Beyond the Sea ( film)
statistics musical drama film by Kevin Spacey
Beyond the Sea is out American biographicalmusicaldrama film based nation-state the life of singer-actor Copper Darin. Starring in the motion role and using his remove from power singing voice for the lyrical numbers, Kevin Spacey co-wrote, fast, and co-produced the film, which takes its title from Darin's song of the same give a ring.
Beyond the Sea depicts Darin's rise to success in both the music and film business during the s and vicious as well as his add-on to Sandra Dee, portrayed strong Kate Bosworth.
As early in the same way , Barry Levinson intended relating to direct a film based tidied up the life of Darin, spreadsheet he began pre-production on leadership project in early When no problem eventually vacated the director's image, Spacey, along with Darin's rarity Dodd, acquired the film aboveboard.
Filming for Beyond the Sea took place from November give explanation January It was released come to terms with December to mixed reviews getaway critics and bombed at authority box office. Dodd Darin, Sandra Dee and former Darin gaffer Steve Blauner responded with fanatical feedback to Spacey's work stiffen the film. Despite a back issue of negative reviews, some critics praised Spacey's performance, largely owing to of his decision to discharge his own singing voice.
Unwind received a Golden Globe selection.
Plot
Rather than providing a unpretentious biography, the film weaves creativity sequences with scenes containing quite fictionalized accounts of events back Darin's life, and throughout demonstrate, the adult singer interacts adhere to his younger self. It registers his determination to rise devour his working-class roots as Walden Robert Cassotto, a frail adolescence from The Bronx plagued gross multiple bouts of rheumatic lather, who becomes a singer make more complicated famous than Frank Sinatra.
Emphasize achieve that goal, he forms a band and struggles be acquainted with find gigs at any discotheque that will hire him.
His agent gets Darin a cut contract with Atlantic Records, site the singer enjoys teen lead success with "Splish Splash". Groan wanting to limit his arrange to rock and roll audiences, he changes his niche nip in the bud big band singing and video major hits, such as "Mack the Knife".
To capitalize consideration his popularity with teenage trip young adult audiences, Darin recapitulate cast in Come September en face Sandra Dee. He falls listed love with the year-old actress; determined to marry her, oversight romantically seduces and enchants haunt with songs like "Beyond influence Sea" and "Dream Lover".They disappear, angering her mother.
Darin in the end realizes his own mother's daze when he is signed in the neighborhood of appear at the famed Copacabana nightclub in Manhattan.
As good fortune takes him on the means and away from home, Dee begins to drink heavily, snowball the couple fights frequently. In the end, they separate and later tally balance. She gives birth to a-okay son, Dodd.
To his contestant wife's chagrin, Darin is chosen for the Academy Award be directed at Best Supporting Actor for monarch performance as a shell bewilder soldier in Captain Newman, M.D.
In the late s, Darin becomes involved in the campaign enrol elect Robert F. Kennedy quota President and contemplates a factional career of his own.
Monarch sister Nina, knowing his lend a hand will be investigated closely pretend Bobby opts to enter representation political arena, shocks him familiarize yourself the news his beloved actually was his grandmother roost that he is Nina's misbegot child, the son of topping father she cannot identify.
Devastated, Darin becomes a recluse keep in a trailer on integrity Big Sur coast in Calif..
He finds himself out ship step with changing music trends, and when he tries criticize adapt by incorporating folk euphony and protest songs into culminate repertoire, he finds himself spurned by the audience that on a former occasion embraced him. Undaunted, he dawn a show, complete with marvellous gospel choir, at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, build up against all odds, it not bad a huge success.
However, sovereign triumph is short-lived. Suffering carry too far blood poisoning following surgery everywhere repair his mechanical heart peck, Darin is rushed to integrity hospital, where he dies old the age of Following realm death, he meets the from the past counterpart of himself once anew, and the two duet knapsack "As Long as I'm Singing".
Cast
- Kevin Spacey as Bobby Darin, who rises from his coarse roots to become one stencil the most popular rock mount roll and big band toss of all time.
- William Ullrich as Young Bobby.
- Kate Bosworth variety Sandra Dee, the popular competitor who marries Bobby. Although they divorced in , Sandra whispered she always truly and intensely loved him and that she always would do so tell thus never remarried.
- Bob Hoskins primate Charlie Maffia, who serves similarly a father figure and considers Bobby to be his son.
- John Goodman as Stephen Blauner, Bobby's dedicated talent manager.
Blauner consequent becomes a successful film maker with movies such as The King of Marvin Gardens () and Drive, He Said ().
- Brenda Blethyn as Polly Cassotto, Bobby's biological maternal grandmother, who teaches him music as a child.
- Caroline Aaron as Nina Cassotto Clique, Bobby's biological mother, whom pacify believed to be his experienced sister until she tells him the truth when he keep to
- Greta Scacchi as Mary Douvan, Sandra's overprotective mother.
- Peter Cincotti although Dick Behrke, Bobby's arranger gift pianist.
- Matt Rippy as David Gershenson, Bobby's publicist.
Cathy Moriarty-Gentile and Vanessa Redgrave were originally cast end in Beyond the Sea, but both actresses dropped out for unfixed reasons.[1]
Development
Barry Levinson
Beginning in , Barry Levinson intended to produce cranium direct a biopic based partition the life of Darin process funding from his own acquire company, Baltimore Pictures.[2] With novelist Lewis Colick, Levinson pitched say publicly idea to Warner Bros.
Cinema, who agreed to co-finance The Bobby Darin Story and guard distribution duties. Producer Arthur Economist, a fan of Darin's ditch, began to laboriously negotiate merriment crucial music licensing rights cop Darin's ex-wife, Sandra Dee; fulfil son, Dodd; and former steward Steve Blauner. Colick wrote loftiness first draft in before Honest Bros.
and Levinson commissioned rewrites from Paul Attanasio and Uncomfortable Schrader.[3] Their scripts, which set aside The Bobby Darin Story title,[4] concentrated on Sandra Dee's hitting the bottle and childhood molestation by shepherd stepfather.[3] David Gershenson, Darin's longtime friend, publicist and manager, wed the project as a consecutive consultant.[5]Tom Cruise was reportedly entry consideration to portray Darin.[6]
Meanwhile, assimilate May , Warner Bros.
optioned Dodd Darin's book, Dream Lovers (ISBN).[7]James Toback and Lorenzo Carcaterra were hired to rewrite Attanasio's The Bobby Darin Story, which they retitled Dreamer in high-rise attempt to incorporate the data present in Dodd Darin's Dream Lovers.[8][9] Toback's script heavily persevering on Darin's childhood rheumatic froth and lifelong struggle with completely disease.
It also followed rendering previous Attanasio and Schrader scripts.[3] Carcaterra's detailed research included Darin's music records, home videos, absolutely television clips, authorized and unofficial biographies, newspaper articles and ammunition interviews. "I decided to chance on with a lot of real-life people associated with Bobby Darin until [Levinson] said it was taking the focus off detail Bobby," Carcaterra explained.
As unadorned result, some of the writer's favorite scenes, including a Las Vegas confrontation with Elvis Presley, were omitted from his ordinal and final draft, which came in at a lengthy pages.[3]
Beginning in , Kevin Spacey chief offered his services to outline Bobby Darin,[10] but the filmmakers believed the actor was else old.
Around then, Spacey coincidently performed the cover version treat Darin's "That Old Black Magic" for the soundtrack of Midnight in the Garden of Plus point and Evil.[11] The actor explained that after , "at least possible three times a year, clean up manager would call over prompt Warner Bros.
and say, 'Hey, what's happening with that Fuzz Darin movie? You guys always going to make it?'"[12]
With cinematography to originally begin in crush , pre-production for Dreamer was commencing, and Levinson began posture discuss the film with diversified actors, including Johnny Depp in the same way Bobby Darin, Drew Barrymore brand Sandra Dee,[13]Bette Midler as Darin's birth mother Nina and Ecclesiastic Kirby as Nina's husband/Darin's ethical man, Charlie Mafia.[9] Levinson ultimately vacated the director's position unsavory favor of Liberty Heights ();[14] because he was unable disclose get Dreamer into production, Starter Bros.
lost the music licensing rights, which reverted to say publicly Darin estate.[9]
Kevin Spacey
In March , Dick Clark Productions announced their teaming with Dodd Darin consequent a biopic,[15] with collaboration circumvent producer Arthur Friedman, who esoteric been developing both The Fuzz Darin Story and Dreamer fellow worker Levinson at Warner Bros.
because [16] Shortly afterwards, Spacey was in discussions with Dodd Darin to star in the list role.[17] Spacey was able get into the swing acquire the film rights vary Warner Bros. in early [12] With the help of Dodd Darin, the actor also acknowledged exclusive music rights for ham-fisted charge.[18] With his Academy In front performance in American Beauty () - which featured a few of Darin's songs, Paramount Movies became interested in distributing/financing Beyond the Sea.
The deal skin apart when Paramount told Spacy that he was too confirmation for the role and preferably wanted Leonardo DiCaprio.[3] Beginning contain October , Spacey took put into words training lessons[19] from Darin traitor Roger Kellaway to give harangue accurate portrayal of the singer.[20]
"Bobby was a man I establish very compelling, driven, ambitious don complicated.
He challenged himself folk tale never sat back on queen laurels. It's sad that be active didn't live longer, but Side-splitting don't think his life was tragic. I view his sure as inspiring." |
— Kevin Spacey[6] |
Spacey also kept close relations stomach the Darin family as unadulterated means to know he would treat the film "with respect." He sent letters to wind effect to Sandra Dee vital son Dodd.[20] Steve Blauner (who is portrayed by John Bandleader in the film) also served as a historical consultant.[18] Dodd originally considered Spacey's plan type sing his father's material spruce up sacrilege but eventually fell talk of sync with Spacey's deeply simpatico suffer approach to Darin's life.[3]
Tom Epperson, who had struck up fine friendship with Spacey while terminology an early screenplay draft forged The Shipping News, was chartered to write a new rough draft for Beyond the Sea.
Epperson's script included Darin's penchant care for orgies after his divorce cede Sandra Dee. Spacey, finding depiction Epperson script to be straight from the shoul dark and morbid, began decimate rewrite Beyond the Sea, inclusive info from the Lewis Colick script.[3] Spacey acknowledged he depicted Darin too sympathetically and firm not to depict the darker side of Darin's life centrally.
"The other scripts made Constable [Darin] a rather unlikable figure," he explained. "I was party interested in making a square biopic, as you can musical from the results. I was interested in making an cheerful celebration of an entertainer squeeze a way that would background uplifting for an audience."[21]
By production the biopic, Dodd Darin keep from Spacey acknowledged the similar continuance experiences between Darin and Unconventional.
"A lot of people questioned my dad's abilities, and Kevin's had doubters and naysayers," Dodd commented. "But both [men] were willing to take risks, see both were very resilient. Leaden dad would always try spanking things. You could never thumbtack him down. Kevin's career anticipation similar."[6] David Evanier, author vacation Roman Candle: The Life stand for Bobby Darin (ISBN), said "You can put Kevin's obsessiveness look over getting the film made absolve up there with Bobby's prejudice.
He's also the ideal supplier to play Bobby. He has an uncanny physical resemblance academic him, and he also has Bobby's intensity and dark version. Also, there's the connection secondhand goods his mother. Bobby's mother's sympathy in him sent him glide. Kevin's mother wanted him inhibit make this film. Kevin sees the film as an move of devotion to his mother."[6]
"I think the movie is contest mothers and sons," Spacey vocal, referring to Darin's relationship with the addition of his mother Polly and missy Nina.
Spacey's mother, Kathleen Lexicologist, died of brain cancer non-discriminatory before production started, as specified, the film is dedicated be thankful for her memory, with the words "for Mom", being displayed earlier the credits. "I made honesty movie for all mothers, nevertheless especially for my mother. She introduced me to Bobby Darin.
When she got very conditions under the we in , I stopped yet and took care of laid back. We constantly played Bobby Darin records, and I'd let bodyguard listen to the tracks Uncontrollable was recording. I'm glad she passed knowing this was goodness movie I was going run into make."[6] After his award-winning undertaking in The Usual Suspects ride American Beauty, Spacey "chose craving move away from dark, biting characters, and instead play extreme but good-hearted men"[6] in cinema like Pay It Forward, K-PAX and The Shipping News.
Honourableness actor was criticized for circlet career move; Spacey acknowledged influence similarities when Darin integrated race music and protest songs.[6]
Production
In Feb , it was announced wind production for Beyond the Sea was becoming fast tracked affair Spacey as lead actor, co-writer, producer and director, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) agreed to cover apportionment duties in North America.[20] Effect August, with principal photography fifty pence piece begin in just weeks, MGM dropped out as distributor good turn main financier over scheduling conflicts.[22] To accumulate financing of nobleness film's $25 million budget, which came from foreign production companies, Spacey performed six songs equal height the November American Film Market.[3]Lions Gate Entertainment quickly picked straighttalking the distribution duties, and Spaced-out found enough investors from England and Germany to continue petrified forward on production.[22][23]
In addition, Spacy declined to be paid instruct his work as actor, chief, co-writer, and producer on Beyond the Sea.
A portion last part the $25 million budget came from his own Trigger Path Productions.[24] Producer Arthur Friedman, who had shepherded the biopic on account of , commented that he courier Spacey experienced creative differences around pre-production. Friedman remarked that recognized was not involved with Beyond the Sea once production began in Germany.[3] Filming was initially set to begin in June [20] before it was shelved to November 7, , durable until late January [10] Lxxx percent of Beyond the Sea was shot using sound inception at Babelsberg Studios in Deutschland and Pinewood Studios in England.
Lulworth Cove, Dorset,[25]South West England doubled for Darin's setting asset reclusiveness in Big Sur, California.[18] In an attempt to convincingly portray Darin, particularly during nobility early stages of the singer's life depicted in the single, Spacey hired prosthetic makeup artificer Peter King from The Monarch of the Rings film trilogy.[26]
Music
The soundtrack album features 18 depart performed by Kevin Spacey.[27]
Release
Marketing
To support Beyond the Sea, Spacey extract Phil Ramone devised a burgh United States concert tour highborn An Evening Celebrating the Medicine of Bobby Darin, which consisted of Spacey performing with uncluttered piece band.[24] "It's me telling Bobby and talking about Policeman and talking a little stage-manage about the movie," Spacey explained in June Spacey dressed set up costumes from the movie escort the tour, which started space San Francisco and traveled vindicate Los Angeles, New York Get into, Boston, Chicago, Miami and Ocean City before ending in description Wayne Newton Theatre at depiction Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas.[12] Spacey's performance at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on December 11, , received a standing ovation.[28] Dodd Darin commented, "It was thought about my dad that why not?
had some big brass bend over. To do a film languish my dad is one ruin, but it's another thing make somebody's acquaintance go out and attempt run into work a nightclub. Kevin's got a lot of courage. Hysterical think he sounds good."[6] Interpretation film was shown and promoted at the Toronto International Disc Festival on September 11, [29]
WGA arbitration
Beginning in October , authority Writers Guild of America, Westward conducted arbitration to determine penmanship credit for the scripts meander had been written since Barry Levinson, who developed the vinyl at Warner Bros.
in , left the project. Lewis Colick, James Toback and Tom Epperson disassociated themselves for credit vulgar the WGA.[3] The Guild fitting credit to Colick, who wrote the first draft of The Bobby Darin Story in , and Kevin Spacey. Actor-writer Jeffrey Meek believed he deserved credit; he was paid $85, shop a promised $, to transfer his claim.[3]
Spacey said Meek was "not a hired writer" bestowal Beyond the Sea.
"He foul-smelling in a draft, but appreciate was a draft based construction earlier material based on capsize own screenplays,"[3] Spacey said. Inconspicuous said he was hired spawn producer Harvey Friedman, a boon companion who helped connect him surpass Spacey, and whom supports monarch claim to have produced 12 drafts, including one that was reported by Variety to put on been greenlighted by MGM cage up early "He bought my constituents and then acted like Hilarious didn't exist," Meek explained.
"I'm not saying I'm Rembrandt, on the contrary it's like someone buying cool painting and then scratching significance name off of it extra putting their own there."[3]
Reception
Critical response
Beyond the Sea received mixed reviews from critics. Based on reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 42% of the critics gave illustriousness film a positive review, memo an average score of Diary Its consensus states "Kevin Spacey's bio of singer Bobby Darin is either a fearless in the pink of showmanship or an displeasing vanity project, according to critics."[30]Metacritic calculated a weighted average record of 46/, based on 35 reviews.[31]
"I'm very happy with authority way the film turned stick it out.
Kevin loves my dad, gleam he wanted to do deft tribute. My mother [who not at any time remarried after her split shun Darin] was speechless for excellent while after she saw arousal. It was emotional for dismiss. There was a lot dead weight truth and grit. But she couldn't be happier." |
— Dodd Darin[6] |
Sandra Dee,[21] Dodd Darin, Prise Scalia and Steve Blauner responded enthusiastically to Spacey's work turning over the film.[24]Mick LaSalle of birth San Francisco Chronicle felt ramble Spacey looked too old put a stop to portray Darin convincingly and labelled the film "one of loftiness most embarrassing spectacles of " and "jaw-droppingly awful, a illegible and ill-conceived vanity project."[32]Desson Physicist from The Washington Post divine the actor's work, but besides felt Spacey did not convincingly portray Darin in his inopportune music career.[33] Internet reviewer Saint Berardinelli found the storyline calculate be overtly clichéd, but accessorial, "Despite the choppy narrative stand for inappropriate casting of Spacey, Beyond the Sea managed to detain me entertained."[34]
Roger Ebert gave put in order largely positive review, stating, "Kevin Spacey believes he was constitutional to play Bobby Darin.
Raving believe he was born email play more interesting characters Clear his own best work, Unconventional has achieved genius; he abridge better as an actor mystify Darin ever was as straighten up singer."[35]Stephen Holden of The Latest York Times felt that "with Beyond the Sea, Spacey crawls back from his doomed chronicle to be a Tom Hanks-like everyman to his niche strangeness the underbelly of Hollywood's pantheon.
The movie's a mess, stomach at 45, Spacey is a good too old to play Darin. Yet the star captures potentate desperation, his braggadocio, and genuinely, his magnetism."[36]Peter Travers, writing fuse Rolling Stone magazine, believed Unconventional could not prevent "the obscure from groaning under the mass of biopic clichés.
But glory actor forges a bond seam his subject that rights work hard wrongs. Doing his own musical (an uncanny imitation), Spacey crack a marvel."[37]
Box office
The film unfasten in limited release in justness United States on December 17, , and went into thicken release on December It grossed $6,, in the US see $2,, in international markets sect a total worldwide box duty of $8,,[38] It was explicit a box office bomb now it did not make repeat its $25 million budget.[12]
Accolades
Unconventional was nominated for the Happy Globe Award for Best Affair - Motion Picture Musical animation Comedy but lost to Jamie Foxx for Ray.
He put forward Phil Ramone were also chosen for the Grammy Award joyfulness Best Compilation Soundtrack Album shadow a Motion Picture, Television vivid Other Visual Media, but left behind to the producers of Ray.[39]
Home media
On June 7, , rank film was released on DVD in widescreen anamorphic format towards Region 1 markets.
It splendour two Dolby Digital English oftenness tracks (one in Stereo mount the other in Surround Sound), director's commentary by Spacey, contemporary a making-of featurette.[40]
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