''Fathers and Daughters'' is a 2015 U.S.-Italian
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed by
Gabriele Muccino
Gabriele Muccino (; born 20 May 1967) is an Italian film director. He has worked his way from making short films only aired on Italian television to become a well-known and successful American filmmaker. He is the elder brother of actor Silvio Mu ...
and starring
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
,
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
, and
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in ''The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in '' Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
. It is based on a 2012 script written by Brad Desch, which was included in the 2012
Black List survey. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. It grossed over $5.1 million against a $22.4 million production budget.
Plot
Jake Davis is a
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist with a wife and daughter whom he loves dearly. However, while they're driving home from a party he argues with his wife over his flirting with a woman (he had cheated on her in the past, causing suspicion). This distracts him, causing their car's collision with a truck. Jake is injured badly, while his wife dies. His injury leaves him with brain damage, causing him seizures. A doctor warns him he needs treatment, since otherwise this might result in
psychotic episode
Psychosis is a condition of the mind that results in difficulties determining what is real and what is not real. Symptoms may include delusions and hallucinations, among other features. Additional symptoms are incoherent speech and behavior t ...
s. Jake reluctantly agrees, going to a hospital for treatment for seven months while his daughter Katie stays with her aunt Elizabeth and uncle William.
Upon his return, Elizabeth and William (who've become quite close with Katie over her stay with them), propose to adopt her, an idea Jake flatly rejects. He struggles to cope as a single father however, with his seizures returning (a fact he hides). Due to his brain damage Jake's writing suffers, resulting in his next book being panned by critics, with his own publishing company choosing not to market it widely. Due to his difficulties, Elizabeth and William sue him for custody, which Jake fears they can win. He writes an entire book with a burst of inspiration, angering Katie in the process by neglecting her. The lawsuit against him is dropped when William is revealed to have impregnated his secretary and Elizabeth files for divorce. Sadly however after his last book ''Fathers and Daughters'', Jake's seizures result in his accidental death due to a head injury when he falls in the bathroom. His final book wins him a posthumous Pulitzer.
25 years later, Katie attends college and is studying psychology. It's shown that she's quite promiscuous, taking a guy she's just met into the bathroom and having sex with him. She rebuffs any more intimate relationship. Katie is shown to become a social worker, and connects with a girl named Lucy who, like her, has lost her mother, refusing to speak since her death. She continues her pattern of one-night stands before meeting Cameron, a man who has idolized her father's work, and they begin a relationship. With her help, Lucy improves greatly to the point that she's adopted, though Katie is hurt by hearing that they'll have no further contact. Though she grows closer to Cameron, Katie is still dealing with intimacy issues such as being afraid of losing him. She cheats on him, and Cameron angrily breaks up with her after learning this. Katie goes to his apartment, declaring her love for him, but she runs away after seeing he's with another woman. When she returns home in dejection though, Cameron is there waiting; they embrace and kiss.
The film is told in alternating segments between the past with Katie and Jake then later showing Katie's future.
Cast
*
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
as Jake Davis
*
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
as Katie Davis
**
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in ''The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in '' Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
as Young Katie Davis
*
Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul (born Aaron Paul Sturtevant; August 27, 1979) is an American actor best known for portraying Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013), for which he won several awards, including the Critics' Choice Television ...
as Cameron
*
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger ( Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German and American actress. Early in her career, Kruger gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival.
Kruger became known for her roles in f ...
as Elizabeth
*
Quvenzhané Wallis
Quvenzhané Wallis ( ; born August 28, 2003) is an American actress and author. In 2012, she starred as Hushpuppy in the drama film ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'' (2012), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becomi ...
as Lucy Carter
*
as Carolyn
*
Octavia Spencer
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors Gu ...
as Dr. Korman
*
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
as Teddy Stanton
*
Bruce Greenwood
Stuart Bruce Greenwood (born August 12, 1956) is a Canadian actor and producer. He is known for his role as the American president John F. Kennedy in '' Thirteen Days,'' for which he won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion ...
as William
*
Michelle Veintimilla
Michelle Veintimilla (born November 11, 1992) is an Ecuadorian American film, television, and theater actress. She played the role of villain Firefly in the second and fourth seasons of the Fox television series '' Gotham''. Recently, she port ...
as Woman at Cameron's Apartment
*
Ryan Eggold
Ryan James Eggold (born August 10, 1984) is an American actor. He is known for playing Ryan Matthews on the CW teen drama series '' 90210'' and Tom Keen on the NBC crime drama series ''The Blacklist'' and its short-lived spin-off series '' Th ...
as John
*
Paula Marshall
Paula Marshall (born June 12, 1964) is an American actress.
Career
In 1990, Marshall had a guest role as Iris West, the love interest of Flash (Barry Allen) in the pilot episode on the short-lived '' Flash''. In 1991, she guest-starred on ''Supe ...
as Laura Garner
Production
Development
Gabriele Muccino
Gabriele Muccino (; born 20 May 1967) is an Italian film director. He has worked his way from making short films only aired on Italian television to become a well-known and successful American filmmaker. He is the elder brother of actor Silvio Mu ...
was hired to direct during the 2013
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
.
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe (born 7 April 1964) is an actor. He was born in New Zealand, spent ten years of his childhood in Australia, and moved there permanently at age twenty one. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maxi ...
was the first cast in October, with
Amanda Seyfried
Amanda Michelle Seyfried ( ; born December 3, 1985) is an American actress. Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, she began modeling at age 11 and ventured into acting at 15, with recurring roles as Lucy Montgomery on the CBS soap opera ...
joining the same month as Crowe's daughter.
Kylie Rogers
Kylie Rogers is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Minx Lawrence in ''The Whispers''. She also stars as Anna Beam in '' Miracles from Heaven''. Since 2018, Rogers has a recurring role as the younger version of the main charac ...
joining as the younger version of Crowe's daughter.
Casting
In November,
Aaron Paul
Aaron Paul (born Aaron Paul Sturtevant; August 27, 1979) is an American actor best known for portraying Jesse Pinkman in the AMC series '' Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013), for which he won several awards, including the Critics' Choice Television ...
was cast in the film as Seyfried's love interest.
Actresses
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger ( Heidkrüger; ; born 15 July 1976) is a German and American actress. Early in her career, Kruger gained worldwide recognition and received the Trophée Chopard from the Cannes Film Festival.
Kruger became known for her roles in f ...
,
Octavia Spencer
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and three Screen Actors Gu ...
, and
Quvenzhané Wallis
Quvenzhané Wallis ( ; born August 28, 2003) is an American actress and author. In 2012, she starred as Hushpuppy in the drama film ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'' (2012), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becomi ...
were cast in the film during the
Berlin Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
. The same month,
was cast.
In April 2014, it was announced
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
, and
Bruce Greenwood
Stuart Bruce Greenwood (born August 12, 1956) is a Canadian actor and producer. He is known for his role as the American president John F. Kennedy in '' Thirteen Days,'' for which he won the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion ...
had joined the cast of the film.
Filming
Crew members scouted
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, as a filming location, with production slated for an April start date.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
officially began on March 14 in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
.
Music
Michael Bolton sings and wrote the song to this movie.
On May 25, 2014,
James Horner
James Roy Horner (August 14, 1953 – June 22, 2015) was an American composer. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements, and for his frequent use of motifs associated with Celtic music.
Horner's first film score was i ...
was originally hired to compose the music for the film, but on September 26,
Paolo Buonvino
Paolo Buonvino (born 29 March 1968) is an Italian composer, musician, conductor, and music arranger.
Life and career
Buonvino was born on 29 March 1968 in Scordia, a comune in Sicily, Italy. He earned his Piano Bachelor-Degree from the Conse ...
replaced Horner to score the film.
Release
The film was released first in Italy on October 1, 2015. It was then released in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2015, by
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
Vertical Entertainment
Vertical Entertainment is an American film distribution and production company founded by producers Richard B. "Rich" Goldberg and Mitch Budin in 2012.
History
In 2012, Rich Goldberg & Mitch Budin founded Vertical Entertainment, a film distribut ...
distributed the film in the U.S on July 8, 2016.
Critical response
The film received negative reviews from critics.
Review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reports a rating of 28% based on 50 reviews, with an average rating of 4.24/10; the site's consensus states: "''Fathers and Daughters'' name-brand cast can't cover for a screenplay that makes a half-hearted effort at delving into family dynamics but falls back on melodrama." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a score of 31% from 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fathers And Daughters
2015 films
2015 drama films
English-language Italian films
American drama films
Italian drama films
Films about depression
Films about writers
Films shot in Pittsburgh
Films directed by Gabriele Muccino
Voltage Pictures films
Vertical Entertainment films
Post-traumatic stress disorder in fiction
Films about father–daughter relationships
Films about parenting
2010s English-language films
2010s American films