Chantilly Lace (film)
| Chantilly Lace | |
|---|---|
 Promotional Poster | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Gisela Bernice |
| Directed by | Linda Yellen |
| Starring |
JoBeth Williams Helen Slater Martha Plimpton Ally Sheedy Jill Eikenberry Talia Shire Lindsay Crouse |
| Music by | Patrick Seymour |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
Rosanne Ehrlich Linda Yellen Kathy Zotnowski |
| Cinematography | Paul Cameron |
| Editor(s) | Christopher Cooke |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Showtime Network |
| Distributor | Columbia TriStar Home Video |
| Release | |
| Original release | July 25, 1993 |
Chantilly Lace is a 1993 drama film shot in Sundance, Utah for the Showtime Network and eventually released on video via Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment.[1] The film was directed by Linda Yellen and features dialogue that was largely improvised by its ensemble cast.
Plot
Over three seasons, seven friends gets together at a cabin in the Colorado Rockies to connect, grow and cope with life.
Cast
- JoBeth Williams as Natalie
- Helen Slater as Hannah
- Lindsay Crouse as Rheza
- Talia Shire as Maggie
- Jill Eikenberry as Val
- Ally Sheedy as Elizabeth
- Martha Plimpton as Anne
- Matt Battaglia as Chris the Pizza Boy
Production
Inspired by Christa Wolf's, Cassandra, Yellen said she originally conceived of "Chantilly Lace" because of the preponderance of "incomplete roles for women, who are sketched instead of developed" in the movie business. She further developed it at the Sundance Film Institute, while Showtime provided production financing.[2]
Yellen worked from a 40-page outline — instead of a screenplay — to extract improvisation from her performers.[3]
The film, often compared to The Big Chill, was shot over eight days.
Themes
The Sundance director of feature film, Michelle Satter, said the film explores the landscape of contemporary women’s issues with humor and honesty 'unlike any American film' that she had seen.[3]
Response
Ken Tucker wrote, for Entertainment Weekly, that the film was "the only kind of feminist slant that gets much exposure on television: well-to-do white women grousing about horrible men and about their mostly unfulfilled needs to be creative."
However, the film was well received by audiences. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 93% audience score, based on 74 reviews.[4] On IMDB, the film has a 6.2 audience rating out of 10.[5]
References
- ↑ Tucker (1993). "Chantilly Lace".
- ↑ Leonard (1993). "One Hundred Years of Altitude".
- 1 2 Frook (1993). "Yellen's 'Lace' gets blue ribbon".
- ↑ "Chantilly Lace". 1993.
- ↑ "Chantilly Lace". 1993.