Saturday July 4, 2009 6:08 PM MDT

Park City, Utah:

Against the Current

Director(s):
Peter Callahan
Screenwriter(s):
Peter Callahan
Executive Producers:
Jonathan Gray, Miranda Bailey, Matthew Leutwyler
Producers:
Joshua Zeman, Mary Jane Skalski
Coproducers:
Wouter Barendrecht, Michael J. Werner
Cinematographer:
Sean Kirby
Editor:
Michael Taylor
Production Designer:
Tommaso Ortino

Against the Current

US Narrative Feature Films
U.S.A.,  2008, 95 mins., color

Paul Thompson (Joseph Fiennes), a financial writer struggling with a tragic past, decides to do something special and unique to distinguish himself. Having always wanted to swim the 150 miles of the lower Hudson River, he recruits his best friend, Jeff (Justin Kirk), and new acquaintance, Liz (Elizabeth Reaser), to accompany him on a physical and emotional journey exploring friendship, grief, and how we cope when what we lose is greater than what life has to offer.Beautifully nuanced and restrained, Against the Current swells with friendship and human folly. Playful dialogue entices as smart writing and stellar performances immediately immerse us in the unfulfilled lives of these three characters: a profoundly sad man, a failed actor in an unhappy marriage, and a woman yearning for more while dealing with the pressures of dealing with her mother (Mary Tyler Moore). The simplicity of this well-crafted narrative is what makes it so beautiful. We can’t always understand the decisions others make, but writer/director Peter Callahan adeptly illustrates the intensely complicated dynamics of human relationships and just how far we’re willing to go to support those we love.
CAST
Joseph Fiennes, Justin Kirk, Elizabeth Reaser, Mary Tyler Moore, Michelle Trachtenberg, Pell James
Peter Callahan - Peter Callahan was born and raised in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. A high-school dropout, he drove a taxi for several years before returning to school, eventually earning a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University. Moving to Los Angeles, Callahan optioned several screenplays before returning to his hometown in 2001 to write and direct his award-winning independent feature Last Ball. The film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won awards at the Avignon, Director's View, and Northampton Film Festivals.
Screenings:

Sun. Jan 18 8:30 p.m. - AGAIN18LN Library Center Theatre, Park City
Wed. Jan 21 11:15 a.m. - AGAIN21RD Racquet Club, Park City
Thu. Jan 22 2:15 p.m. - AGAIN22RA Racquet Club, Park City
Sat. Jan 24 6:45 p.m. - AGAIN24BE Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC
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