6 Years

6 Years is a 2015 American relationship drama film, written and directed by Hannah Fidell, and starring Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield, Joshua Leonard, Lindsay Burdge, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Jennifer Lafleur and Peter Vack.^[1] Filmmakers Mark and Jay Duplass served as executive producers.^[2]

The film had its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 14, 2015, debuting in the Narrative Feature Competition section.^[3] The global rights to the film were bought by Netflix following its premiere.^[4] The film is also scheduled to screen at the Maryland Film Festival on May 7,^[5] and the Champs-Élysées Film Festival in June 2015.^[6] Fidell stated that the film will be released sometime in August or September 2015 on Netflix.^[7]

Plot

A young couple in their early 20s, Dan Mercer (Ben Rosenfield) and Melanie Clark (Taissa Farmiga), have known each other since childhood. Now their 6-year romantic relationship is put to the test when Dan receives an attractive job offer from the record label with whom he interns, and he must choose between a move forward and a future with Mel. Growth and temptation happen – but will their relationship remain part of their future?^[8]

Cast

• Taissa Farmiga as Melanie "Mel" Clark
• Ben Rosenfield as Dan Mercer
• Joshua Leonard as Mark
• Lindsay Burdge as Amanda
• Dana Wheeler-Nicholson as Dan's Mother
• Jennifer Lafleur
• Peter Vack
• Jason Newman
• Molly McMichael as Jessica
• Dillon Cavitt as Jared
• Elizabeth Lestina as Elizabeth
• Alysia Lucas as Becca
• Cody Haltom as Rich
• Matthew Genitempo as Dan

Production

Pre-production

In June 2014, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Hannah Fidell had written the screenplay for a relationship drama film, set for release in 2015.^[9] The feature was directed by Fidell, produced by Kelly Williams, Andrew Logan and Jonathan Duffy, and executive produced by Mark and Jay Duplass through their production company Duplass Brothers Productions.^[10] Fidell was approached by Mark Duplass to write and direct a film depicting a young couple experiencing domestic violence, which appealed to her.^[11] The film was untitled during pre-production and filming; its official title, 6 Years, was announced by Fidell through her Tumblr blog on September 3, 2014.^[12] On June 12, 2014, after filming had completed for the project, it was revealed that Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield had been cast in leading roles, portraying Melanie "Mel" Clark and Dan Mercer, respectively.^[1] That same day, it was also reported that Peter Vack, Joshua Leonard, Jennifer Lafleur and Lindsay Burdge (A Teacher) had been cast in supporting roles for the film.^[2]

Filming

Principal photography for the film lasted approximately three weeks and took place in Austin, Texas.^[13][10] Production began on March 17, 2014,^[14] and filming occurred at many locations, including the West Campus neighborhood,^[15] the University of Texas at Austin,^[16] and Wooten Elementary School.^[17] Fidell revealed that she only wrote a 40-page treatment for the film, including visuals and tonal references, instead of writing a full script.^[18] In addition, only a few prominent scenes were written with dialogue already prepared for the actors; in other scenes, improvisation was heavily used.^[11] Filming was completed for the project on April 6, 2014.^[19][20] Farmiga stated that, for the duration of production, the cast and crew lived in the house used for Mel's home in the film.^[18]

Post-production

Film editing began while the project was still in the production phase.^[18] Sofi Marshall and Carlos Marques-Marcet served as editors for the film. Fidell stated that the editing process was difficult due to the prominent use of improvisation throughout the film, which made it hard for continuity in the story.^[18] Lyman Hardy from Stuck On On (based in Austin, Texas) provided sound post-production services.^[21] At South by Southwest, Fidell said that post-production was completed a few weeks before the film's premiere at the festival.^[18]

Music

Score

On January 19, 2015, it was reported that film composer Julian Wass had been hired to score the music for the film, having previously written the music for The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2012), which was written and directed by 6 Years executive producers Mark and Jay Duplass.^[22]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the film was revealed by Fidell through a Spotify playlist on February 24, 2015.^[23]

Release

On November 11, 2014, a behind the scenes still featuring Farmiga and Fidell was released.^[24] It was also reported that Submarine Entertainment and ICM Partners would handle distribution sales.^[24] The film had its world premiere on March 14, 2015 at South by Southwest Film Festival as a selection in the Narrative Feature Competition section.^[25] It premiered at the Alamo Ritz, and was also screened at the Rollins Theatre on March 15, and the Zach Theatre on March 20, 2015.^[8] On March 15, 2015, following the film's premiere, Netflix acquired the global distribution rights, with plans to release 6 Years on its streaming service later in the year.^[4] The film will screen at the Maryland Film Festival on May 7 and May 9, 2015,^[5] and at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival in June 2015.^[26] Fidell stated on Twitter that the film would be released sometime in August or September 2015 on Netflix.^[7]

Reception

Critical response

The performances of Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield garnered a positive reception from film critics.^[27] Eric Kohn and Nigel M. Smith of Indiewire identified the two as breakout stars of South by Southwest, writing: "As a young couple coping with various relationship problems on the cusp of the eponymous anniversary, Rosenfield and Farmiga are equally adroit at conveying a deep, intimate connection with their characters and suggesting the process through which it has started to come apart at the seams. Both actors should now qualify for any projects involving extreme heartbreak currently looking for credible leads."^[28] In his sole review, Kohn wrote: "Hannah Fidell, working with executive producers Mark and Jay Duplass, effectively broadens her range by borrowing the sibling directors' improvisatory style and ceding control to her two leads, whose heartbreaking performances imbue this familiar Austin-set narrative with a fiery edge."^[29] Mike Shutt of Rope of Silicon gave the film a "B" rating, writing: "6 Years leans a little too heavily on the big moments, but its actors are so damn good I can forgive a lot of the plot problems. When all is said and done, you still care immensely for this couple and want what is best for both of them, even if that means not being together. So, it has some missteps, but 6 Years is still quite good."^[30]

Justin Chang of Variety gave the film a lukewarm review, writing: "Although shot and performed in a determinedly raw, naturalistic register, this emotionally roiling portrait of two twentysomething Texas sweethearts too often veers toward melodramatic overstatement, inspiring little empathy or understanding despite the committed performances of promising young leads Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield."^[31] Ryland Aldrich of Twitch Film wrote: "An indie drama through and through, Fidell has again succeeded in telling a tiny story and making it feel as big as the world. Her connection to these characters is infectious and impossible to ignore. It may be an emotional rollercoaster, but it is real, and the intimacy is undeniable."^[32] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the script but praised the actors' performances, writing: "Whether those questions (and other peer pressures) cause [the] relationship's downfall or simply predict it is the most interesting question in Hannah Fidell's film, a melodrama benefitting from excellent performances but suffering from a too-obvious script. Being exec-produced by the Duplass Brothers will help attract attention to Fidell's follow-up to A Teacher, but the pic's best hope comes from attention paid to its two talented leads, Taissa Farmiga and Ben Rosenfield."^[33]

Accolades

References

External links

• 6 Years at the Internet Movie Database
• 6 Years on Twitter