The Favor (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
The Favor is a 2006 drama film
written and directed by Eva S. Aridjis. The film is about a photographer living in New Jersey
who gets a phone call from a woman who broke his heart 25 years ago. The film was premiered on October 15, 2006, at the Morelia Film Festival in Mexico
and opened in Mexico on October 19, 2007. It opened in New York City
on May 2, 2008.
, and is a photographer who photographs pets, as well as criminals at the local police station. He receives a surprise phone call from Caroline (played by Paige Turco), who has recently come back home in order to care for her sick father and who is divorced and has a troubled teenage son Johnny (played by Ryan Donowho). Caroline and Lawrence go on a date and rekindle their relationship, but shortly afterwards she dies in a freak accident. Johnny's father Harris (played by Aldo Perez) does not want to take care of him, and he will be going into foster care. When Johnny has a seizure at his mother's funeral, Lawrence decides to adopt him. The bulk of the film is about Lawrence and Johnny, and how Lawrence tries to be a father to Johnny while Johnny rejects him. Johnny also has a relationship with a neighborhood girl, Mariana (played by Isidra Vega), and problems with the local drug dealer Carter (played by Jesse Kelly).
, at locations including Cape May
and Bayonne High School
. Production of the film began November 5, 2004 and ended December 14, 2004. The animals in the film were provided by Paws for Effect. The soundtrack includes songs from bands such as The Cure
, The Troggs
, Blondie, Interpol, The Stone Roses, The Cascades, Chris Montez, and Nikki Sudden.
reported that 39% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 18 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 7 reviews — indicating mixed or average reviews.
Justin Chang of Variety
wrote "A pair of beautifully mismatched lead performances elevate a predictable drama to unexpected resonance in The Favor." Chang called it a "tearjerker [that] should travel well on the festival circuit, though its modest aspirations and execution will probably draw more cable than [distributor] attention."
Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times
wrote that the film "is exactly one-third of a good movie" — speaking of Frank Wood
's performance — which she called "beautifully modulated and modest."
Mark Olsen of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "The Favor is that rare film that at every turn exhibits good taste and a sense of restraint."
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...
written and directed by Eva S. Aridjis. The film is about a photographer living in 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...
who gets a phone call from a woman who broke his heart 25 years ago. The film was premiered on October 15, 2006, at the Morelia Film Festival in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and opened in Mexico on October 19, 2007. It opened in New York City
New 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...
on May 2, 2008.
Cast
- Frank WoodFrank Wood (actor)Frank Wood is an American actor who has appeared in various television, film, and theatre roles. His most frequent role was performing as Greg in the HBO series Flight Of The Conchords.-Early life:...
as Lawrence - Ryan DonowhoRyan DonowhoRyan Wayne Donowho is an American actor and musician.-Early life:Born in Houston, Texas, Donowho moved to Brooklyn, New York and then to Los Angeles. He was a street musician in New York City as "bucket" drummer...
as Johnny - Paige TurcoPaige TurcoJean Paige Turco is an American actress. She is known for playing April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III.-Early life:...
as Caroline - Isidra VegaIsidra VegaIsidra Vega is an American actress of Hispanic descent, born and raised in the Morningside Heights section of New York City'....
as Mariana - Paul Lazar as Mr. Smith
- Michael Higgins as Mr. Ritter
- Luke Robertson as Young Lawrence
- Laura BreckenridgeLaura BreckenridgeLaura Breckenridge is an American actress born in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, most noted for her portrayal of 19-year-old college student Rose Sorelli on The WB's Related as a young woman who switches her major from pre-med to experimental theater...
as Young Caroline - Wally Dunn as Dr. Charles
- Sterling K. BrownSterling K. BrownSterling K. Brown is an American actor.-Life and career:Brown was born in St. Louis, Missouri. An avid actor since he was a child, he went on to attend Stanford University, where he earned a B.A...
as Policeman #1 - Jesse Kelly as Carter
- Aldo Perez as Harris
- Marceline Hugot as History Teacher
- Aurelia Thierree as Photo Shop Girl
- Richard M. Davidson as Principal Foreman
Synopsis
The film begins with two high school sweethearts, Lawrence (played by Luke Roberston) and Caroline (played by Laura Breckenridge). They are about to go off to college, but claim they will stay together nonetheless. The film then jumps forward 25 years, and Lawrence (played by Frank Wood) is living back in his hometown, Bayonne, New JerseyBayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
, and is a photographer who photographs pets, as well as criminals at the local police station. He receives a surprise phone call from Caroline (played by Paige Turco), who has recently come back home in order to care for her sick father and who is divorced and has a troubled teenage son Johnny (played by Ryan Donowho). Caroline and Lawrence go on a date and rekindle their relationship, but shortly afterwards she dies in a freak accident. Johnny's father Harris (played by Aldo Perez) does not want to take care of him, and he will be going into foster care. When Johnny has a seizure at his mother's funeral, Lawrence decides to adopt him. The bulk of the film is about Lawrence and Johnny, and how Lawrence tries to be a father to Johnny while Johnny rejects him. Johnny also has a relationship with a neighborhood girl, Mariana (played by Isidra Vega), and problems with the local drug dealer Carter (played by Jesse Kelly).
Production
Howard Gertler was the executive producer for the film. Eva S. Aridjis and Heather Greene served as co-producers. Lesa Greenfield was the line producer. Edwige Geminel was in charge of production design. Danny Hole provided original music for the film as well as art direction. Tere Duncan was the costume designer. The film was shot by Andrij Parekh on 35mm in New JerseyNew 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...
, at locations including Cape May
Cape May
Cape May is a peninsula and island ; the southern tip of the island is the southernmost point of the state of New Jersey, United States. It runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean...
and Bayonne High School
Bayonne High School
Bayonne High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey, operated by the Bayonne Board of Education....
. Production of the film began November 5, 2004 and ended December 14, 2004. The animals in the film were provided by Paws for Effect. The soundtrack includes songs from bands such as The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, The Troggs
The Troggs
The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
, Blondie, Interpol, The Stone Roses, The Cascades, Chris Montez, and Nikki Sudden.
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 39% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 18 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 49 out of 100, based on 7 reviews — indicating mixed or average reviews.
Justin Chang of Variety
Variety (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...
wrote "A pair of beautifully mismatched lead performances elevate a predictable drama to unexpected resonance in The Favor." Chang called it a "tearjerker [that] should travel well on the festival circuit, though its modest aspirations and execution will probably draw more cable than [distributor] attention."
Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote that the film "is exactly one-third of a good movie" — speaking of Frank Wood
Frank Wood (actor)
Frank Wood is an American actor who has appeared in various television, film, and theatre roles. His most frequent role was performing as Greg in the HBO series Flight Of The Conchords.-Early life:...
's performance — which she called "beautifully modulated and modest."
Mark Olsen of The Los Angeles Times wrote that "The Favor is that rare film that at every turn exhibits good taste and a sense of restraint."