Redwood Curtain (film)
Encyclopedia
Redwood Curtain is a 1995
American
dramatic
TV movie created by Hallmark Hall of Fame
, and directed by John Korty
based upon the 1993 Broadway play of the same name by Lanford Wilson
. Starring Jeff Daniels
, Lea Salonga
, Debra Monk
and John Lithgow
, the film debuted on ABC
on April 23, 1995.
. The film was adapted by Ed Namzug and based upon Lanford Wilson's 1993 play of the same name. Hallmark brought Debra Monk, who was part of the original stage production, to the telefilm to reprise her role of Geneva Riordan.
piano prodigy
comes to California
's redwood forests to an area populated by Vietnam veterans unable to reintegrate into society.
noted that the original stage play was a "spookily amorphous affair" and prised an "edgy, funny performance by Debra Monk." Of the television film, they called it a "ponderous, cliche-riddled adaptation", with a performance by Monk that suffered in her character having her "spirit drained". Conversely, they commended director John Korty
in his drawing a "a nicely restrained performance out of John Lithgow
".
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dramatic
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
TV movie created by Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
, and directed by John Korty
John Korty
John Korty is an American film director and animator, best known for the television film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and the documentary Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?, as well as the theatrical animated feature Twice Upon a Time...
based upon the 1993 Broadway play of the same name by Lanford Wilson
Lanford Wilson
Lanford Wilson was an American playwright who helped to advance the Off-Off-Broadway theater movement. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1980, was elected in 2001 to the Theater Hall of Fame, and in 2004 was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters...
. Starring Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
, Debra Monk
Debra Monk
Debra Monk is an American actress, singer, and writer.Monk was born in Middletown, Ohio. She was voted "best personality" by the graduating class at Wheaton High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. She graduated from Frostburg State University in 1963...
and John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
, the film debuted on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on April 23, 1995.
Background
Redwood Curtain was filmed in Northern CaliforniaNorthern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
. The film was adapted by Ed Namzug and based upon Lanford Wilson's 1993 play of the same name. Hallmark brought Debra Monk, who was part of the original stage production, to the telefilm to reprise her role of Geneva Riordan.
Synopsis
In her search for her biological father, an AmerasianAmerasian
In its original meaning, an Amerasian is a person born in Asia, to a U.S. military father and an Asian mother. The term has sometimes been used to describe a person in the United States of mixed Asian and non-Asian ancestry, regardless of the circumstances....
piano prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
comes to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's redwood forests to an area populated by Vietnam veterans unable to reintegrate into society.
Cast
- Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
as Lyman Fellers - Lea SalongaLea SalongaLea Salonga-Chien is a mezzo-soprano singer and actress from the Philippines well known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and...
as Geri Riordan - Catherine HicksCatherine HicksCatherine Mary Hicks is an American stage, film, television actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Annie Camden on the long-running television series 7th Heaven and as Karen Barclay in Child's Play.-Personal life:...
as Julia Riordan - John LithgowJohn LithgowJohn Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
as Laird Riordan - Debra MonkDebra MonkDebra Monk is an American actress, singer, and writer.Monk was born in Middletown, Ohio. She was voted "best personality" by the graduating class at Wheaton High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. She graduated from Frostburg State University in 1963...
as Geneva Riordan - Shirley DouglasShirley DouglasShirley Jean Douglas, OC is a Canadian television, film and stage actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name has made her recognisable in Canadian film, television and politics.-Personal life:...
as Schyler Noyes - Vilma Silva as Zenaida
- Joy Carlin as Mrs. Cole
- Steven Anthony Jones as Nate Stone
- Jarion Monroe as Leon Shea
- Cab Covay as Mad John
- R. Blakeslee Colby as Reverend Grant
- Jonathan Korty as Dennis McCaw
Reception
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
noted that the original stage play was a "spookily amorphous affair" and prised an "edgy, funny performance by Debra Monk." Of the television film, they called it a "ponderous, cliche-riddled adaptation", with a performance by Monk that suffered in her character having her "spirit drained". Conversely, they commended director John Korty
John Korty
John Korty is an American film director and animator, best known for the television film The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and the documentary Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?, as well as the theatrical animated feature Twice Upon a Time...
in his drawing a "a nicely restrained performance out of John Lithgow
John Lithgow
John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor, musician, and author. Presently, he is involved with a wide range of media projects, including stage, television, film, and radio...
".
Awards and nominations
- 1995, Cinema Audio Society Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Movie of the Week, Mini-Series or Special
- 1995, Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special
External links
- The Redwood Curtain at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...