GLORIA BELL Production Notes
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SYNOPSIS
Gloria (Julianne Moore) is a free-spirited divorcée who spends her days at a straight-laced office job and her nights on the dance floor, joyfully letting loose at clubs around Los Angeles. After meeting Arnold (John Turturro) on a night out, she finds herself thrust into an unexpected new romance, filled with both the joys of budding love and the complications of dating, identity, and family. From Academy Award winning director Sebastian Lelio (A FANTASTIC WOMAN, DISOBEDIENCE) comes a sophisticated romantic comedy that shows love can strike at any time, relationships are never simple, and nothing can get you down as long as you keep dancing.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
I am often asked “Why a re-imagining of your own film?” I could talk for hours as to why, but there’s one very simple answer: Because of my admiration for Julianne Moore. I met Julianne on a summer day in Paris in 2015. I had been told that she loved GLORIA, but I hadn’t thought she would want to remake it. I was close to starting two new movies, and the film was somewhat farther from my thoughts. But the conversation with Julianne was magical. I was touched by her strong passion for Gloria’s character and story. At the end of our meeting, she said, “I would only do this if you direct it,” and I immediately replied, “And I would only direct it if you are in it.” Having the chance to revisit my own materials, to find a new vehicle to examine what is universal about the original story and to see it reborn with a supreme artist like Julianne Moore was too tempting, too exciting. Having the chance to work with Julianne, John Turturro and the other amazing actors was revitalizing and inspiring. GLORIA BELL is like the cover of a melody that we created, played again in a new moment, in a new context, and by a new band. We tried to honor the discoveries and DNA of the original film; at the same time, we were searching for new tones, new vibrations, new sparkles. We did it for the joy of making a film, for the excitement of the risk, and for the artistic challenge. It was an act of freedom. GLORIA BELL is a very intense and incisive portrait of a woman. We see her in every frame of the film. Every single scene is about how she exists in the world, moment by moment. Gloria is kind of a secondary character in the life of those around her. The game of the film is to turn that secondary character into an absolute protagonist. It’s about leading the spectator to observe this woman from every possible angle, going through the entire emotional spectrum. This insistence invites (or forces) the spectator to go underneath Gloria’s skin and to feel her experiences from within her. Because the spectator never stops looking at her, there is the opportunity to deeply connect with her feelings. For me, GLORIA BELL is a film about feelings – Gloria’s and our own. I made two films after the original GLORIA — A FANTASTIC WOMAN and DISOBEDIENCE — so I was somewhere else as a person and as a filmmaker when we started shooting GLORIA BELL. I suppose that new place from where I was operating made its way into the fabric of the film; in terms of the style, colors, camera language, the way of using score. There is a new energy that lives in the film. The world has also drastically changed since 2013. It seems to have moved backward in terms of politics with the re-emergence of the extreme right. Suddenly everything is once again operating from that old place of fear. Frontiers are closing rather than expanding to embrace the complexity and diversity of life, so the story of a woman who refuses to give up has a new urgency, a new relevance. She claims her right to be seen and heard, her access to pleasure, her will to keep dancing. Like everyone, Gloria gets hit by the world, but she continues to stand up. She resurrects herself and keeps on looking to experience the beauty of life. That is my inspiration and reason for sharing her story — for the Glorias of the world to been seen and heard.
CAST
Julianne Moore Julianne Moore is an Academy Award- and Emmy-winning actor, and the first American woman to be awarded top acting prizes at the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice film festivals. Julianne also is a New York Times-bestselling author, for her children’s book series Freckleface Strawberry. She is on the Advisory Council of The Children's Health Fund, a supporter of the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, and in 2015, became founding chair of the Every Town for Gun Safety Creative Council, a creative community established to help amplify the movement to end gun violence in America.
John Turturro John Turturro studied at SUNY New Paltz and the Yale School of Drama. For his theatrical debut he created the title role of John Patrick Shanley's DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, for which he won an OBIE Award and a Theater World Award. On Television, Turturro was nominated for a SAG Award for his portrayal of Howard Cosell in MONDAY NIGHT MAYHEM, and again nominated for THE BRONX IS BURNING, as notorious Yankee skipper Billy Martin. He won an Emmy Award for his guest appearance on MONK and most recently on HBO’s THE NIGHT OF which he was nominated for Golden Globe, a SAG Award and an Emmy award. Turturro has performed in many films, including Spike Lee's DO THE RIGHT THING, and JUNGLE FEVER. Martin Scorsese’s THE COLOR OF MONEY, Robert Redford’s QUIZ SHOW, Francesco Rosi’s LA TREGUA, Robert De Niro’s THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Tom DiCillo’s BOX OF MOONLIGHT, Nanni Moretti's MIA MADRE, and Joel and Ethan Coen’s MILLER’S CROSSING, THE BIG LEBOWSKI and OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU. For his lead role in the Coen Brothers’ BARTON FINK, Turturro won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and the David Donatello Award. He received Cannes' Camera D'Or Award for his directorial debut, MAC. Other films as director/ writer include ILLUMINATA, ROMANCE & CIGARRETTES, PASSIONE: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE, FADING GIGLO and the upcoming GOING PLACES.
CREW
Sebastian Lelio Writer/Director/Producer Sebastián Lelio is a Chilean filmmaker. Lelio’s fifth feature film, A FANTASTIC WOMAN won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. It premiered in main competition at Berlinale 2017 where it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Teddy Award for Best Film with LGBT subject matter. Lelio’s previous film GLORIA premiered at Berlinale 2013 and went on to become a critical and popular success. It won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Gilde Award and earned a Silver Bear for Best Actress Paulina García. The film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and a London Critic’s Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film; it was also Chile’s entry for the 2014 Academy Awards. DISOBEDIENCE, Lelio’s first English language film, which he co-wrote and directed, is based on Naomi Alderman’s best-selling novel of the same name. Produced by Ed Guiney, Frida Torresblanco and Rachel Weisz and starring Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2017. Co-financed by Film4 and FilmNation, Bleeker Street released the film in the U.S. in April 2018, and Artificial Eye will release in the UK November 2018. He is also attached to direct Emma Donoghue's adaptation of her own novel THE WONDER, for Tessa Ross and Ed Guiney. Lelio was invited to become a member of The Academy in 2017 and will have a retrospective of his work at BFI in November 2018.
Juan de Dios Larrain Producer Educated as a lawyer with an MBA, Juan de Dios Larraín founded in 2004, along with his brother, filmmaker and producer, Pablo Larraín, the Chilean production company Fabula, responsible for twenty-four films. Including one Oscar win for Best Foreign Language Film category (2018), for A FANTASTIC WOMAN, directed by Sebastián Lelio. Currently Juan de Dios is producing Pablo Larraín’s leatest feature film, entitled EMA, starring Gael García Bernal and Mariana DiGirolamo. He is also premiering Sebastián Lelio’s remake film GLORIA BELL, starring Julianne Moore and John Turturo in Toronto Film Festival. He also produced the original version of GLORIA, also directed by Sebastián Lelio. It premiered in 2013 at the Berlinale, where Paulina García won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. In 2017 he produced A FANTASTIC WOMAN, that won the Silver Bear for Best Script at Berlinale. And he also premiered at Toronto Film Festival Marialy Rivas’ second feature film, PRINCESITA. In 2016 Juan de Dios premiered NERUDA, a film directed by Pablo Larraín, starring Gael García Bernal, Luis Gnecco and Mercedes Morán, at Cannes Film Festival. After Neruda, he premiered JACKIE at Venice Film Festival, also directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Natalie Portman. In 2015, he produced THE CLUB, directed by Pablo Larraín, which also premiered at Berlinale, where the film won the Silver Bear for Special Jury Prize. That same year, NASTY BABY and LAS NIÑAS QUISPE, Fabula productions as well, where premiered at Berlin Film Festival. In 2012, he produced the Oscar Nominated NO, directed by Pablo Larraín, starring Gael García Bernal.
Pablo Larrain Producer Pablo Larraín is a film producer and director, founding partner of Fabula, a company devoted to films. As a producer, he has been responsible for one Oscar win in the Best Foreign Language category (2018), for A FANTASTIC WOMAN, directed by Sebastián Lelio. Currently he is filming his upcoming film entitled EMA, starring Gael García Bernal. He is also premiering Sebastián Lelio’s remake film GLORIA BELL, starring Julianne Moore and John Turturo in Toronto Film Festival. He also produced the original version of GLORIA, also directed by Sebastián Lelio. It premiered in 2013 at Berlinale, where Paulina García won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. In 2006 he directed his first feature film, FUGA. Also, in 2006 he produced LIFE KILLS ME, which represents Sebastián Silva’s debut as a director. In 2008 he directed TONY MANERO, which premiered in the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes 2008. In 2009, he produced GRADO 3, a remake of the Canadian film YOUNG PEOPLE FUCKING. GRADO 3 was the most viewed Chilean film in 2009. POST MORTEM is his third feature film, premiered at the Official Competition of the Venice International Film Festival in September 2010. In 2010 he directed "Prófugos," the first series of HBO produced in Chile. In 2011, he produced three features: ULYSSES, directed by Oscar Godoy, premiered at the San Francisco Film Festival in the International Competition; YOUNG & WILD, directed by Marialy Rivas; and THE YEAR OF THE TIGER, directed by Sebastián Lelio, premiered in the Locarno Film Fest, competing for the Golden Pardo. NO, is his fourth film, winning Best Film in the Directors' Fortnight of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2013, he premiered the second season of "Prófugos." In 2014 he directed his first opera for the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, "Katya Kabanova" by Leos Janacek, and debuted in the dramatic and theatrical direction with the play “Acceso”, at the Teatro La Memoria. In 2015 NASTY BABY and LAS NIÑAS QUISPE, Fabula productions as well, were premiered at Berlin Film Festival. THE CLUB is his fifth feature film, premiered in the Official Competition of Berlinale 2015, won the Silver Bear for the Special Jury Prize. NERUDA, starring Gael García Bernal had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, and his latest film JACKIE starring Natalie Portman at the Venice Film Festival. In 2017, A FANTASTIC WOMAN won the Silver Bear for Best Script at Berlinale. And he also premiered at Toronto Film Festival Marialy Rivas’ second feature film, PRINCESITA.
CREDITS
Crew
Writer / Director Sebastián Lelio
Producers Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Sebastián Lelio
Executive Producers Julianne Moore, Shea Kammer, Rocio Jadue, Ben Browning, Glen Basner, Milan Popelka, Alison Cohen
Cinematographer Natasha Braier
Production Designer Dan Bishop
Editor Soledad Salfate
Costume Designer Stacey Battat
Co-Adaptation by Sebastián Lelio, Alice Johnson Boher
Story by Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo Maza
Composer Matthew Herbert
Music Supervisor Lynn Fainchtein
Casting by Mary Vernieu, Lindsay Graham
Cast
Gloria Julianne Moore
Arnold John Turturro
Anne Caren Pistorius
Peter Michael Cera
Dustin Brad Garrett
Hillary Holland Taylor
Fiona Jeanne Tripplehorn
Vicky Rita Wilson
Charlie Chris Mulkey
Virginia Cassi Thomson
Neighbor Tyson Ritter
Theo Jesse Erwin
60-Year-Old Gentleman Chopper Bernet
65-Year-Old Gentleman Gerard Sanders
Man 1 Sam Behrens
Amanda Pollard Roberta Hanlen
Jeremy Sean Astin
Stan the Waiter Francisco Rodriguez
Melinda Barbara Sukowa
Laughing Instructor Jenica Bergere
Veronica Alana Ubach
Croupier Vania Tsvetokova
Jen Sarah Lowe
Mark Jeff Leibow
Dr. Steve Derrick Tedford
Receptionist Maritetta Melrose
Desk Clerk #1 Joshua Kingdon
Jane Wingel Aileen Burdock
Desk Clerk #2 Katrina Currow
Player 1 Corinna Harney-Jones
Bellboy Michael James Nuells
Arnold's Daughter 1 Abby Gershuny
Arnold's Daughter 2 Laruen Ann Brickman
Groom Ari Schneider
Wedding Guest #1 Cristóbal Tapia Montt
Wedding Guest #2 John Vernieu
Puppeteer Greg Ballora
TSA Employee Daniel Nichols
Yoga Student Lorell Bird Dorfman
Michelle Heather Messal
Suzanne Jennie Fahn