Late Night Emma Thompson Mindy Kaling Cruela

Sundance Institute

This year’s Sundance Film Festival might have just found its first commercial hit with Mindy Kaling’s “Late Night,” a comedy that has a bunch of laughs, a lot of heart and a whole lot of Emma Thompson.

The film premiered on Friday night to a crowded Eccles Theatre. Director Nisha Ganatra made the introductions to a crowd that was about to be the first to see the film, which Kaling also wrote.

Twenty seconds into the first scene, the crowd already had plenty to laugh about. Thompson plays legendary late night host Katherine Newbury, who is accused of being a “woman who hates women.” She goes out of her way to prove to her coworkers and fans that that’s not true, hiring Molly (Kaling), a woman, and a woman of color, to add to her mostly white male writers room. Molly wants to prove she’s not just a diversity hire, but in the process causes Katherine to look at her personal life.

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Politics, gender issues and race are at the forefront of this female-centric comedy that has a clear message: Women should take matters into their own hands. Whether it’s Molly walking onto the stage where no other writer but one has set foot, or Katherine deciding she’s not going be told what to discuss on her show, the message is there that women have opinions and should express them, rather than being forced into silence by a toxic work environment or male white privilege.

Thompson is, simply put, amazing in this role. She plays a woman you are supposed to hate but actually end up loving, in a role and performance reminiscent of Meryl Streep’s in “The Devil Wears Prada.” It’s all about balancing one’s personal and professional lives, and the film dismisses the idea that women must be “nice” or defy aging to succeed in the workplace. And let’s be honest — who wouldn’t want to see Thompson as a late night host? Anyone?

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A couple of jokes here and there received some audible groans and awkward “Oh, my Gods,” but overall the jokes were met with full-bellied laughs at the Eccles. There were also references to the #MeToo movement and Hollywood sex scandals aplenty, so the timeliness of the film was unmissable.

After the credits rolled and the cast got up on stage for a Q&A, Kaling revealed that she wrote the role for Thompson, who couldn’t be at the screening that night due to her shooting schedule. Also, the film had an equal number of women as it did men behind the camera.

In the lobby afterwards, the buzz continued, with viewers calling it “the first hit of the festival” and “delightful,” and predicting a quick sale.

15 Buzziest Sundance Movies: From Shia LaBeouf's 'Honey Boy' to 'Leaving Neverland' (Photos)

Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).
"After the Wedding"

Filmmaker Bart Freundlich has enlisted esteemed actresses Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams to lead this adaptation of Danish director Susanne Bier's Oscar-winning film of the same name. After being invited to the wedding of Theresa’s (Moore) daughter, Isabel (Williams) discovers a connection to Theresa that takes her on an unexpected journey into her own past.
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"Clemency"

Alfre Woodard stars as the warden of a maximum-security prison, who, after striking up a bond with an inmate, is confronted with the complex and often contradictory relationship between good intentions and unrequited desires.
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"Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile"

Almost two years in the making, Joe Berlinger's take on the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is finally hitting the big screen. Zac Efron stars as Bundy, and the film will be told from the perspective of Bundy’s longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth, who went years denying the accusations against him, but ultimately turned him into the police. Lily Collins plays Elizabeth. The film also stars Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment and Kaya Scodelario.
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"Honey Boy"

Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this film, based on his childhood and his relationship with his father. Directed by Alma Har'el, "Honey Boy" also stars Lucas Hedges, FKA Twigs and Noah Jupe.
Sundance Institute
"Imaginary Order"

If you want to feel uncomfortable yet completely fascinated by a film, "Imaginary Order" is the one for you. It follows a suburban mom, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, who makes mistake after mistake and her psyche crumbles in the aftermath.
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"Knock Down the House"

Documentaries continue to be huge, and this one details the struggles and meteoric rise of young Puerto Rican bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the Bronx to toppling incumbents in an electric primary race for Congress.
Sundance Institute
"Leaving Neverland"

Described as gut-wrenching, this documentary uses interviews with the now-adult men and their families of those who have accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse to craft a portrait of one of the world's most celebrated icons. HBO will release this doc in the spring.
Sundance Institute
"Native Son"

Renowned African-American history and culture visual artist Rashid Johnson and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks craft a contemporary reworking of Richard Wright’s 1940 novel, bringing its interrogation of fear, violence, race and circumstance into a critical modern context. A24 is the distributor.
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"The Great Hack"

In 2018, Facebook came under fire many times for its use and misuse of users' personal data. That was never more apparent than the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data breach that this doc explores. Netflix will distribute this documentary.
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"The Report"

Hot off his awards run for "BlacKkKlansman," Adam Driver is back in "The Report" alongside Jon Hamm, Jennifer Morrison and Maura Tierney. The film, directed by Scott Z. Burns, follows CIA agents and their interrogation tactics in the quest to find those behind the 9/11 attacks.
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"Untouchable"

Harvey Weinstein, both in his rise and in his monstrous fall, changed Hollywood forever. "Untouchable" explores how he acquired and deployed his formidable power over the course of decades.
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"Velvet Buzzsaw"

"Nightcrawler" director Dan Gilroy reunited with Jake Gyllenhaal for the high-art thriller "Velvet Buzzsaw," which also stars Rene Russo, Toni Collette and Natalia Dyer. Netflix will distribute this movie.
Netflix
"The Farewell"

Awkwafina, one of the breakout stars of 2018, stars in this film about a family that opts not to tell their beloved matriarch about her lung cancer diagnosis, instead scheduling an impromptu wedding-reunion back in China. The film is based on director Lulu Wang's true story she told on NPR's popular podcast, "This American Life."
Sundance Institute
"Luce"

This psychological drama stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts. It follows a couple that is forced to reevaluate the image of their adopted son after his high school teacher finds something alarming in his locker.
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"Brittany Runs a Marathon"

Jillian Bell leads the cast of this comedy that follows a young New Yorker who discovers she has elevated blood pressure and a high heart rate. Soon, she starts running, and increases her distance by a mile a day. Buyers have expressed interest in this inspirational yet entertaining tale.
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Sundance 2019: Film fanatics will brave the cold to see these hot films in Park City, Utah

Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).

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