Coming Soon: Hal
Hal Ashby made a string of remarkable classic films in the 70’s all of which have comedy throughout although they are not strictly classified as comedy films. Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Being There– all brilliant. And now a new document from Amy Scott uses rare archival materials, interviews, personal letters, and audio recordings to reveal a passionate, obsessive artist who constantly clashed with Hollywood. His films were an elusive blend of honesty, irreverence, humor, and humanity.
On camera interviews with Oscar®-winning actors Lee Grant, Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Louis Gossett Jr, Jeff Bridges, and more recall how they were empowered by Ashby and granted collaborative freedom. Contemporary directors including Alexander Payne, Judd Apatow, Lisa Cholodenko, and David O. Russell attest to the quiet but powerful influence Ashby has had on their own filmmaking. Behind the camera colleagues Norman Jewison, Robert Towne, Haskell Wexler, and Pablo Ferro stand witness to Ashby’s brilliance as a filmmaker and the forces that led to his undoing.
In theaters September 7.
