Searching for Debra Winger (2002)

Rosanna Arquette talks to various actresses about the pressures they face as women working in the entertainment industry.

Director:

Rosanna Arquette

Writer:

Rosanna Arquette (experiencer)

Stars:

Patricia Arquette, Rosanna Arquette, Emmanuelle Béart

Cast

Credited cast:
Patricia Arquette	...	Herself
Rosanna Arquette	...	Herself
Emmanuelle Béart	...	Herself
Katrin Cartlidge	...	Herself
Laura Dern	...	Herself
Roger Ebert	...	Himself
Jane Fonda	...	Herself
Teri Garr	...	Herself
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Herself
Melanie Griffith	...	Herself
Daryl Hannah	...	Herself
Salma Hayek	...	Herself
Holly Hunter	...	Herself
Diane Lane	...	Herself
Kelly Lynch	...	Herself

Storyline

Rosanna Arquette informally interviews several contrasting actresses about how they cope with being a woman in the entertainment industry. The chauvenism of male crew is discussed, the pretentiousness / stereotyping of female characters in American film now. Interviews include those with Alley Sheedy, Martha Plimpton, Debra Winger, Emmanual Beart, and Rosanna's sister, Patricia Arquette -among others. Although a documentary this film seems affected, Arquette never has an argument, never says anything bad about another actress, in fact, complimenting just about everyone of them as being her favourite actress.

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Plot Keywords:

actress | interview | stereotyping | feminism | boy | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Buscando a Debra Winger

Filming Locations:

Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France

Box Office

Budget:

$600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Immortal Entertainment, Flower Child Productions, 2929 Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 97 min 99 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Screened as one of "out-of-competition" films at the Cannes Film Festival, May 2002. Director Rosanna Arquette says she made the documentary when she was struck by the fact that Debra Winger, who earned three Oscar nominations, had left the profession in her 30s.

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Quotes

Samantha Mathis: And the one little part out there that comes along once a year that I'm really excited about doing, there's 30 other women and we're all trying to get that one part.

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Crazy Credits

Instead of saying a Rosanna Arquette film, it says a Rosanna Arquette Experience and instead of saying Directed by, it says Experienced by Rosanna Arquette.

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Connections

References Bopha! (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Mercedes"
(Joseph Lyburn Arthur)
Used with kind permission of Real World Music and Lipservices Music Publishing
Performed by Joseph Arthur
Courtesy of Big City Secrets / Real World Music
By Arrangement with EMI-Capitol Special Markets

User Reviews

Growing old in the movies

Age is an actress worst nightmare, or so it appears to be the case that Rosanna Arquette explores in her interesting documentary "Searching for Debra Winger". In fact, most actresses working in movies seem to have a sort of "shelf life" while they are young and beautiful, then, after that, it's oblivion, at best.

As Martha Plimpton points out, most actors working in films have a lot more options than actresses. Jack Nicholson and others of his age group, still active, are the examples. For every Meryl Streep, there are a hundred Debra Wingers that could still be working in meaningful projects, yet, little work seems to come their way, unless they look toward movies made for television.

Rosanna Arquette has a sharp eye to delve into the subject and her choice of people she interviews for us is quite remarkable. Unfortunately, Hollywood always will make films for a younger audience. Maturity and acting abilities seem not to matter much in that factory of dreams.