pennies from Heaven." Hoskins made his motion picture debut in John Byrum's INSERTS in 1975, but his breakthrough was in Neil Jordan's MONA LISA (1987). For that film he received an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor, and won a BAFTA award, a Golden Globe, a Cannes Film Festival award, and awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics, the London Film Critics, the New York Film Critics, and the National Society of Film Critics. Among his other films are THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY, BRAZIL, A PRAYER FOR THE DYING, THE LONELY PASSION OF JUDITH HEARNE, SHATTERED, HOOK, THE INNER CIRCLE, MICHAEL, 24/7: TWENTY FOUR SEVEN, COUSIN BETTE, FELICIA'S JOURNEY, ENEMY AT THE GATES, THE LAST ORDERS, and the upcoming VANITY FAIR, STAY, ELIZABETH REX and MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS. He has also starred as two twentieth-century dictators in the TV miniseries NORIEGA: GOD'S FAVORITE and MUSSOLINI: DECLINE AND FALL OF IL DUCE as well as Winston Churchill in the CBS live broadcast television movie WORLD WAR II: WHEN LIONS ROARED. Hoskins directed himself in the film RAINBOW, and wrote, directed and starred in THE RAGGEDY RAWNEY. He also produced and starred in the 1996 film SECRET AGENT, based on the novel by Joseph Conrad. Brenda Blethyn (Polly Cassotto) Award-winning actress Brenda Blethyn is renowned for her exceptional work in film, theatre and television. She is a two-time Academy AwardŽ nominee, receiving her first nomination in 1997 for Best Actress in Mike Leigh's SECRETS AND LIES, and her second in 1999 for Best Supporting Actress in Mark Herman's LITTLE VOICE. Blethyn's performance in SECRETS AND LIES won her Best Actress honors at the Cannes Film Festival, the Golden Globes, the British Academy Awards, the L.A. Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics, as well as the British Actress of the Year Award from the London Film Critics Circle. For her performance in LITTLE VOICE, she was named Best Supporting Actress for 1999 by the Dallas Fort Worth Critics Association, and received similar nominations from the Screen Actors Guild, British Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. In 2001, she received her third Golden Globe nomination, for Best Actress in Nigel Cole's SAVING GRACE. Blethyn will next be seen in the holiday movie BLIZZARD, directed by LeVar Burton and scheduled for release in November 2004. She will be seen in several films scheduled for 2005 release, including Joe Wright's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Amma Asante's A WAY OF LIFE, John McKay's PICCADILLY JIM, Gaby Dellal's ON A CLEAR DAY, and the animated feature POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE, directed by Frank Nissen. Recent film credits include Nick Hurran's PLOTS WITH A VIEW, Nicole Holofcener's LOVELY AND AMAZING, Nicolas Cage's SONNY and Anthony Abrams and Adam Broder's PUMPKIN. Other credits include Billy Bob Thornton's DADDY AND THEM; and Guy Jenkins' SLEEPING DICTIONARY; Nick Hurran's GIRL'S NIGHT and REMEMBER ME; John Lynch's NIGHT TRAIN; James Bogle's IN THE WINTER DARK; Charlie Peters' MUSIC FROM ANOTHER ROOM; Robert Redford's A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT; and Nicolas Roeg's WITCHES. Among her many notable television credits are the films ANNE FRANK: THE WHOLE STORY (for which she received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress); the award-winning HBO production RKO 281; POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL: THE BARBARA HUTTON STORY; Jonathan Miller's adaptation of Shakespeare's KING LEAR; and Mike Leigh's GROWN-UPS for BBC2. She co-starred in the mini-series "The Buddha of Suburbia," directed by Roger Michell and adapted by Hanif Kureishi from his novel, and has starred in several British television series, including "Outside Edge," which brought her the British Comedy Awards' Best TV Comedy Actress prize for 1994. Blethyn began her career on the stage in her native England, and was quickly recognized as a major talent. In 1975, she became a member of the Royal National Theatre Company and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1981, she received the prestigious Critics Circle Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Steaming." She has worked with such esteemed directors as Peter Hall, Sam Mendes and Peter Wood, acting in a wide range of classic and modern plays, including "Mrs. Warren's Profession," "Habeas Corpus," "Wildest Dreams," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and "Tamburlaine the Great," adapted by Tom Stoppard. In 1991, she made her New York debut in the Broadway production of Alan Ayckbourn's "Absent Friends," for which she received the 1991 Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Talent. Greta Scacchi (Mary Duvan) Greta Scacchi has forged a distinctive and genuinely international career that encompasses film, television and theatre in America, Europe and Australia. She will soon being filming SYRIANA, written and directed by Academy AwardŽ winner Stephen Gaghan. Scacchi's recent film credits include Roberto Ando's STRANGE CRIME with Daniel Auteuil; Reuben Leder's BALTIC SEA with Donald Sutherland; and Karl Francis' ONE OF THE HOLLYWOOD TEN, opposite Jeff Goldblum. Her performance in the Australian film LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI, won her Best Supporting Actress honors from the Scope Australian Film Institute (AFI) and the Film Critics Circle of Australia. She has starred in several films for Ismail Merchant and James Ivory, including Merchant's COTTON MARY and Ivory's JEFFERSON IN PARIS and HEAT AND DUST, which garnered her a 1984 BAFTA Award nomination for Best Newcomer. Other credits include Francois Girard's THE RED VIOLIN; Douglas McGrath's EMMA; Mike Figgis' THE BROWNING VERSION; Robert Altman's THE PLAYER; Wolfgang Petersen's SHATTERED; Alan Pakula's PRESUMED INNOCENT; Gilliam Armstrong's FIRES WITHIN; Michael Radford's WHITE MISCHIEF; the Taviani Brothers' GOOD MORNING BABYLON; Diane Kurys' A MAN IN LOVE; David Drury's DEFENCE OF THE REALM; and Dusan Makavejev's THE COCA-COLA KID. Her television credits include the telefilm RASPUTIN, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress, and the Australian mini-series "The Farm," for which she received an AFI (Australian Film Institute) nomination for Best Actress in a Telefeature or Mini-Series. Other television credits include the mini-series "Daniel Deronda"; the British telefilm JEFFREY ARCHER: THE TRUTH; MACBETH; THE ODYSSEY; THE EBONY TOWER with Laurence Olivier; DR. FISCHER OF GENEVA with Alan Bates and James Mason; and the Australian mini-series "Waterfront," which won her the Penguin Award for New Actress and the Logie Award. Scacchi's stage credits in England and Australia include "Old Times," "The Guardsman," "Easy Virtue," "Simpatico," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Miss Julie," "A Doll's House," "Uncle Vanya," and "In Times Like These." Caroline Aaron (Nina Cassotto Maffia) Caroline Aaron is known to movie, television, and theatre audiences. Her first break was in 1982 when she caught the eye of famed director Robert Altman and he cast her in his Broadway production of "Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean." She co-starred with Cher, the late Sandy Dennis and Karen Black and subsequently reprised her role in the film version. She next appeared on Broadway in the Jason Robard's acclaimed revival of "The Iceman Cometh." And the following season Broadway audiences saw her in Mike Nichols' hit comedy "Social Security." Los Angeles theatre audiences discovered her stage work in the West Coast premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's "The Sisters Rosensweig" and Dori Fram's "Call Waiting." The theatre acknowledged Aaron's contribution with two Dramalogue Awards and a Helen Hayes Award. Aaron's body of film work began in New York with her work in Mike Nichols' HEARTBURN opposite Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. Her collaboration with Mr. Nichols continued with supporting parts in WORKING GIRL, PRIMARY COLORS and, most recently, WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM?. Other renowned directors have sought out Aaron multiple times to work on their films. Most notably, she has worked in five of Woody Allen's movies, twice playing his sister, beginning with his honored film CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS and most recently in DECONSTRUCTING HARRY. Her filmography also includes three films by Nora Ephron, THIS IS MY LIFE, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and LUCKY NUMBERS. She appeared in two of John Sayles' movies, BABY IT'S YOU and THE BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, the latter being a role Mr. Sayles wrote for her after her stage work brought her to his attention. Film audiences are also familiar with Aaron from Tim Burton's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, Stanley Tucci's BIG NIGHT, Wayne Wang's ANYWHERE BUT HERE and ALONG CAME POLLY. In addition, she starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in Don Roos' BOUNCE and her work was acknowledged with a Blockbuster award nomination as the best supporting actress of the season. Following BOUNCE, Roos executive produced the indie CALL WAITING, in which Aaron is the only performer playing two different roles. The film was recognized this past season with the Grand Jury Prize at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Aaron played starring roles in three recent independent features, A DAY WITHOUT A MEXICAN, AMY'S ORGASM and NEVER AGAIN. Crossing back and forth between film and television, Aaron has starred in several TV movies opposite such greats as Jack Lemmon and Mia Farrow. Her TV movies include WHEN BILLIE MET BOBBY, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, RUNNING MATES, WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION, and THE BOYS NEXT DOOR. Comfortable in comedy and drama she is represented on television in numerous shows with recurring roles on "Judging Amy," "Law and Order," "Ally McBeal" and "Almost Perfect." She has guest starred on "NYPD Blue," "The Practice," "Wings," "Mad About You," "Frasier," and many others. Aaron is currently filming GRILLED, playing Burt Reynolds' wife. A native of Richmond, Virginia she currently resides in Los Angeles with her real husband of twenty-three years and their two children. Peter Cincotti (Dick Behrke) 21-year-old pop/jazz pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger Peter Cincotti has been making incredible strides since the release of his self-titled debut CD in March 2003. Produced by the legendary Grammy Award winner Phil Ramone, "Peter Cincotti" reached #1 on Billboard Magazine's Traditional Jazz Chart and ranked #3 in overall sales for 2003. Cincotti's second CD, "On the Moon," was released on September 14, 2004. This year, he made his feature film debut in Sam Raimi's box-office and critical smash SPIDER-MAN 2. Cincotti started tinkering with a toy piano his grandmother gave him at an early age. By the age of nine, he was composing and in his mid-teens, he took up singing. Cincotti soon became a quadruple threat: pianist, singer, composer, and arranger. While still in high school, he played in jazz clubs throughout Manhattan, participated in the National Grammy Band, was honored in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and was invited to perform at the White House. He also won a coveted award at the Montreux 2000 Jazz Festival in Switzerland for his piano rendition of Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia." Cincotti has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the Newport, Monterey, Montreux, Detroit and Montreal Jazz Festivals, as well as the top concert halls and jazz clubs around the world. William Ullrich (Little Bobby) William Ullrich, who is just turning eleven, makes his film debut in BEYOND THE SEA. Ullrich has spent the past four years singing, dancing and acting on Broadway. Most recently, he was seen as Randolph in City Center Encores! production of "Bye Bye Birdie." He starred as Little Guido in the Tony Award-winning revival of "Nine" with Antonio Banderas and Jane Krakowski. He was also seen in "Oklahoma" as Maverick, "The Music Man" as Winthrop, and "Beauty and the Beast" as Chip. Ullrich has participated in many readings/workshops in New York City, including the "Dream True" concert at Cooper Union, "Tarzan," "Dancer in the Dark," "Priceless," "Dead Man Walking" and "Dirty Dancing". He has appeared on television in "Third Watch," "Blue's Clues Holiday Special" (Little Steve) and can currently be seen in a commercial for Porsche. He can be heard singing in the Disney movie DUMBO II, and on many children's CDs and commercials. In his spare time, Ullrich studies voice and dance. He enjoys playing baseball, tennis, watching the Yankees, drawing and playing with his Jack Russell terrier, Max. ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS Kevin Spacey (Director/Producer/Writer) Please see "About the Cast" Andy Paterson (Producer) Andy Paterson's recent films include the critically acclaimed GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, based on Tracy Chevalier's best-selling novel and starring Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. The film was nominated for ten BAFTA Awards, three OscarsŽ and two Golden Globes. Previous productions include the OscarŽ and BAFTA-nominated HILARY AND JACKIE, starring Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths; and the OscarŽ-winning RESTORATION, starring Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Grant and Meg Ryan. With RESTORATION and GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING, Paterson is probably the only producer in history to have made two major feature films set in 1665, a distinction he could not have foreseen as he commenced a physics degree at Oxford University in the early 1980's. His time at Oxford coincided with director Michael Hoffman, (with whom he would go on to make five films), screenwriter Olivia Hetreed (who would become his wife), and Hugh Grant. Together they made their first feature film, the $40,000 PRIVILEGED, which was released theatrically in the UK and US and launched many careers. In 1990, Paterson and Nick Kent produced the BAFTA-winning documentary series "Naked Hollywood" and formed Oxford Television Company, now a major force in British factual television. After HILARY AND JACKIE, Paterson, with director Anand Tucker and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, decided to concentrate only on movies and started a new production company, Archer Street Ltd. As well as running the film side of the British producers' association, PACT, for three years, Paterson has co-produced two films with Icelandic director Agust Gudmundsson: DANSINN and THE SEAGULL'S LAUGHTER, which was Iceland's foreign language OscarŽ candidate in 2002 and which is currently on release in North America. Jan Fantl (Producer) Born in Prague in 1954, Jan Fantl comes from a family of active film industry professionals. Fantl literally grew up on his father Thomas' sets, and had completed many internships by the time he finished high school. As a young man, Fantl considered pursuing legal studies, but his passion for the film-industry was stronger. He launched his career at Bavaria Studios in Munich, moved on to positions as first assistant director, and ten years later to line producer. In 1984, Fantl and his father produced the award-winning documentary feature THE CHILDREN OF THERESIENSTADT - GATEWAY TO HELL. Fantl also worked as writer/ director on the re-launched German version of "Sesame Street." In 1985 he organized the action sequences as second unit director on SCHIMANSKI - ZAHN UM ZAHN, one of the first successful action movies in German theatrical production. He went on in 1988 to produce "Multimedia Film- und Fernsehproduktion", e.g. providing for Sat 1 Infotainment. In 1993, Fantl line-produced the German-Icelandic co-production TEARS OF STONE, which garnered an Academy AwardŽ nomination in 1994 for Best Foreign Film. His success continued in 1996 when he produced the hit movie-of-the-week DER CLOWN for German Broadcaster RTL, and in 1997, with MISS DIAMOND -- still one of the best rated MOW's for German broadcaster Pro 7. This production marked the first feature of Fantl's own company "Q&Q," which today is "QI Quality International." The main business of QI Quality International is the acquisition, financing and control of international film co-productions, in cooperation with well-known producers, production companies and studios in Europe. As of year-end 2004, Quality International has shepherded more than 29 international film projects, including the U.S. box-office hit THE MUSKETEER, which made it to Number 1 on its opening weekend. The 2002/2003 productions include the Internet thriller FEARDOTCOM; the snowboard movie EXTREME OPS; the family-action-adventure GEORGE AND THE DRAGON starring Patrick Swayze, Piper Perabo and Michael Clarke Duncan; the comedy FUNKY MONKEY starring Mathew Modine; and the sci-fi thriller A SOUND OF THUNDER. The latest features co-produced by QI are the thriller SPARTAN, directed by David Mamet and starring Val Kilmer; STANDER directed by Bronwen Hughes starring Thomas Jane, which opened August 8; Stephen King's RIDING THE BULLET with David Arquette and Barbara Hershey with helmer Mick Garris, opening October 1st; and the historic drama TRISTAN & ISOLDE directed by Kevin Reynolds and starring James Franco. Arthur E. Friedman (Producer) Arthur E. Friedman began his career in the motion industry with United Artists, distributing film in Cincinnati, Washington and Boston, eventually becoming New England Branch Manager. In 1973 Mr. Friedman founded Cinema Film Buying, which licensed film for independent exhibitors throughout New England. CFB grew rapidly and became the largest company of its kind in New England, eventually representing hundreds of independent theatre screens and many of the area's largest theatre circuits. In 1974, he was joined by partner Roger Lockwood, and with him founded Lockwood/ Friedman Theatres, which owned and operated movie theatres in Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Ohio, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Included in the circuit were the Harvard Square Theatre, Cambridge, MA (under L/F auspices one of the most successful multiplexes in America) and the four unique theaters on Martha's Vineyard, MA.. Mr. Friedman also founded Lockwood/ Friedman Distribution, which became the leading representative in New England for national independent distributors. Companies represented included New World, New Line, Cannon, Crown International, Cinema 5, etc.. Films distributed ranged from "HALLOWEEN", "DEATH RACE 2000", and "PUMPING IRON" to "THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH", "MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL", "GROOVE TUBE", Ron Howard's "EAT MY DUST", "KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE", "BILLY JACK", "HARPER VALLEY PTA", and artistic films such as "SEVEN BEAUTIES", "SWEPT AWAY", "STORY OF ADELE H", and Fellini's "AMARCORD". In 1985, Mr. Friedman partnered with Circle Films in the national distribution and marketing of Joel and Ethan Coen's "BLOOD SIMPLE" (re-released theatrically July 2000). Circle Productions, Mr. Friedman included, then produced the Coen brothers' "RAISING ARIZONA", "MILLER'S CROSSING" and "BARTON FINK." Arthur E. Friedman and AEF Productions produced "PRICE OF GLORY", starring Jimmy Smits, for New Line, which was released theatrically March 2000. Arthur E. Friedman and Kevin Spacey have produced "BEYOND THE SEA" (The Bobby Darin Story), directed by and starring Kevin Spacey, which will be released by Lions Gate Films fall/winter 2004. This movie is the culmination of Mr. Friedman's seventeen year effort to bring the Darin story to the big screen. Mr. Friedman has personally consulted re domestic theatrical distribution with Robert Redford and Jake Eberts ("A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT", "QUIZ SHOW") and Barry Levinson ("BUGSY"). AEF Productions is also actively developing a slate of films including the life story of EDDIE FISHER (to be directed by Academy Award nominee Nanette Burstein - "ON THE ROPES" and "THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE") - "THE BOYS FROM NOWHERE", "BATTLE FOR HOLLYWOOD". "HARPER VALLEY USA ", "MIRACLE ON 33rd STREET", "SLAM DUNK", "DAZZLED", "THE PISTOL", "WOMAN DOCTOR", "TWISTED GENIUS", "DIAMOND DUST" , "BATTLE OF BOSTON", "FIRE", "BILLY THE KID AND THE MICK" and "NEVER TOO LATE". Born and raised in New York City and a longtime resident of Boston, Mr. Friedman now lives in Los Angeles with his family. Eduardo Serra, A.S.C., A.F.C. (Director of Photography) Eduardo Serra's critically acclaimed work on Peter Webber's GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING earned him BAFTA and OscarŽ nominations as well as the San Sebastian Award for Best Cinematography, a Camerimage Bronze Frog Award and the L.A. Critics Association Award. In 1996 he received a BAFTA award and an OscarŽ nomination for THE WINGS OF THE DOVE. Other credits include Peter Chelsom's FUNNY BONES (Photography Award - Vevey Film Festival), Michael Winterbottom's JUDE (Camerimage Silver Frog Award), Vincent Ward's MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART (Australian Film Critics Award) and M. Night Shyamalan's UNBREAKABLE. Serra has worked extensively with French director Claude Chabrol, most recently on his feature LA DEMOISELLE D'HONNEUR, currently in post-production, and THE FLOWER OF EVIL, recently released in the UK. His work with Patrice Leconte began with THE HAIRDRESSER'S HUSBAND and includes LE PARFUM D'YVONNE, THE WIDOW OF SAINT-PIERRE, LOVE STREET and, most recently, INTIMATE STRANGERS. Serra graduated from the Vaugirard-Louis Lumičre film school, after which he earned a degree in History of Art and Archaeology from University of Paris I. He splits his time between his adopted home of Paris and Lisbon, Portugal, his place of birth. Andrew Laws (Production Designer) Since launching his career in the mid-1990s, production designer Andrew Laws has established himself as a production designer with a distinctive eye and keen sense of story. His credits include John Hamburg's ALONG CAME POLLY; Peyton Reed's DOWN WITH LOVE; David Zucker's THE GUEST; Joel Schumacher's PHONE BOOTH and TIGERLAND; and Hampton Fancher's THE MINUS MAN. Among his credits as an art director are Dominic Sena's SWORDFISH and GONE IN 60 SECONDS, Matthew Warchus' SIMPATICO, and Wes Anderson's RUSHMORE. His early career included positions as an assistant art director on Quentin Tarantino's JACKIE BROWN, Nick Cassavettes' SHE'S SO LOVELY, and Paul Schrader's TOUCH. In addition, Laws has worked as an art director and set designer of televisions, collaborating with directors including Michel Gondry, Jonathan Glazer and Dominic Sena on spots for Coca-Cola, Levi's and UPS. Born to Scottish parents, Laws has lived and traveled all over the world. He attended art school and trained as an architect prior to launching a film career. He worked as a junior designer at the Los Angeles architecture firm A.C. Martin; as a graduate student in architecture at UCLA, he trained with such noted designers as Daniel Lieberskind and Tom Mayne. His first introduction to the film industry was a job as an architectural researcher on a project for director Ridley Scott. Trevor Waite (Editor) Trevor Waite is one of Britain's most outstanding film editors, and has worked with a variety of distinguished directors, including Michael Winterbottom, Tim Fywell and Tim Roth. Waite's relationship with the director Michael Winterbottom started in 1993 with the film BUTTERFLY KISS and continued with JUDE, WELCOME TO SARAJEVO, I WANT YOU, WONDERLAND, THE CLAIM and 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, among others. In 1993, Waite received a BAFTA nomination for his work on the television series "Cracker," again directed by Michael Winterbottom. Ruth Myers (Costume Designer) Costume designer Ruth Myers has forged a distinguished career in American and British cinema. She is a two-time Academy AwardŽ nominee, for Douglas McGrath's EMMA in 1996 and for Barry Sonnenfeld's THE ADDAMS FAMILY in 1991. In addition, she received a 1997 BAFTA Award nomination for her work on Curtis Hanson's Oscar-winning L.A. CONFIDENTIALŽ. Myers' recent credits include CONNIE AND CARLA, ELLA ENCHANTED, and the pilot for the HBO series "Carnivale," which earned her a Costume Designers Guild Award and an Emmy nomination. Other notable credits include Douglas McGrath's NICHOLAS NICKELBY; Shekhar Kapur's THE FOUR FEATHERS; Richard Eyre's IRIS; Taylor Hackford's PROOF OF LIFE; Nicholas Hytner's CENTER STAGE; Mimi Leder's DEEP IMPACT; Tim Robbins' CRADE WILL ROCK; Jocelyn Morehouse's A THOUSAND ACRES and HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT; Fred Schepisi's I.Q., THE RUSSIA HOUSE, PLENTY; Sydney Pollack's THE FIRM; Ron Shelton's BLAZE; Lawrence Kasdan's THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST; Gene Wilder's THE WOMAN IN RED, HAUNTED HONEYMOON, THE WORLD'S GREATEST LOVER and SHERLOCK HOLMES' SMARTER BROTHER; David Ward's CANNERY ROW; Ken Russell's ALTERED STATES; Norman Jewison's AND JUSTICE FOR ALL; Richard Attenborough's MAGIC; and Joseph Losey's THE ROMANTIC ENGLISHWOMAN. For television, she received the 1989 Cable Ace Award for her work on Baja Oklahoma, which aired on HBO. Her theatre and opera credits include "Madame Butterfly" for Ken Russell and "Mutiny" and "You Can't Take It With You," both for director Michael Bodganov. Peter Swords King (Make-up and Hair Designer) Peter Swords King has designed hair and makeup for numerous films, among them Stephen Fry's BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS; Jonathan Frakes' THUNDERBIRDS; Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy; Oliver Parker's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and AN IDEAL HUSBAND; Philip Kaufman's QUILLS; Todd Haynes' VELVET GOLDMINE; and Mark Herman's LITTLE VOICE. His theatre credits include the original "Phantom of the Opera," which ultimately led him to film. He began his career designing makeup and hair at the Bristol Old Vic theatre in 1980, where he met the makeup artist Peter Owen. King then moved with Owen to the Welsh National Opera, where they worked for five years prior to forming their company Owen, King and Co. Prior to launching his career in makeup and hair design, King ran a variety of small theatre companies and an arts center. Rob Ashford (Choreographer) Rob Ashford is the 2002 Tony Award winner for his choreography for "Thoroughly Modern Millie." He also received an Olivier nomination for the West End production of "Millie." Other choreography credits include "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" at the National Theatre, London; a revival of "The Boys From Syracuse" on Broadway and a Dawn Upshaw concert at Lincoln Center. For the EnCores! series at City Center in New York, he has choreographed "Pardon My English," "Bloomer Girl," "Connecticut Yankee," and "Tenderloin." Regional theatre credits include "3hree" at The Ahmanson in Los Angeles, "Marty" at The Huntington Theatre in Boston, and the national tour of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," currently in its second year. Ashford is a member of the Executive Board of The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. Future projects include a Broadway production of "Marty" starring John C. Reilly and The Donmar Theatre's production of "Guys and Dolls," slated for the West End in the spring of 2005. Phil Ramone (Music Producer) Phil Ramone is one of the most respected and prolific music producers in the recording industry. With nine Grammy Awards and an Emmy to his credit, Ramone's musical acumen and his use of audio technology are unmatched among his peers. Acknowledged as one of the top creative producers, Ramone has also played an integral role in pioneering many of the technological developments in the music industry over the years. He ardently supported the use of the compact disc, digital videodisc, hi-definition recording and surround sound. Appropriately, the first CD ever pressed, Billy Joel's 52nd Street, was a Phil Ramone production as was the first pop DVD release, Dave Grusin Presents West Side Story. His use of a fiber optics system (EDNet) to record tracks in "real time" from different locations for Frank Sinatra's Duets I & II was a groundbreaking achievement. Ramone's unique skills make him invaluable to the artists with whom he works. His impeccable list of credits includes collaborations with such diverse artists as: Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Bono, Ray Charles, Chicago, Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Gloria Estefan, Renee Fleming, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Elton John, Quincy Jones, BB King, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Liza Minnelli, Sinead O'Connor, Luciano Pavarotti, Peter/Paul and Mary, Andre Previn, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Phoebe Snow, Rod Stewart, Sting, The Rolling Stones, and Barbra Streisand. Ramone has long been recognized for the diversity of his work. In addition to working on several television projects and live events, he has recently completed recordings with Elton John, Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, Olivia Newton-John, Peter Cincotti, and Eric McCormack. Having finished a 5.1 remix of Bob Dylan's classic Blood On The Tracks, Ramone also produced the surround remix of Paul Simon's Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints. A passionate fan of all forms of entertainment, Ramone has numerous concert, film, Broadway and television productions to his credit, among them: A STAR IS BORN; FLASHDANCE; GHOSTBUSTERS; MIDNIGHT COWBOY; ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE; THE SCORE; THE GOOD THIEF; "Passion"; "Seussical"; "Simon and Garfunkel: The Concert In Central Park"; "Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards"; and "VH1/BBC Queens Jubilee Party at the Palace." Ramone is also extremely active in music and service related organizations. He is the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), currently serves as Chairman of the Producers and Engineers Wing, and is a Trustee of the Grammy and MusiCares Foundations, producing their annual pre-Grammy tribute (honorees include Sting, Bono, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Elton John and Luciano Pavarotti among others). Ramone is a champion of music programs in public schools to ensure that children have the opportunity to foster their musical talents, and serves on the boards of the National Mentoring Partnership and The Berklee College of Music. He is also a Trustee of the National Academy of Popular Music, the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress and serves on the governing board of the National Music Center and Museum Foundation in Washington, DC. John Wilson (Musical Director) Still only 30, John Wilson has established an enviable reputation as a conductor, arranger and scholar and is recognized internationally as an expert in the specialist fields of light music and music for screen. Born in Tyneside in 1972, Wilson studied composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music, winning all the major conducting prizes and the coveted Tagore Gold Medal for the most outstanding student. He has conducted many leading British orchestras, including the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Concert, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Royal Scottish National, the Halle, the Bournemouth Symphony, the BBC Scottish Symphony, the English Chamber, the English Sinfonia, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and the Britten Sinfonia, and recently made his Danish debut with the Aalborg Symphony. He has made numerous recordings, most notably a series of highly acclaimed CDs with the John Wilson Orchestra for Vocalion and two discs of the music of Eric Coates for ASV. A prolific arranger, Wilson has produced countless orchestrations for film, radio and television. In 2000 he orchestrated Sir Richard Rodney Bennett's entire score for the BBC production of GORMENGHAST, which won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Score. He has recently orchestrated and conducted Howard Goodall's score for the BBC film THE GATHERING STORM about the life of Winston Churchill. He enjoys a close working relationship with Sir Paul McCartney and has orchestrated several of his compositions. Wilson has restored a number of classic film scores and recently took on the enormous task of reconstructing the orchestrations of all the major MGM Musicals. Joanna Colbert (Casting) Joanna Colbert was raised in New York City where she was an intern for Juliet Taylor. Under Ms. Taylor, Colbert worked on numerous Woody Allen Fall Projects. In 1994, Ms. Taylor asked Joanna to lead the search for the 'little girl' in INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, in which Kirsten Dunst was cast at the age of 10. At the end of 1994, Colbert became the Director of Feature Casting at Universal pictures. She was promoted to Sr. Vice President and remained at Universal for nine years. In 2002, Colbert started Joanna Colbert Casting. BEYOND THE SEA is her debut film for her own company. Her other credits include THE GOOD GIRL, the U.S. casting on WIMBLEDON, THE UNTITLED TED GRIFFIN film and MUST LOVE DOGS, starring Diane Lane. Official Web Site: http://www.beyondtheseathemovie.com Back to main movie page Showing Today at: Click here for other showings