Multi-hyphenate indie star Jennifer Westfeldt has signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency.
The firm — which counts clients like “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow, up-and-comer Madelyn Deutch and “Hidden Figures” screenwriter Allison Schroeder — has signed Westfeldt as a writer, director, and producer. She’ll remain with Innovative Artists for representation as an actress.
Westfeldt is eyeing significant feature projects where she can flex in numerous categories at the same time — like 2011’s “Friends With Kids” (her directorial debut), which she wrote, produced and starred in alongside Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd and Jon Hamm. Prior to that, she wrote and starred in the acclaimed drama “Ira & Abby” with Chris Messina.
Westfeldt’s breakout role came in the 2001 film “Kissing Jessica Stein,” in the indie canon thanks to its landmark representation of gay female sexuality. Adapted from a sketch by Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, both women were nominated for an...
The firm — which counts clients like “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow, up-and-comer Madelyn Deutch and “Hidden Figures” screenwriter Allison Schroeder — has signed Westfeldt as a writer, director, and producer. She’ll remain with Innovative Artists for representation as an actress.
Westfeldt is eyeing significant feature projects where she can flex in numerous categories at the same time — like 2011’s “Friends With Kids” (her directorial debut), which she wrote, produced and starred in alongside Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd and Jon Hamm. Prior to that, she wrote and starred in the acclaimed drama “Ira & Abby” with Chris Messina.
Westfeldt’s breakout role came in the 2001 film “Kissing Jessica Stein,” in the indie canon thanks to its landmark representation of gay female sexuality. Adapted from a sketch by Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, both women were nominated for an...
- 11/26/2018
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Team Experience is sharing favorite Lgbt scenes in cinema for Pride Month. Here's Deborah...
Kissing Jessica Stein is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I could make a whole list of “great moments in gayness” just from Jessica Stein scenes, but there’s one in particular that’s my favorite.
Here’s the quick plot summary: Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt), cute, quirky, neurotic, single, is reading the personal ads (for you youngsters, that’s the paper equivalent of Tinder or OKCupid), and is struck by one ad in particular. Realizing she’s accidentally been reading in the “Women Seeking Women” section, she throws the paper away, but then decides to answer it anyway.
Helen (Heather Juergensen) and Jessica begin tentatively seeing each other; Helen, too, is exploring bisexuality for the first time. Helen wants to dive right in, but Jessica is nervous, skittish, and afraid.
Cut to Helen at Jessica’s place.
Kissing Jessica Stein is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I could make a whole list of “great moments in gayness” just from Jessica Stein scenes, but there’s one in particular that’s my favorite.
Here’s the quick plot summary: Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt), cute, quirky, neurotic, single, is reading the personal ads (for you youngsters, that’s the paper equivalent of Tinder or OKCupid), and is struck by one ad in particular. Realizing she’s accidentally been reading in the “Women Seeking Women” section, she throws the paper away, but then decides to answer it anyway.
Helen (Heather Juergensen) and Jessica begin tentatively seeing each other; Helen, too, is exploring bisexuality for the first time. Helen wants to dive right in, but Jessica is nervous, skittish, and afraid.
Cut to Helen at Jessica’s place.
- 6/18/2016
- by Deborah Lipp
- FilmExperience
Woody Allen’s back catalogue casts a long shadow across contemporary romantic comedy. His tropes and trademarks are as ingrained into the collective sense memory as mother’s perfume. At the first tremble of a clarinet, mutter about mortality or meander across a Manhattan neighbourhood, we inhale the nostalgia like Bisto kids. And arguably we’d never have met Harry and Sally, walked the Sidewalks of New York or dined alongside Friends with Money without his influence.
The Longest Week is peppered with Woody base notes. Over the course of seven days, Conrad (Jason Bateman) has been stripped of the safety net of his wealth and the cushion of his ego, moved in with his cynical best friend (Billy Crudup) and accidentally fallen in love with his girl (Olivia Wilde). His eventual dilemma – to be or not to be a better man – is as timeless as Annie Hall.
Now, to coincide with its DVD release,...
The Longest Week is peppered with Woody base notes. Over the course of seven days, Conrad (Jason Bateman) has been stripped of the safety net of his wealth and the cushion of his ego, moved in with his cynical best friend (Billy Crudup) and accidentally fallen in love with his girl (Olivia Wilde). His eventual dilemma – to be or not to be a better man – is as timeless as Annie Hall.
Now, to coincide with its DVD release,...
- 8/29/2014
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Andy Warhol famously said, "Sex is more exciting on the screen and between the pages than between the sheets," but clearly he never saw "Monster's Ball." If uncomfortably awkward love scenes don't bother you, this weekend's indie offerings may be just for you.
Check out "The Sessions," featuring an oft-naked Helen Hunt as a sexual surrogate trying to pleasure a disabled virgin (John Hawkes). And, if that's not enough, there's also "The First Time," which highlights a laughably awful (or realistic, depending on your experience) adolescent deflowering.
From the comedic to the absurd to the downright depressing, here are 12 cringe-inducing sex scenes we've compiled for your viewing (dis)pleasure.
12. 'Dave' (1993)
Presidents having affairs is not exactly a taboo subject – particularly during the Clinton Administration, when this comedy came out – but Presidents (or anyone for that matter) suffering a stroke during a sexual tryst is not exactly pleasant to watch. President...
Check out "The Sessions," featuring an oft-naked Helen Hunt as a sexual surrogate trying to pleasure a disabled virgin (John Hawkes). And, if that's not enough, there's also "The First Time," which highlights a laughably awful (or realistic, depending on your experience) adolescent deflowering.
From the comedic to the absurd to the downright depressing, here are 12 cringe-inducing sex scenes we've compiled for your viewing (dis)pleasure.
12. 'Dave' (1993)
Presidents having affairs is not exactly a taboo subject – particularly during the Clinton Administration, when this comedy came out – but Presidents (or anyone for that matter) suffering a stroke during a sexual tryst is not exactly pleasant to watch. President...
- 10/18/2012
- by Sandie Angulo Chen
- NextMovie
Actor and director Jennifer Westfeldt is getting used to living in the shadow of her partner, Jon Hamm, who plays Mad Men's Don Draper. Now, with her new film tipped to become this year's Bridesmaids, she talks about fame, the growing strength of women in the movies, and the lure of motherhood
Ten minutes into our interview, Jennifer Westfeldt is scrolling excitedly through her iPhone looking for pictures of her dog to show me. It's an alsatian cross, weighs four stone, and in the photo she clicks to the dog is sprawled on the lap of Jon Hamm, who has been Westfeldt's partner for 14 years. Hamm's face, the unmistakable square jawline of Don Draper in Mad Men, is currently one of the most recognisable on the planet, but when Westfeldt zooms to a close-up it is the dog's features she dwells on: "She is such a beauty, isn't she?...
Ten minutes into our interview, Jennifer Westfeldt is scrolling excitedly through her iPhone looking for pictures of her dog to show me. It's an alsatian cross, weighs four stone, and in the photo she clicks to the dog is sprawled on the lap of Jon Hamm, who has been Westfeldt's partner for 14 years. Hamm's face, the unmistakable square jawline of Don Draper in Mad Men, is currently one of the most recognisable on the planet, but when Westfeldt zooms to a close-up it is the dog's features she dwells on: "She is such a beauty, isn't she?...
- 6/2/2012
- by Tim Adams
- The Guardian - Film News
Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch. This week we offer alternatives to John Carter, Friends With Kids and Footnote.
Friday theaters will determine the fate of Disney’s big budget epic John Carter, which faces off against the closest thing to a Bridesmaids sequel your likely to see and an Oscar contender that transcends the language barrier. But if these offerings pique your desire for adventure, rated-r romance and heralded Hebrew features, then we’ve got you covered with some of the best titles Now Streaming.
Director Andrew Stanton makes his live-action debut with this this Mars-set adventure about a Civil War veteran (Taylor Kitsch) who finds he has extraordinary powers on this extraterrestrial terrain that enables him to be a hero to a beautiful alien princess (Lynn Collins). Willem Dafoe co-stars.
More...
Friday theaters will determine the fate of Disney’s big budget epic John Carter, which faces off against the closest thing to a Bridesmaids sequel your likely to see and an Oscar contender that transcends the language barrier. But if these offerings pique your desire for adventure, rated-r romance and heralded Hebrew features, then we’ve got you covered with some of the best titles Now Streaming.
Director Andrew Stanton makes his live-action debut with this this Mars-set adventure about a Civil War veteran (Taylor Kitsch) who finds he has extraordinary powers on this extraterrestrial terrain that enables him to be a hero to a beautiful alien princess (Lynn Collins). Willem Dafoe co-stars.
More...
- 3/8/2012
- by [email protected] (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Chicago – Jennifer Westfeldt created a distinct movie character with her first film in 2001, writing and starring in “Kissing Jessica Stein.” She now makes her directorial debut, guiding an ensemble cast that includes Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Adam Scott and herself in “Friends with Kids.”
Westfeldt came out of nowhere, when she and her writing partner Heather Juergensen adapted a bunch of comedy sketches into the screenplay for “Kissing Jessica Stein” (2001). The quirky, indecisive and very funny title character brought Westfeldt some instant notoriety, which she parlayed into some prominent television roles (”24”), a Tony nominated turn on the Broadway musical stage (”Wonderful Town”) and another self-penned film (”Ira & Abby” in 2006).
Adam Scott (Jason) and Jennifer Westfeldt (Julie) in “Friends with Kids’
Photo credit: Jojo Whilden for Roadside Attractions
She called in some favors in shooting her new film “Friends with Kids.” Four of the stars of last year’s smash “Bridemaids” – Kristen Wiig,...
Westfeldt came out of nowhere, when she and her writing partner Heather Juergensen adapted a bunch of comedy sketches into the screenplay for “Kissing Jessica Stein” (2001). The quirky, indecisive and very funny title character brought Westfeldt some instant notoriety, which she parlayed into some prominent television roles (”24”), a Tony nominated turn on the Broadway musical stage (”Wonderful Town”) and another self-penned film (”Ira & Abby” in 2006).
Adam Scott (Jason) and Jennifer Westfeldt (Julie) in “Friends with Kids’
Photo credit: Jojo Whilden for Roadside Attractions
She called in some favors in shooting her new film “Friends with Kids.” Four of the stars of last year’s smash “Bridemaids” – Kristen Wiig,...
- 3/5/2012
- by [email protected] (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
With her three films, Jennifer Westfeldt has explored the pivotal phases of life. In "Kissing Jessica Stein," which she wrote and starred in with Heather Juergensen, Westfeldt played a single New Yorker who attempts a lesbian relationship after a series of disastrous dates with men. Her script for "Ira & Abby" cast her as a twice-divorced woman who marries a virtual stranger. And in her directorial debut, "Friends With Kids," Westfeldt and Adam Scott play best friends who decide to have a baby together while continuing their pursuit of love with other people. "I didn't even realize it until I finished the last one what I had done," Westfeldt says with a laugh. "I made three films in 10 years that form a weird trilogy of subversive rom coms about the stages of life I was experiencing: dating, marriage and divorce, and having kids. I was observing what was happening...
- 2/29/2012
- by [email protected] (Jenelle Riley)
- backstage.com
Kevin Kline, Tom Selleck kiss, In & Out Following my Valentine's Day post featuring lots of male-female kisses and embraces (and a few shapely legs, bare breasts, and sensuous lips, courtesy of, respectively, Silvana Mangano, Clara Calamai, and Jane Russell), here's the gay/lesbian version. This Gay Kiss Montage post was originally published in June 2007, when Turner Classic Movies ran a couple of dozen films featuring gay/lesbian/bi/etc. characters as part of their Screened Out series. Created in late 2006 by Robert Eldredge, the video was inspired by the finale of Giuseppe Tornatore's Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winner Cinema Paradiso, in which Jacques Perrin watches clips — kisses, hugs, embraces, nudity, sensuality, expressions of human desire — that, decades earlier, had been cut from the films screened at his Italian village's old movie house. The local Catholic priest had found those bits of celluloid harmful to the town's morals and family values.
- 2/15/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to worthwhile titles currently streaming on Netflix Instant Watch. This week we offer alternatives to War Horse, Pariah, & A Separation.
With the Academy Awards eligibility deadline about to hit, three Oscar hopefuls do battle at the box office, including Steven Spielberg‘s latest epic, a gritty indie from Brooklyn, NY, and an Iranian thriller that’s drawing worldwide notice.
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s children’s novel and its resulting Broadway hit, Spielberg’s War Horse centers on the bond between a young man and his horse. With its posh pedigree, this drama is looking to win more than audience attention. [Full Review.]
Oscar loves a good war story:
The English Patient (1996) This epic World War II-set romance scored 12 Oscar nominations and took home nine, including honors for writer-director Anthony Minghella and star Juliette Binoche, not to mention Best Picture.
With the Academy Awards eligibility deadline about to hit, three Oscar hopefuls do battle at the box office, including Steven Spielberg‘s latest epic, a gritty indie from Brooklyn, NY, and an Iranian thriller that’s drawing worldwide notice.
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s children’s novel and its resulting Broadway hit, Spielberg’s War Horse centers on the bond between a young man and his horse. With its posh pedigree, this drama is looking to win more than audience attention. [Full Review.]
Oscar loves a good war story:
The English Patient (1996) This epic World War II-set romance scored 12 Oscar nominations and took home nine, including honors for writer-director Anthony Minghella and star Juliette Binoche, not to mention Best Picture.
- 12/29/2011
- by [email protected] (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Last night, as Jon Hamm and his long-time lady-friend Jennifer Westfeldt enjoyed the flash and glamour of the Emmy Awards, their latest collaboration Friends With Kids was in final negotiations for a distribution deal with Lionsgate. It was Westfeldt, (the film’s writer/director/lead) who broke the news to Deadline saying, “The sale just closed while the Emmys were going on. We’re thrilled.”
They’re not alone. Word has it Millennium and CBS Films entered the bidding war for the hot property that boasts positive reviews (read ours here) and a buzz-building cast that includes Hamm’s Bridesmaids’ co-stars Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, as well as Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott (…and Megan Fox). It’s little wonder Lionsgate was eager to buy. Westfeldt suspects the comedy, which is currently screening at Tiff, could be released as soon as next Spring. Perhaps Lionsgate is...
They’re not alone. Word has it Millennium and CBS Films entered the bidding war for the hot property that boasts positive reviews (read ours here) and a buzz-building cast that includes Hamm’s Bridesmaids’ co-stars Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, as well as Parks and Recreation’s Adam Scott (…and Megan Fox). It’s little wonder Lionsgate was eager to buy. Westfeldt suspects the comedy, which is currently screening at Tiff, could be released as soon as next Spring. Perhaps Lionsgate is...
- 9/19/2011
- by [email protected] (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
When studios put out themed DVD collections for whatever occasion, the final result rarely does the subject in question justice. When they seek to honor independent flicks they typically just go for the most popular ones and not the best. For foreign films they’ll select the few that actually made ripples and not the underdog that had to fight for every theater screen. However, when MGM compiled its Cinema Pride Collection in honor of June being Gay Pride month they hit the nail on the head – and they hit it dead on. The collection not only features some of the favorites within the gay community but it features a few highly acclaimed heavy hitters as well. This may just be one of the best box sets a studio has ever released that isn’t based on one actor or director’s filmography. It has variety and it has quality in spades.
- 6/13/2010
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
As 2009 comes to a close, we take a look back at some of the people and events that made this the Best. Lesbian. Decade. Ever. in pop culture.
Luckily for all of us, there was far more information to have mentioned from the last ten years than we could have included in this brief survey. That's why our lists for each year are not intended to be exhaustive, but are instead snapshots of different memorable moments that included the representation of lesbians and bisexual women in film, television, music, literature, comics, sports and the Internet since the year 2000.
2000
Chavela Vargas[/link] comes out
Mexican ranchera music legend Chavela Vargas publicly came out as a lesbian at the tender age of 81.
Angelina Jolie wins Best Supporting Actress Oscar
Angelina Jolie won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Girl, Interrupted and told Talk Magazine, "I only play women I would date.
Luckily for all of us, there was far more information to have mentioned from the last ten years than we could have included in this brief survey. That's why our lists for each year are not intended to be exhaustive, but are instead snapshots of different memorable moments that included the representation of lesbians and bisexual women in film, television, music, literature, comics, sports and the Internet since the year 2000.
2000
Chavela Vargas[/link] comes out
Mexican ranchera music legend Chavela Vargas publicly came out as a lesbian at the tender age of 81.
Angelina Jolie wins Best Supporting Actress Oscar
Angelina Jolie won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Girl, Interrupted and told Talk Magazine, "I only play women I would date.
- 12/31/2009
- by afterellenstaff
- AfterEllen.com
Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Send your entertainment-related questions to [email protected] — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.
Question: I just caught the tail end of Kissing Jessica Stein on TV today and I was wondering if you could tell me what writers/co-stars Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt are up to these days? I love that movie and thought they both did brilliant jobs both writing and acting in it!
― Kelcie, Bellingham, Wa
Helen Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt in Kissing Jessica Stein
Answer: Jennifer Westfeldt has worked steadily following the success of Kissing Jessica Stein. Just last year she had a multi-episode arc as a patient on Grey's Anatomy, and this fall she'll join the cast of 24 as journalist Meredith Reed.
Question: I just caught the tail end of Kissing Jessica Stein on TV today and I was wondering if you could tell me what writers/co-stars Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt are up to these days? I love that movie and thought they both did brilliant jobs both writing and acting in it!
― Kelcie, Bellingham, Wa
Helen Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt in Kissing Jessica Stein
Answer: Jennifer Westfeldt has worked steadily following the success of Kissing Jessica Stein. Just last year she had a multi-episode arc as a patient on Grey's Anatomy, and this fall she'll join the cast of 24 as journalist Meredith Reed.
- 9/2/2009
- by karman
- AfterEllen.com
By Neil Pedley
Sxsw recently concluded a week-long unveiling of some of the best and brightest new talent that indie film has to offer, but that didn't deter established players from forging ahead with the fine traditions that have this week brought us an Owen Wilson kiddie comedy, a poker mockumentary and an imitation of whatever Asian cinema was doing four years ago.
"Boarding Gate"
Three-time Palme D'Or nominee Olivier Assayas delivers a sleek and sexually charged thriller that stars the irresistible Asia Argento as a gal on the run from Europe to Asia as she indulges in affairs with both Michael Madsen's high-flying financier and the hit man sent to target him. If you can take your eyes off of Argento, keep one eye open for a supporting turn by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon.
Opens in limited release.
"Drillbit Taylor"
Judd Apatow tries to appeal to the...
Sxsw recently concluded a week-long unveiling of some of the best and brightest new talent that indie film has to offer, but that didn't deter established players from forging ahead with the fine traditions that have this week brought us an Owen Wilson kiddie comedy, a poker mockumentary and an imitation of whatever Asian cinema was doing four years ago.
"Boarding Gate"
Three-time Palme D'Or nominee Olivier Assayas delivers a sleek and sexually charged thriller that stars the irresistible Asia Argento as a gal on the run from Europe to Asia as she indulges in affairs with both Michael Madsen's high-flying financier and the hit man sent to target him. If you can take your eyes off of Argento, keep one eye open for a supporting turn by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon.
Opens in limited release.
"Drillbit Taylor"
Judd Apatow tries to appeal to the...
- 3/17/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
The Hammer
The "Rocky" formula has been recycled in many different arenas, but "The Hammer" might come the closest to matching the tone of the original "Rocky".
The film hardly could be credited with breaking any new ground, but it has a hangdog charm, much like its leading actor. Adam Carolla, who also provided the original story, stars as Jerry Ferro, a construction worker who has just turned 40 and feels his life slipping away.
He was an amateur boxer years ago, and he teaches a boxing class at a local gym. When a promoter spots him, he invites Jerry to compete for a spot on the American Olympic team, and Jerry sees a chance to redeem himself.
The movie, which has made the rounds on the festival circuit, will never become a blockbuster, but it will please audiences who manage to catch it.
The movie benefits from unpretentiousness; it never takes itself too seriously. The script by Kevin Hench actually has a lot of snappy dialogue. Jerry is more of a wit than Rocky Balboa, and he enjoys trading barbs with his co-worker Ozzie (Oswaldo Castillo), as well as his fellow boxers. Director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld ("Kissing Jessica Stein") isn't much of a visual stylist, but he keeps the action moving swiftly, and he works smoothly with the actors.
Carolla exudes relaxed masculinity, even when he's playing the schlub. You warm to him because he refuses to swagger. He has a deft way with a one-liner, and he's generous in allowing his co-stars to share the spotlight. Heather Juergensen, who had a leading role in "Jessica Stein", plays a scrappy public defender whom Jerry woos. Her rapport with Carolla is infectious. Castillo is delightfully funny as Jerry's Nicaraguan cohort, and Harold House Moore glowers convincingly as Jerry's truculent boxing rival who becomes (too predictably) his ally. As the crusty trainer who initially encourages Jerry and then schemes to dump him, Tom Quinn brings brio to a stock part.
As a narrative "Hammer" is slightly undernourished. There aren't enough complications as Jerry makes his way to the Olympic trials. The boxing scenes are competent but not as pulverizing as one might hope. However, the seedy Los Angeles locations are well caught, and the song selection is winning.
Like the original "Rocky", the movie ends with a defeat that is really a victory, and this low-key finale proves to be a lot more satisfying than the bombast that infects most sports movies. If "Hammer" doesn't quite pack a wallop, it's a funny, engaging, loping journey along the sidelines of the sporting life.
THE HAMMER
International Film Circuit
Ace Carolla Entertainment, Eden Wurmfeld Films, Bentley Filmgroup
Credits:
Director: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Screenwriter: Kevin Hench
Story: Adam Carolla
Producers: Eden Wurmfeld, Heather Juergensen, Eric Ganz
Executive producers: Adam Carolla, Steven Firestone, Gregory Firestone
Director of photography: Marco Fargnol
Production designer: Mickey Siggins
Music: John Swihart, Matt Mariano
Co-producer: Kevin Hench
Costume designer: Abigail Nieto
Editor: Rich Fox
Cast:
Jerry Ferro: Adam Carolla
Lindsay Pratt: Heather Juergensen
Ozzie: Oswaldo Castillo
Robert Brown: Harold House Moore
Eddie Bell: Tom Quinn
Victor Padilla: Jonathan Hernandez
Malice Blake: Jeff Lacy
Mike LeMat: Christopher Darga
Nicole: Constance Zimmer
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The film hardly could be credited with breaking any new ground, but it has a hangdog charm, much like its leading actor. Adam Carolla, who also provided the original story, stars as Jerry Ferro, a construction worker who has just turned 40 and feels his life slipping away.
He was an amateur boxer years ago, and he teaches a boxing class at a local gym. When a promoter spots him, he invites Jerry to compete for a spot on the American Olympic team, and Jerry sees a chance to redeem himself.
The movie, which has made the rounds on the festival circuit, will never become a blockbuster, but it will please audiences who manage to catch it.
The movie benefits from unpretentiousness; it never takes itself too seriously. The script by Kevin Hench actually has a lot of snappy dialogue. Jerry is more of a wit than Rocky Balboa, and he enjoys trading barbs with his co-worker Ozzie (Oswaldo Castillo), as well as his fellow boxers. Director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld ("Kissing Jessica Stein") isn't much of a visual stylist, but he keeps the action moving swiftly, and he works smoothly with the actors.
Carolla exudes relaxed masculinity, even when he's playing the schlub. You warm to him because he refuses to swagger. He has a deft way with a one-liner, and he's generous in allowing his co-stars to share the spotlight. Heather Juergensen, who had a leading role in "Jessica Stein", plays a scrappy public defender whom Jerry woos. Her rapport with Carolla is infectious. Castillo is delightfully funny as Jerry's Nicaraguan cohort, and Harold House Moore glowers convincingly as Jerry's truculent boxing rival who becomes (too predictably) his ally. As the crusty trainer who initially encourages Jerry and then schemes to dump him, Tom Quinn brings brio to a stock part.
As a narrative "Hammer" is slightly undernourished. There aren't enough complications as Jerry makes his way to the Olympic trials. The boxing scenes are competent but not as pulverizing as one might hope. However, the seedy Los Angeles locations are well caught, and the song selection is winning.
Like the original "Rocky", the movie ends with a defeat that is really a victory, and this low-key finale proves to be a lot more satisfying than the bombast that infects most sports movies. If "Hammer" doesn't quite pack a wallop, it's a funny, engaging, loping journey along the sidelines of the sporting life.
THE HAMMER
International Film Circuit
Ace Carolla Entertainment, Eden Wurmfeld Films, Bentley Filmgroup
Credits:
Director: Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Screenwriter: Kevin Hench
Story: Adam Carolla
Producers: Eden Wurmfeld, Heather Juergensen, Eric Ganz
Executive producers: Adam Carolla, Steven Firestone, Gregory Firestone
Director of photography: Marco Fargnol
Production designer: Mickey Siggins
Music: John Swihart, Matt Mariano
Co-producer: Kevin Hench
Costume designer: Abigail Nieto
Editor: Rich Fox
Cast:
Jerry Ferro: Adam Carolla
Lindsay Pratt: Heather Juergensen
Ozzie: Oswaldo Castillo
Robert Brown: Harold House Moore
Eddie Bell: Tom Quinn
Victor Padilla: Jonathan Hernandez
Malice Blake: Jeff Lacy
Mike LeMat: Christopher Darga
Nicole: Constance Zimmer
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 3/10/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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