The Wise Kids
| The Wise Kids | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Stephen Cone |
| Produced by |
Stephen Cone Laura Klein Sue Redman |
| Written by | Stephen Cone |
| Starring |
Molly Kunz Tyler Ross Allison Torem |
| Music by | Mikhail Fiksel |
| Cinematography | Stephanie Dufford |
| Edited by | Stephen Cone (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | Wolfe Video |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Wise Kids is a 2011 drama film written and directed by Stephen Cone.
Plot
An ensemble, coming-of-age piece, the film follows a group of young members of a South Carolina Baptist church as they confront issues of homosexuality and a crisis of faith.
Cast
- Molly Kunz as Brea
- Tyler Ross as Tim
- Allison Torem as Laura
- Matt DeCaro as Jerry
- Sadieh Rifai as Elizabeth
- Stephen Cone as Austin
- Cliff Chamberlain as Dylan
- Sadie Rogers as Cheryl
- Ann Whitney as Ms. Powell
- Rodney Lee Rogers as Pastor Jim
- Lee Armstrong as Harry
- Laurel Schroeder as Erin
- Sharon Graci as Kathy
- Sullivan Hamilton as Haley
- Jonathan Jones as Josh
- Jacob Leinbach as Brad
- Tessa Nicole as Savannah
- Porter Spicer as Matthew
- Eric Hulsebos as Ryan
- Alyssa Puckett as April
Production
To raise money for the film, Cone ran a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of $17,500. On July 18, 2010, the campaign closed, having successfully raised $17,830.[1] The film was shot on location in Cone's hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.[2]
Release
The Wise Kids premiered at the Outfest film festival in Los Angeles, California on July 9, 2011. It was later shown at the LGBT NewFest in New York, New York on July 23, 2011.[3] The film also opened the 30th annual Reeling Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.[4]
Home media
The film was distributed by Wolfe Video who released the film on DVD January 8, 2013.[3]
Reception
Critical response
The Wise Kids received a very positive response from critics and currently holds a 100% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[5]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and described its handling of the subject matter as "honest, observant, and subtle."[4] Robert Koehler of Variety called the performers "a brilliant cast of young actors" and said of the film, "Most impressively, this is an ensemble piece in which no boogeymen are permitted, everyone is observed in shades of gray, and the easy out of making fun of true believers is simply not in the cards."[6] Stephen Holden of The New York Times praised the film as "... a guileless exploration of the growing pains of sheltered innocents whose reticence and sincerity evoke 1950s small-town values" and added, "The performances all capture the perplexity of sexually repressed people who are trying to do the proper Christian thing while coping with unruly desires that they recognize as challenges to their way of life. In its unassuming way, this tiny, low-budget film is a universal reflection on issues of personal identity and choice for which there are no easy answers."[7]
Melissa Anderson of The Village Voice was slightly more critical, commenting, "The Wise Kids suffers from a theater workshop-y tendency to rest too long on pauses and silences to convey dramatic heft. But the blunder is ultimately overshadowed by Cone's excellent young actors, particularly Torem, burrowing deeply into her character's zealotry and anguish about being left behind."[8]
Accolades
The Wise Kids was selected as a Critics' Pick for The New York Times.[7] The film won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at NewFest and won the Jury Awards for Best Narrative Feature and Best Ensemble at the Out on Film film festival.[3] It also won the Grand Jury awards for Outstanding U.S. Screenwriting and Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature at the Outfest film festival.[9]
References
- ↑ "The Wise Kids". Kickstarter. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ Cohen, Susan (June 10, 2010). "Director returns to Charleston to film newest feature: Stephen Cone coming back to the Lowcountry". Charleston City Paper. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Smith, Nigel M. (July 31, 2012). "Wolfe Video Acquires DVD/VOD Rights to Outfest Winner 'The Wise Kids'". Indiewire. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ebert, Roger (October 26, 2011). "The Wise Kids". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ "The Wise Kids". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ Koehler, Robert (July 31, 2011). "Review: ‘The Wise Kids’". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Holden, Stephen (March 15, 2012). "Teenagers Perplexed About Faith and Sexuality: ‘The Wise Kids,’ a Coming-of-Age Story by Stephen Cone". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
- ↑ Anderson, Melissa (March 14, 2012). "The Wise Kids". The Village Voice. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ↑ Saperstein, Pat (July 17, 2011). "‘The Wise Kids,’ ‘Weekend’ top Outfest awards". Variety. Retrieved August 30, 2014.