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Greta (film)
Encyclopedia
According to Greta is a 2009 American independent drama film starring Hilary Duff
, Ellen Burstyn
, Michael Murphy
, Evan Ross
, and Melissa Leo
. Set in Ocean Grove
, New Jersey
, and directed by Nancy Bardawil, making her feature film directing debut.
) is seventeen, bright, beautiful and seriously rebellious; she's full of sarcasm that barely disguises the hurt inside. Pushed aside by her mother, Karen (Melissa Leo
), who is on her third marriage and counting, Greta is shipped off to her grandparents for the summer. She's not happy about it and neither are her grandparents. In fact, she tells them that she fully intends to kill herself before the summer is over and is currently compiling a notebook of suicide
methods.
While working at a local Seafood restaurant, Greta falls for a charismatic short-order cook named Julie (Evan Ross
), only to find out he's been in and out of a juvenile correctional facility for stealing cars. Now he's determined to do something with his life, and tries to convince Greta to not give up on hers. Although Greta's grandparents Katherine (Ellen Burstyn
) and Joseph (Michael Murphy
) are initially concerned about her boyfriend's criminal past, Julie proves himself worthy of their trust and demonstrates that he truly does care for Greta (Joseph shows Julie how much he does trust in him, by telling him about Greta's father, who had committed suicide in front of Greta when she was very young).
Although before this Greta tries to lose her virginity to Julie. She doesn't succeed because he tells her he won't be one of the thing she checks off of her 'To Do List' and that it has to be another time.
While the four are out sailing in Joseph's boat, Greta tries to purposely drown herself. Though she was pulled out of the water by Julie, the fright gave Katherine a mild heart attack. Katherine is OK, though she and her husband stay the night at the local hospital. Julie is mad at Greta, telling her that she should appreciate the life she has. The near catastrophe gives Greta a wake-up call and shows her how deeply her own actions impact those around her.
Once Katherine gets back from the hospital, Greta is determined to show her how sorry she is (which she does by making her a proper garden) yet Katherine is still mad at her, telling Greta she doesn't even know what she's sorry about. She and Greta have a heart to heart, although they are interrupted by Greta's mother, Karen and her current husband, who have come to take Greta to a summer boot camp.
Greta runs away to talk to Julie who tells her that she is indeed, very messed up, but a boot camp will never help her if she doesn't want to help herself. Julie's advice calms Greta and she returns to the house to find her mother has already packed up her things. In a struggle to stay (on Greta and Katherine's part) and a struggle to leave (Karen and her husband's part), Joseph arrives and interrupts them all telling Karen that Greta does not need a bootcamp, she needs love, and that Greta is staying with them as well as she.
The three women bond looking at old pictures and the movie ends with Greta leaving her suicide notebook in the ocean and in a voice over (letter to her mom) thanking her for letting her stay for the rest of the summer with her Grandparents.
, Ocean Grove
and Neptune
, according to Steve Gorelick of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission in Newark
. "It's being made in the $1 to $2-million-dollar range," Gorelick said. Meanwhile, Kevin Chambers's home on Ocean Pathway in Ocean Grove was leased for the film production. Chambers has moved out of his home while the film crew rearranges and completes filming there. On October 13, 2007, film crews shut down the train station in Bradley Beach for shooting. The film finished full production in mid November 2007. Later in May 2008 scenes were re-shot.
The film name was changed to According to Greta for the US release, although shown earlier as "Greta" in an L.A. screening.
in theatres across the United States
on December 11, 2009, later followed by a DVD
release on January 19, 2010 in the US, on November 25, 2009 in Australia
,, on March 12, 2010 in Germany
, and on June 21, 2010 in the United Kingdom
. The film was released under Icon Home Entertainment and holds the alternative name of Surviving Summer in the UK. Shortly after the release of the DVD, it reached #1 on the iTunes UK Top Film Sales Chart, with scarce promotion.
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
, Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn is a leading American actress of film, stage, and television. Burstyn's career began in theatre during the late 1950s, and over the next ten years she appeared in several films and television series before joining the Actors Studio in 1967...
, Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (actor)
Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
, Evan Ross
Evan Ross
Evan Olav Næss is an American actor and musician. He is the son of entertainer Diana Ross. He is the brother of actresses Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Tracee Ellis Ross, and of singer Leona Naess. He began acting in the late 2000s, appearing in the films ATL and Pride...
, and Melissa Leo
Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
. Set in Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean Jersey Shore, between Asbury Park to the north and Bradley Beach to the south...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and directed by Nancy Bardawil, making her feature film directing debut.
Plot
Greta (Hilary DuffHilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
) is seventeen, bright, beautiful and seriously rebellious; she's full of sarcasm that barely disguises the hurt inside. Pushed aside by her mother, Karen (Melissa Leo
Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
), who is on her third marriage and counting, Greta is shipped off to her grandparents for the summer. She's not happy about it and neither are her grandparents. In fact, she tells them that she fully intends to kill herself before the summer is over and is currently compiling a notebook of suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
methods.
While working at a local Seafood restaurant, Greta falls for a charismatic short-order cook named Julie (Evan Ross
Evan Ross
Evan Olav Næss is an American actor and musician. He is the son of entertainer Diana Ross. He is the brother of actresses Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Tracee Ellis Ross, and of singer Leona Naess. He began acting in the late 2000s, appearing in the films ATL and Pride...
), only to find out he's been in and out of a juvenile correctional facility for stealing cars. Now he's determined to do something with his life, and tries to convince Greta to not give up on hers. Although Greta's grandparents Katherine (Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn
Ellen Burstyn is a leading American actress of film, stage, and television. Burstyn's career began in theatre during the late 1950s, and over the next ten years she appeared in several films and television series before joining the Actors Studio in 1967...
) and Joseph (Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (actor)
Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
) are initially concerned about her boyfriend's criminal past, Julie proves himself worthy of their trust and demonstrates that he truly does care for Greta (Joseph shows Julie how much he does trust in him, by telling him about Greta's father, who had committed suicide in front of Greta when she was very young).
Although before this Greta tries to lose her virginity to Julie. She doesn't succeed because he tells her he won't be one of the thing she checks off of her 'To Do List' and that it has to be another time.
While the four are out sailing in Joseph's boat, Greta tries to purposely drown herself. Though she was pulled out of the water by Julie, the fright gave Katherine a mild heart attack. Katherine is OK, though she and her husband stay the night at the local hospital. Julie is mad at Greta, telling her that she should appreciate the life she has. The near catastrophe gives Greta a wake-up call and shows her how deeply her own actions impact those around her.
Once Katherine gets back from the hospital, Greta is determined to show her how sorry she is (which she does by making her a proper garden) yet Katherine is still mad at her, telling Greta she doesn't even know what she's sorry about. She and Greta have a heart to heart, although they are interrupted by Greta's mother, Karen and her current husband, who have come to take Greta to a summer boot camp.
Greta runs away to talk to Julie who tells her that she is indeed, very messed up, but a boot camp will never help her if she doesn't want to help herself. Julie's advice calms Greta and she returns to the house to find her mother has already packed up her things. In a struggle to stay (on Greta and Katherine's part) and a struggle to leave (Karen and her husband's part), Joseph arrives and interrupts them all telling Karen that Greta does not need a bootcamp, she needs love, and that Greta is staying with them as well as she.
The three women bond looking at old pictures and the movie ends with Greta leaving her suicide notebook in the ocean and in a voice over (letter to her mom) thanking her for letting her stay for the rest of the summer with her Grandparents.
Cast
- Hilary DuffHilary DuffHilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
as Greta - Ellen BurstynEllen BurstynEllen Burstyn is a leading American actress of film, stage, and television. Burstyn's career began in theatre during the late 1950s, and over the next ten years she appeared in several films and television series before joining the Actors Studio in 1967...
as Katherine O'Donnell - Michael MurphyMichael Murphy (actor)Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
as Joseph O'Donnell - Evan RossEvan RossEvan Olav Næss is an American actor and musician. He is the son of entertainer Diana Ross. He is the brother of actresses Rhonda Ross Kendrick and Tracee Ellis Ross, and of singer Leona Naess. He began acting in the late 2000s, appearing in the films ATL and Pride...
as Julie - Melissa LeoMelissa LeoMelissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
as Karen - Oren SkoogOren SkoogOren Skoog is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka Illinois.-Filmography:# Gacy .... Jimmy# Baby Bob .... Fan# It's All Relative .... Student...
as Steve - Maury Ginsberg as Lou
- Dave ShalanskyDave ShalanskyDave Shalansky is an American actor born and raised in Rhode Island. Shalansky received a BFA in Acting from Boston University. After moving to New York City after graduation, he became successful in television commercials and continued his acting career by working in the New York and regional...
as The Installer - Christopher Hakim as Andrew
- Vivan Dugré as Donna
Production
The film is based in Asbury ParkAsbury Park, New Jersey
Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...
, Ocean Grove
Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Ocean Grove is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Neptune Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. It had a population of 3,342 at the 2010 census. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean Jersey Shore, between Asbury Park to the north and Bradley Beach to the south...
and Neptune
Neptune Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,690 people, 10,907 households, and 6,805 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,366.8 people per square mile . There were 12,217 housing units at an average density of 1,485.4 per square mile...
, according to Steve Gorelick of the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. "It's being made in the $1 to $2-million-dollar range," Gorelick said. Meanwhile, Kevin Chambers's home on Ocean Pathway in Ocean Grove was leased for the film production. Chambers has moved out of his home while the film crew rearranges and completes filming there. On October 13, 2007, film crews shut down the train station in Bradley Beach for shooting. The film finished full production in mid November 2007. Later in May 2008 scenes were re-shot.
The film name was changed to According to Greta for the US release, although shown earlier as "Greta" in an L.A. screening.
Releases
According to Greta had a limited releaseLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in theatres across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on December 11, 2009, later followed by a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release on January 19, 2010 in the US, on November 25, 2009 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
,, on March 12, 2010 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and on June 21, 2010 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The film was released under Icon Home Entertainment and holds the alternative name of Surviving Summer in the UK. Shortly after the release of the DVD, it reached #1 on the iTunes UK Top Film Sales Chart, with scarce promotion.