James White (film)
James White | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Josh Mond |
Produced by | Max Born Antonio Campos Sean Durkin Melody C. Roscher F.A. Eric Schultz |
Written by | Josh Mond |
Starring | Christopher Abbott Cynthia Nixon Scott Mescudi Ron Livingston Makenzie Leigh David Call |
Music by | Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi |
Cinematography | Mátyás Erdély |
Edited by | Matthew Hannam |
Distributed by | The Film Arcade |
Release dates
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Running time
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85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $101,368[1] |
James White is a 2015 American drama film written and directed by Josh Mond. The film stars Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Ron Livingston, Makenzie Leigh and David Call. The semi-autobiographical debut feature follows a young New Yorker struggling to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges.
James White premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival[2] where it won the NEXT Audience Award.[3] The film received a limited release on November 13, 2015, by The Film Arcade.[4]
Contents
Cast
- Christopher Abbott as James White
- Cynthia Nixon as Gail White
- Scott Mescudi as Nick
- Ron Livingston as Ben
- Makenzie Leigh as Jayne
- David Call as Elliot
- David Cale as Grief Counselor
Production
Josh Mond started writing the script to explore and understand his own feelings after losing his mother to cancer in 2011. During the writing of the script, Mond listened to Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi's albums. They served as inspiration and motivation.[5]
In the middle of writing the script, Mond made an experimental short film precursor called ‘1009’ and had his close-friend, actor Christopher Abbott play the leading role. After the short, he decided that the part of James White was going to be written for Abbott.[6] Abbott based his performance on people he'd met, especially New Yorkers, Josh Mond and himself. Cynthia Nixon met up with Mond after reading the script. Mond and Nixon bonded over the fact that they both were from Manhattan with artsy parents. Unfortunately, both Nixon and Mond's mother died of cancer, and Nixon herself being a cancer survivor.[7] She based her performance on Mond's mother and her own mother as well, even wearing her mother's jewerly in the film.[8] Actor-director Mark Webber, a friend of Mond's, sent his former colleague Mescudi the script. Mescudi joined the film and later scored the film.[9]
The film started shooting in New York in December 2013.[10] The shooting lasted 18 days in New York and another 4 days where spent shooting in Mexico.[11] Borderline Films reached out via Kickstarter to finance the film's post-production editing costs and music rights.[12]
Release
The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival,[13] where it won the NEXT Audience Award.[14] It also screened at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival[15] and at the 2015 AFI Fest where it won the American Independents Audience Award.[16] The film received a limited release on November 13, 2015 by distributors, The Film Arcade.[17][18]
Reception
James White has been met with critical acclaim. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 91% approval rating based on reviews from 53 critics, with an average rating of 7.4 out of 10. The site's critical consensus states: " Led by powerfully complementary performances from Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon, James White offers an affecting calling card for debuting writer-director Josh Mond."[19] On Metacritic the film has received a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]
Awards and nominations
List of Accolades | ||||
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Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
American Independents / AFI Fest | Audience Award | Josh Mond | Won | |
Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Actor | Christopher Abbott | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Cynthia Nixon | Nominated | ||
Chicago International Film Festival | Emerging Artist Award | Josh Mond | Won | |
Emerging Artist Award | Christopher Abbott | Won | ||
Deauville Film Festival | Revelations Prize | Josh Mond | Won | |
Grand Special Prize | Josh Mond | Nominated | ||
Detroit Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Cynthia Nixon | Nominated | |
Best Actor | Christopher Abbott | Nominated | ||
Gotham Awards | Best Actor | Christopher Abbott | Nominated | |
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award | Josh Mond | Nominated | ||
Hamburg Film Festival | Young Talent Award | Josh Mond | Nominated | |
Hamptons International Film Festival | Breakthrough Performer | Christopher Abbott | Won | |
Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Josh Mond, Sean Durkin, Antonio Campos, Max Born, Melody Roscher, Eric Schultz | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Female | Cynthia Nixon | Nominated | ||
Best Male Lead | Christopher Abbott | Nominated | ||
Locarno International Film Festival | Don Quixote Award - Special Mention | Josh Mond | Won | |
Junior Jury Award | Josh Mond | Nominated | ||
Golden Leopard | Josh Mond | Nominated | ||
National Board of Review | Top 10 Independent Films | Josh Mond | Won | |
Online Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress | Cynthia Nixon | Nominated | |
Sundance Film Festival | Best of Next! Audience Award | Josh Mond | Won |
References
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