My Suicidal Sweetheart
Encyclopedia
My Suicidal Sweetheart is an American
independent
dark comedy film
written and produced by Michael Parness. The initial working title of the film was Saving Grace; this title was later changed to Max & Grace during production, and remained in place prior to its release on the film festival circuit in March 2005. During an appearance at the 2006 Sacramento Film Festival, Parness remarked that he was dissatisfied with the title of Max & Grace and announced plans to change it to "My Suicidal Sweetheart". The film has been released on DVD under the title "Crazy for Love"
's Punch Productions even optioned his life story. But he still wanted to make a movie. 'It's what I've wanted to do my whole life,' says Parness. 'Film allows you to take to the next level what you can do on the stage, like showing a character's inner thoughts or using special effects to highlight emotion.'"
In an interview with efilmcritic.com, Parness explained how the movie came to be:
The main cast for "My Suicidal Sweetheart" was set in July 2002. After reading the script, Tim Blake Nelson
convinced the producers to let him assume several different roles—as a psychiatric doctor, Chief Nakahoma, a wrestling minister, and as a motivational speaker named Roger Bob. Director Michael Parness popped into a small role as a character named Peter Brown, a participant at Roger Bob's outdoor support group.
Natasha Lyonne
was the director's first choice for the role of Grace, and as soon as she signed on, agents began calling and roughly 25 male leads auditioned for the role of Max. The producers at the time wanted a well-known actor for the part and so they chose Edward Furlong
; unfortunately, due to personal issues and alleged drug and/or alcohol abuse, Furlong was cut from "Max & Grace" and another film called "Firecracker
"' and had to be replaced on both projects. At Lyonne's prompting, Parness then cast actor David Krumholtz
as Max in March 2003. Lyonne and Krumholtz first worked together in the 1998 20th-Century Fox film "The Slums of Beverly Hills", in which they played Vivian and Ben Abromowitz (brother and sister).
. It was screened on Saturday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 25, 2005 at 1:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, and also on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 7 p.m. at the Alamo Downtown. Other festival appearances for the film included:
At many of the festival appearances, the cast and crew of the film also participated in conferences and question-and-answer sessions with the audience members. Both David Krumholtz and Michael Parness were present for the SXSW Film Festival.
-based film acquisition, finance, production and distribution company) acquired worldwide theater, television and home video/DVD distribution rights to the film. Changes to the title subsequently resulted in changes to the film's poster in 2006, and the trailer carried by the Full Glass Films website.
Initially, the film was set for limited release during Fall 2006 for three major cities: Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. This was to be followed by a home video/DVD release, but the limited-release runs never took place. The film has been released as "Crazy for Love" on DVD as of 06/10/08.
at Staten Island
's Stapleton Studios, a ten-stage complex that was being built out of the carcass of a defunct Navy shipyard and adjoining production plant.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
dark comedy film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
written and produced by Michael Parness. The initial working title of the film was Saving Grace; this title was later changed to Max & Grace during production, and remained in place prior to its release on the film festival circuit in March 2005. During an appearance at the 2006 Sacramento Film Festival, Parness remarked that he was dissatisfied with the title of Max & Grace and announced plans to change it to "My Suicidal Sweetheart". The film has been released on DVD under the title "Crazy for Love"
Background
According to Filmmaker Magazine, "Michael Parness was on his fourth career when he stepped behind the camera to direct the comedy 'Max and Grace' in New York ... Originally the proprietor of a thriving sports memorabilia business that supported his efforts as a playwright, theater director and screenwriter, he lost most of his savings in the October '98 stock market crash. Down to $33,000, he opened an online brokerage account and in 15 months turned it into $7 million; Parness launched financial guru site trendfund.com along the way and recounts his experiences in the 2002 bestseller, Rule the Freakin' Markets. All that made him famous in financial circles and a regular in their media. Dustin HoffmanDustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
's Punch Productions even optioned his life story. But he still wanted to make a movie. 'It's what I've wanted to do my whole life,' says Parness. 'Film allows you to take to the next level what you can do on the stage, like showing a character's inner thoughts or using special effects to highlight emotion.'"
In an interview with efilmcritic.com, Parness explained how the movie came to be:
"I was busy teaching people how to Rule the Freakin' Markets trading stocks and I got an email from someone who had seen one of my plays years earlier and wanted to produce something in L.A. Being the control freak I am, I reluctantly let him do so and in the process he asked if I had any screenplays. Max and Grace (then Saving Grace) was lying around and he loved it and his company loved it and they said they would put up money to make it. They ended up, like many, being full of BS, and the money fell through, but I decided I might as well go bankrupt to make it anyway, which is virtually what happened. Like many of my other writings, this was based on a broken relationship where I was always trying to 'save' the woman I was with. Needless to say, I couldn't save her, but I did get a movie out of it!"
Plot
From the moment he was six, Max wanted to die. He tried shooting himself, hanging himself and even throwing himself out of a window. But somehow, he always managed to survive. Exasperated, his parents have had him committed to a mental institution, where miraculously he's found something worth living for. Her name is Grace; she's a wild mental patient whose death wish is even stronger than Max's. But Max has a plan to save her. They're taking their marriage vows, 'til death do us part, and escaping the loony bin for the adventure of a new start. Max thinks Grace will be cured by visiting her mother, but he has to keep her alive until they get there. She tries overdosing on pills, running in front of a truck and jumping from a bridge, but luckily each time, Max comes to her rescue. Finally, he brings Grace to her mother and in a bizarre turn of events, the terminally ill oddball orders them to dig her grave. Mom says her goodbyes, but not before she tells Max and Grace that they both have something to live for—she sees a vision of their baby girl in Grace's tummy. It's more than the hope Grace and Max have been searching for; it's the wonderful beginning of a whole new life.Cast
- Natasha LyonneNatasha Lyonne-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
... Grace - David KrumholtzDavid KrumholtzDavid Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
... Max - Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer, and actor.-Early life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa, and a geologist father...
... Doctor, Chief Nakahoma, Minister, Roger Bob - Lorraine BraccoLorraine BraccoLorraine Bracco is an American actress. She is best known for her TV roles as Dr. Jennifer Melfi on HBO series, The Sopranos, and Angela Rizzoli on the TNT series, Rizzoli & Isles...
... Sheila - David PaymerDavid PaymerDavid Paymer is an American actor and television director, seen in such films as Quiz Show, Searching for Bobby Fischer, City Slickers, Crazy People, State and Main, Payback, Get Shorty, Carpool, The American President, Ocean's Thirteen, and Drag Me to Hell...
... Max, Sr. - Rosanna ArquetteRosanna ArquetteRosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
... Vera - Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
... Grace's Mom - Ralf Möller ... Bruno
- Guillermo Díaz ... Hector
- Dave AttellDave AttellDave Attell is an American stand-up comedian and the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell and The Gong Show with Dave Attell.-Stand-up beginning:...
... Efram the driver - Emma Adele Galvin ... Sis
- James Apaumut Fall ... Interpreter
- Dov DavidoffDov DavidoffDov Davidoff is an American comedian. Dov Davidoff is originally from Englishtown, NJ. In addition to performing regularly in clubs and colleges throughout the country, Davidoff has been seen as an actor in the hit movie Invincible with Mark Wahlberg, and on any number of TV shows, most notably...
... Doorman - Michael Parness ... Peter Brown
- Dena Ferreira ... Wife
- Tom Shillue ... Orderly
- Ron Brown ... 'O Sole Mio' Singer
- Kimberly Anne Thompson ... Nurse
- Ross Babbitt ... Soldier Man (non-speaking)
- Charlotte Rose Bayer ... Baby Grace
- ZoraZoraZora may refer to:*Zora *Zora, a genus of spider in the Zoridae family*Zora tribe, a fictional race in The Legend of Zelda series*Zora, Pennsylvania, the site of a Civil War skirmish near Monterey Pass...
... The Cat
The main cast for "My Suicidal Sweetheart" was set in July 2002. After reading the script, Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson is an American director, writer, singer, and actor.-Early life:Nelson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the son of Ruth Kaiser Nelson, who is a noted social activist and philanthropist in Tulsa, and a geologist father...
convinced the producers to let him assume several different roles—as a psychiatric doctor, Chief Nakahoma, a wrestling minister, and as a motivational speaker named Roger Bob. Director Michael Parness popped into a small role as a character named Peter Brown, a participant at Roger Bob's outdoor support group.
Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne
-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
was the director's first choice for the role of Grace, and as soon as she signed on, agents began calling and roughly 25 male leads auditioned for the role of Max. The producers at the time wanted a well-known actor for the part and so they chose Edward Furlong
Edward Furlong
Edward Walter Furlong is an American actor whose best known film roles are John Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Daniel Vinyard in American History X. He is a two-time Saturn Award nominee, winning the 1992 Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor for his performance in...
; unfortunately, due to personal issues and alleged drug and/or alcohol abuse, Furlong was cut from "Max & Grace" and another film called "Firecracker
Firecracker
A firecracker is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang; any visual effect is incidental to this goal. They have fuses, and are wrapped in a heavy paper casing to contain the explosive compound...
"' and had to be replaced on both projects. At Lyonne's prompting, Parness then cast actor David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
as Max in March 2003. Lyonne and Krumholtz first worked together in the 1998 20th-Century Fox film "The Slums of Beverly Hills", in which they played Vivian and Ben Abromowitz (brother and sister).
Post-Production
According to a press release dated March 12, 2005, REX Media was responsible for the website (www.maxandgrace.com), poster and promotional pieces for "Max & Grace." This was the company's first time handling a motion picture project.Film festival showings
The film was first shown at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. It was screened on Saturday, March 12 and Tuesday, March 25, 2005 at 1:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre, and also on Thursday, March 17, 2005 at 7 p.m. at the Alamo Downtown. Other festival appearances for the film included:
- The Newport Beach International Film Festival (Newport Beach, CA, USA; April 23, 2005)
- Ashdod International Film Festival (Ashdod, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
; April 26, 2005) - Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
(Seattle, WA, USA; June 9, 2005) - Rhode Island International Film Festival (Providence, RI, USA; August 13, 2005)
- Rebelfest Film Festival (Toronto, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; September 7, 2005) - San Diego Film Festival (San Diego, CA, USA; September 23, 2005)
- Sidewalk Moving Picture FestivalSidewalk Moving Picture FestivalThe Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival is an annual film festival scheduled over one weekend in late September in Birmingham, Alabama, since 1999...
(Birmingham, AL, USA; September 24, 2005) - California Independent Film Festival (Livermore, CA, USA; October 30, 2005)
- Nolita Film Festival (New York, NY, USA; December 4, 2005)
- Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival (Washington, D.C., USA; March 4, 2006)
- Tiburon Film Festival (Tiburon, CA; USA; March 11 & 16, 2006)
- Magnolia Film Festival (West Point, MS, USA; March 16, 2006)
- Sacramento Film Festival (Sacramento, CA, USA; April 1, 2006)
- Sarasota International Film Festival (Sarasota, FL, USA; April 14, 2006)
- Oxford International Festival of Films (OxfordOxfordThe city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, UK; May 12, 2006) - Trenton Film Festival (Trenton, NJ, USA; May 15, 2006)
- Big Island Film Festival (Waikoloa, HI, USA; May 18, 2006)
At many of the festival appearances, the cast and crew of the film also participated in conferences and question-and-answer sessions with the audience members. Both David Krumholtz and Michael Parness were present for the SXSW Film Festival.
Awards and achievements
- The Newport Beach International Film Festival - Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking: Acting (David KrumholtzDavid KrumholtzDavid Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
) - Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
- Official Selection - Rhode Island International Film Festival - Best Feature Film (tie)
- San Diego Film Festival - Official Selection
- California Independent Film Festival - two "Slate" Awards: Best Actor (David KrumholtzDavid KrumholtzDavid Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
, Best Score - Magnolia Film Festival - Best Film
- Sacramento Film Festival - Official Selection
- Trenton Film Festival - Best Film, Best Actress (Natasha LyonneNatasha Lyonne-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
), Best Supporting Actor
Title Change
Director Michael Parness announced the change in the title of his film from "Max & Grace" to "My Suicidal Sweetheart" at a question-and-answer session following the film's screening at the Sacramento Film Festival in March 2006. A year later, in June 2007, it was announced by Market Wire that FilmMates Entertainment (a Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based film acquisition, finance, production and distribution company) acquired worldwide theater, television and home video/DVD distribution rights to the film. Changes to the title subsequently resulted in changes to the film's poster in 2006, and the trailer carried by the Full Glass Films website.
Initially, the film was set for limited release during Fall 2006 for three major cities: Toronto, New York and Los Angeles. This was to be followed by a home video/DVD release, but the limited-release runs never took place. The film has been released as "Crazy for Love" on DVD as of 06/10/08.
External links
- Official website (formerly "maxandgrace.com," relating to the film's old title)
- Official trailer at Full Glass Films website
- Official presskit at Full Glass Films website
- SXSW 2005 Archive Page - includes dates of screening
- "Max & Grace" trailer - early version of "My Suicidal Sweetheart" trailer
Trivia
Portions of the film were shot in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
's Stapleton Studios, a ten-stage complex that was being built out of the carcass of a defunct Navy shipyard and adjoining production plant.