An Actress Named Vivien Leigh

Author(s): Harry
Location: Colombia

“An Actress Named Vivien Leigh"
A Warner Bros. Pictures Release

Directed by Milos Forman
Written by John Logan and James L. White
Produced by Saul Zaentz
Music by Howard Shore
Cinematography by Pawel Edelman
Costume design by Sandy Powell

Principal Cast:

Kate Beckinsale as Vivien Leigh
Johnny Depp as Laurence Olivier
John C. Reilly as David O. Selznick
Martin Scorsese as George Cukor
David Strathairn as Elia Kazan
Adrien Brody as Kenneth Tynan
Jeff Bridges as Victor Fleming
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Myron Selznick

Featuring special cameo appearances of:

Cate Blanchett as Kim Hunter
Chris Cooper as Herbert Leigh Holman
Leonardo DiCaprio as Marlon Brando
Robert Downey Jr. as Clark Gable
Queen Latifah as Hattie McDaniel
Ryan Phillippe as Leslie Howard
Liv Tyler as Olivia de Havilland
Naomi Watts as Jill Esmond

Tagline: “Her success/Her illness/Her depression/Her Legend"

Synopsis: “Lights, Camera, Action”. The film begins with the shooting of “Fire over England”. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier played the roles of two lovers. As they continued with the shooting, a desperate attraction grew between them and ended with them have an affair. After finding out, Leigh’s husband, the barrister Herbert Leigh Holman and Olivier’s wife, the actress Jill Esmond refused to grant either a divorce. Leigh and Olivier was a happy couple, but Olivier was offered a part in the film “Wuthering Heights” in the States and left Leigh alone in London.

At this time, Hollywood was in the search of an actress that could portray Scarlett O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s production of “Gone With the Wind”. Leigh’s American agent was the London representative of Myron Selznick Agency (Myron was David’s brother). Vivien Leigh wanted the role of Scarlett O'Hara more than anything in the world. Selznick and George Cukor, the director of the film, saw her latest films and after that, she became a serious contender for the role. After various fights, she finally received the role and began shooting alongside Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel. Sadly, Cukor was dismissed from the film and replaced by Victor Fleming, but Leigh and de Havilland went in secret to ask Cukor for coaching. “Gone With the Wind” brought Leigh immediate attention and fame as well as an Oscar for Best Actress.

Leigh and Olivier continued making various films and plays together, some successful and others terrible. In a New Zealand and Australia theater tour, Leigh was plagued with insomnia. During that, Olivier and Leigh had extremely nasty and violent fights. After the success of the tour, the couple made their first West End appearance together. Leigh’s next role was Blanche Dubois in the Tennessee William’s polemic play “A Streetcar Named Desire”. After 326 performances, Leigh signed for a film version of the play, co-starring Marlon Brando and Kim Hunter. Leigh’s performance in the film was extremely successful and earned her amazing reviews as well as a second Oscar. However, the role tipped her into madness. Leigh and Olivier continued performing together but Leigh had many periods of incoherence. Leigh recovered sufficiently to play “The Sleeping Prince” with Olivier and after other productions, she became pregnant. A few weeks later, she had a miscarriage and entered a stage of terrible depression that lasted for months. Here is where the film takes a tragic end.

What the press would say:

One thing is for sure, “An Actress Named Vivien Leigh” is this year’s awards season biopic delivered in the best writing, directing and acting possible. Milos Forman’s directing is so fascinating and so unique that it’ll probably earn him a fourth Oscar nomination. The screenplay was also delivered in the most realistic way possible. John Logan and James L. White make you suffer and cry with their amazing scenes and strong dialogues. But what really makes this film a sure Oscar contender is its strong cast, destined to be a contender for various awards. The best of the supporting cast is Adrien Brody as the critic and film’s villain Kenneth Tynan, who destroys the main character with his terrible reviews. Johnny Depp is sensational as Laurence Olivier, a role he was born to play and that will earn him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. But ladies and gentlemen, the person you must all applaud the most is Kate Beckinsale in her lifetime and born to play role as the beautiful Vivien Leigh. Not only does she look very much like her, but she also shows us how terrific she can play such a complex and desperate character. She was definitely possessed by the spirit of Vivien Leigh at the shooting of the film. It really is a performance I can see perfectly winning an Oscar. So please, go see this film for its directing, its screenplay and its tremendous cast but most of all, for Beckinsale’s portrayal of a desperate actress.

Awards Potential:

Best Picture – Saul Zaentz
Best Directing – Milos Forman
Best Actress in a Leading Role – Kate Beckinsale
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Johnny Depp
Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Adrien Brody
Best Original Screenplay – John Logan and James L. White
Best Original Score – Howard Shore
Best Cinematography – Pawel Edelman
Best Costume design – Sandy Powell
Best Makeup