novaleigh

2004 Independent Spirit Awards









**Thanks to Mandy!

novaleigh

Miramax Pre-Oscar Party:









**Thanks to Mandy!

novaleigh

Pre-Oscar Party Arrivals:









**Again, thanks to the lovely Mandy!

novaleigh

More pre-oscar arrivals:

novaleigh

Spirit Awards After-Party:

novaleigh

more Spirit Awards After-Party:

novaleigh

It is so great to see Michelle out and about! She sure has been a busy girl lately! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

mukooh

hi...happened to be in an "art house" theater today and caught the trailer for 'the united states of leland' starring kevin spacey, ryan gosling, don cheadle, jena malone, chris klein and michelle williams...it's release date is april 2nd...sorry to say that this is a "smaller film" that will probably be released only at "art house" theaters....as were 'the station agent' and 'me without you' which also featured michelle...the trailer looked interesting and with a cast like the one mentioned above i'm hoping it that it will be good.....

THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND
A letter from writer/director Matthew Ryan Hoge

Dear Reader:

While writing The United States of Leland, I was also working as a teacher in the Los Angeles juvenile court system. My first day on the job, I was led down a long hallway to a classroom of minors from KL, the unit reserved for those being held on murder charges. My mind was racing, wondering what to expect – surely these kids had to be something less than human, some kind of monsters. I could not have been more surprised by what I would discover.

My discovery was gradual. One of these “monsters” told a joke that actually made me laugh. Another spoke warmly about how he missed his mother. Another was ecstatic to learn the difference between a noun and a verb. Slowly, I began to forget about the actions that they had committed to end up here. I began to se them for what they were – not monsters, but kids who had made tragic mistakes. Apart from one regrettable action, each of them was a lot like me.

This is the same journey that the audience will take while viewing The United States of Leland. They will be presented with an unthinkable murder. Yet from the beginning, the face of the murderer does not fit. Leland, a frail sixteen-year-old with vulnerability in his eyes does not seem capable of the act he committed. Over the course of the film, Leland reveals himself to be an insightful, caring young man with a fiercely moral outlook on the world. His fatal flaw is that he feels too much. The audience will, at first, be intrigued by Leland to then sympathizing with him; and, hopefully, by the end of the film, they will care for him deeply.

The United States of Leland was not intended to be a brooding, alienating, gritty art film. It deals with dark subject matter, but it is not meant to be a dark film, both literally and figuratively. Rather than painting “Leland” in blackness and shadows, the emphasis is on brighter colors and warm light. Thematically, “Leland” is a tragedy, but a tragedy saturated with hope. We did not set out to make a depressing, bleak movie.

What do I hope The United States of Leland is? A lively, emotional, and colorful film about characters struggling to do the right thing, about finding hope in difficult circumstances, about discovering the goodness that is buried in people. This is a film about redemption, about relationships that are forged and mended.

One of the great ironies of life is that often something irrevocably bad reveals the depths of our goodness. Unfortunately, we need look no further than the tragedy of September 11th for evidence – this incident which shocked and terrified the world, also brought out the best in all of us. Our most virtuous selves often remain dormant until something disrupts the fabric of our lives. “Leland” begins with a tragedy, but its central concern is how that tragedy forces eight people to dramatically re-evaluate their choices, their morality, and their lives. The United States of Leland does not dwell on the bad things that happen to us; instead it explores how these events can inspire us to make tremendously positive changes in our lives.

Thank you for allowing me this introduction. I hope you enjoy The United States of Leland.

Sincerely,
Matthew Ryan Hoge

(taken from official site)

***edited to include letter from writer/driector***

[ 03-06-2004: Message edited mukooh ]

mukooh

movie poster for 'the united states of leland'.....

novaleigh

thanks for the info and pics mukooh!

novaleigh

From Hollywood Reporter

Lee shepherds Williams for 'Brokeback'

By Borys Kit
Michelle Williams is being lassoed to star in Ang Lee's cowboy love story "Brokeback Mountain" for Focus Features. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal are starring, while James Schamus, Michael Costigan, Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry are producing. Adapted by McMurtry and Ossana from a short story by "The Shipping News" scribe E. Annie Proulx, the story centers on two men (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) who meet one summer as sheepherders in Wyoming and form a bond and love that spans 20 years. The film tracks that time period and their evolving relationship. Williams would play Ledger's wife, Alma, who has to deal with her husband's secret love. "Brokeback" is slated to shoot in May. Williams gained attention for her work on the WB Network series "Dawson's Creek." She most recently appeared in critical darling "The Station Agent" and has Miramax's "Imaginary Heroes" and Wim Wenders' "Angst and Alienation" in the can. She begins shooting "The Baxter" for IFC Prods. this week. Williams is repped by the Gersh Agency.


It's also being reported at Coming Soon.Net

novaleigh

From JoBlo~

Michelle goes Broke

Former "Dawson's Creek" star Michelle Williams has signed on to join Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the Ang Lee drama BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. In case you missed it the first time around, the film is about two gay cowboys who fall in love and keep the secret from their wives and families. Williams will play one of the wives. Eventually as her husband sneaks off every year to frolic with his boy toy, she catches on to the little ruse and must deal with the shocking news. BROKEBACK was adapted for the screen by Larry McMurtry from the E. Annie Proulx (THE SHIPPING NEWS) novel. Williams has been primarily shooting indie films since leaving "Dawson's" and can be seen next alongside Sigourney Weaver and Emile Hirsch in IMAGINARY HEROES. Ang Lee is returning to his dramatic roots with this film after taking a short break with the big-budget HULK - a film that didn't quite meet expectations and fizzled out. Talks of a HULK sequel have stalled and will likely not happen at this point. Ledger can be seen next in the Aussie biopic NED KELLY and Gyllenhaal this summer in the disaster epic THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Filming is scheduled to begin this May.

From Moviehole~

From Dawson's Creek to Brokeback Mountain
Posted on Mon, 8-Mar-2004

Former “Dawson’s Creek” star Michelle Williams has won a plum role in Ang Lee’s next movie “Brokeback Mountain”, reports Variety.

She'll be joining Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the film which starts shooting in May.

Adapted by McMurtry and Ossana from a short story by “The Shipping News” writer E. Annie Proulx, the story centers on two men (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) who meet one summer as sheepherders in Wyoming and form a bond and love that spans 20 years. The film tracks that time period and their evolving relationship.

Williams would play Ledger's wife, Alma, who has to deal with her husband's secret love. Williams starts shooting “The Baxter” for IFC Productions this week.

novaleigh

According to Coming Soon, The Station Agent will be released on video and DVD June 15th

mukooh

michelle williams and jena malone from 'the united states of leland'.....

novaleigh

mukooh, thanks so much for posting that pic.