The Jimmy Show
The Jimmy Show is a 2001 drama written and directed by Frank Whaley, based on the Off-Broadway play Veins and Thumbtacks by Jonathan Marc Sherman.[1] The film stars Whaley, Carla Gugino, and Ethan Hawke.
The Jimmy Show | |
---|---|
Directed by | Frank Whaley |
Produced by | Beni Tadd Atoori Mary Jane Skalski |
Written by | Frank Whaley (screenplay) Jonathan Marc Sherman (play) |
Starring | Frank Whaley Carla Gugino Ethan Hawke |
Music by | Georg Brandl Egloff |
Cinematography | Michael Mayers |
Edited by | Miran Miosic |
Distributed by | First Look Studios |
Release date |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Synopsis
The film centers on the life of Jimmy O'Brien (Frank Whaley), a warehouse clerk by day and a standup comedian by night. He is also a failure as an inventor. He lives with his wife (Carla Gugino), daughter, and a disabled grandmother. Jimmy's aspiration to succeed contrasts sharply with the numbness of his pothead friend Ray (Ethan Hawke), who is just trying to get by. When performing, Jimmy contradicts the role of a comedian and instead uses the stand-up form to relate the tragedies in his life, which causes indifferent to hostile reactions from the audience; however, he also provokes members of the audience. Eventually Jimmy is fired from his day job for stealing beer, which he abuses, and his wife leaves him. He winds up working at a Middle-Eastern fast-food restaurant. At the end of the film, Jimmy runs seemingly aimlessly in different directions in what appears to be him either on the verge of nervous breakdown or spiritual awakening.
Cast
- Frank Whaley as Jimmy O'Brien
- Carla Gugino as Annie O'Brien
- Ethan Hawke as Ray
- Lynn Cohen as Ruth
- Jillian Stacom as Wendy
- Spelman M. Beaubrun as Claude
- Sheila Kay Davis as Social Worker
Filming locations
- Staten Island - this being Whaley's second movie filmed here after his 1999 drama Joe the King.[2]
References
- Stephen Holden (2002-12-13). "A Small-Time Life Weighted With Big-Time Dreams". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
- IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0271020/ accessed October 26, 2013