Margaret (2011 film)

Margaret
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kenneth Lonergan
Produced by	Blair Beard Gary Gilbert Anthony Minghella Sydney Pollack Scott Rudin
Written by	Kenneth Lonergan
Starring	Anna Paquin J. Smith-Cameron Matt Damon Krysten Ritter Mark Ruffalo Matthew Broderick Allison Janney Jean Reno Olivia Thirlby Kieran Culkin Jeannie Berlin
Music by	Nico Muhly
Cinematography	Ryszard Lenczewski
Editing by	Anne McCabe
Distributed by	Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release date(s)	September 30, 2011 (2011-09-30)
Running time	150 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Margaret is a American drama film written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, who previously directed You Can Count On Me, which was released in 2000 and nominated for two Academy Awards. Margaret originally was scheduled for release in 2007 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, but was continuously delayed while Lonergan struggled to create a final cut he was satisfied with, resulting in multiple law suits.

Eventually, Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker finished editing a final cut of this film which Lonergan approved^[1], and Fox Searchlight Pictures released the film limitedly in the United States on September 30, 2011.

Plot

The story revolves around a 17-year-old New York City high school student named Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin), who may have contributed to a bus accident in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Lisa's mother, Joan (played by Lonergan's wife, J. Smith-Cameron), is a single mom grappling with parenting and her acting career. A sexually active teen, Lisa inappropriately flirts with one of her teachers (Matt Damon) while arguing with her classmates about the Middle East. Lisa ultimately becomes involved in a legal action against the bus operator (Mark Ruffalo). The film's title comes from the Margaret in the poem "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child" by 19th century poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, which is read aloud in one of Lisa's classrooms.

Cast

• Anna Paquin as Lisa Cohen
• J. Smith-Cameron as Joan Cohen
• Matt Damon as Aaron Caije
• Mark Ruffalo as Jason "Maretti" Berstone
• Matthew Broderick as John Andrew Van Tassel
• Allison Janney as Wounded Woman
• Jean Reno as Ramon Cameron
• Olivia Thirlby as Monica Sloane
• Kieran Culkin as Paul Hirsch
• Jeannie Berlin as Kellie Burnett
• John Gallagher Jr. as Darren Rodifer
• Rosemarie DeWitt as Margaret Marretti
• Matt Bush as Kurt Masur

Soundtrack

Original music was composed by Nico Muhly with additional cues by Elliott Carter.

Production

The film's lengthy post-production sparked multiple lawsuits, which were scheduled to be tried in 2009.^[2]

In July 2010, Fox Searchlight stated that Lonergan finally completed work on the film, and that it would be released in 2011.^[3]

References

1. ^ http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2011/08/08/eastwoods_j._edgar_and_searchlights_marigold_hotel_to_skip_fall_fests_twixt/
2. ^ Horn, John (26 April 2009). "Kenneth Lonergan's 'Margaret': post-production in a courtroom". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/26/entertainment/ca-margaret26. Retrieved 11 September 2011. 
3. ^ Anne Thompson (July 22, 2010). "Black Swan Opens 67th Venice Biennale; American Films Expected; Where’s Margaret?". Thompson on Hollywood. indieWIRE. http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/07/22/black_swan_will_open_the_67th_biennale_di_venezia_on_september_1. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 

External links

• Margaret at the Internet Movie Database
• Margaret at Rotten Tomatoes
• Margaret at Box Office Mojo
• Los Angeles Times on production of Margaret