Audience, Withoutabox

pat555


Film Description:
Blog View    |     Add or Edit Blogs

Film Production Blog "divergence"

DIVERGENCE gets great review in VARIETY Jul 26, 2007 10:27PM
Please check out our review in VARIETY. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117...goryid=31&cs=1 www.divergencethefilm.com www.myspace.com/divergencethefilm Official Selection: Rhode Island International Film Festival Avignon Film Festival 2007 The Method Fest (Nominated for Best Actor and Actress) GI Film Festival (Best Narrative Feature) New Jersey International Film Festival (Honorable Mention) The Staten Island Film Festival (Best Narrative Feature) The Long Island International Film Expo (Best Feature Film) Waterfront Film Festival The Flint Film Festival Swansea Bay Film Festiva
Rhode Island International Film Festival Jul 05, 2007 02:47PM
DIVERGENCE to screen at the 2007 Rhode Island International Film Festival.
Honoroble Mention Jul 05, 2007 02:46PM
DIVERGENCE gets Honorable Mention at the New Jersey International Film Festival.
DIVERGENCE wins Best Narrative Feature at Staten Island Film Festival Jul 05, 2007 02:45PM
DIVERGENCE wins Best Narrative Feature at Staten Island Film Festival. http://www.sifilmfestival.org/index.php
24th Avignon Film Festival Jun 05, 2007 08:38AM
DIVERGENCE is one of only six American films to be invited to the prestigious Avignon Film Festival. http://www.avignonfilmfest.com/index.html We will screen on Friday June 22, 2007 at 8pm.
DIVERGENCE WINS AT 1ST ANNUAL GI FILM FESTIVAL May 29, 2007 02:35PM
DIVERGENCE won BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE at the GI Film Festival over the memorial day weekend in Washingtion DC. http://www.gifilmfestival.com/home.html
Waterfront Film Festival May 12, 2007 08:52AM
DIVERGENCE will screen at the Waterfront Film Festival. It takes place in Saugatuck Michigan from June 7-10th 2007 http://www.waterfrontfilm.org/ In what has quickly become a tradition, the idyllic resort village of Saugatuck, Michigan comes alive each June with filmgoers, actors, producers and directors sharing the excitement as outstanding independent films from all over the United States are screened in casual, intimate settings. Entertainment professionals from Los Angeles, New York and Michigan created the Waterfront Film Festival in 1999 to provide a "middle coast" venue for independent filmmakers eager to show their work to sophisticated audiences. The festival has succeeded with growing support and recognition each year, and enthusiastic reviews from attendees. We invite you to participate! Our festival is a fully volunteer run non-profit organization. All donations and proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales go directly to the operational budget of the festival. All donations are fully tax deductible and allow us to continue the tradition of the festival and to bring quality films and filmmakers to Michigan. We thank all sponsors and attendees for their support!
Staten Island Film Festival Apr 19, 2007 01:33PM
DIVERGENCE to screen on Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 6pm. Tickets available at: www.ticketweb.com or at the door. Welcome to SIFF 07 As Staten Island is rich in its community and culture, the second annual film festival will strive to promote the community's performing arts and entertainment sector by showcasing an array of independent films that will reflect the broad diversity and interests of the people of Staten Island. The Staten Island Film Festival succeeded in its first year by introducing independent and international films to film lovers across the Island and outside the borough, and its endeavor is to grow for many years to come. For more information about partnering or sponsorship for the second annual Staten Island Film Festival, please contact Jeannine Marotta. Jeannine Marotta, Festival Director email: jmarotta@sifilmfestival.org phone: 718-477-1400 x 15 Contact Info: address: 900 South Avenue, Suite 402 Staten Island, NY 10314 email: info@sifilmfestival.org phone: 718.477.1400
New Jersey International Film Festival Apr 19, 2007 01:30PM
DIVERGENCE to screen at the New Jersey International Film Festival on June 8th 2007 at 7pm. The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center Home of the New Jersey Film Festivals and the United States Super 8 Film and Digital Video Festival Celebrating our 25th Anniversary! New Jersey has only one media arts center programming year-round -- offering over 100 annual film screenings and events: The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center. Founded in 1982, the Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC draws thousands of viewers from throughout New Jersey by providing an alternative media culture. The Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC is dedicated to the noncommercial exhibition of independent, classic, international, and experimental films and videos. Not only do our audiences have the opportunity to view many independently produced films, but also the added benefit of meeting with the filmmakers. Some of our guests have included: Todd Solondz, Veronica Burstein, Jem Cohen, Peter Sillen, Jason Rosette, Susan Muska, Greta Olafsdottir, Sarah Jacobson, Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker-Powell, Paul Morrissey, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Tim Kirkman, Joseph Dorman, Ted Sod, Heather McDonald, Mark Rappaport, Sara Driver, Jim McKay, Su Friedrich, Menachem Daum, Ken Smith, Aviva Kempner, David Riker, John Hulme, Charles Creasy, Tony Leahy, Jeff Cline, Diane Bonder, Sarah Karloff, and Michel Negroponte, Vlas and Charley Parlapanides, Ethan Falk, David Rick Balcorta, Roger Weisberg, Daina Krumins, Jenny Stein, James LaVeck, D.R. Hernandez, Matthew Garrett, Thomas Franklin, Thierry Daher, Carolyn Travis, Yasuki Nakajima, Aileen Bordman, Sanjiban Sellew, Susan Ingraham, Martha Rosler, Mark Berger, Raphael Ortiz, and Maureen Gosling. Please help us continue our cultural mission by joining us as a friend-member.
DIVERGENCE to screen at the GI Film Festival in Washingtion DC. Apr 18, 2007 09:16AM
**** EVENT 11 **** $12.00 All events below are included in ticket price Sunday, May 27 2007 11:45am Washington DC Premier! NARRATIVE FEATURE Divergence Featuring Q&A with Writer/Director Patrick Donnelly and producer Meg Sudik. A wounded soldier returns from Iraq. The GI Film Festival (GIFF) is the first film festival in the nation to exclusively celebrate the successes and sacrifices of the American military through the medium of film. The three-day festival will be held on May 26-28, 2007 , Memorial Day Weekend, in Washington , DC , at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center . The GIFF will present films from new and established international and domestic filmmakers that honor the heroic stories of the American Armed Forces and the worldwide struggle for freedom and liberty. Some of the films screened will be fan favorites. Others will be screened for the first time. All will in some way express the courage and selflessness of our fighting men and women and the value of their work. The GI Film Festival is open to filmmakers of every experience level, from first-timers to veteran directors and producers. Prizes will be awarded to winners of three main categories: feature, documentary, and film shorts
The Best Review yet!!! From Movie Freak!!! Apr 11, 2007 05:36PM
DIVERGENCE - MOVIE REVIEW MOVIE REVIEW: “DIVERGENCE” A 21st CENTURY “COMING HOME” ; ONE OF THE BEST POST 9/11 FILMS TO DATE The war drama has been around as long as man has been fighting man – or so it seems at least on the silver screen. Each war has its definitive cinematic portrayal about the aftermath and homecoming of its combatants, forever changed by his or her experiences on the battlefield and the constant tug of consciousness of accepting the term of hero or patriot; or not. The latest endeavor by newcomer filmmaker Patrick J. Donnelly, “ DIVERGENCE”, combines many of the elements of its subgenre – the wounded vet retuning to his hometown much for the worse trying to fit back into the groove of society while attempting to process the aftershocks of his experience while trying to find a reason for it all – in this Iraq War drama about Tim Lawson (Jakob Hawkins), a chopper pilot who has sustained a leg injury causing him to return stateside to heal until his preliminary check-up to ascertain if he is suitable to return to the warfront. Tim is a mild-mannered, quiet and deeply in pain young man whose return to his NJ Shore hamlet finds himself reunited with his best friend Dave (Ben Hindell), a self-employed contractor and his attorney girlfriend Jill (Jeannine Kaspar), who help him find a realtor to rent a bungalow until his scheduled physical. Heidi (Marci Adilman), the realtor finds Tim an affordable temporary home and recognizes him immediately as former high school alum she secretly was in love with. Heidi’s somewhat aggressive yet well-meaning free spirit is a bit of a comfort to the wary Tim and they have a half-hearted fling. Tim’s next-door neighbor, Clare O’Neil (the ethereal Traci Ann Wolfe), meanwhile, is holed up in her seaside cottage for nearly a year after the traumatic tragedy of a lethal car crash that claimed her loving husband and their four-year old daughter. Clare is inconsolable in spite of the prodding of her mother Constance (Mary Looram) and her brother Chris (Daniel Harnett) to move on and at the very least entertain the thought of a memorial service. Clare is damaged goods who is in a consistent depressive state fueled by prescription pills and vodka to the point of a near nervous breakdown. One night Clare’s grief has hit its limit to the degree of her stupored state involving a loud primal scream awakening Tim to investigate in time to see his mysterious neighbor walking directly into the pounding surf. Quickly racing to her in time, Tim saves her life and returns her to her house where she is immediately embarrassed and after a hasty goodnight Tim promises to return the next day to check up on her. Clare eventually realizes she has made a horrific mistake and apologizes to Tim when he pays his second visit, offering to fix her broken front door lock and gradually the two injured, lost souls seek solace in one another. Tim begins to let his guard down by actually feeling something in a long time: love. Clare thaws from her frozen inertia to welcome Tim as a lover and eventually a soul mate. But Tim’s forthcoming physical looms in the distance causing the couple to make a decision: leave the country to avoid Tim facing another tour of duty or for Tim to fulfill his obligation to the military. Donnelly, a veteran key grip and director of photography, makes a remarkable filmmaking debut in this low-budget indie as a labor of love (his wife Meg Sudik is the film’s executive producer) and wisely eschews the politics of the current state of war in the world but instead focuses on how two disparate yet equal people have found each other in a world gone mad. His cinematography is clear-eyed with the smart choice of using the barren yet beautiful shoreline act as a character as well – it eerily looks like the moon at night and serves as a metaphor for almost being a way-station (particularly in the sequence when the two tremulous new friends find themselves at night on a deserted beach bench sharing their life stories together). Donnelly’s editing with Robert Mead is economical yet clever with his fades to quick black and some sequences ending abruptly as the next begins but not in a hurried way at all. The dirge-like melancholic score by Ronen Landa suggests a mournful chamber music piece that underscores the protagonists’ situation beautifully. But the sublime acting by Hawkins (who resembles Peter Krause) – his haunted eyes speak volumes for the words he can barely articulate except the excruciating moment of re-uniting with his Alzheimer’s afflicted father in a nursing home of: “I just don’t want to do this anymore” in reference of returning to the war – and the beautiful Wolfe, who resembles Susan Sarandon and Charlize Theron, whose quiet demeanor only belies the terror under the surface of tying to start a new, fulfilling life again. The film as a whole works as a character study and has the feel of a novella come to life but it is perhaps the best post 9/11 film I’ve seen – including “UNITED 93” and “WORLD TRADE CENTER” – because it focuses on a real human element: the promise of love amidst immense tragedy. This may very well be the “COMING HOME” of its generation. Posted by c at
E-Insider review!!! Apr 09, 2007 04:54PM
United by Fate by Warren Curry reviewed: 2007-04-03 Two damaged souls meet fatefully and find comfort in each other in writer/director (and even cinematographer) Patrick J. Donnelly's robust drama "Divergence." Donnelly's script dances around structural formulas and digs deep into the psyches of his emotionally ravaged protagonists. The movie connects thanks to the filmmaker's enormous empathy for his complex characters. The film begins as Tim Lawson (Jakob Hawkins) returns to the Jersey shore from his duty as a soldier in Iraq. He's recovering from a leg injury, and also enduring the more daunting process of emotional healing. Withdrawn but not cut off, Tim stays with his one remaining hometown friend, Dave (Ben Hindell), and immediately sets out to establish a pattern of normalcy to his life. He tries in earnest to acquire work, and meets with a spunky realtor, Heidi (Marci Adilman), in search of housing he can rent temporarily before returning to the Middle East. She helps him find a modest beach cottage, which leads to a casual romance between them. Tim's neighbor is Clare (Traci Ann Wolf), a quite beautiful and even more tortured woman. A year after the incident, Clare continues to reel from the loss of her husband and daughter in a car accident, but unlike Tim, finds some solace in total isolation. Her mother and brother urge Claire to move on, but the woman is unable to grasp such a concept. A nearly tragic event on the beach brings Tim and Clare together. They sense a kindred spirit in the other, which triggers a relationship that grows in passion and, eventually, co-dependence. Clare, especially, views Tim as perhaps her last hope to regain happiness and attempts to convince the man a better life exists far away from their pasts. Tim, however, must deal with the reality that his redeployment to Iraq is imminent. Donnelly's script unfolds more like a short story than a traditional feature, setting up the characters and situations methodically. Possibly most surprising is that his two leads don't actually meet until nearly an hour into the movie. Tim and Clare's relationship, while not quite in the whirlwind category, feels developmentally shortchanged. Yet this speaks to the undeniable fact that their relationship is also one of convenience. Donnelly trusts his story enough to not fill the script with a series of histrionic scenes, and his dialogue rings true. Conversely, it's the characters' quiet moments of introspection that most deeply resonate. More affecting than Tim and Claire's bond are their individual internal battles, which must be predominantly waged alone. Visually, the director uses a lot of tight framing that makes the film feel a bit small in scope. Also serving as cinematographer, Donnelly shows a fondness for clean, concise images, but might have been better served expanding his compositions and not relying as much on the abundance of close-ups. Traci Ann Wolf and Jakob Hawkins wisely exercise restraint. In a supporting role, Ben Hindell lends confident work as Tim's upbeat buddy Dave. "Divergence" hits some bumps in the road, but overcomes them thanks to the sure touch of its director. Donnelly truly understands these fragile characters, a vital quality that usually compensates for other shortcomings, as it does here. This is a well conceived and executed feature debut. Warren Curry
4 Star FILMTHREAT REVIEW!!!!! Apr 06, 2007 10:06PM
DIVERGENCE by Eric Campos (2007-04-03) 2007, Un-rated, 116 minutes War is hell, even when you’re not out in the middle of it. Tim Lawson soon discovers this when an injury gets him shipped back home from fighting in the Iraqi War. Tim returns to his sleepy seaside resort hometown on the Jersey shore to heal up, but the looming possibility of being sent back into the fray, as well as his memories of the horrors of war, don’t make for the best R&R conditions. So Tim holes himself up in his little beach apartment, trying to keep the world at a distance, but it’s his neighbor’s suicidal behavior that draws him out of his shell. Tim lives next door to the terminally depressed Claire O’Neil who has suffered through some sort of unbearably traumatic loss, but is reluctant to say anything about it. Tim is drawn to this mysterious wounded woman and she finds comfort in the fact that he too has had to live through a hellish event. A relationship forms between the two, and suddenly there’s light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s the ongoing war that threatens to put a damper on their much deserved happiness. “Divergence” is a really slow cooker – sleepy and quiet just like the town it takes place in. What eventually winds up pulling you in are the performances from this tremendous cast, namely the two leads Traci Anne Wolfe as Claire and Jakob Hawkins as Tim. They’re absolutely awesome together and you can’t help but fall in love with them as they’re falling in love with each other – it’s like cinematic group sex with you being the awkward third wheel that ends up hanging back and watching the action, but that’s all fine because “Divergence” is a wonderful sight to behold. Filmmaker Patrick J. Donnelly, along with his cast and crew, brings us a story that finds people struggling to stay strong in their darkest hour, a story that many of us can relate to, especially in trying times such as these. Highly recommended.
Traci Ann Wolfe and Jakob Hawkins Nominated for Best Actress and Actor at Method Fest! Apr 06, 2007 10:04PM
Happy to annouce that Traci Ann Wolfe and Jakob Hawkins were nominated for Best Actress and Best Actor for The Method Fest 2007 for "Divergence". One of Jakobs fellow nominees is none other than Christopher Plummer for the film "Man in the Chair " !!! Here is the link: http://www.methodfest.com/07pages/films/awards.htm
2nd Review of "Divergence" Mar 27, 2007 04:08PM
Check out what writer Debbie Lynn Elias of the Santa Monica Observer had to say about the film at: http://www.moviesharkdeblore.com/html/divergence.html
First review of "Divergence" Mar 27, 2007 12:02PM
9TH ANNUAL METHOD FEST INDIE FILMS ARE LIKE A BOX OF CHOCOLATES By Richard Kaplan Director Patrick Donnelly succeeds in showing us the sensitive social conflict (divergence) effecting many Americans today in the wake of 9/11 and the ongoing war in Iraq. Traci Ann Wolfe truly delivers a remarkable performance as Clair O'Neil able to translate through her lines and visceral expressions the full depth of character bringing the role to life. Hawkins is able to hold up his end in his performance. As the film continues to evolve, Donnelly packs a punch with his script as Tim and Clair grapple with sobering issues. Like, emerging from adversity and returning to the spirit of embracing life and a solders duty of honor to himself and country. http://www.valleyscenemagazine.com/movies/
Staten Island Film Festival Mar 09, 2007 02:52PM
Very happy to annouce that DIVERGENCE has been accepted into the 2nd Annual Staten Island Film festival, to be held June 20-24 2007. Check out the fest at: http://www.sifilmfestival.org/info.php
The Method Fest Independent Film Festival Feb 20, 2007 10:56AM
Divergence will have its world premiere at the 9th Annual Method Fest Independent Film Festival which will be held March 29- April 5th 2007 in Calabasas California. The screening will be on Tuesday April 3, 2007 at 9:15 PM at the Carlson Family Theater at Viewpoint School 23975 Park Sorrento Calabasas, CA 91302 Purchas Tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ or www.methodfest.com

Film Maker's Blog

Swansea Bay Film Festival Jan 30, 2007 09:25AM
We are happy to announce that "Divergence" has been accepted to the "Swansea Bay Film Festival" in south Wales, the United Kingdom. http://www.withoutabox.com/09images/0903/0903t_fest_dynamic_logos/5288_s.gif
         
Thu, October 4, 2007
Time Festival Event Venue  
10:00 pmEugene International Film FestivalDivergence Duplicate listingRegal Valley River Ctr. Stadium 15
10:00 pmEugene International Film FestivalDivergence Duplicate listingRegal Valley River Ctr. Stadium 15

Things pat555 said...

Divergence | posted 2007-05-29 14:37 |
Stars

A Relaxing Day | posted 2007-02-20 11:23 |
Stars

Looks like you have good actors and a fine script. Looking forward to seeing the whole film.

My Friends & Favorites

    2 Comments about pat555

    Scripteach
    Feb 25, 2007 08:10AM

    "We could trade war stories about the perils of shooting films on beaches!"

    Oh, I couldn't agree more! It seemed like such an easy and pleasant idea: two actors on a beach for a few days. Sun and fun, right?

    Oy! Issues from sound (planes, waves, planes, swimmers, planes) to finding bathrooms to hurricanes coming up the coast to nude sunbathers (yes, nude sunbathers!) plagued us. All funny now, but at the time, no mucho humorous!

    Scripteach
    Feb 20, 2007 01:31PM

    Hey, congratulations on getting into MethodFest! That's one I would have loved to gone to with my short, so I'm glad someone of worth is getting to go.

    Have fun!

    Leave a comment about pat555

    Welcome,
    Please login
    Forgot Password?
    Register for Free
    Recently Visited