Sundance So Far: Hollywood’s Own State of the Union Address, From Diverse Stories to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
Sundance 2019: Over its first four days, the festival showed off its increased commitment to diversity, along with a slate of films with contemporary resonance
Steve Pond | January 27, 2019 @ 9:29 PM
Last Updated: January 28, 2019 @ 8:01 AM
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
The Sundance Film Festival is always a barometer of the times to some degree, with often-topical indie films alternating with documentaries about the hot-button issues of the day. But there’s something particularly timely about this year’s Sundance, which has made a point of embracing diversity and in its first four days has showcased a slate of films that constitute its own (non-delayed) State of the Union address.
Screening at a festival that gave 63 percent of its press credentials to underrepresented groups and booked nearly half its slate with female directors, the films that have gotten the most buzz at this year’s festival almost all have a significant amount of contemporary resonance.
The biggest sale, by far, was for “Late Night,” a comedy written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Nisha Ganatra that beneath the laughs tackled the underrepresentation of women in television writers’ rooms. The most acclaimed films include Scott Z. Burns’ “The Report,” which deals with the Senate investigation into the CIA’s torture policy after 9/11 — and celebrates investigative journalism and congressional oversight at a time when both are under fire from the Trump White House.
Other highlights over the first weekend include “Native Son,” a searing and timely adaptation of Richard Wright’s acclaimed novel, and “The Last Man in San Francisco,” Joe Talbot’s very different take on race and class.
And the landscape of this year’s films is one of dramatic inclusion, with stories ranging from a Chinese-American woman in conflict with her family’s culture (“The Farewell”) to a story about a Pakistani teen in Britain who finds his voice by listening to Bruce Springsteen (“Blinded by the Light”). (And those aren’t even in the World Cinema sections of the festival.)
There’s also a coming-of-age story with a transgender twist in “Adam,” taking one of the classic Sundance styles in a new direction, a feminist twist on dystopian science fiction in “I Am Mother,” and a revenge story that detours into a searing examination of the subjugation of women and indigenous peoples in “The Nightingale.”
And then there are the documentaries, with highlights in the first weekend including “Knock Down the House,” about insurgent political candidacies epitomized by Alexandria Ocasio Cortez; “The Inventor,” about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes and the “fake it till you make it” culture of Silicon Valley; “Untouchable,” about Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual misconduct and “Where’s My Roy Cohn?,” a doc so timely that one of its talking heads, Cohn protégé Roger Stone, was arrested the day of the premiere.
That’s the tip of the iceberg, and it’s hardly new to Sundance. But when you add up this year’s offerings, in many ways they amount to a portrait of a fractured country, and a prescription for change and healing.
In addition, the festival highlighted an unusually rich slate of music docs, including “David Crosby: Remember My Name,” “Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love” and “Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool,” along with “Ask Dr. Ruth” and “Halston,” and some films that have gotten lots of attention without fitting too snugly into this narrative (the Michael Jackson documentary “Leaving Neverland” and the Ted Bundy biopic “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile”).
On the whole, the docs have been stronger than the narrative films, but that’s par for the course at Sundance. And together, the docs and narratives add up to a comprehensive look not only at the state of independent film but the state of the union itself.
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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
"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.
Sundance Institute
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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).