How Rooney Mara Devoured a Pie for a 9-Minute 'Ghost Story' Scene

Jason Biggs’ time as the king of cinema pie scenes is coming to an end.

The seminal scene in David Lowery’s new “meaning of life” film “A Ghost Story” features a heartbroken Rooney Mara sitting alone on the floor of her kitchen devouring a full pie in real-time take as her dead husband (Casey Affleck) watches from afar as a ghost.

It’s a nine-minute wide shot of Mara in profile that plays out like a single shot … for nine minutes.

Also Read: 'A Ghost Story' Review: Casey Affleck's Ghost in a Bed Sheet Breaks Your Heart

Punctuated by vomit (spoiler alert), it will contend with “Fargo’s” nasty binge-eating villain David Thewlis’ performance for the 2017 pop culture “wretch” award.

David Lowery discusses "A Ghost Story" and his Adobe post-production workflow at a special screening at the Arclight Hollywood on Tuesday, July 18, 2017. (Mikey Glazer)

David Lowery discusses “A Ghost Story” at the Arclight Hollywood (Mikey Glazer)

Also Read: 'A Ghost Story,' 'City of Ghosts' Make Chilling Entry Into Indie Box Office

“I definitely expected people to walk during it,” Lowery recently told Ethan Alter of Yahoo Movies. “It comes 20 or 25 minutes into the movie, and it’s the longest shot in the movie … it is an opportunity for audiences to decide if they’re with the movie. If they want to bail, that’s a great time to leave,” he added.

Lowery, who wrote, directed and edited the film, spoke to a packed Theatre 4 at the Arclight Hollywood on Tuesday night. The conversation and screening were hosted by Adobe, Lowery’s post-production workflow of choice.

Considering Adobe’s involvement and the glacial pace of the first act — where in addition to the pie scene several other locked off shots fill the screen for extended periods — instead of “bailing,” the Party Report wondered if the hook was that Lowery had forgotten to edit the movie at all.

Also Read: Rooney Mara, Sia Team for Brady Corbet's Pop Star Drama 'Vox Lux'

The “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” director revealed that Mara’s pie-binge was shot in a single take. Her dietary choice? A vegan chocolate pie, that Lowery took a few bites of at the end.

After being compelled into posting his recent studio film “Pete’s Dragon” via Disney’s post-production infrastructure (the Avid system), Lowery was refreshed to complete all of his “Ghost-post” in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.

“Most of it was cut in my laptop while traveling,” Lowery said. “The bulk of the film came together in a month.”

Also Read: Adobe Launches Audience-Based TV Ad Selling Platform

As for being a nearly one-man-band, he copped to sharing the slack self-motivation shared by many creatives.

“(I would) procrastinate all day. Watch movies. Go running,” Lowery said. “And then at night I’d go ‘I’ll just look at one scene.’ Then I’m up all night cutting.”

Mr. Lowery, consider the “forgot to edit” retraction officially issued.

After a debut at Sundance this year, the A24 release is in theaters now.

'Pink Slime' and 5 More Legal Fights Over Food Insults (Photos)

Top TV talents including Oprah Winfrey have been hit with food libel lawsuits, otherwise known as "ag-gag" or "veggie libel" lawsuits. Most of these claims fail, but they are expensive to fight. Here's a look at some recent food lawsuits.
Getty Images
Pink Slime

ABC News was sued in South Dakota and accused of violating an ag-gag law that bans purposely publishing false "disparagement" of any perishable "food product of agriculture" or "health practices with livestock."

ABC
ABC News was sued over its 2012 report saying that a processed beef byproduct called "lean finely textured beef" is really processed beef trimmings. ABC reported that the processed beef has been dubbed "pink slime" by a former government scientist.
ABC
The trial pits Beef Products, Inc. against ABC News. Sawyer has been dismissed from the suit, and the case is currently in trial.
ABC
Stopped Cold

Winfrey said on her show in 1996 that an expert's concerns about beef safety "just stopped me cold" from eating another burger.

Winfrey was sued in Texas by ranchers who accusing her of defamation and violating the Texas False Disparagement of Perishable Food Products Act.
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The ranchers claimed they suffered $12 million in lost business after Oprah's segment "Dangerous Food" examined the potential of mad cow disease to infect U. S. cattle.
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The jury and a Texas appeals court sided with Winfrey, ruling that Winfrey did not violate the ag-gag law because she did not purposely publish false facts about Texas cattle.
CNN
But Winfrey spent an estimated $1 million in legal fees for the trial and defeating the ranchers' appeal.

After winning, Oprah declared, "Free speech not only lives, it rocks."
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McLibel

Perhaps the first food libel lawsuit was brought by McDonald's in 1994 against two vegetarian activists accused of defaming the fast-food chain in London. It was dubbed the McLibel case.
Wikimedia Commons
The activists, David Morris and Helen Steel, were sued for handling out leaflets accusing McDonald's of paying low wages, selling cancer-causing food, and buying products from vendors engaging animal cruelty.
Getty Images
The two activists could not prove the truth of all their claims, and were ordered to pay nearly $100,000 to McDonald's.

The pair refused to pay. McDonald's eventually dropped its case.
WikiCommons
The Guardian newspaper described the litigation "as the biggest corporate PR disaster in history." The case cost McDonald's $16 million in legal fees and related costs.
Jerico
Hot Coffee

A 79-year-old New Mexico woman sued McDonald's after she was hospitalized for eight days with severe burns caused by spilling hot coffee onto her lap.
Free Stock Photos
Stella Liebeck claimed that McDonald's was responsible for her injuries because it had received other claims from customers who suffered similar burns from the coffee, but did nothing about it.

McDonald's said it did nothing wrong.
Wikimedia Commons
McDonald's coffee was heated to 180 degrees, while home-brewed coffee is typically 135-140 degrees.

Liebeck said she was burned on her thighs, buttocks, groin and genital area and needed skin grafts.
Pixabay
A jury awarded Liebeck $2.9 million, but a judge and appeals court slashed her award to $640,000. The case settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

McDonald's has reduced the temperature of its coffee to 150 degrees.
Wikimedia Commons
Liebeck's case was spoofed in a Season 7 "Seinfeld" episode, "The Maestro." It is also the subject of a 2011 HBO documentary movie, "Hot Coffee."
TBS
Chicken or Soy?

Earlier this year, Subway sued Canadian Broadcasting Company over its 2017 report that the world's largest fast-food chain put soy filler in its chicken sandwiches.
Getty Images
Subway called CBC's report a "misrepresentation" and sued CBC, accusing the network of defamation.

Before filing the lawsuit, the chain said it would seek $210 million in damages. The case is pending.
Subway
A is for Alar

CBS was sued over its 1998 "Sixty Minutes" report that Alar, a chemical sprayed on apples, increased the risk of cancer for consumers, particularly in children.
Pixabay
Apple growers sued CBS, claiming the report cost them millions of dollar in lost apple sales. CBS stood behind its report.
Wikimedia Commons
A federal judge dismissed the apple growers' case, saying CBS relied on a government report and that the apple growers failed to show the news report was false.
Wikimedia Commons
After the lawsuit and public outcry, the manufacturer of Alar pulled the chemical from the U.S. market.
Sears
Animal Filming

More food lawsuits are expected now that it is a felony in many states to covertly film inside animal and agriculture facilities and air the footage.
Animal Planet
But future prosecutions may be in question. In 2015, an Idaho judge struck down that state's criminal filming law, ruling that the ban violates the First Amendment protection for free speech.

Other states' illegal filming laws are being challenged in court.
Wikimedia Commons

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Criticizing food can land you in court, as Oprah Winfrey and others have discovered

Top TV talents including Oprah Winfrey have been hit with food libel lawsuits, otherwise known as "ag-gag" or "veggie libel" lawsuits. Most of these claims fail, but they are expensive to fight. Here's a look at some recent food lawsuits.

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How Rooney Mara Devoured a Pie for a 9-Minute ‘Ghost Story’ Scene

'Pink Slime' and 5 More Legal Fights Over Food Insults (Photos)

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'Pink Slime' and 5 More Legal Fights Over Food Insults (Photos)

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