The Greatest
BARBARIAN FILM GROUP PRESENTS
A SILVERWOOD FILMS/IRISH DREAMTIME PRODUCTION
THE GREATEST
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY SHANA FESTE
STARRING
PIERCE BROSNAN
SUSAN SARANDON
CAREY MULLIGAN
PRODUCED BY: LYNETTE HOWELL & BEAU ST. CLAIR
Running Time: 98 Minutes
SHORT SYNOPSIS
From writer/director Shana Feste comes THE GREATEST, an exploration of love
- - a first love, a lost love, the love of a parent, and a couple's second chance at love. When Allen (Pierce Brosnan) and Grace Brewer (Susan Sarandon) lose their teenage son Bennett (Aaron Johnson), their fractured family is pushed to the edge. However, the appearance of a young woman named Rose (newcomer Carey Mulligan) helps everyone start to put the pieces back together. The film also stars Michael Shannon, Johnny Simmons and Zoe Kravitz.
SHANA FESTE (WRITER/DIRECTOR) Q&A
Q: What was your inspiration for the film?
I have always been inspired by the film ORDINARY PEOPLE. It made such an impact on me when I first watched it and it began a long fascination with both the grief process and domestic dramas. While doing my initial research on grief I was incredibly inspired by the stories from parents that had lost a child. Their incredible vulnerability - honesty - the beautiful way their sadness dictated their behavior. And while I was doing this initial research I was taking care of a beautiful baby girl who would take naps on my lap while I wrote in the journal that I would bring to work with me everyday. I was inspired by the love I felt for her - the love that she exuded and her potential power to heal those around her. So the combination of those two very different experiences inspired me to write THE GREATEST.
Q: Was it difficult to get the movie made?
It was surprisingly easy to get this film made. I had just come off a roller coaster of indie financing where my other film fell apart and came back together too many times to mention. I was expecting the same with this script, but my agents sent it out to a select group of producers and I met and fell in love with Lynette. I knew immediately that she was the right person to produce the film and she found Barbarian who eventually financed the movie. For obvious reasons they weren't going to just write us a check and let us cast whoever we wanted - we could only make the movie with a certain caliber of cast - one that would help the film reach an audience. This was the most difficult process of them all - finding A-list talent who were willing to work with a first time director. But luckily, Lynette has a really wonderful reputation and we had the support of many of the major agencies who helped get the script to the right cast. Pierce’s agents got the script to Irish DreamTime and then Pierce and his company came on board. We then got the added bonus of an incredibly well-respected and experienced producer, Beau St. Clair, joining our team.
Q: As a first time feature director, how did you attract this cast?
I would like to say it was the strength of the script. My experience working behind the scenes at an agency taught me that cast is everything - that is really how movies get made. I knew that if I wanted to direct this movie I would have to write roles that actors would want to play. So I tried to write the most honest roles I could and prayed they got in the right hands. And once Pierce and Susan responded I somehow convinced them that I knew exactly how to direct a feature film which couldn't have been further from the truth but I had a book of visuals and color palettes and homemade story boards and most importantly tons of passion for telling the story. Thank god they believed in me enough to take such an incredible risk.
Q: As the film’s screenwriter, what do you think the essence of the film and its characters are about?
I think it is about a family coming together. I put these characters in the most awful situation a human being could go through and my heart went out to them in such an intense way that I knew I had to somehow make things better for them. And maybe I am just a clichéd writer coming from a broken home herself, but I knew that I had to "fix" this family and that they would persevere in the end. I hope that I wrote a story about love and the strength of a family.
Q: How long was the shoot? Where did you shoot?
The shoot was 25 days and we shot in the Nyack area of New York.
Q: What is your favorite scene in the film?
My favorite scene in the film is the scene where Carey holds her newborn baby. It was an actual baby and Carey was really quite frightened to hold her - I think it was one of the first newborn babies she had held. The end result was this wonderful combination of fear and excitement, and I just love the look on her face when she smiles at the Brewer family and then turns to look at her baby. I get tears in my eyes every time I watch it.
ABOUT THE CAST
Pierce Brosnan (ALLEN BREWER)
Recognized internationally as one of the most dashing and skilled dramatic actors in Hollywood today, Golden Globe Award nominee Pierce Brosnan most recently starred opposite Meryl Streep in the smash hit film adaptation of the Broadway hit MAMMA MIA!
Last summer Brosnan completed filming THE GREATEST in which he stars with Susan Sarandon. The film will premiere in competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
In early 2009 Brosnan will film THE GHOST for director Roman Polanski.
Brosnan received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Julian Noble in the critically acclaimed film THE MATADOR in 2005. Additionally, he received a nomination for this performance for Best Actor in a Lead Role from the Irish Film & Television Academy.
Perhaps best known worldwide as James Bond, Brosnan reinvigorated the popularity of the Bond legacy in box-office blockbusters such as GOLDENEYE (1995), TOMORROW NEVER DIES (1997), THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) AND DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002). Brosnan’s first three Bond films earned over a billion dollars at the international box-office and DIE ANOTHER DAY alone garnered almost a half-billion dollars worldwide.
In addition to his four Bond films, three other Brosnan films—THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1999), DANTE'S PEAK (1997) AND THE LAWNMOWER MAN (1992) combined have earned hundreds of millions of dollars internationally, cementing him as one of the world’s most bankable stars.
Brosnan’s other film credits include MARRIED LIFE (2007) in which he starred with Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson and Chris Cooper for director Ira Sachs, the Civil War drama SERAPHIM FALLS (2007) in which he starred opposite Liam Neeson, John Boorman’s critically acclaimed film from the John LeCarre novel, THE TAILOR OF PANAMA (2001), Bruce Beresford's MR. JOHNSON (1990) and Sir Richard Attenborough's GREY OWL (1999). In addition to THE MATADOR, Brosnan has also shown his comedic skills in such films as MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993) and MARS ATTACKS (1996). He also had a supporting role alongside Barbra Streisand in THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES (1996).
In addition to his work in front of the camera, Brosnan has always had an interest in the art of filmmaking. Having achieved international stardom as an actor, Brosnan expanded the range of his film work by launching his own production company, Irish DreamTime in 1996, along with producing partner Beau St. Clair.
Apart from THE MATADOR, Irish DreamTime has produced five other films to date: THE NEPHEW (1998), THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1999), EVELYN (2002), LAWS OF ATTRACTION (2004) AND SHATTERED (2007). The company's first studio project, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, was a critical and box-office success and one of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing romantic thrillers in years. EVELYN, directed by Bruce Beresford, opened to critical acclaim at the Toronto and Chicago Film Festivals and also garnered rave reviews. LAWS OF ATTRACTION, a romantic comedy, which teamed Brosnan with Julianne Moore, focused on dueling divorce attorneys who fall in love. SHATTERED is a psychological thriller in which Brosnan starred with Maria Bello and Gerard Butler.
Upcoming projects for Irish DreamTime include the second installment of THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR.
Some of his many accolades include the 2007 Goldene Kamera Award for his environmental work, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2002 Chicago Film Festival, the International Star of the Year at the Cinema Expo in Amsterdam, an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from the Dublin Institute of Technology, an Honorary Doctorate from the University College Cork and an Order of the British Empire bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen.
Brosnan was born in County Meath, Ireland and moved to London at age 11. At 20, he enrolled in drama school and while in London, performed in several West End stage productions including Franco Zeffirelli's FULIMENA and Tennessee Williams' THE RED DEVIL BATTERY SIGN at the York Theater Royal. Brosnan relocated to Los Angeles in 1982 and immediately landed the role of private investigator “Remington Steele” on the popular ABC television series of the same name.
Susan Sarandon (GRACE BREWER)
The extremely versatile Susan Sarandon brings her own brand of sex appeal and intelligence to every role—from her fearless portrayal in BULL DURHAM to her Oscar-nominated performances in THELMA AND LOUISE, LORENZO’S OIL, THE CLIENT, and ATLANTIC CITY to her Academy Award-winning and SAG Award winning role in DEAD MAN WALKING as Sister Helen, a nun consoling a death-row inmate.
Sarandon was recently seen in ENCHANTED for Disney; in SPEED RACER for Larry and Andy Wachowski; in a musical comedy for director John Turturro entitled ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES, starring opposite James Gandolfini, Kate Winslet and Steve Buscemi. Other recent releases include the comedy MR. WOODCOCK opposite Billy Bob Thornton and the Paul Haggis film IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH. She was also seen in BERNARD AND DORIS, a highly acclaimed HBO film, opposite Ralph Fiennes. She was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role as eccentric heiress Doris Duke.
Sarandon made her acting debut in the movie JOE, which she followed with a continuing role in the TV drama “A World Apart”. Her early film credits include THE GREAT WALDO PEPPER, LOVIN’ MOLLY, THE FRONT PAGE and the 1975 cult classic THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. In 1978 she played Brooke Shields’ mother in Louis Malle’s controversial PRETTY BABY and went on to receive her first Oscar nomination in Malle’s ATLANTIC CITY. More recently, Sarandon was seen in Brad Silberling’s MOONLIGHT MILE, with Dustin Hoffman; in the comedy IGBY GOES DOWN, with Jeff Goldblum; in THE BANGER SISTERS, with Goldie Hawn and Geoffrey Rush; opposite Paul Newman and Gene Hackman in TWILIGHT; in the poignant comedy STEPMOM with Julia Roberts; in the erotic farce ILLUMINATA, directed by John Turturro; Tim Robbins’ drama CRADLE WILL ROCK; Wayne Wang’s ANYWHERE BUT HERE; and Stanley Tucci’s JOE GOULD’S SECRET.
In addition to her many on screen credits, she lent her vocal talents to the animated features RUGRATS IN PARIS, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, and CATS & DOGS and served as narrator for Laleh Khadivi’s documentary 900 WOMEN, about female prison inmates.
The hard-working actress has made a career of choosing diverse and challenging projects both in film and television. Her additional feature credits include: KING OF THE GYPSIES, THE HUNGER, COMPROMISING POSITIONS, THE JANUARY MAN, WHITE PALACE, THE BUDDY SYSTEM, SWEET HEARTS DANCE, A DRY WHITE SEASON, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, BOB ROBERTS, LIGHT SLEEPER, LITTLE WOMEN, and SAFE PASSAGE. She also starred in HBO’s EARTHLY POSSESSIONS, based on the Anne Tyler novel and directed by James Lapine; in the CBS Movie WOMEN OF VALOR; and the HBO Miniseries MUSSOLINI: THE DECLINE AND FALL OF IL DUCE opposite Bob Hoskins and Anthony Hopkins.
On Broadway, Sarandon appeared in Gore Vidal’s AN EVENING WITH RICHARD NIXON and received critical acclaim for her performances Off-Broadway in A COUPLA OF WHITE CHICKS SITTING AROUND TALKIN’ and the thriller EXTREMITIES. She also appeared, Off-Off-Broadway, in the moving post-September 11th stage play THE GUYS. Sarandon starred in SHALL WE DANCE with Richard Gere, in ALFIE opposite Jude Law, and in NOEL with Robin Williams, Paul Walker and Penelope Cruz. She also starred in the 2003 CBS Movie “Ice Bound” as Dr. Jerri Nielson—based on Nielson’s real life survival story—and as Princess Wensicia Corrino in the Sci-Fi Channel miniseries “Children Of Dune”. Sarandon appeared in the TV Movie “The Exonerated”, directed by Bob Balaban.
Carey Mulligan (ROSE)
Carey’s film credits include: BROTHERS, directed by Jim Sheridan (to be released in 2009); PUBLIC ENEMIES, directed by Michael Mann (to be released in 2009); THE GREATEST directed by Shana Feste (to be released in 2009); AND WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? directed by Anand Tucker; and PRIDE & PREJUDICE, directed by Joe Wright.
Her television credits include: “My Boy Jack” directed by Brian Kirk (Ecosse Films); “Doctor Who”(BBC); “Northanger Abbey” (Granada); “The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard” (Kudos Productions); and “Bleak House” (BBC).
Carey’s theatre work includes: THE SEAGULL (Royal Court Theatre, London and The Walter Kerr Theatre, New York); THE HYPOCHONDRIAC (Almeida); FORTY WINKS (Royal Court); and TOWER BLOCK DREAMS (Riverside).
Johnny Simmons (RYAN BREWER)
Johnny is set to become one of the most sought after young actors in Hollywood. Hailing from Texas, it did not take long for Johnny to get his first role opposite Steve Carrell in the Universal feature film, EVAN ALMIGHTY. Soon thereafter, Johnny booked the Lion’s Gate feature film, THE SPIRIT, based on the graphic novel of the same name. Johnny worked opposite Sam Jackson, Eva Mendes, and Scarlett Johansson in the role of the ‘Young Spirit’ in this visionary film. Johnny can also be seen in January 2009, opposite Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle and Lisa Kudrow in the DreamWorks feature film, HOTEL FOR DOGS, based on the children’s novel of the same name. The film tells a touching story of children who create a home for stray dogs in an abandoned hotel.