Finding Bliss (2009)

A romantic comedy that explores the adult film industry through the eyes of an idealistic 25 year-old award winning film school grad.

Director:

Julie Davis

Writer:

Julie Davis

Stars:

Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, Denise Richards

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leelee Sobieski	...	Jody Balaban
Matthew Davis	...	Jeff Drake (as Matt Davis)
Denise Richards	...	Bliss / Laura
Donnamarie Recco	...	Kathleen
Jamie Kennedy	...	Dick Harder
Kristen Johnston	...	Irene Fox
Mircea Monroe	...	Sindi
P.J. Byrne	...	Gary
Caroline Aaron	...	Debra Balaban
Tim Bagley	...	Alan Balaban
Christa Campbell	...	Kato
Mr. Marcus	...	Jake B. Bigg (as Marcus J. Spencer)
Sammi Hanratty	...	Little Jody
Stormy Daniels	...	Herself
Garry Marshall	...	Himself

Storyline

Jody has arrived in Hollywood, fresh out of a New York film school with student awards in hand, and ready to get her film made. Problem is Jody can't get a job and can't get anybody to read her script. The only job Jody can get is as an editor at a porn production company. Still determined to get her film made, Jody attempts to use the studio's facilities, but the repercussions if she gets caught, might be more than she can handle.

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Plot Keywords:

adult film industry | hot tub | porn filmmaking | crucifix pendant | flash forward | 

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Taglines:

an arousing comedy

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content including graphic dialogue and nudity, and for language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az öröm nyomában

Filming Locations:

Spokane, Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$2,115 (USA) (4 June 2010)

Gross:

$6,783 (USA) (11 June 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinamour Entertainment, Dave O Films, Jeff Rice Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The award show depicted at the end of this movie as the AVN Awards is an actual annual award show for the adult film industry (2009 AVN Awards Show).

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Quotes

Little Jody: [at the dinner table] Daddy... what's a blowjob?
Jody Balaban: [cut to Little Jody over her father's lap, screaming as he gives her a spanking]
[v.o]
Jody Balaban: I couldn't say "blowjob" for *ten years* after that - let alone *give* one.

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Connections

Featured in Denise Richards: It's Complicated: Denise Does Slamdance (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Tell Me Now"
Written by Neal Walter
Performed by Neal Walter

User Reviews

Hollywood soft-core missing ingenuity, heart and real humour

"Finding Bliss" is just a middle-of-the-road, soft-core film about a young film-maker struggling to succeed in Hollywood. Unfortunately it doesn't play out much better than just a student film itself.

It begins with every cliché and plot advance you expect to find in a chick flick. Our heroine has struggled with finding romance because she wears glasses and a ponytail. It doesn't matter that Leelee Sobieski is one of the most beautiful women on the planet, glasses and a ponytail equates with ugly. When she arrives in Hollywood the only place she can find a job is at a porn production company. We then succeed with every porn-associated joke done before. "He directed Charlie's Angels?!" our heroine asks incredulously, the response: "No, he directed Charlie's Anals". Don't worry, there's a lot more jokes along those lines.

This film really doesn't do anything wrong. The characters are fine, the actors are all cute, the storyline is engaging enough and it flows quickly. But they did all of that with over-used and tiresome jokes that just aren't that funny anymore. Every turn in the plot was telegraphed so clearly that the few inventive elements were completely predictable and expected. I found "Finding Bliss" to just be a Hollywood-reflective soft-core film that is not nearly as insightful as it was supposed to be.