RI Director Richard Griffin to Premiere 'Normal' This Sunday
GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team
RI Director Richard Griffin to Premiere 'Normal' This Sunday
Described as a contemporary psychological thriller, Normal is about Jim, a lonely, troubled young man who works as an apartment superintendent. Unfortunately, Jim keeps reliving his tortured past. Through a series of flashbacks, and interactions with his mysterious tenants, we not only learn of Jim’s dark secrets, but also what it means to be normal. The answers Jim finds in his journey shatter his perceptions of the past, as well as his fragile grip on reality.
A personal journey
Griffin and Schwartz hatched the idea for the film very late one night. Schwartz grabbed the idea, and fueled by the grief, anger and pain of losing his father awhile ago, labored for three months, writing constantly. “I couldn’t shake it when it was done” said Schwartz. “Part of me still can’t. Part of me still feels like I’m stuck in that movie script.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGriffin drew from his own pain and losses of the past to help shape the film. "When I first read the screenplay for Normal from Lenny Schwartz, I found that with each page my emotions ran the gamut from a deep, visceral sadness to unmitigated fear," Griffin told GoLocal. "So many movies today are violent, but what Lenny wrote so brilliantly was a movie about violence. And not the blood and guts variety, but a violence that's deep, emotional and profound. Weeks after reading the screenplay I couldn't shake the emotions, and I still can't."
"I hope the audience shares in the same troubling nightmare Lenny wrote so brilliantly when they see the film in theaters. I am honored to have the chance to direct such a masterwork," Griffin added.
Local talent
Both Griffin and Schwartz are thrilled that local actors, now enjoying careers in Los Angeles are leads in the film: Michael Reed and Sarah Nicklin. No stranger to Scorpio Film Releasing, Reed and Nicklin have collaborated with Griffin on numerous occasions, including most recently on Exhumed.
In addition to Reed and Nicklin, Normal's cast and crew features countless other talented local actors and filmmakers, including Rhode Islanders Rich Tretheway, Michael Thurber, Elyssa Baldassarri, Shannon Hartman, and Patrick Keeffe.
Schwartz noted, “The world of filmmaking is all about remakes or re-imagining these days. I encourage people to come support a local filmmaker, actors, and crew, who have put blood sweat and tears into making something original. This is something you haven’t seen before.”
Providence's most prolific
Normal marks the 14th feature film for Providence native Richard Griffin. This past summer, GoLocal spoke to Griffin about his forthcoming effort Future Justice, a science fiction tale that Griffin funded by using the international crowdfunding site Indiegogo. To view the trailer, go here.
Normal premieres at Cinemaworld in Lincoln on January 26, 2014. There are two showings at 7pm and 9pm. Tickets are $10 each. For more information visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/229308907226989/
Check out the trailer for Normal below.
25 Movies Filmed in Rhode Island
Moonrise Kingdom
2012
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray Frances McDormand
This Oscar nominated film features many local landmarks including Fort Wetherill State Park, Bayfield Farm, and the Conanicut Lighthouse.
Mr. North
1988
Director: Danny Huston
Cast: Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall
Shot in Newport, this comedy-drama features Anthony Edwards as a con man attempting to break into the 1920s Newport social scene.
There's Something About Mary
1998
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon, Ben Stiller
Filmed partly in Providence, this movie was the highest-grossing comedy in 1998.
Federal Hill
1994
Director: Michael Corrente
Cast: Nicholas Turturro, Anthony DeSando, Libby Langdon
Set in Providence's Federal Hill neighborhood, the movie marks the directorial debut of Pawtucket native Michael Corrente.
Age of Innocence
1993
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder
This Oscar winning drama was partly filmed in Portsmouth.
True Lies
1994
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold
The ballroom scenes in the movie were filmed at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport.
High Society
1956
Director: Charles Walters
Cast: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra
Nominated for two Academy Awards, the movie's opening shot features a flyover of Newport’s oceanfront mansions.
Thirteen Days
2000
Director: Roger Donaldson
Cast: Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, Steven Culp
This docudrama about the Cuban Missile Crisis was partly shot in Newport.
Little Children
2006
Director: Todd Field
Cast: Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley
Shot partly in Providence, this critically acclaimed drama received three Academy Award nominations, including a Best Lead Actress nod for Kate Winslet.
RIPD
2013
Director: Peter M. Lenkov
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon
A car chase for this action-comedy was filmed in downtown Providence.
Amistad
1997
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Dijimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey
Shot at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport and the State House in Providence, this drama received four Academy Award nominations in 1998.
Outside Providence
1999
Director: Michael Corrente
Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Alec Baldwin
Filmed in multiple locations throughout Rhode Island, this movie is an adaptation of Peter Farrelly's 1988 novel of the same name.
Me, Myself & Irene
2000
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger. Chris Cooper, Robert Forster, Richard Jenkins
Filmed in Newport, Narragansett, Jamestown, and Galilee, this comedy centers on a Rhode Island State Trooper played by Jim Carrey.
Evening
2007
Director: Lajos Koltai
Cast: Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes, Toni Collette, Meryl Streep
The film was primarily set in Newport and included large portions shot at Gooseberry Beach.
The Great Gatsby
1974
Director: Jack Clayton
Cast: Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston, Bruce Dern
This Academy Award-winning drama was filmed in Newport at the Rosecliff Mansion on Bellevue Ave.
Self Storage
2013
Director: Tom DeNucci
Cast: Eric Roberts, Jonathan Silverman, Michael Berryman, Tom DeNucci
Filmed in a self storage facility in East Greenwich, this horror-comedy marks the directorial debut of Cranston native Tom DeNucci.
27 Dresses
2008
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Åkerman, Ed Burns
Shot throughout Rhode Island, locations included the Rosecliff and Marble House mansions in Newport and a beach in Charlestown.
Dan in Real Life
2007
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill
Filmed primarily in Jamestown, the movie also features the Point Judith Lighthouse in Narragansett.
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
2009
Director: Lasse Hallström
Cast: Richard Gere, Joan Allen, Jason Alexander
Filmed primarily in Bristol and Woonsocket, other locations included the Columbus Theater in Providence and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
The Education of Charlie Banks
2007
Director: Fred Durst
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Ritter, Eva Amurri
Shot partially in Brown University in Providence, the movie marks the directorial debut of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst.
Meet Joe Black
1998
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Claire Forlani
Warwick's Aldrich Mansion served as the residence of Anthony Hopkins' character in the film.
Reversal of Fortune
1990
Director: Barbet Schroeder
Cast: Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver
Jeremy Irons took home the Oscar for Best Actor for this drama, which was partly shot in Newport.
Underdog
2007
Director: Frederik Du Chau
Cast: Jason Lee, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Warburton, Amy Adams
Shot entirely in Rhode Island, filming locations included Hope High School on the East Side of Providence.
Tanner Hall
2009
Directors: Francesca Gregorini, Tatiana von Furstenberg
Cast: Rooney Mara, Georgia King, Brie Larson
Shot in Providence and Newport, the film marks the the directorial debut of Brown University graduates Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg.
Dumb and Dumber
1994
Directors: Peter and Bobby Farrelly
Cast: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly
Scenes from the beginning of this comedy were filmed on location in Providence, including a shot of the Big Blue Bug.
