Clear History (2013)

A disgraced former marketing executive plots revenge against his former boss, who made billions from the electric car company they had started together.

Director:

Greg Mottola

Writers:

Larry David, Alec Berg

Stars:

Larry David, Bill Hader, Philip Baker Hall

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Larry David	...	Nathan / Rolly
Bill Hader	...	Rags
Philip Baker Hall	...	McKenzie
Jon Hamm	...	Will Haney
Kate Hudson	...	Rhonda
Michael Keaton	...	Joe Stumpo
Danny McBride	...	Frank
Eva Mendes	...	Jennifer
Amy Ryan	...	Wendy
J.B. Smoove	...	Jaspar
Amy Landecker	...	Nathan's Wife
Mary Klug	...	Tibby
Patty Ross	...	Gladys
Marianne Leone	...	Joyce
Mike Cerrone	...	Poker Buddy

Storyline

A PR specialist refuses to market a car called a "Howard" - a colossal error that loses him a billion dollars and makes him a national joke. He loses his hair, shaves his beard, takes a new name, and moves to Martha's Vineyard. Jump ten years: "Rolly" is a popular local whose sangfroid evaporates when the Howard's inventor moves to the island. Rolly, his old self unrecognizable, hatches a plan to rid the island of his nemesis; he also decides to woo the billionaire's wife. Fellatio, a former girlfriend, a woman who's lost weight, her boyfriend, the band Chicago, a menacing Chechen, a bus load of ill children, and a pair of ne'er-do-wells with experience with explosives figure in the story.

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Plot Keywords:

original story | chechen | revenge | beard | electric car | 

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Taglines:

A story of wealth, fame, power... and this guy.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Larry David Project

Filming Locations:

Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, HBO Films, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Other than the aerial shots, no part of this movie was filmed on Martha's Vineyard.

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Goofs

In the restaurant booth when Rolly presses his friend for the construction job, the key for the wallbox juke selector can be seen sticking out the right side. It's unlikely the key would be left in it normally.

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Connections

Spoofs On the Waterfront (1954)

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Soundtracks

If You Leave Me Now
Written by Peter Cetera
Performed by Chicago
Courtesy of Rhino Entertainment Co.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Better than "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Not everyone is a raving fan of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." The show is often like watching a root- canal procedure as Larry David's character plunges himself into one unnecessary, painfully embarrassing situation after another. There's some of that in "Clear History," but the character has mellowed. You can understand why people like Rolly, the name of the hard-luck case Larry David plays here. He's irascible, but then the other people in his little community are just as irascible and just as quirky; he fits in well. "Clear History" is a farce, a word that I wouldn't exactly apply to "Curb." It's a sequence of disasters based on carefully timed misunderstandings. The scene where Rolly is on the way to stop one such disaster when he has to pause when he encounters two friends who have just been in a motorcycle accident is priceless. He tell the two friends that he just doesn't have time to help them; the two friends are incredulous and angry, but he's actually right! If you were in his situation, you wouldn't help them and you wouldn't be able to explain either. The crush Rolly develops on Kate Hudson's character is also believable and funny, especially the way it (of course) comes crashing down around him.

The cast is terrific. Watch for Liev Schreiber in an uncredited role.