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Fathers and Daughters

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Fathers and Daughters
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGabriele Muccino
Written byBrad Desch
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyShane Hurlbut
Edited byAlex Rodríguez
Music byPaolo Buonvino
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • October 1, 2015 (2015-10-01) (Italy)
  • November 13, 2015 (2015-11-13) (United States)
Running time
116 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United States
  • Italy
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22.4 million[2]
Box office$5.1 million[3]

Fathers and Daughters is a 2015 drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino, written by Brad Desch, and starring Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, and Kylie Rogers. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics. It grossed over $5.1 million against a $22.4 million production budget.

Plot

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The film is told in alternating segments between the past with Katie as a child with Jake and as a young adult in relationships with others.

Jake Davis is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist with a wife and daughter Katie, whom he loves dearly. However, while they're driving home from a party, he argues with his wife over his flirting with a woman (he had cheated on her in the past, causing suspicion). This distracts him, causing their car's collision with a truck.

Jake is injured badly, while his wife dies. His injury leaves him with brain damage, causing him seizures. A doctor warns him he needs treatment, as otherwise they might turn into psychotic episodes. Jake reluctantly agrees, going to a hospital for treatment for seven months while Katie stays with her aunt Elizabeth and uncle William.

Upon his return, Elizabeth and William (who've become quite attached to Katie over her stay with them), propose to adopt her, an idea Jake flatly rejects. He struggles to cope as a single father, however, with his seizures returning (a fact he hides). Due to his brain damage, Jake's writing suffers, resulting in his next book being panned by critics, with his own publishing company choosing not to market it widely.

Due to his difficulties, Elizabeth and William sue Jake for custody, which he fears they can win. He writes an entire book with a burst of inspiration, angering Katie in the process by neglecting her. The lawsuit against Jake is dropped when William is revealed to have impregnated his secretary and Elizabeth files for divorce. Sadly however, after finishing his last book Fathers and Daughters, Jake's seizures result in his accidental death due to a head injury when he falls in the bathroom. His final book wins him a posthumous Pulitzer.

25 years later, Katie attends graduate school and is studying psychology. It's shown that she's quite promiscuous, taking a guy she's just met into the bathroom and having sex with him. She rebuffs any more intimate relationship.

Katie becomes a social worker and connects with a girl named Lucy. She, like her, has lost her mother and has refused to speak since her death. Katie continues her pattern of one-night stands before meeting Cameron, a man who has idolized her father's work, and they begin a relationship.

With Katie's help, Lucy improves greatly to the point that she's adopted, though Katie is hurt by hearing that they'll have no further contact. Though she grows closer to Cameron, Katie is still dealing with intimacy issues such as being afraid of losing him.

Katie cheats on him, and when Cameron finds out he angrily breaks up with her. Katie goes to his apartment, declaring her love for him, but runs away after seeing another woman inside. When she returns home in dejection though, Cameron is there waiting; they embrace and kiss.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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In December 2012, Brad Desch's screenplay Fathers and Daughters was revealed to be on that year's "Black List" of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.[7] Gabriele Muccino was hired to direct during the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.[8] Russell Crowe was the first cast in October,[9] with Amanda Seyfried joining the same month as Crowe's daughter.[10] Kylie Rogers also joined the cast as the younger version of Crowe's daughter.

Casting

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In November, Aaron Paul was cast as Seyfried's love interest.[4] Actresses Diane Kruger, Octavia Spencer, and Quvenzhané Wallis were cast in the film during the Berlin Film Festival.[11] The same month, Janet McTeer was cast.[5] In April 2014, it was announced Jane Fonda, and Bruce Greenwood had joined the cast of the film.[12]

Filming

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Crew members scouted Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a filming location, with production slated for an April start date.[13] Principal photography officially began on March 14 in Pittsburgh.[14]

Music

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Michael Bolton sings and wrote the song to this movie.[15]

In May 2014, James Horner was announced to be composing the music for the film,[16] but in September, he was replaced by Paolo Buonvino.[17]

Release

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The film was released in Italy on October 1, 2015.[18] It was then released in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2015, by Warner Bros.[19] Vertical Entertainment distributed the film in the U.S. on July 8, 2016.[20]

Critical response

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The film received negative reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a rating of 28% based on 50 reviews, with an average rating of 4.24/10; the site's consensus states: "Fathers and Daughters name-brand cast can't cover for a screenplay that makes a half-hearted effort at delving into family dynamics but falls back on melodrama."[21] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 31% from 17 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Fathers and Daughters (15)". British Board of Film Classification. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  2. ^ "Film tax credit approved for new Russell Crowe movie". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. January 23, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  3. ^ "Fathers and Daughters (2015)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Justin Kroll (November 21, 2013). "Aaron Paul & Russell Crowe in 'Fathers and Daughters' — Exclusive - Variety". Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e Borys Kit , Rebecca Ford (February 27, 2014). "Janet McTeer Joins 'Fathers and Daughters' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  6. ^ a b James Garcia (April 12, 2014). "Jane Fonda And Bruce Greenwood Join Fathers And Daughters". We Got This Covered. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Sneider, Jeff (December 17, 2012). "2012 Black List announced". Variety. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (May 16, 2013). "Cannes: Voltage Taps Gabriele Muccino To Helm Black List 'Fathers And Daughters'". Deadline. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  9. ^ Dave McNary (October 14, 2013). "Russell Crowe Fathers and Daughters: Actor to star in Voltage Drama - Variety". Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  10. ^ Mike Fleming Jr (October 17, 2013). "Amanda Seyfried To Star In 'Fathers And Daughters' With Russell Crowe - Deadline". Deadline. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  11. ^ Dave McNary (February 4, 2014). "Berlin: Octavia Spencer, Quvenzhane Wallis and Diane Kruger Join 'Fathers and Daughters' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  12. ^ McNary, Dave (April 11, 2014). "Jane Fonda Joins Russell Crowe in 'Fathers and Daughters'". Variety.com. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  13. ^ "New Russell Crowe movie "Fathers and Daughters" planning to shoot in Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Business Times". Pittsburgh Business Times. January 15, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  14. ^ "Extras Casting To Begin Soon For "Fathers And Daughters" Movie". cbslocal.com. February 27, 2014. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  15. ^ "Michael Bolton Sings Theme Song for Film "Fathers and Daughters" - Music News - ABC News Radio". ABC News Radio. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  16. ^ "James Horner to Score Gabriele Muccino's 'Fathers and Daughters'". Film Music Reporter. May 25, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  17. ^ "Paolo Buonvino Scoring Gabriele Muccino's 'Fathers and Daughters'". Film Music Reporter. September 26, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  18. ^ "Fathers And Daughters From Gabriele Muccino". iloveitalianmovies.com. August 30, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  19. ^ Rosse, Norlisa Hanlon (November 9, 2015). "8 Reasons To See Fathers & Daughters Next Month…". Marie Claire. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  20. ^ Gates, Anita (April 29, 2016). "Summer Movie Release Schedule 2016". The New York Times. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  21. ^ "Fathers and Daughters (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  22. ^ "Fathers and Daughters Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
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