Presents WIENER-DOG A film by Todd Solondz (90 min., USA, 2016) Language: English Distribution Publicity Bonne Smith Star PR 1352 Dundas St. West Tel: 416-488-4436 Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6J 1Y2 Fax: 416-488-8438 Tel: 416-516-9775 Fax: 416-516-0651 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] www.mongrelmedia.com @MongrelMedia MongrelMedia SHORT SYNOPSIS From director Todd Solondz, WIENER-DOG is a dark, starkly funny story of a single dog and the many different people she touches over her short lifetime. Man’s best friend starts out teaching a young boy some contorted life lessons before being taken in by a compassionate vet tech named Dawn Wiener. Dawn reunites with someone from her past and sets off on a road trip. After leaving Dawn, Wiener-Dog encounters a floundering film professor, as well as an embittered elderly woman and her needy granddaughter—all longing for something more. Solondz’s perversely dark comedy offers an appallingly honest look at the American experience, brought to life by its all- star cast. DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT I love dogs and would love one of my own, the only problem being that I don't like walking them or feeding them or cleaning them or having to stay home because of them. When I was a child we (my family) went through a lot of them, and they never lasted very long. Todd Solondz ABOUT THE PRODUCTION DINA It’s sad, but true. We’re a dog’s only friend. Writer/Director Todd Solondz’s idiosyncratic comedies force his audiences to explore the difficult truths of the human existence. Never one to shy away from tough subject matter, Solondz’s imperfect characters have faced everything from rape and suicide to schoolyard cruelty and pedophilia; his willingness to confront the perverse in a way that is so unafraid and so unflinchingly honest is what led many to call Solondz an indie film revolutionary, forever changing the genre with his body of work. So, when conceiving his most recent film WIENER-DOG, what did Solondz have on his mind? “I’ve never made a dog movie,” he says, matter-of-factly. WIENER-DOG is, of course, much more than a simple dog movie. At its core, it’s a deeply human movie. As Solondz describes, the film is “a chronicle of the life of a dog and how this particular dog spreads comfort and joy to the people she meets, bringing meaning to their lives.” With the titular dog as the catalyst, we get a glimpse into these characters’ personal lives and a front row seat to their many insecurities. As to be expected, WIENER-DOG has all the characteristics of the Solondz oeuvre — quick wit, dark tragedy, familiar characters, and an incredible ensemble cast—but the film’s brainchild also found inspiration in classic films. He says, “The touchstones were movies like AU HASARD BALTHAZAR and BENJI. In between those two is where I think this film lies.” Solondz wrote the script several years ago. When thinking back to the motivation behind telling this particular story, he reflects, “I never know why I want to tell any story. You just put pen to paper and you write something. You find in writing the things that matter to you, and you explore that.” Solondz’s exploration takes the form of a series of four vignettes, with characters connected only by the same warm, furry canine and by their shared misery in facing the realities of their day-to-day lives. There is Danny (Tracy Letts) and Dina (Julie Delpy), who are struggling in the aftermath of their son Remi (Keaton Nigel Cooke)’s battle with cancer. There is WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE’s Dawn Wiener (Greta Gerwig), now grown up, who finds herself helplessly smitten again with former classmate/bully/would-be-rapist/first ever boyfriend Brandon McCarthy (Kieran Culkin), an anti-establishment drug addict. There’s Schmerz (Danny DeVito), a has-been screenwriter-cum-film-school professor, on the brink of personal and professional failure. And there is Nana (Ellen Burstyn), a misanthrope who must confront her own impending mortality after her granddaughter Zoe (Zosia Mamet) pays her a visit. Of WIENER-DOG’s troubled protagonists, Solondz does not have a preference. “I don’t have a favorite character, whoever is in front of me at the moment is the favorite,” he remarks. This may be no surprise, given the all-star cast he assembled to bring his story to life. Solondz is pragmatic when it comes to the casting of his films: “I like to cast actors I like. And if they are available and if they like the script, I have to hope that it works out. I’m dependent on my cast for the movie to shine.” Speaking to the experience of casting WIENER-DOG, Executive Producer David Hinojosa of Killer Films says, “I think we got our dream cast. We got every single person we went after. We got them faster than ever. They read the script quickly, they were excited. It’s a perfect amalgamation -- and there’s kind of someone for everyone. There are people from different generations, different genres of movies, comedy backgrounds, drama backgrounds. So it is a true ensemble.” WIENER-DOG’s cast does indeed span generations and genres, but every member cites the same reason for why he or she got involved in the film: Todd Solondz. Each actor — perhaps only with the exception of the young Keaton Nigel Cooke—has proudly seen every single Solondz film and points to Todd’s body of work as a source of inspiration. Greta Gerwig, who plays the hapless Dawn Wiener, reminisces, “WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE was one of the movies I really remember watching when I was young. It was one of the only independent movies I’d seen when I was 10 or 11.” Julie Delpy, the actress behind Dina, adds, “I’ve always thought [Todd] has a unique voice, you know. And it’s always exciting to work with people that have a unique voice.” Agreeing with the sentiment of his on-screen wife, Tracy Letts, who portrays Danny, chimes in, “[Todd] is a gifted artist and he’s made some wonderful, funny, smart, painful films. WIENER-DOG is certainly in that tradition.” Solondz’s reputation and deft writing was the draw for Danny DeVito. He had no reservations in signing on to play the down-and-out Schmerz, despite the role being a change from his traditional fare: “This is a departure from what you usually see me in. But what drew me to the character was a really great script. This was one that I just, in the cliché of it all, couldn’t put down. That drew me to the project along with the fact that I’m a big fan of the director.” SCHMERZ What if I am? Then what? As for Solondz, he graciously acknowledges his cast and crew’s commitment to his vision, describing his directorial style: “It’s a leap of faith. Always. Do they know that I’ll be a good director for them? We all make leaps, and you try to bring something fresh to the way in which an audience will see an actor.” Solondz also gives a nod to the production team and financiers behind WIENER-DOG. He says, “I’ve always had good experiences working with Killer Films. I’m always going to be grateful for Megan Ellison’s decision to make this movie happen.” Solondz’s approach clearly resonated with the entire cast and crew, as many praised his on-set leadership, which they summarized in one word: specific. Hinojosa extolls, “He’s incredibly specific, which is great because everyone can march to that beat. And there’s never any ambiguity of what he’s looking for. He fights for all the right things, and people are excited. He can get you excited about every moment which is important because making a movie takes a long time, and staying excited for that long is not easy.” Letts concurs, describing his experience working with Solondz, “It’s not a severe or serious set, but he knows what he wants and he’ll hang in there with you until you get it. He’s terrific.” “Todd is a laugh a minute,” DeVito adds. “We have a good time. He’s a really gentle director, he knows what he wants, and he’s really cool to be around.” Gerwig was particularly impressed by Solondz’s dedication to capturing authentic, original performances — a style that is a bit unexpected from a director who often returns to characters from his previous work. “Todd told me not to think about the way the original one was done. I rewatched [WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE] because I wanted to have the world fresh in my mind, but he said pretty specifically that he didn’t want me to try to imitate any mannerisms or speech patterns,” she recalls. “So in a way, it’s about finding it new and not looking to replicate something that was already really great.” Kieran Culkin, who plays the troubled Brandon McCarthy, also highlighted that it was important to Solondz for the actors to bring a new perspective to the material: “He said he wanted us to play it our own way. He didn’t want us to be influenced by what [Heather Matarazzo and Brendan Sexton III] did and play it like them. Maybe in another 20 years he’ll have two different actors playing these parts.” Culkin goes on to say that he found Solondz’s style refreshing.