Arthur Newman (film)
| Arthur Newman | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dante Ariola |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by | Becky Johnston |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Nick Urata |
| Cinematography | Eduard Grau |
| Edited by | Olivier Bugge Coutte |
Production company |
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| Distributed by | Cinedigm Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $500,000 [1] |
Arthur Newman (stylized as Arthur & Mike in the United Kingdom) is a 2013 American dramatic comedy film directed by Dante Ariola and starring Colin Firth and Emily Blunt. Written by Becky Johnston, the film is about a former professional golfer who fakes his own death and assumes a new identity in order to escape his life of failure. On his way to a new job in the Midwest, he is joined by a troubled young woman who is also trying to escape from her past. The film was released theatrically in the United States on April 26, 2013.
Plot
Former pro golfer Wallace Avery (Colin Firth) is struggling with boredom, depression, and a life from which he longs to escape. Trapped in an unfulfilling FedEx floor manager job in Florida, he finds little comfort in his failed first marriage or his current relationship with his girlfriend Mina (Anne Heche). He has even become estranged from his teenage son Kevin (Lucas Hedges) who has come to resent him. Driven to desperate measures, Wallace decides that he needs a new start and a new life.
Faking his own death by drowning on a deserted beach, he acquires a forged passport and a new identity—that of a golf pro named "Arthur Newman". Leaving Florida behind, "Arthur" heads out for Terre Haute, Indiana to start a new life and a new job as a resident golf pro at a club. Along the way, he meets a beautiful but troubled young thief. He takes her to the hospital after finding her slumped beside his motel swimming pool from a near-lethal dose of morphine-infused cough syrup. The young woman, Charlotte Fitzgerald (Emily Blunt), is also traveling under a false identity—that of her paranoid-schizophrenic twin sister, Michaela or "Mike"—and has fled her home in Durham, North Carolina.
Arthur and Mike become traveling companions and eventual lovers on their way to Indiana. Mike thinks up a game in which they spot interesting-looking couples, break into their homes, dress up in their clothes and pretend to be them. Meantime, Wallace's teenage son Kevin initiates an unlikely friendship with his father's former girlfriend Mina. Together they struggle to understand the man who skipped out of their lives.
Eventually, the role-playing games that Arthur and Mike have engaged in lose their appeal, revealing two hearts that have been hurt by life's challenges. Finally, they love each other as themselves. With that, the two are forced to take another look at themselves and the lives they've left behind. Arthur drives Mike to her hometown of Durham, so she can look after her schizophrenic twin sister. As he prepares to leave, he assures her that he knows where he can find her. Arthur then drives back to his hometown in Florida to reconnect with his son.
Cast
- Colin Firth as Arthur Newman/ Wallace Avery
- Emily Blunt as Michaela Fitzgerald/ Charlotte Fitzgerald
- Anne Heche as Mina Crawley
- Sterling Beaumon as Grant
- Autumn Dial as Charyl
- David Andrews as Fred Willoughby
- Nicole LaLiberte as Silverlake
- Sharon Conley as Unemployment Official
- Steve Coulter as Owen Hadley
- Peter Jurasik as Bus Driver
- Michael Beasley as Terre Haute Policeman
- Dean Chekvala as Silverlake/ Echo Park Hipster Artsy Bohemian Guy
- Lucas Hedges as Kevin Avery
- Anthony Reynolds as Park Ranger
- Lemuel Heida as Golf Cart Driver
- Phillip Troy Linger as Fuller Wells
- Jason Benjamin as Officer Clark
- James Patrick Freetly as Cart Rental Man 2
- Bonnie Johnson as Ticket Agent
- L. Warren Young as Sheriff johnson
- Devon Woods as Janie
- Jack Landry as Doctor
- Gray Hawks as Diving Dad
- Tammy Arnold as Nurse
- Matthew Warzel as Motel Clerk
- Randy Grazio as ER Doctor
- Holden Hansen as Dying Man
- Ron Prather as Terre Haute Detective
- Natalia Volkodaeva as Ludmila Hadley
Production
Filming took place in North Carolina including Raleigh, Durham, Graham, Wilmington, and Fairmont in 2011.[2][3]
Reception
The film has gained mixed to negative reviews, as it currently holds a 41 out of 100 at Metacritic.com based on 22 reviews.[4] At Rotten Tomatoes, the film was given a 22% on the tomatometer based on 45 reviews.[5]
References
- ↑ "Arthur Newman". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ↑ "'Arthur Newman' Trailer, Poster, Release Date Revealed". Outer Banks Entertainment. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ↑ Dukes, Brian (May 6, 2013). "Fairmont on the big screen with the release of 'Arthur Newman'". Fay Observer. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ↑ "Arthur Newman Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Critic Reviews for Arthur Newman". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved April 27, 2013.