The Guitar (2008)

The life of a woman is transformed after she is diagnosed with a terminal disease, fired from her job and abandoned by her boyfriend. Given two months to live, she throws caution to the wind to pursue her dreams.

Director:

Amy Redford

Writer:

Amos Poe

Stars:

Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankolé, Paz de la Huerta

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Saffron Burrows	...	Melody Wilder
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Roscoe Wasz
Paz de la Huerta	...	Constance 'Cookie' Clemente
Mia Kucan	...	Young Mel
Adam Trese	...	Mr. Laffs
Janeane Garofalo	...	Dr. Murray
Owen McCarthy	...	Himself - Everyothers' Singer
Joel Cannon	...	Himself - Everyothers' Guitar Player (as Joel B. Cannon)
Ben Toro	...	Himself - Everyothers' Bass Player
John Melville	...	Himself - Everyothers' Drummer
Reg Rogers	...	Brett
David Wain	...	Phone Man
Elizabeth Marvel	...	Ma Wilder
Bill Camp	...	Pa Wilder
Richard Short	...	Loser Musician

Storyline

The transformation of a woman after she is diagnosed with a terminal illness, fired from her thankless job and abandoned by her boyfriend. Given two months to live, she blows her savings and maxes out her credit cards to pursue her dreams, which include romance and learning to play the electric guitar.

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Plot Keywords:

guitar | electric guitar | terminal illness | pizza delivery | female nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Mandarin Panjabi

Release Date:

18 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kytara

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Applecreek Productions, RedGuitar, Breakout Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was shot in 21 days.

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Goofs

Isaach De Bankolé plays a character named "Roscoe", and according to the movie he is named after a small town in upstate New York. This implies that he's a NY native, though he speaks with a reasonably-thick African accent (the actor is from the Ivory Coast).

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Quotes

Melody Wilder: I just bought a guitar.
Roscoe Wasz: Great.
Melody Wilder: And then I have to get, you know, amps and stuff for the guitar. What?
Roscoe Wasz: You're spending money like there's no tomorrow.
Melody Wilder: There is no tomorrow. All my tomorrows are yesterday. Anyway, I'm charging it.

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Soundtracks

"John I'm Only Dancing"
Written by David Bowie

User Reviews

Deeply emotional for any who face obstacles that threaten our lives and persevere to find those reachable silver linings.

No synopsis here, I want to share why I enjoyed this movie. It caught my eye at the DVD store and at my first viewing I actually didn't make it through the movie, mostly from trying to multitask and not letting myself be drawn into it, no loud crash scenes to divert me back or spectacular music score that caused me to pause. I regret not being focused, for at my next attempt to view the film I found myself very pleased at the purchase. Saffron's performance, and the emotions the story, the subtle way it was portrayed and the great directions that Amy Redford lead in such a way that I knew it was meant for me too see. It wasn't the disease to me, it was the isolation of the character, her need to hide, yet her soul seeking beauty and self comfort until she was strong enough to face life with a new found freedom of spirit. I lost my husband, a masterful musician, in a sudden accident. My soul was dying and I felt isolation from those who felt uncomfortable to face my grief, I didn't want to venture from my sanctuary of home, and in a form of self healing, embraced what comforted me before my loss, the love of music we both shared. Saffron's performance reminds me again that it's OK to feel pain, to venture into unknown, even daring experiences to kick start our emotions in the direct of a recovery tbat we can manage on our own terms, pamper ourselves, let others who are dear and accepting help when they can. I was sad after my apt was robbed while away on business to return and find my DVD collection was gone. This movie was one of my first replacements bought. I loved the casting choices and think it's worth watching again.