''MacArthur Park'' is a 2001 American independent drama film directed by

Billy Wirth William E. Wirth (born June 23, 1962) is an American actor, film producer, and artist, perhaps best known for his role as Dwayne in the 1987 film, ''The Lost Boys''. Life and career Wirth was born in New York City to a lawyer father and an art ...

and written by Wirth, Tyrone Atkins, Aaron Courseault and Sheri Sussman. The film features ensemble cast stars

Thomas Jefferson Byrd Thomas Jefferson Byrd (June 25, 1950 – October 3, 2020) was an American character actor who played in several of director Spike Lee's films. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2003 B ...

Ellen Cleghorne Ellen Leslye Cleghorne is an American actress and comedian, best known as a cast member of ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1991 to 1995. Cleghorne was the sketch comedy show's second African-American female repertory cast member, succeeding Danitra ...

B-Real Louis Mario Freese (born June 2, 1970), known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper. Since 1991, he has been one of two lead rappers in the hip hop group Cypress Hill, along with Sen Dog. He has also been a part of the rap metal band ...

Balthazar Getty Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in '' Ch ...

Lori Petty Lori Petty (born October 14, 1963) is an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She is noted for her roles in the films ''Point Break'' (1991), ''A League of Their Own'' (1992), ''Free Willy '' (1993), and the title role in ''Tank Girl'' ...

and Bad Azz. The film follows a homeless former jazz musician (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) trying to survive in

MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and later designated ...

. R&B singer

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...

covered song “

” for closing credits. ''MacArthur Park'' premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

on January 19, 2001, where it was nominated for the

Grand Jury Prize A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...

. It later screened at the 2001

Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival Taos Talking Pictures was a non-profit corporation registered with the State of New Mexico in 1994 by actor Joshua Bryant, Phillip Kirk, and attorney Stephen Rose for the purpose of producing The Taos Talking Picture Festival, which premiered in Apr ...

. The film received positive reviews from critics for subject matter and performances (particularly Byrd, Getty, Deary, Cleghorne and Lori Petty).

Cast

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. Film critic Dennis Harvey from ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' gave it positive review praising Wirth's feature directing debut and acting performances. Film critic Dennis Schwartz also gave it positive review writing: "The film is one-part gritty urban social realism and another part art-house chic, which leaves a limited audience for a film that is dramatically flawed but bursts through at times with raw power."

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0270487 American independent films 2001 independent films 2000s American films 2000s English-language films 2001 directorial debut films 2000s hood films Films set in Los Angeles Films about addiction Films about homelessness