Frankie and Johnny Are Married (2003)

Director:

Michael Pressman

Writer (WGA):

Michael Pressman (written by)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Television director/producer Michael Pressman mounts a production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clare de Lune starring his wife...

Plot Keywords:

Actress | Marriage Problems | Directed By Star

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Lou Antonio	...	Himself
Jillian Armenante	...	Cynthia
Kathy Baker	...	Herself
Lisa Chess	...	Herself
Hector Elizondo	...	Himself
Steven Glick	...	Himself
Nicole Gomez-Fisher	...	2nd A.D. (as Nicole Gomez Fisher)
Elizabeth Hayden	...	Casting Assistant
Ann Hearn	...	Constance
Lanre Idewu	...	Paramedic
David E. Kelley	...	Himself
Linda Klein	...	'Chicago Hope' Paramedic
Ken Lerner	...	Rob the Production Manager
Jerry Levine	...	Himself
Debra Magit	...	Mother
Leslie Moonves	...	Himself
Vahan Moosekian	...	Man on Street
Morgan Nagler	...	Sally
Natalia Nogulich	...	Theater Patron
James Oliver	...	Billy
Jeffery Passero	...	Himself
Mandy Patinkin	...	Himself
Brooks Pressman	...	Himself
Michael Pressman	...	Himself
Barry Primus	...	Himself
Alan Rosenberg	...	Himself
Maury Sterling	...	Roger
Nina Tassler	...	Herself
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Murray Mintz
Alice West	...	Herself

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references, and brief drug use.

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Movie Connections:

References Looking for Richard (1996)

Soundtrack:

Frankie and Johnny

The Play's the Fling

An absolutely fearless enterprise by all involved, "Frankie & Johnnie Are Married" is the ultimate actor's nightmare: not only that the curtain goes up and you're naked and you don't know your lines, but that the entire production is collapsing around you...and you're still naked.

Writer-Director Michael Pressman expertly brings each scene right to the brink and then expertly pulls it back from the abyss, thanks to his co-star (and real-life wife) Lisa Chess and their gutsy co-star Alan Rosenberg. In particular (ask anybody who's tried this), they've worked through how to a) act natural; b) act like they're acting; and c) blur the line in all the right places.

This is a hoot for anybody who's ever done Equity waiver theatre, low-budget movies, or worked with their relatives and friends -- and Pressman, Chess, and Rosenberg have the gall to do all three at once.

For those who enjoyed "Waiting for Guffman" and "Noises Off," this splendidly warm, sharply funny, but somehow intimate and upbeat comedy-drama is a perfect example of why everybody loves show biz -- and hates it -- at the same time.