Guinevere (1999)

Director:

Audrey Wells

Writer (WGA):

Audrey Wells (written by)

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (Portugal)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

He was her first love... she was his last.

Plot:

A young girl from an affluent family rebels and becomes involved with a much older photographer.

Plot Keywords:

Older Man Younger Woman | Independent Film

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Sarah Polley	...	Harper Sloane
Stephen Rea	...	Connie Fitzpatrick
Jean Smart	...	Deborah Sloane
Gina Gershon	...	Billie
Paul Dooley	...	Walter
Carrie Preston	...	Patty
Tracy Letts	...	Zack
Emily Procter	...	Susan Sloane
Sharon McNight	...	Leslie
Gedde Watanabe	...	Ed
Carlton Wilborn	...	Jay
Sandra Oh	...	Cindy
Francis Guinan	...	Alan Sloane
Oded Gross	...	Gary
Grace Una	...	April

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and sexuality.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:L | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bandeira Entertainment

Trivia:

During the non-union shoot in San Francisco, crew members struck and were joined by star 'Sarah Polley' , who walked the picket line. Striking crew members report that they were quite touched by her action, which was more than a gesture, but rather a sincere belief in workers' rights. On her part, Polley called her union, the Screen Actors Guild, to tell her of her action, and the union representative told her they'd back her if she crossed the picket line. SAG assumed that she was calling to ask whether she could defy the strike and cross the picket line! A shocked and dismayed Polley stayed out with the strikers, and the strike ended after three days when their grievances were met. Subsequently, Polley has stated that she has been told that she lost several job offers due to this incident as producers don't want a union 'militant' despite the film industry being a craft industry dominated by the guild (union) system and she did what she felt was right.

Goofs:

Continuity: The wet spots on Harper's shirt after taking a shower.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Harper Sloane: These photographs of me were taken when I was 21 years old. They were shot on Plus X with a 105-mm lens on a Nikon F-2, developed normal, two stops overexposed. I like this one a lot. The F-2 was lost forever to a pawn shop in Los Angeles four years ago. The photographer lived in San Francisco up until last week. He was the worst man I ever met, or maybe the best, I'm still not sure. If you're supposed to learn by your mistakes, then he was the best mistake I ever made. He was my most spectacular and cherished fuckup, and I was his Guinevere, whatever that means.

Soundtrack:

Joy Spring

A great performance

This is a murky, unfocused little film. It is clear that Audrey Wells is a talented writer-director, but I felt a lack of assurance in the execution of her story. However, Jean Smart delivers a brilliant performance that enriches the film, making it memorable. She nails every single SECOND of the film she's in; her monologue towards Rea is a devastating piece of acting that was shamefully overlooked by the Academy. This woman is one of the best actresses of her generation, and if you saw her hilarious, Emmy-winning spot on "Frasier" you know she's got strong comedic chops, too. Give Jean Smart better roles!