A sleeper hit took the top prize at saturdays sundance film festival awards, which were handed it out in a fog of disbelief and calls to action over president donald trumps immigration order. When eliza hittman was trying to finance and cast beach rats, the project was dismissed out of hand as the one with all the gay sex. Neon stylized as neon is an american film production and distribution company founded by tom quinn and tim league in 2017. A young man on a collision course with himself in this closely observed drama about a brooklyn teen whose sexuality conflicts with his. The company is best known for releasing films, such as ingrid goes west, beach rats, and i, tonya.
Beach rats is a 2017 american drama film directed by eliza hittman. Fortunately for audiences, hittman persisted in getting the honest, beautiful, and at times, uncomfortable, film made with nontraditional casting and a diy ethos, resulting in a. Beach rats, eliza hittmans eroticized study of young male bodies and repressed sexuality along the arcades of coney island, owes a sizable debt to the films of claire denis particularly a certain desertset herman melville adaption, going so far as to copy the extraordinary french directors cryptic fragmentation of closeups and eye lines. The hero of beach rats, which is set in the present, is a teenager named frankie harris dickinson, in.
Jan 30, 2017 cinereach original production beach rats made its world premiere last week at the sundance film festival, taking home the u. Jul 23, 2017 the film originally premiered incompetition at the 2017 sundance film festival this year. A new movie that ignores that narrowminded and prejudicial convention is steven soderberghs logan lucky. Frankie a breakout harris dickinson, a bored teenager living in south brooklyn, regularly haunts the coney island boardwalk with his boystrying to score weed, flirting with girls, killing time. In her first feature, it felt like love 20, eliza hittman explored a young brooklyn girls troubled life as she attempts to throw herself into the world of sexual. How the sundance film beach rats went from blank page to finished script before it was a film, it was a screenplay. Aug 24, 2017 i dont really know what i like, frankie harris dickinson says to a man he meets on a gay hookup site in beach rats. But i feel that to write beach rats off as a moonlight clone would be doing it a huge disservice. Aug 25, 2017 hittmans second film after the similarly sexually charged 20 drama it felt like love, beach rats is a moody experience, light on plot and heavy on state of mind, guiding viewers through. Apr 06, 2017 neon launches short film division, with new work to screen before featurelength films in theaters. Cinereach original production beach rats made its world premiere last week at the sundance film festival, taking home the u. Official trailer for eliza hittmans drama beach rats set. An uneasy tale of a young gay mans selfdiscovery harris dickinson swells with potential in eliza hittmans gripping release. Simones casual comment to frankie that its hot when two girls make out, but when two guys make out its gay, after he.
Gay and lesbian characters had a seriously high mortality rate on the small screen this. Jan 31, 2017 sundancewinning director eliza hittman. A closeted teens silent yearnings in beach rats the new. Beach rats, writerdirector eliza hittmans second feature, has a plot, sort of, but the plot isnt really the thing here. Beach rats was released domestically by neon and was a new york times critics pick.
The official showtimes destination brought to you by. Sep 07, 2017 teen explores his sexuality in beach rats the film runs on the slow escalation of his sexual development with both men and women. Dramatic competition section of the 2017 sundance film festival, 2 and was theatrically released on august 25, 2017, by neon. Throughout the film, thanks in large part to dickinsons nuanced performance, we can feel the change along with him. As he continues his webcamming, his chatting with different men turns into physical intimacy, causing trouble to his relationship with a young woman named simone. A brooklyn teenager spends his days experimenting with drugs and looking online for older men to meet with. I got there and, without sounding arrogant, director eliza hittman told me that i was a bit too in shape, he recalled. Cs1 frenchlanguage sources fr articles with short description use mdy.
Fortunately for audiences, hittman persisted in getting the honest, beautiful, and at times, uncomfortable, film made with. Neon, which acquired domestic rights to the film, is releasing it in. Beach rats is one of the boldest films of the year the. Beach rats fulfills the promise of her previous films and takes hittmans career to a whole new level. Because the camera tends to zoom in on frankies face, louvart makes it feel as if hes trapped in a small closet. I dont really know what i like, frankie harris dickinson says to a man he meets on a gay hookup site in beach rats. Her first feature, it felt like love, premiered at the 20 festival and put her on the map as someone to watch. Beach rats is one of the boldest films of the year. Aug 25, 2017 beach rats is a sexual comingofage story that crackles with the unknown a brooklyn teenager treads the thin line between danger and desire in director eliza hittmans second feature film. Jan 31, 2017 hittmans film, on the other hand, tackles the queer shame guadagninos outright avoids. Beach rats, directed by eliza hittman and starring harris dickinson, is without a doubt one of the best films of last year, even though you may not have hear. Dramatic directing award for writer and director eliza hittman, and securing north american release through neon. Simones casual comment to frankie that its hot when two girls make out.
The loner and the star athlete at this rugbymad school form an. Beach rats is a slight, gorgeous coming of age story. Theatrical trailer in select theaters starting august 25th duration. It premiered internationally at the festival del film locarno in the golden leopard competition and was the centerpiece film at new directorsnew films. The film originally premiered incompetition at the 2017 sundance film festival this year. Writerdirector eliza hittmans short film forevers gonna start tonight played the festival in 2011. Beach rats may have a lot of superficial similarities with moonlight, but director eliza. On the outskirts of brooklyn, frankie harris dickson, an aimless teenager, suffocates under the oppressive glare cast by his family and a toxic group of delinquent friends. Aug 23, 2017 watch a clip from beach rats, starring harris dickinson, madeline weinstein, and kate hodge. How the sundance film beach rats went from blank page to. Neon, the distribution shingle launched by tim league and tom quinn, has started a short film division, reviving the practice of screening shorts before feature film releases.
An aimless teenager on the outer edges of brooklyn struggles to escape his bleak home life and navigate questions of selfidentity, as he balances his time between his delinquent friends, a potential new girlfriend, and older men he meets online. Aug 31, 2017 a closeted teens silent yearning s in beach rats. The official showtimes destination brought to you by neon. Neon acquires tim wardles gripping film three identical strangers from cnn films at the sundance film festival. Beach rats may have a lot of superficial similarities with moonlight, but director eliza hittmans film is a triumph in its own right.
Dramatic competition section of the 2017 sundance film festival, and was theatrically released on august 25, 2017, by neon. He repeats variations on that phrase throughout the film, and. The film is more of a tonepoem, a shifting collage of mood and atmosphere, backlit by the seedyglamorous colored lights of coney island, the neighborhood in. Search for screenings showtimes and book tickets for beach rats. Beach rats is a film of constant anxiety and agitationin other words a pretty fair approximation of the teenage mindsetin this case further shaken by the stigma still associated with homosexuality. Neon launches short film division, will screen before. Feb 08, 2017 brand new distribution company neon has debuted a teaser trailer for the film beach rats, the second feature from filmmaker eliza hittman, following up her debut it felt like love.
Frankie harris dickinson struggles to escape his brooklyn. Aug 25, 2017 beach rats, writerdirector eliza hittmans second feature, has a plot, sort of, but the plot isnt really the thing here. Beach rats theatrical trailer in select theaters starting. Eliza hittman follows up her acclaimed debut it felt like love with this sensitive chronicle of sexual becoming. Jan 30, 2018 no film school sat down with diallo and producer valerie steinberg to discuss the film s aesthetics, casting highquality actors for short film work, turning the film around just in time for the late sundance deadline, and the future of short film distribution, which may or may not include netflix and hbo. Neon, the distribution company founded by radius tom quinn and alamo drafthouses tim league, picked up beach rats from sundance, and its expected to arrive sometime this fall, though no. Hittmans first feature, it felt like love, beach rats doubles as a portrait of brooklyns southernshore neighborhoods. Watch a clip from beach rats, starring harris dickinson, madeline weinstein, and kate hodge. Ned and conor are forced to share a bedroom at their boarding school. With beach rats the director homes in on the neonlit boredom of coney island and transports her audience to the handball courts of gerritsen. Casting highquality actors and making your money back. Neon launches short film division, will screen before feature. Neon acquires tim wardles gripping film three identical.
A closeted teens silent yearnings in beach rats the new yorker. Through its excellent directing, evocative camerawork, subtle pacing and outstanding lead acting performance, beach rats delivers an immersive portrayal of a teenagers chaotic explorations into sex, drugs, masculinity and independence. Hittmans second film after the similarly sexually charged 20 drama it felt like love, beach rats is a moody experience, light on plot and heavy on state of mind, guiding viewers through. Hittmans film, on the other hand, tackles the queer shame guadagninos outright avoids. The film has very little dialogue, and on the few occasions that frankie has the courage to try to probe his friends on their thoughts on homosexuality, the results are bleak. All of the other teams are just sitting there reading the program, and our hair artist walks in wearing a neon blue mask made of braids, and our costume designer was wearing on talons. Flickering neon contrasts with deep, dark shadows whether scenes are set in the. Later in the film, talking with another gay man, frankie admits that he habitually has sex with men, but. In september 2017, the company partnered up with blumhouse productions to manage bh tilt. The film is more of a tonepoem, a shifting collage of mood and atmosphere, backlit by the seedyglamorous colored lights of coney island, the neighborhood in which the film takes place. Forevers gonna start tonight by eliza hittman drama short film. This feature will be preceded by the four minute short film, new balls please.
Oct 16, 2017 beach rats owes its success to its omissions, its things unsaid, opportunities for kindness missed. Denis hypnotic beau travail is all over beach rats, in its intoxicated observation of tanned young male bodies, both in motion. When not cruising the web with a cap on and shadows hiding his face, frankie hangs out with macho, aimless potheads in and around the coney island boardwalk. Jan 25, 2018 trivia surprisingly, harris dickinson the actor who plays frankie in the film was actually too fit to play the role before filming began. Teen explores his sexuality in beach rats the film runs on the slow escalation of his sexual development with both men and women. Leave it to one of the youngest film companies to bring back an oldschool movie tradition. Beach rats is short on words, and the nature of the dialogue we do get made me wish we were even a little bit shorter on them. Through its excellent directing, evocative camerawork, subtle pacing and outstanding lead acting. The films premiere at the sundance film festival won hittman the directing award, and it is. Terrific film just dont call it moonwhite film inquiry. First flashy teaser trailer for beach rats from director. It stars harris dickinson, madeline weinstein, and kate hodge.
Official trailer for eliza hittmans drama beach rats. Beach rats is a sexual comingofage story that crackles with the unknown a brooklyn teenager treads the thin line between danger and desire in director eliza hittmans second feature film. Neon launches short film division, with new work to screen before featurelength films in theaters. The film is shot with 16mm, which gives a grainy, sepia, timeless feel to it. A closeted teens silent yearnings in beach rats the. Dramatic directing award for writer and director eliza hittman, and securing north american release through neon in beach rats, frankie is an aimless teenager who lives on the outer edges of brooklyn, and hes having a miserable summer. Neon will release hittmans beach rats in select theaters starting august 25th this summer, for those.
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