Elegy (2008/I)

Director:

Isabel Coixet

Writers (WGA):

Nicholas Meyer (screenplay)
Philip Roth (novel)

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (Spain)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Cultural critic David Kepesh finds his life -- which he indicates is a state of "emancipated manhood" -- thrown into tragic disarray by Consuela Castillo, a well-mannered student who awakens a sense of sexual possessiveness in her teacher.

Plot Keywords:

Student | Friend | Professor | Critic | Poet

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Penélope Cruz	...	Consuela Castillo
Ben Kingsley	...	David Kepesh
Dennis Hopper	...	George O'Hearn
Patricia Clarkson	...	Carolyn
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Kenny Kepesh
Deborah Harry	...	Amy O'Hearn
Charlie Rose	...	Charlie Rose
Antonio Cupo	...	Younger Man
Michelle Harrison	...	2nd Student
Sonja Bennett	...	Beth
Emily Holmes	...	1st Student
Chelah Horsdal	...	Susan Reese
Marci T. House	...	Administration Nurse
Alessandro Juliani	...	Actor #3 in Play
Tiffany Lyndall-Knight	...	Actor #2 in Play

Also Known As:

Elegy: Dying Animal (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #43893) | Ireland:16 | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Netherlands:12 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:Btl | Germany:12 | Austria:12 | UK:15 | South Africa:16 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | Mexico:B15 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Lakeshore Entertainment

Quotes:

George O'Hearn: Beautiful women are invisible.
David Kepesh: Invisible? What the hell does that mean? Invisible? They jump out at you. A beautiful woman, she stands out. She stands apart. You can't miss her.
George O'Hearn: But we never actually see the person. We see the beautiful shell. We're blocked by the beauty barrier. Yeah, we're so dazzled by the outside that we never make it inside.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-08-09)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Horizon Variations

Great performances, great film

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. As someone who is not familiar with Philip Roth's works, I found the story to be interesting and moving. What really made the movie so enjoyable to me was the focus on the interpersonal relationships between David Kepesh(Ben Kingsley) and several of the supporting players. For example, some of the film's most poignant moments came in the scenes featuring Kepesh and his best friend (played by Dennis Hopper.) While these scenes did not necessarily serve to move the plot along, they painted a picture of the daily struggles Kepesh faces and also the layers of his only true friendship. In addition, it was heart-wrenching to see Kepeshs' son (Peter Sarsgaard), now a 40-something man married with children, resorting to his father for advice and consolation. We found out that Kepesh left his son and wife many years past, and while his son has never truly forgiven his father, he finds himself committing similar mistakes (adultery) that lead his father to become the flawed, relationship-challenged man he is today. These complex relationships, in addition to several others in the film, allow us to closely examine this fascinating point in the life of David Kepesh.