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Janie Jones (film)

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For the Clash song, see Janie Jones (song).
Janie Jones
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid M. Rosenthal
Written byDavid M. Rosenthal
Produced byEric Bassett
Keith Kjarval
Starring
CinematographyAnastas N. Michos
Edited byAlan Heim
Music byEef Barzelay
Production
company
Unified Pictures/Industrial Entertainment
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 17, 2010 (2010-09-17) (TIFF)
  • October 28, 2011 (2011-10-28) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$6,840[1]

Janie Jones is a 2010 American drama film written and directed by David M. Rosenthal. It stars Abigail Breslin as the title character, as well as Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue, Brittany Snow, and Peter Stormare. The story is about a fading, alcoholic rock star meeting his daughter for the first time after being left by her drugged-up mother, and the growing relationship they have while on tour. Rosenthal based the film's storyline on his real-life meeting with his own daughter.

The film makes extensive use of original music created by Gemma Hayes and Eef Barzelay, and is performed by Breslin and Nivola. It was shot in Des Moines in September 2009. It premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 2010, got picked up by Tribeca Film to show at their festival on April 29, 2011, and was given a limited release on October 28. Janie Jones received mixed reviews from critics who gave praise to the two main leads, but found Rosenthal's storytelling and direction lacking in terms of originality and tonal pacing.

Plot

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A 13-year-old girl is abandoned by her meth-addicted former-groupie mother, after she informs Ethan Brand, an alcoholic, on-the-road, fading rock star, that Janie is his daughter, and he is not happy about it.

Cast

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Production

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David M. Rosenthal was inspired to make Janie Jones based on the experience he had meeting his daughter for the first time when she was eleven and he was thirty.[2] Abigail Breslin got the script while filming Zombieland, and was interested in the story and its title character. Adding that, the musical aspect was initially "nerve-wracking" when it came to professionally singing and playing guitar, but soon came to like it.[3][4] Alessandro Nivola was given the script after shooting Coco Before Chanel in France for four months, and found it a great departure from the previous film he worked on due to the music grabbing his interest.[5] Filming began in September 2009 at Des Moines, Iowa.[6][7]

Soundtrack

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Janie Jones - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedOctober 11, 2011 (2011-10-11)
Length32:31
LabelNettwerk

The film's soundtrack was released on October 11, 2011[8] featuring songs written by Irish singer-songwriter Gemma Hayes and Israeli-born American Eef Barzelay. The songs on the album are performed by Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola, Patrick Watson, William Fitzsimmons and Gemma Hayes.

No.TitleArtistLength
1."Hurricane"Abigail Breslin3:08
2."Find Love"Abigail Breslin and Alessandro Nivola2:35
3."Fight for Me"Abigail Breslin3:17
4."Just a Game"Abigail Breslin2:32
5."The Great Escape"Patrick Watson3:07
6."Please"Alessandro Nivola2:28
7."Never Done"Alessandro Nivola4:09
8."All at Once"Alessandro Nivola2:35
9."Even Now"William Fitzsimmons2:53
10."Waiting for You"Gemma Hayes3:16
11."House of the Rising Sun"Abigail Breslin2:31

Release

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Janie Jones premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 2010.[9] It was acquired by Tribeca Film after its premiere at TIFF and was screened at their festival on April 29, 2011.[10][11] It was originally given a Summer 2011 theatrical release, as well as on video-on-demand and other platforms, but had a free screening on October 11 and was given a limited release on October 28.[10][12][13] During its weekly run, the film grossed $3,297 from two theatres, averaging $1,648 per theater, and ranking number 103 at the box office. It garnered a total gross of $6,480 after 10 weeks of release, with a widest release of two theatres.[1] The film was released on DVD on January 31, 2012.[14]

Reception

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Janie Jones garnered mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 56% of 32 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10.[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 52 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[16]

Noel Murray of The A.V. Club gave the film a B− grade. Despite the tonal dissonance in Rosenthal's direction of his own script, he called it "one of the more realistic depictions of what the rock 'n' roll lifestyle is really like", adding that the songs written by both Barzelay and Hayes make the concert scenes "look and sound like actual alt-rock shows."[17] Eric Kohn of IndieWire commended Rosenthal for being able to sidestep formulaic contrivances with filmmaker's restraint and trusting his two main leads to give their characters subtly, saying that "[A]lthough not exemplary, Janie Jones at least manages to give its tired scenario a sense of legitimacy."[18] Kenji Fujishima of Slant Magazine said that viewers will be able to get through the film's "panoply of clichés" and "defiantly generic, low-stakes terms" because of Nivola and Breslin's respective character portrayals, concluding that "even if Rosenthal's film is almost astoundingly unambitious, at least it's generous and warmhearted enough to be reasonably inoffensive. Oh, and the songs aren't too bad, either: bland but pleasant, much like the film itself."[19]

Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that: "The film's original songs are low key, the storytelling lacks any kind of vivid insights into life on the road that have not been seen before and the outcome is signposted clearly. The production is more a promise of what the filmmaker and performers might have to offer in the future that anything likely to make a mark with audiences."[20] Tom Russo of The Boston Globe felt that Rosenthal's filmmaking didn't deliver any "sharply defined" scenes close to the opener and caused some "distractingly erratic" characterizations for his two leads due to tonal pacing, concluding that the film "would feel more assured if Rosenthal had shown more inclination to commit."[21]

Breslin and Nivola both received praise for their performances. The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday called them "a terrific mismatched pair" that can "harmonize not only figuratively but literally."[22] Ian Buckwalter of NPR felt that the focus shift to its two main leads in the second half improves the film slightly, saying that "Breslin remains as charismatic and instantly likable as she was in her Oscar-nominated role in Little Miss Sunshine, and the often under-the-radar Nivola shows the makings of a star." He added that the film carries a "lightweight sweetness" due to the chemistry between them.[23] Bennett commended Nivola for having "the grizzled charm and arrogance of a rock star" but said the film's appeal rests on Breslin who displays "spirit and singing ability" in her role, saying that she gets "a sturdy peg for her ongoing growth as a film actor. While it's not likely to be a highlight in her career, it's no shame either."[20] Russo also praised both actors' performances, saying that Nivola does "a convincingly edgy downward spiral" done by his character and Breslin portrays the title role like "a kid believably rolling with adults' bad behavior because she doesn't know how else to respond."[21]

In a review for the Los Angeles Times, Robert Abele said that Nivola "does a serviceable job conveying a certain kind of brittle, hotheaded flameout with remnants of musical soulfulness worth reviving" but felt that Breslin wasn't given much opposite him in a role that "should feel like more of a title character than a programmatic catalyst for his redemptive change."[24]

Frances Fisher was nominated for Best Supporting Actress by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films for her work in the film, but ultimately lost to Lesley Manville for Another Year.[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Janie Jones". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "Austin Calling". Interview. April 29, 2011. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Radish, Christina (October 29, 2011). "Abigail Breslin Talks Janie Jones, New Year's Eve, Animated Zambezia, and Other Upcoming Projects". Collider. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  4. ^ Terrill, Ashley (October 28, 2011). "Abigail Breslin on her New Band & "Janie Jones"". Elle. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Radish, Christina (November 1, 2011). "Alessandro Nivola Talks Janie Jones and Redemption". Collider. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Carroll, Larry (August 13, 2009). "Abigail Breslin To Star In 'Janie Jones'". MTV. Archived from the original on August 15, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Ahmad, Sophie (September 8, 2009). "Big movie buzz: Abigail Breslin, Mira Sorvino/Peter Fonda movies filming in Des Moines". The Des Moines Register. Gannett. Archived from the original on December 1, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  8. ^ "Janie Jones (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Various Artists". ITunes (U.S.). Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  9. ^ "2010 Films - Janie Jones". TIFF. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  10. ^ a b Knegt, Peter (February 10, 2011). "Tribeca Film Likes "Janie Jones"". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  11. ^ "Download Free Janie Jones Single". Tribeca Film. April 29, 2011. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  12. ^ "Free Screening of Janie Jones". Tribeca Film. October 7, 2011. Archived from the original on January 21, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  13. ^ Brooks, Brian (October 28, 2011). "Video: Oscar Nominee Abigail Belts Out Her Singing Prowess at "Janie Jones" Premiere (Watch Now)". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  14. ^ "Janie Jones DVD Release Date January 31, 2012". DVDs Release Dates. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  15. ^ "Janie Jones". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 28, 2020. Edit this at Wikidata
  16. ^ "Janie Jones". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
  17. ^ Murray, Noel (November 27, 2011). "Review: Janie Jones". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  18. ^ Kohn, Eric (October 27, 2011). "REVIEW | "Janie Jones" Is a Familiar Father-Daughter Drama With Rock, But What's Wrong With That?". IndieWire. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  19. ^ Fujishima, Kenji (April 21, 2011). "Review: Janie Jones". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Bennett, Ray (October 18, 2011). "Janie Jones: Movie Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Russo, Tom (November 11, 2011). "Janie Jones movie review". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  22. ^ Hornaday, Ann (November 4, 2011). "A rock-and-roll family reunion". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 12, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  23. ^ Buckwalter, Ian (October 27, 2011). "'Janie Jones': Family Harmony Takes Practice". NPR. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  24. ^ Abele, Robert (November 4, 2011). "Movie review: 'Janie Jones'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  25. ^ "2012, 18th Annual Awards". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
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