Gone with a Dream

Author(s): Michael
Location: Oklahoma

“Gone with a Dream”

Directed by Alexander Payne
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Written by Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, and B.J. Novak
Music by Rolfe Kent

Principal Cast:

Ellen DeGeneres- Judy Glenn
Cloris Leachman- Julie Glenn
Paul Giamatti- Michael Conway
Virginia Madison- Natalie Conway
Nathan Lane- Alex Crawfish
Steve Carell- Brandon Yench

Tagline: "This spring… no matter how old or young, shoot for your dreams, or not…you know whatever floats your boat really"

Synopsis: When Judy Glenn (DeGeneres) has had her 50th birthday she decides that she finally wants to shoot for her dreams of moving to Hollywood and work her way up to being an A list Actress. Even though her mother, Julie (Leachman), has never approved of anything Judy does, Judy decides to forget her and go pursue her dreams. She quits her job working at the Post Office and takes the next plane to Los Angeles. After a month of struggling, Judy gets a job as an assistant for the A list actor, Michael Conway (Giamatti), and also for his wife, Natalie Conway (Madison), too. Judy works hard at her job, but never quite excels because she doesn’t really like Michael or Natalie at all. When Michael is working on a movie for acclaimed flamboyant director Alex Crawfish (Lane), Alex discovers that Judy is particularly funny. Giving her a small role in the film Judy does exceedingly well and he starts to progressively give her bigger and bigger roles. Judy is so surprised that a lot of the actors that she works around aren’t really as smart as they seem on screen. A prime example of this is her fellow actor Brandon Yench (Carell) who is a bigoted, idiotic, very unintelligent person who just doesn’t understand anything. Judy goes on to star in films such as Billion Dollar Infant, Citizen Mary, The Godmother, The Queen and Me, and Basic Instinct 3. Judy tried to stay away from the life that she saw Michael and Natalie live, but she went a little bit too far. Judy starts demanding impossible things and becoming impossible to work with.

What the press would say:

A hilarious laugh out loud funny comedy that just isn’t what you would expect to see on a movie screen. Pure enjoyment that is fun to watch and a feel good movie in a weird sort of way! DeGeneres is such a good comedic performer it is a wonder why she doesn’t get more work like this. All in all, Ellen gives a hilarious performance that well deserves an Oscar nomination and practically makes you wet you pants anytime she comes on screen. Cloris Leachman gives another great performance as DeGeneres’ mom and might sneak in to get an Oscar nod. Nathan Lane also gives an awkward but funny performance as the flamboyant director, Alex Crawfish. Paul Giamatti and Virginia Madison were so delightful in an odd way it is hard to describe how funny they really are. Steve Carell is just so funny he plays painfully funny really well he is a comedic genius and this is no exception. A hilarious performance by every cast member and this ensemble is perfectly cast. Alexander Payne pulls off another wet your pants comedy and even though she ultimately loses everything she had it is still the best comedy I’ve seen in years!

For Your Consideration

Best Picture
Director- Payne
Actress- DeGeneres
Supt. Actress- Leachman
Supt. Actor- Lane
Supt. Actor- Carell
Original Screenplay- Payne, Taylor, and Novak
Best Original Score