Morris from America
| Morris from America | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Chad Hartigan |
| Produced by |
Martin Heisler Sara Murphy Adele Romanski Gabriele Simon |
| Written by | Chad Hartigan |
| Starring | Craig Robinson |
| Music by | Keegan DeWitt |
| Cinematography | Sean McElwee |
| Edited by | Anne Fabini |
| Distributed by | A24 |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country |
United States German |
| Language |
English German |
Morris from America is a 2016 American-German drama film written directed by Chad Hartigan. It was shown in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival,[1] where Hartigan won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award.[2]
Plot
A coming-of-age adventure of a 13-year-old American currently living in Germany.
Cast
- Craig Robinson as Curtis Gentry
- Carla Juri as Inka
- Lina Keller as Katrin
- Markees Christmas as Morris Gentry
- Jakub Gierszał as Per
- Levin Henning as Bastian
- Patrick Güldenberg as Sven
- Eva Löbau as Katrin's Mother
Production
In July 2015, it was announced that Chad Hartigan would be directing a film from a screenplay he wrote.[3] It was also announced that Craig Robinson, Carla Juri, and Markees Christmas, Lina Keller, Jakub Gierszal, Eva Löbau and Levin Henning had all been cast in the film, with Christmas portraying the role of an American boy moving to Germany, with Robinson portraying his father, and Juri portraying the role of his tutor.[3] It was also announced that Lichtblick Media GMBH and Beachside Films would be co-producing the film, which is being produced by Sara Murphy, Adele Romanski, Martin Heisler and Gabriele Simon, executive producing are Michael B. Clark and Alex Turtletaub.[3]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2016.[4][5] Shortly after, A24 acquired U.S distribution rights to the film.[6]
Critical reception
Morris From America received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 80% "Fresh" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[7] Justin Chang of Variety.com gave the film a positive review writing "Set to the pulsing hip-hop music that fuels Morris’ dreams and offers him refuge in a place that can seem friendly and threatening by turns, this coming-of-age dramedy explores how the challenges of being young, black and misunderstood can be compounded in a foreign environment, but goes about it in a grounded, character-driven way that never smacks of manipulation or special pleading."[8] Eric Kohn of Indiewire.com gave the film a B+ writing : "Morris From America excels at conveying the inherent power of companionship in a largely indifferent world. When Curtis asserts that he and his son are 'the only two brothers in Heidelberg,' it's the movie's coziest moment."[9]
References
- ↑ "Sundance: Competition and Next Films Announced for 2016 Festival". Sundance. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
- ↑ "Sundance: The Birth of a Nation Sweeps Top Prizes". Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Hipes, Patrick (July 23, 2015). "Chad Hartigan Sets Next Film ‘Morris From America’ With Craig Robinson & Carla Juri". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ↑ "SUNDANCE INSTITUTE COMPLETES FEATURE FILM LINEUP FOR 2016 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL". sundance.org. December 7, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ↑ "Morris From America". Sundance.org. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ↑ Lang, Brent (January 24, 2016). "Sundance: A24 Buys ‘Morris From America’". Variety.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ↑ "Morris From America". RottenTomatoes.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ↑ Chang, Justin (January 22, 2016). "Sundance Film Review: ‘Morris From America’". Variety.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- ↑ Kohn, Eric (January 30, 2016). "Sundance Review: 'Morris From America' Puts a Fresh Spin on Familiar Ingredients". Indiewire.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016.