Cinema Verite (2011 film)

Cinema Verite
Promotional poster
Screenplay byDavid Seltzer
Directed byShari Springer Berman
Robert Pulcini
StarringDiane Lane
Tim Robbins
James Gandolfini
Kathleen Quinlan
Thomas Dekker
Theme music composerRolfe Kent
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersGavin Polone
Zanne Devine
CinematographyAffonso Beato
EditorsSarah Flack
Robert Pulcini
Running time90 min
Production companyHBO Films
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseApril 23, 2011 (2011-04-23)

Cinema Verite is a 2011 HBO drama film directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. The film's main ensemble cast starred Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini and Patrick Fugit. The film follows a fictionalized account of the production of An American Family, a 1973 PBS documentary television series that is said to be one of the earliest examples of the reality television genre. Principal photography was completed in Southern California.[1] The film premiered on April 23, 2011.[2]

Plot synopsis

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The film begins in 1971 with Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini) discussing with Pat Loud (Diane Lane) the idea of a documentary series that would concern her family's day-to-day lives in Santa Barbara, CA. Pat considers the proposal and accepts, amidst her son Lance (Thomas Dekker) moving to New York City. Pat's husband Bill (Tim Robbins) travels often away on business, leaving his wife alone to care for their five children.

The crew (Patrick Fugit, Shanna Collins) moves in with the Louds and begins to document them. Relations between Pat and Bill grow frayed due to his time away and the stress of the TV show's production. Gilbert tells Pat of his suspicions surrounding Bill's trips away, giving fairly strong evidence that he is cheating on her. The crew fights with Gilbert about his documentary technique, as he makes them film many personal moments.

After surreptitiously duplicating the keys to Bill's office, Pat makes a late night trip to the office and discovers documents that confirm he is cheating on Pat with two other women, resulting in Pat's preparations to file for a divorce. Angry, she tells Gilbert to have cameras there when she tells Bill, wanting "his bimbos to see it, the whole world to see it." Against her wishes, he films Pat's conversation with her brother and his wife.

Pat begins to regret her decision to let Gilbert film the break up, and tries to get one of her sons to tell him while driving Bill home instead. He, however, does not work up the courage to do this, and Pat kicks Bill out of her home on camera.

The film cuts to one year later, when An American Family is experiencing its premiere. The show airs to strong television ratings but much criticism of members of the family, in particular Pat for how she came off on camera and Lance for his homosexuality. The family then gets together to "fight back", addressing their critics by appearing on many talk shows.

Title cards at film's end offer updates for each Loud family member. Lance died of AIDS-related hepatitis in 2001; his last wish for his parents was to cohabitate. They currently live together in Los Angeles.

Cast

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Production

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Principal photography was completed primarily in Los Angeles, California.[3]

The film is presented in chapters, with chapter titles such as The Chelsea and The Battle for the Camera Begins. When the chapter titles are shown, short clips from the original 1973 documentary are shown alongside in split screen format.

Critical reception

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Cinema Verite met with a positive reception from television critics. On review aggregator Metacritic the film received a "generally positive" score of 74 out of 100, based on 23 reviews.[4]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2011
Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Movie/Mini Series Randi Hiller Nominated [5]
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated [6]
Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Diane Lane Nominated
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Thomas Dekker Nominated
Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Nominated
Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries Nominated
Best Cinematography in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Editing in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Makeup/Hairstyling in a Non-Series Nominated
Best Music in a Non-Series Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Miniseries or Movie Gavin Polone, Zanne Devine, and Karyn McCarthy Nominated [7]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Diane Lane Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Randi Hiller Nominated
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special Suttirat Anne Larlarb and Joseph T. Mastrolia Nominated
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie Terry Baliel, Carol Pershing, and Beth Miller Nominated
Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) Mindy Hall, Kimberly Felix, and Julie Hewett Nominated
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie Sarah Flack and Robert Pulcini Won
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie Petur Hliddal, Lora Hirschberg, Scott R. Lewis, and
Douglas Murray
Nominated
Satellite Awards Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Nominated [8]
Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television Diane Lane Nominated
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials Nominated [9]
Women's Image Network Awards Actress Made for Television Movie Diane Lane Won
2012
American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television Sarah Flack and Robert Pulcini Won [10]
Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series Patti Podesta, Dawn Masi, Christopher Tandon,
Philip Toolin, Martin Charles, Eric Rosenberg,
Meg Everist, and James V. Kent
Nominated [11]
Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series Petur Hliddal, Lora Hirschberg, Scott R. Lewis,
Douglas Murray, and Greg Townley
Nominated [12]
GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Won [13]
Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Nominated [14]
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Diane Lane Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Tim Robbins Nominated
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Long Form Dialogue and ADR in Television Douglas Murray, Susan Dudeck, and Kim Foscato Nominated [15]
Best Sound Editing - Long Form Sound Effects and Foley in Television Douglas Murray, Steve Bissinger, Kim Foscato,
Larry Oatfield, Robert Shoup, Goro Koyama, and
Andy Malcolm
Nominated
Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Best Music Supervision for Television Long Form and Movie Evyen Klean (also for Mildred Pierce, The Sunset Limited,
and Too Big to Fail)
Won
Humanitas Prize 90 Minute or Longer Network or Syndicated Television David Seltzer Won [16]
Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Zanne Devine and Karyn McCarthy Nominated [17]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Diane Lane Nominated [18]
Writers Guild of America Awards Long Form – Original David Seltzer Won [19]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Diane Lane, Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini Star in HBO Films' 'Cinema Verite,' A Dramatic Look at the Making of the Groundbreaking Documentary 'An American Family' Debuting in April". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  2. ^ Kate Stanhope (2011-03-17). "HBO Announces Premiere Date For Cinema Verite". Tvguide.com. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  3. ^ Filming locations
  4. ^ "Cinema Verite - Season 1 Reviews, Ratings, Credits". Metacritic. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
  5. ^ "2011 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  6. ^ "15th Annual TV Awards (2010-11)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  7. ^ "Cinema Verite". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  8. ^ "2011 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
  9. ^ "The Television Critics Association Announces 2011 TCA Awards Nominees". Television Critics Association. June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  10. ^ Finke, Nikki (February 18, 2012). "62nd Ace Eddie Awards: 'The Descendants', 'The Artist', 'Rango'; TV 'Breaking Bad', 'Homeland', 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  11. ^ "Nominees/Winners". Art Directors Guild. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
  12. ^ "'Hanna,' 'Hugo' and 'Moneyball' Nominated for Cinema Audio Society Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. 19 January 2012. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  13. ^ "23rd Annual GLAAD Media Award Nominees". GLAAD.
  14. ^ "Cinema Verite – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  15. ^ "'Super 8' Leads Sound Editors Feature Field With Three Nominations". Variety. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  16. ^ "Past Winners & Nominees". Humanitas Prize. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  17. ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 21, 2012). "Producers Guild Awards Name 'The Artist' Motion Picture of Year; 'Boardwalk Empire' Scores TV Drama (Winners List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  18. ^ "The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  19. ^ "Previous Nominees & Winners: 2012 Awards Winners". Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2014-05-07.

Further reading

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