Mark Ruffalo's Directorial Debut Opens Today
So maybe "Fast Five" isn't your thing--you could do worse than check out "Sympathy for Delicious," which is pretty much the antithesis of a high-octane, big summer blockbuster. The small indie drama marks the film directorial debut of Mark Ruffalo, who was kind enough to talk to us in this cover story from last week. The film tells the tale of a paralyzed DJ (played by Christopher Thornton, who wrote the script) who finds he has the power to heal others--just not himself. Ruffalo also appears as a empathetic (and, since he's Ruffalo, unintentionally sexy) priest.
The story behind the film is almost as dramatic as what you see on screen. Ruffalo and Thornton spent 10 years getting the movie made. At times, people offered to finance the film if Ruffalo cast a "name" actor in the lead. But Ruffalo stood by his friend, who was paralyzed in a fall while rock climbing, almost 20 years ago. Even when the film was completed and screened at Sundance, the drama didn't end. At first, horrible reviews came out savaging the picture, before other critics lept to its defense.
The film opens today in NY and L.A.; check here for more info. It expands to Washington D.C. on May 5, and hopefully some other cities after that. It's a film that deserves to be seen.
--Jenelle Riley
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