- Title: USA: Cheryl Hines directs first film
- Date: 30th April 2009
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHERYL HINES, DIRECTOR, SAYING: "What's great about Adrienne's writing is she really tows the line of comedy and drama so I mean really one minute something shocking will happen where you feel like 'oh this isn't a comedy' and then the next minute you're laughing out loud with these people."
- Embargoed: 15th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVAACBUELIRJ0WDZOTT45J03AD1T
- Story Text: Cheryl Hines makes her first feature film. It marks the last film written by the late actress, director and screenwriter Adrienne Shelly who was murdered in New York in 2006.
A dark comedy is how Cheryl Hines defines her feature film directorial debut. The actress best known for playing Larry David's wife "Cheryl" on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" got behind the camera for "Serious Moonlight", and the experience was bitter-sweet.
The movie starring Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton and Kristen Bell centres around a married couple on the verge of divorce. When Ian tells his wife Louise he is leaving her for a younger woman and running away with her to Paris the next day, she ties him up determined to convince him to save their 13-year marriage. The story was written by the late screenwriter, actress and director Adrienne Shelly.
"What's great about Adrienne's writing is she really tows the line of comedy and drama so I mean really one minute something shocking will happen where you feel like 'oh this isn't a comedy' and then the next minute you're laughing out loud with these people," said Hines.
Hines said she thinks everyone can relate to the desire to make someone really listen to you. The movie just takes it a step further.
Several directors were considered for the film but Shelly's husband and producer, Andrew Ostroy, decided on Hines. He said it was because she really understood Shelly's sense of humour. Hines said the experience was the most challenging thing she had ever done.
"God, my face broke out. I couldn't sleep. I lost weight. I had no idea - the stress of making a film," she said.
Hines had worked with Shelly before on "Waitress", written and directed by and featuring the late actress. Shelly was murdered in her office in Manhattan in 2006.
"It is a very special project because Adrienne had written this script years ago and her husband Andy Ostroy - it was very important for him to produce this film. Andy wanted to make the film in a way with as few changes to the script as possible because Adrienne had written it and didn't want to change it."
"Serious Moonlight" recently premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and is currently looking for distribution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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