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洗腦密令
The Manchurian Candidates
故事大綱
曾奉命參與波斯灣戰役的美軍少校班納特馬高（丹素華盛頓飾），多年來都發著同一個可怕的夢，剛好跟他光榮記憶截然不同。
現時馬高經常四處演講，向大家講述當年仍是上尉的他，如何率領小隊在波斯灣戰爭中執行任務，以及如何在科威特的沙漠遭到敵軍偷襲，而他麾下的一名士兵雷蒙梳爾中士（里夫舒韋伯飾），則英勇地獨力把敵人擊退，成功拯救了馬高及其他隊員，雷蒙因此獲頒代表軍人最高榮耀的國會榮譽勳章。
這種怪異的惡夢讓他不期然聯想，當年不幸陣亡的兩名同袍，是否真的喪生在戰火之下，抑或另有不可告人的原因？而雷蒙又會否真的是人人稱頌的戰爭英雄呢？ 另一方面，出身於政治家族的雷蒙在退役返國後，藉著他在戰場上立下的光榮戰功，成功當選紐約州參議員。 在作風強硬的母親兼是一位極具爭議性的國會議員伊蓮娜潘緹絲梳爾（梅麗史翠普飾）的推波助瀾之下，雷蒙在美國總統大選更一舉成為在野黨的副總統候選人。
馬高在一次偶然的機會下重遇一位昔日戰友，他獲悉對方原來也與他經歷同一個處境，經常失眠並會做同一個惡夢，這個巧合使馬高矢志要把謎底解開，他身陷險境深入追查，最終竟讓他揭發了一個跨國大集團，欲透過高科技控制別人思想，一如當年日本以傀儡皇帝統治滿州國般，扶植傀儡以實行操控世界局勢的驚天大陰謀……
製作花絮
重拍經典注新元素
本片的意念取材自1962年的同名經典電影《洗腦人》(The Manchurian Candidate)，而兩片都是根據李察康登（Richard Condon）撰寫的暢銷原著小說改編而成。62年上映的原裝版本由著名導演尊法蘭根凱瑪（John Frankenheimer）執導、荷李活不朽巨星法蘭仙納杜拉（Frank Sinatra）及《觸目驚心》經典女星珍納李（Janet Leigh）等主演，故事講述雷蒙梳爾因在韓戰中獨力拯救同袍而獲頒榮譽勳章，但由法蘭扮演的上司馬高在大戰後一直發惡夢，他開始懷疑當日雷蒙在戰場上的英勇行為是否屬實，他深入調查之下才發現原來事件背後隱藏一個政治陰謀。
其實曾主演舊版的法蘭，間接促成開拍本片，事緣91年其女兒天娜仙納杜拉（Tina Sinatra）曾問他重拍這故事的意見，當時他很贊成這構思，並認為能吸引更多觀眾，因此天娜其後取得了舊版的故事版權，而現在她則是本片的監製之一。本片與原裝版本有不少不同之處，好像女議員伊蓮娜的角色比以往複雜得多，舊版中她只是一個副總統候選人身旁的工於心計的妻子，但現在她已變成一個極具影響力的政治人物，同時也是一位竭力扶植兒子成為副總統的母親。
金像巨星迸發演技
本片除了由《沉默的羔羊》金像大導演尊尼芬狄米（Jonathan Demme）執導外，演員陣容也十分鼎盛，曾與尊尼芬合作過《費城故事》的金像影帝丹素華盛頓（Denzel Washington），看過劇本後立即答應演出，扮演美軍少校馬高。由於這個角色當年曾由法蘭仙納杜拉飾演，丹素曾細心考慮如何重新演繹，他說：「我選擇不看原裝版本，因此我對馬高這角色的構思，就完全屬於我自己。」
而曾紀錄性13度提名奧斯卡的梅麗史翠普（Meryl Streep），就飾演一位為了讓兒子走上成功之路而不惜任何代價的母親，她更憑片中的出色表現，獲英國電影及電視藝術學院頒獎禮及金球獎最佳女配角提名。而老牌影帝莊威（Jon Voight）的角色就是一位競選副總統失敗但務實努力的參議員。
尊尼芬也找來憑《美國天使》（Angels in America）榮獲金球獎及艾美獎迷你劇集最佳男配角的謝菲韋特（Jeffrey Wright），扮演令主角馬高重新回憶當年戰爭情景的重要角色馬榮。此外，他又請來入行超過50年、監製了300多部電影及電視作品的金牌監製羅渣哥文（Roger Corman），以及著名作家禾達摩斯利（Walter Mosley）粉墨登場，在片中飾演政界重量級人物。
故事主題發人深省
本片的一個中心主題是描述操控思想及記憶的概念，因此尊尼芬特別找來擔任紐約大腦行為中心總監的行為精神病學家Jay Lombard擔任本片顧問，專門探究自閉症與其他煩惱影響腦部行為的Lombard表示，現今在腦部及思想控制的研究有長足的進展，因此他在本片的主要工作是首先比對1962年的原裝版本，然後把當中過時的情節更新成今日的先進高科技。
其實現今已有研究人員嘗試把電極插入老鼠腦部，令牠們的行為像片中的雷蒙一樣被完全控制。Lombard認為本片令人吃驚之處是讓大家知道我們的腦部是很易接受外來的控制，我們的記憶薄弱而柔順，經常有虛幻彷彿的感覺。我們都經歷過質疑自己的記憶是否真實的時刻，而此片就讓大家意識到操縱腦部的可怕之處，事實上這種科技已經存在，只要有人運用不當，任何事情都會發生。
製作嚴謹一絲不苟
為了拍攝片中的重要戰爭場面，尊尼芬與其攝製隊對波斯灣戰爭做了很廣泛研究，並經常徵詢研究人員及軍事顧問的意見。而由於攝製隊不能在科威特取景，因此他們唯有特別建造一個人工沙漠，工作人員在兩星期內搬運了數以噸計的沙粒到拍攝場地，興建兩條道路，作為馬高當年與屬下遭敵軍攻擊的場景。美術人員姬絲蒂施（Kristi Zea）坦言拍攝片中的戰爭場面就像在一大片人造沙地中辛勞工作。
同時她也設計了主角馬高位於華盛頓的寓所，其中外貌用上一般模仿都鐸式的住宅大樓，室內設計則注入很多丹素的意念，原本姬絲蒂希望把馬高的房子佈置得光潔整齊及帶有一點軍事背景，然而丹素認為馬高的沉迷本性，再加上他處於精神崩潰的邊緣，會令他成為一個甚麼都收藏及雜亂無章的人，所以他建議細小而昏暗的房子內，應放滿書本及報章。
姬絲蒂在雷蒙競選副總統的情節上也花盡心思，她說：「我想建立一種氣氛，像30年代大蕭條時期，美國工程進度管理署（WPA）推出的海報一樣。我們的平面設計師特別想出一句競選口號『保障明天』，再配上模仿經典的『山姆大叔需要你』（Uncle Sam Wants You）海報的設計圖像，很有懷舊感覺。」
迫真場景增加氣勢
製作人員在波多馬克河一帶觀察由一班重量級政客擁有的豪宅，作為片中參議員伊蓮娜大宅的參考式樣，最終他們選中了建於1906年、位於紐約長島的豪華大宅，由於該大屋很符合電影需要，工作人員只須增加一些裝飾品及少許私人物品便足夠。製作人也在紐約多個地點取景，當中包括紐約公共科學圖書館、時代廣場及中央公園等著名景點，另外還有一個重要地點就是位於紐約植物園中的植物標本溫室，這間建於1902年的全國最大維多利亞式溫室，被用作雷蒙梳爾舉行籌款活動的重要場面的佈景。製作人又到參議員Barbara Boxer的辦公室參觀，藉此取得靈感設計片中梅麗與莊威扮演的參議員的辦公室，最終大家決定到著名的Yorkers市政廳取景，希望在這幢歷史悠久兼具古典裝飾風格的雄偉建築物中，捕捉古式的優雅感覺及議會的莊嚴氣氛。
設計戲服費盡心思
曾榮獲兩屆奧斯卡最佳服裝設計的資深服裝設計師阿爾拔禾斯基（Albert Wolsky），為本片的戲服花盡心思，他特別對參與波斯灣戰役的美國士兵穿著的軍服進行調查，並得到軍方幫助製造複製軍服。而在電影開拍前，阿爾拔就主角馬高日常生活的打扮徵詢丹素的意見，他們最終決定當馬高不用穿軍服時，會有一個特別造型，所以丹素在片中經常穿著一件帶有少許軍人味道的卡其色雨衣。阿爾拔又為曾6度合作的梅麗設計了一個比一般女政客更優雅及具格調的造型，明顯與那些因經常上鏡而以噴髮用品固定髮型的政治人物有所區別，而且由於梅麗的角色充滿貴族氣派，所以她穿著的是最高級的服裝，以及佩戴著名珠寶品牌Fred Leighton的名貴首飾。而里夫及莊威在片中穿著的西裝都是特別訂製。
創造夢境天馬行空
科威特的暴力回憶令馬高不斷在夢境中看見一連串恐怖的影像，而這些在馬高夢境中出現的畫面也是姬絲蒂最高興接受的挑戰，因為思想的世界既無法則也不真實，所以在設計上可以完全天馬行空，姬絲蒂在這方面與攝影師滕本特緊密合作，嘗試從超現實藝術及達達主義中得到啟發，創作出恐怖的幻景。而本片的美術人員兼電影學生占美祖羅殊（Jimmy Joe Roche）則負責繪畫馬高在馬榮寓所中看見的圖畫，這些畫與馬高夢境有著難以分割的關係。占美表示這些畫像的靈感，是從紐約街頭發現的廢紙張及一些民間藝術家的繪畫作品中得來，他不想創作正常的藝術作品，反而嘗試以另類方法設計一種令大家相信是出自瘋子手筆的藝術作品。攝影師滕本特又指導演尊尼芬想以馬高的妄想症去反映馬榮在圖畫中的妄想心態，他希望觀眾在視覺上感受到馬高的思想與馬榮的房間之間的關係，因此攝影手法差不多像紀錄片一樣，鏡頭會在畫面上四處探尋找尋。
演員簡介
丹素華盛頓（Denzel Washington）
1954年12月28日在紐約出生的丹素華盛頓，是荷李活影壇中少數獨當一面的黑人影星。他高中畢業後入讀福旦大學，並準備日後從事新聞工作，然而他演出過學校戲劇後，對演戲產生濃厚興趣，因而立志成為一位專業演員。丹素在70年代末開始參與電視演出，80年代全身投入電影事業，89年他終憑戰爭片《光榮》（Glory）奪得奧斯卡及金球獎最佳男配角，90年代丹素主演了多部賣座電影包括《費城故事》（Philadelphia）、《紅潮風暴》（Crimson Tide）、《生死豪情》（Courage Under Fire）、骨中罪（The Bone Collector）及《黑罪風雲》（The Hurricane）等，並曾兩度提名奧斯卡最佳男主角，直至01年他終憑《邊緣特訓》（Training Day）中的亦正亦邪角色榮登奧斯卡影帝寶座，成為史上第二位黑人金像影帝。丹素近年主演的作品還有《燃眉之急》（John Q）及《鑣火》（Man on Fire）等。
梅麗史翠普（Meryl Streep）
1949年6月22日在新澤西出生的梅麗史翠普，是不少影評人心目中當今影壇最偉大的女演員，她曾破紀錄十三次提名奧斯卡，並奪得最佳女主角及最佳女配角各一次。讀書時期已極喜愛演戲的梅麗，進入耶魯大學時選擇修讀戲劇系，70年代梅麗開始參與電視及電影演出，並瞬即憑78年電影《獵鹿者》首度提名奧斯卡最佳女配角，翌年即以《克藍瑪對克藍瑪》（Kramer vs. Kramer）首奪金像最佳女配角，其後再憑82年作品《蘇菲的抉擇》（Spohie's Choice）榮膺奧斯卡影后，風頭一時無兩。近年梅麗依然活躍於幕前演出，並分別憑《何必偏偏玩謝我》（Adaptation.）及《此時．此刻》（The Hours），榮獲金球獎最佳女配角及柏林影展最佳女主角（與同片兩位女星一起獲獎），她與阿爾柏仙奴（Al Pacino）合作的電視作品《美國天使》（Angels in America），更讓她連奪金球獎、美國演員公會大獎及艾美獎迷你劇集最佳女主角殊榮。梅麗其他作品還包括《麥迪遜之橋》（The Bridges of Madison County）及《弦動我心》（Music of the Heart）等。
里夫舒韋伯（Liev Schreiber）
現年37歲的里夫舒韋伯在加州三藩市出生，其父母在他小時候便離婚，他隨母親到紐約居住。92年里夫畢業於耶魯大學戲劇學院，之後便正式開展其演藝生涯，他為人熟識的作品包括《奪命狂呼》（Scream）系列、《隔世俏佳人》（Kate & Leopold）、與丹素合作的《黑罪風雲》（The Hurricane）及《驚天核網》（The Sum of All Fear）等，里夫亦曾經憑電視作品《RKO281》中扮演奧遜威爾斯（Orson Welles）的演出，獲金球獎及艾美獎電視電影最佳男主角提名。
莊威（Jon Voight）
1938年12月29日在紐約出生的莊威，是入行接近40年的老戲骨，也是金像女星安芝蓮娜祖莉（Angelina Jolie）的父親。莊威在60年代進軍影壇，並瞬即憑69年的成名作《午夜牛郎》（Midnight Cowboy）入圍奧斯卡及金球獎最佳男主角提名，奠定影壇地位，其後他終憑79年電影《榮歸》（Coming Home）榮膺奧斯卡、金球獎及康城影帝，藉此攀上事業高峰，而85年電影《暴走列車》（Runaway Train）再讓他摘下金球獎劇情組最佳男主角殊榮及提名奧斯卡影帝。近年莊威參與過不少大製作，包括《盜火線》（Heat）、《職業特工隊》（Mission: Impossible）、與女兒安芝蓮娜合作的《盜墓者羅拉》（Lara Croft: Tomb Raider）、《拳王阿里》（Ali）及去年賣座電影《驚天奪寶》（National Treasure）等。
導演簡介
尊尼芬狄米（Jonathan Demme）
1944年2 月22日在紐約長島出生的尊尼芬狄米，在入行前曾做過影評人及公關，70年代開始他正式參與電影製作，至今已30多年，除了擔任導演外，尊尼芬同時也是編劇及監製，可算多才多藝。74年開始執導的他，多年來已執導了20多部電影及電視作品。當中最讓觀眾難忘的作品相信非經典驚慄電影《沉默的羔羊》（The Silence of the Lambs），尊尼芬當年憑此片勇奪奧斯卡最佳導演及柏林影展最佳導演銀熊獎，電影還摘下奧斯卡最佳電影及最佳男、女主角等殊榮。
而由著名娛樂雜誌《Entertainment Weekly》舉辦的史上最偉大導演選舉，尊尼芬也榜上有名，位列45位。他其餘執導的作品還有《費城故事》（Philadelphia）及《追魂歲月》（Beloved）等。
| 演員： | 丹素華盛頓 （Denzel Washington） |
《鑣火》（Man on Fire） 《邊緣特訓》（Training Day） 《黑罪風雲》（The Hurricane） 《紅潮風暴》（Crimson Tide） 《光榮》（Glory） |
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| 梅麗史翠普 （Meryl Streep） |
《此時．此刻》（The Hours） 《何必偏偏玩謝我》（Adaptation.） 《麥迪遜之橋》（The Bridges of Madison County） 《蘇菲的抉擇》（Spohie's Choice） 《克藍瑪對克藍瑪》（Kramer vs. Kramer） |
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| 里夫舒韋伯 （Liev Schreiber） |
《驚天核網》（The Sum of All Fear） 《隔世俏佳人》（Kate & Leopold） 《黑罪風雲》（The Hurricane） 《奪命狂呼》（Scream） |
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| 莊威 （Jon Voight） |
《驚天奪寶》（National Treasure） 《拳王阿里》（Ali） 《盜墓者羅拉》（Lara Croft: Tomb Raider） 《職業特工隊》（Mission: Impossible） 《榮歸》（Coming Home） |
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| 導演： | 尊尼芬狄米 （Jonathan Demme） |
《追魂歲月》（Beloved） 《費城故事》（Philadelphia） 《沉默的羔羊》（The Silence of the Lambs） |
| 上映日期： | 3月10日 | |
| 發行﹕ | 泛亞影業有限公司 聯合國際影片公司 |
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| 片長： | 131分鐘 | |
| 級別： | II B | |
| 院線： | 嘉禾港威、嘉禾荷里活、U A沙田、數碼港百老匯、嘉湖銀座百老匯、葵芳百老匯、荃灣百老匯及A M C又一城 |
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
Production Information
"We can't clean up the world with dirty hands."
Congressman Raymond Shaw
Academy AwardR winners Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep, along with Golden Globe and Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber, mesmerize a whole new generation of audiences in Academy AwardR winner Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate." As the entire nation watches the presidential campaign hurtle towards Election Day, one soldier races to uncover the conspiracy behind it - a conspiracy that seeks to destroy democracy itself.
U.S. Army Major Bennett Marco (Washington) can't sleep at night … and he doesn't want to. Marco spends his days giving inspiring speeches about his platoon's ambush in the Kuwaiti desert and the heroics of Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Schreiber), who won the Medal of Honor for saving Marco's crew. But at night, Marco's dreamlike memories of the desert turn sinister and terrifying. And Marco privately wonders whether the two soldiers who died in the firefight might have met darker fates than officially recorded - and whether Shaw might not be the glorious hero that everyone thinks he is.
When Shaw takes the national stage as a surefire candidate for vice president - under the thumb of his controversial mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Streep) - Marco is forced to act on his growing suspicions. With military officials questioning his sanity, and the net of security tightening around Shaw, Marco races to probe deeper into the unimaginable, shocking truth before the White House is won.
Paramount Pictures presents a Scott Rudin/Tina Sinatra Production, in association with Clinica Estetico, a Jonathan Demme Picture, "The Manchurian Candidate." Directed by Jonathan Demme, the film stars Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber. The screenplay is by Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris and is based upon a novel by Richard Condon and George Axelrod's screenplay for the 1962 film "The Manchurian Candidate," directed by John Frankenheimer. Produced by Tina Sinatra, Scott Rudin, Jonathan Demme and Ilona Herzberg, and executive-produced by Scott Aversano, the film also stars Jon Voight, Kimberly Elise, Jeffrey Wright, Ted Levine, Bruno Ganz, Simon McBurney and Vera Farmiga. Tak Fujimoto, ASC, is the director of photography, Kristi Zea is the production designer, Carol Littleton, A.C.E., and Craig McKay, A.C.E., serve as the film's editors and Albert Wolsky is the costume designer. The music is by Rachel Portman, featuring Wyclef Jean.
Paramount Pictures is part of the entertainment operations of Viacom Inc., one of the world's largest entertainment and media companies and a leader in the production, promotion and distribution of entertainment, news, sports and music.
This film has been rated "R" for violence and some language.
SYNOPSIS
Kuwait, 1991. U.S. Army Captain Bennett Marco (Washington) discusses a reconnaissance plan with his British guide, Laurent Tokar (Robyn Hitchcock). He tells Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Schreiber) to tell the platoon that it's time to move out. Shaw interrupts a card game among the men, who laugh after he leaves at his aloof awkwardness.
As Marco and Shaw ride in a Hummer along the Kuwait "Highway of Death," the platoon is ambushed by enemy forces, which attack the Bradley carrying most of the men. As the men scramble for cover, Marco yells to Shaw to send up a flare. Shaw is paralyzed by indecision as Marco jumps out of the Hummer, only to be knocked unconscious.
A voice brings Marco back to the present, and we realize that he is recounting these events to a group of young Boy Scouts. Now promoted to the rank of Major, he talks to them about Shaw's subsequent heroics, fighting off the attack single-handedly and winning the Medal of Honor for saving the men.
After the Boy Scout assembly comes to a close, Marco is approached by a disheveled man introducing himself as Corporal Al Melvin (Jeffrey Wright), another member of the platoon. Melvin tells Marco about strange dreams that he's been having. Marco says that he doesn't have the kind of dreams that Melvin is describing, and suggests that Melvin should see a doctor.
Marco stops by the grocery store to pick up some No-Doz, which he takes as soon as he enters his cluttered apartment. Clippings on the wall reflect a long obsession with the career of Raymond Shaw, who is now a congressman from the State of New York.
Later that night, Marco listens to coverage of the national convention, where Senator Thomas Jordan (Voight), is speaking as the assumed candidate for the vice- presidential nomination. In a hotel room, Shaw watches the same speech. His mother, Senator Eleanor "Ellie" Prentiss Shaw (Streep), enters and slyly encourages Shaw to pursue the vice-presidential nomination himself, despite Shaw's protestations that she not get involved.
Shaw makes his speech before the convention as Ellie watches backstage. When he finishes, Ellie meets with a group of party operatives, convincing them that Jordan doesn't have the necessary pull to bring in the votes needed to help the current presidential candidate Robert Arthur (Tom Stechschulte) win the race. Her solution? Her son, the young, vibrant war hero Raymond Shaw.
Back in his apartment, Marco watches intently as Raymond's surprise ascent to the vice-presidential nomination is announced. As he stares at the television coverage, he is slammed with a terrifying nightmare of the platoon, back in Kuwait. In stark contrast to the events he described to the Boy Scouts, these inexplicable visions are of his men wired to strange contraptions and speaking on television monitors. Women covered in henna and a white-cloaked scientist, Atticus Noyle (Simon McBurney), appear, and he even sees himself, reflected in a mirror - holding a gun.
He wakes up in his apartment as the news announces that Raymond's nomination for vice president is official.
At a political fundraiser, Marco leads two generals through the crowd, stopping short when he sees Raymond confidently shaking hands. Meanwhile, Raymond is distracted by the sight of Jocelyn Jordan (Vera Farmiga), entering the fundraiser with her father, Senator Thomas Jordan. Ellie steps in to lead Raymond away from his public, introducing him to executives from Manchurian Global - David Donovan (Jude Ciccolella), J.B. Johnston (John Bedford Lloyd) and Mark Whiting (Dean Stockwell). The men mention how proud Raymond's grandfather, their friend, would be of him - and how they are eager to be of service to him. Later, Marco sees Raymond walk past, and is puzzled to hear Raymond say that he wants to talk to Marco.
Raymond speaks to Jocelyn, telling her that he stills thinks about her and wonders whether there might have been a chance of a relationship. Jocelyn, surprised, tells Raymond that they were just kids, that people can't rewrite their lives. Hurt, Raymond coldly shrugs off Marco when he approaches him. Raymond's Secret Service agent steps in to prevent Marco from getting any closer.
The Pentagon. Marco is meeting with Army psychiatrist Colonel Howard (Ted Levine) and Colonel Garret (Miguel Ferrer). The men reject Marco's suggestion that a squad of U.S. Army soldiers was hypnotized into believing that Shaw deserved the Medal of Honor, based solely on his dreams and one meeting with Al Melvin. They order him to stay away from Shaw, and to resume taking his medication.
As Raymond debates the opposing candidate, Marco goes to visit Al Melvin in a decrepit Skid Row motel. Finding no answer, he starts calling other members of the platoon, only to learn that they, too, have mysteriously died.
Back in Raymond's hotel room, Ellie calls to congratulate him on his performance in the debates. Raymond takes another call, and the voice on the line triggers him into a hypnotic state. Instructed by the caller, he walks into an adjoining suite filled with a portable operating theater, guarded by men holding automatic rifles. He is greeted by Noyle, the same white-cloaked scientist from Marco's dreams, who asks, "Do you remember me?" Raymond does not.
Back at Melvin's apartment, Marco picks the lock and enters Melvin's apartment. He finds horrifying images of violence on the walls, along with obsessive recountings of the action in Kuwait that match Marco's memory exactly. Meanwhile, the scientist drills an implant deep into Raymond's brain, then asks him to recount the action once again. Melvin's writings and Raymond's speech are identical.
Marco travels to New York on the train. He hallucinates that Tokar is sitting in front of him, and then is surprised to see no one in the seat. A friendly face appears instead, as Rosie (Kimberly Elise) joins him, introducing herself as the clerk from Marco's local grocery store. She tells him that she is on vacation, and Marco replies that he is going to see a friend from the Army who's gone into politics.
Shocked by a vision of a bullet hole in Rosie's forehead, Marco excuses himself to go to the bathroom. As he closes the door, he sees Noyle. When he turns around, Noyle is gone. But as he looks back in the mirror, Noyle's image appears. Noyle asks again, "Do you remember me?"
In Penn Station, Rosie approaches Marco again, giving him her phone number and asking if he needs a place to freshen up before meeting his friend. Marco goes with her to her cousin's apartment. There, he takes a shower, discovering an odd bump underneath the skin on his shoulder. He steps out and takes a pocketknife, cutting into his flesh until he pulls out a tiny implant. When Rosie opens the door to make sure he is okay, he drops the implant down the sink.
Marco goes to visit his friend, rogue scientist Richard Delp (Bruno Ganz) to ask about the implant. Delp tells him that implant delusions are a symptom of paranoia, and suggests that he is suffering from the effects of his service in the Gulf. Marco confesses to Delp that he feels that he's been brainwashed somewhere along the way, that he can't reconcile his memories with his dreams. Delp reminds him that reality is subjective, that we've all been brainwashed one way or another.
At the Times Square Arthur-Shaw campaign headquarters, Marco pushes through a crowd of reporters to reach Raymond. Raymond invites him in, then scoffs at Marco's mention of dreams about what happened in Kuwait. When Marco insists that he's not crazy, Shaw invites him in for dinner.
Over dinner, Shaw opens up about his struggle to reject Ellie's control, but insists that Melvin's notebooks and Marco's suspicions are ungrounded. When Marco presses Shaw to come in for tests, Shaw tries to get him to leave. Marco attacks him, biting into his shoulder as Shaw's agents handcuff him and pull him away.
Ellie confronts Raymond about the incident over lunch the next day, refusing Raymond's suggestion that Ellie use her influence to help Marco.
Meanwhile, FBI agents question Marco about his role in the death of Al Melvin, who has been discovered at the bottom of the Potomac. Marco insists that he is innocent of any involvement, reaching the limit of his frustration and punching one of the agents.
Back at the restaurant, Ellie pulls out surveillance files on Marco, showing Raymond that Marco has a long history of aberrant behavior.
At the FBI office, Marco is released when the agents tell him that Senator Shaw's office has intervened on his behalf. Col. Howard tells him that he is relieved from duty, and refers him to a neurologist at Walter Reed Army Hospital for further help. In the bathroom of the FBI office, Marco pulls another implant - the one from Raymond's back - out of his mouth.
At Delp's lab, Marco shows Delp the implant. Delp wonders if it might be a GPS device. He tells Marco about an implant project done by Manchurian Global for the Army. Marco insists that Delp administer electro-shock therapy in an effort to get clarity and reverse the effects of whatever brainwashing he has suffered.
When the electro-shock begins, a flood of memories comes back to Marco - traveling to a desert island location, Raymond Shaw violently strangling a soldier at Noyle's command, Marco himself shooting another soldier, and Marco trying to escape before being knocked unconscious by the guards.
Marco wakes up on Rosie's lap in Central Park, then again in her cousin's apartment. His mind is clear. As he goes into Rosie's bathroom, he sees a red light blinking out of a wall vent. He searches Rosie's things, finding labeled surveillance tapes and files on his history. He grabs these and runs from the apartment.
At the public library, Marco plays back the surveillance tapes, using his own conversations with Rosie after the electro-shock to piece together what might have really happened. He follows the trail from Manchurian Global to Atticus Noyle.
Armed with his research, Marco travels back to Washington to meet with Senator Jordan. Jordan is skeptical about his theories, but believes him enough to take the evidence to Ellie. Raymond walks in as Jordan is confronting Ellie with the connections that Marco has made. After Jordan threatens to approach the press, Ellie throws him out. Raymond then confesses to Ellie that he's been having the same dreams that Marco describes. Desperate, Ellie triggers Raymond herself.
As Marco travels back to New York, Raymond visits Jordan at his home, surprising him as he takes his kayak out for the morning. Raymond pins Jordan under the kayak, drowning him. When Jocelyn tries to stop him, Raymond kills her as well. Back in New York, Marco sees the news report of their deaths.
At Ellie's mansion, the Manchurian Global executives chastise her for using Raymond as a hit man. Ellie reminds them that Jordan threatened to bring down everything that they had been working for.
Marco goes to Rosie's apartment, ambushing her in her sleep and demanding that she come clean about her involvement in the situation. Rosie tells him that she is a federal agent, assigned to track Marco and learn what he knows. Marco tells her what he has found out about Noyle and Manchurian Global, and asks for her help.
Election Day. Raymond goes to vote, and finds a note taped to the inside of the booth. When he comes out, Rosie leads him into a classroom where Marco is waiting. Raymond tells Marco that he doesn't remember anything about the Jordans' deaths, but realizes now that he might have been involved. Marco begs him to cooperate so that they can stay one step ahead of whatever is planned, but they are interrupted when Ellie calls - for Marco. As Raymond watches, Ellie triggers Marco.
Outside, in the hallway, Rosie is surprised to see Raymond leaving the classroom alone. She goes inside to find that Marco has disappeared.
At the hotel, preparations for the victory party are heating up. Raymond's Secret Service agent is in a small projection booth, screwing a vent back into the wall. He comes back into the hallway, reporting that the area is all clear.
Meanwhile, Rosie is in the hotel's security office, reviewing tapes of the entrance. She sees Marco coming into the hotel in full dress uniform.
At the Plaza Hotel, Ellie reviews the plan for the evening with Raymond, telling him that he is to stay on his mark so that Marco can have a clear shot at assassinating President Arthur, and that Marco will die after completing his mission. She then explains to Raymond that she did all of this for him, and for the country. Enchanted, they move closer to each other.
The results are in - Arthur and Shaw have won by a landslide. The winners move onto the stage victoriously as Marco readies his rifle in the projection booth. With Rosie desperately searching for Marco in the crowd, the celebrants on stage ecstatically accept the roar of the audience. Ellie is concerned that Raymond misses his mark, but he pulls her into a dance, looking at Marco up in the projection booth.
Rosie catches Raymond's look and sprints up to the rafters while Marco struggles against his commands, finally breaking through to fulfill Raymond's urgings - that Ellie and Raymond must die in order to bring the conspiracy to an end. Marco shoots Ellie and Raymond.
Rosie breaks into the booth as Marco lifts a gun to his own head. She shoots him before he can kill himself. Later, Rosie and Col. Howard look on as the security footage at the hotel entrance is altered to divert the blame from Marco to a Manchurian Global operative who had already died years earlier.
News reports cover the aftermath of the shootings, describing the mysterious deaths of Noyle and the arrest of Laurent Tokar. The Manchurian Global executives watch as the media reports fresh investigations into their involvement in the assassinations.
A desert island. Marco and Rosie walk through the ruins where he and his platoon were taken years before. Marco places Raymond's Medal of Honor and a photograph of the soldiers into the surf, watching as the items are washed out to sea.
ABOUT THE STORY
Based upon Richard Condon's best-selling classic novel, this mesmerizing story of mind control and abuse of political power is directed by Academy Award -winning director Jonathan Demme, who draws a star-studded cast, including two-time Academy Award winners Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber and an extraordinary roster of supporting actors.
After reading the script, Washington - at the top of the filmmakers' list to play the tormented Army Major Ben Marco - immediately agreed to star in the role played by Frank Sinatra in the 1962 film directed by John Frankenheimer.
"When playing a part that has already been created by another actor, the decision always arises as to whether or not seeing that interpretation would be valuable. I chose not to look at the original movie so that my ideas about Marco would be completely my own," says Washington. "This is a very interesting, complicated story, and my character is very complex. What Marco remembers about the ambush doesn't coincide with what he sees in his dreams and believes to be true. So he's very conflicted. He's been taught what to say, but that's not what he actually feels."
When another soldier approaches Marco with claims of nightmares similar to his own, he is not motivated to act on his suspicions, until Shaw unexpectedly runs for vice president. And there to thwart Marco as she manipulates her son into the White House is Shaw's unstoppable mother, Senator Eleanor Shaw, determined to see her son rise to power at any price. Portrayed by two-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, the formidable Senator Shaw is a woman willing to destroy anything standing in the way of what she wants.
"I just love the way Ellie Shaw is described in the screenplay - 'ageless with soft curves that conceal razor claws and a titanium backbone,'" says Streep, who has been nominated for 13 Oscars . "How could I possibly not relish portraying a juicy character like that?"
For the role of Raymond Shaw, Ellie's golden boy who becomes the titular "Manchurian Candidate," the filmmakers cast Liev Schreiber, a widely respected actor whose lengthy film credits - including key roles in "Ransom," "The Sum of All Fears" and "Kate & Leopold" - are matched by his work on the stage, playing the title role in critical successes such as "Henry V" and "Hamlet," and appearing in Neil LaBute's "The Mercy Seat" and Harold Pinter's "Betrayal."
"Raymond is a reluctant hero whose fame, to his dismay, fuels his political career and his mother's ambitions," observes Schreiber. "But although he's in a position of power, Raymond is truly powerless against his mother, a woman so controlling she will, on occasion, decide what he should wear."
Schreiber believes that Meryl Streep makes Raymond's mother not only a palatable multilayered character but also someone with whom audiences will actually be able to identify. "What Meryl brings to the character is a cloaked tenderness that will surprise people with Ellie Shaw's depth and ability to love."
Director Jonathan Demme, winner of the Academy Award for his stunning direction of "The Silence of the Lambs," is thrilled to be working with stars of the caliber of Washington, Streep and Schreiber. He also feels that the screenplay's up-to-the-minute take on "The Manchurian Candidate" is both as exciting and contemporary as tomorrow's headlines.
"With the nation's eye focused on a presidential election this year," Demme says, "I couldn't think of a better time to address darker themes about the political process and the forces that try to undermine it."
Producer Tina Sinatra couldn't agree more, as did her legendary father, the late Frank Sinatra, who owned the rights to the original film.
"In 1991, I asked my father what he thought of the idea to contemporize 'The Manchurian Candidate' and he said he thought it was smart and would have greater audience appeal today," remembers Sinatra, who later obtained full rights to the story. "What's most important to me is retaining the human stories that are so crucial to a film like this. The humanity of it is timeless, and updating the film's battle to the Gulf War makes a lot of sense as well, especially considering how politically pertinent that part of the world is today."
In addition to the challenges demanded by such an excellent modernization of the original film and screenplay, reteaming with Washington, whom he had directed in the acclaimed groundbreaking film "Philadelphia," was an irresistible draw for Demme. "Denzel is one of the greatest actors of all time in my opinion," says the director. "It's not easy to portray someone whose sanity is in question - especially when that person also questions himself - and Denzel absolutely nails it. The deep, rich layers that he brings to Marco's character enrich the entire film."
Demme also notes that Senator Eleanor Shaw has been significantly updated into a more complex character. A calculating wife to the vice-presidential candidate in the book, the contemporary version of the character is an influential politician in her own right, as well as a manipulative mother pushing her son toward the vice presidency, and ultimately, the highest office in the land.
"Ellie Shaw is a woman who adores her son and believes in him," says Streep. "She's also a mother who is achieving through her son the political position she feels has been denied her. So while Ellie grooms her son for leadership, she is also fulfilling her own destiny."
Demme enthusiastically concurs. "Meryl's take on Ellie filled me with ideas and excitement," the director recalls. "And I still ask myself: did I actually have the opportunity to work with Meryl Streep? The chance to collaborate with her is any director's dream come true."
Demme was also blown away by Schreiber's stunning performance, especially in scenes with powerhouse actors such as Washington and Streep. "It's not merely that Liev holds his own with these established masters," says Demme. "He's right there with them. His work on this project brought out the best in everyone he worked with."
Academy Award winner Jon Voight takes on the role of Senator Jordan, a failed contender for the vice-presidential nomination and Ellie's longtime nemesis. Voight describes his character as one of the hardworking "good guys" in Congress - and one of the few sympathetic ears to Marco.
"This is a complicated, very rich tale with deeply felt, well-drawn and often dangerous characters," observes Voight. "A film as multidimensional as this really needs a master storyteller like Jonathan Demme to bring it up to its full potential. That's why it's so riveting."
Adding further dimension to the film were the strong supporting roles the screenplay offered, an opportunity that Demme truly relished. "I love working with a big cast," says the director. "There are so many extraordinary parts in this movie, brought to life by some truly exceptional talent. It's a thrill to watch when each of the supporting parts shines because of the great actors behind them."
One key character in the film driving the plot is Rosie, the mysterious young woman Marco meets on a train. Having worked with Demme when she starred opposite Oprah Winfrey in "Beloved," Kimberly Elise was ecstatic to land the coveted role of the FBI agent who gets deeply involved with the troubled Marco.
"Rosie has a heart of gold, and she's one of the few people willing to find out what's going on inside this man," says Elise, who also starred opposite Washington in "John Q." "Denzel is so exciting to watch as Ben Marco because we so often see him playing characters that are in control, and in this instance he gets to portray someone with a lot of vulnerabilities - a strong man, but one who's lost in a web he can't figure out."
Featured in the pivotal role of Al Melvin, a disturbed veteran who approaches Ben Marco about his own dreams of the horrors in Kuwait, is Jeffrey Wright, winner of both a Golden Globe Award and a Tony Award for his multiple roles in "Angels in America."
According to Demme, it is Melvin's appearance that forces Marco to reconsider what really happened to the men under his command - and to himself - in the Gulf.
"Melvin's part in this story is very vital, vivid and extraordinarily important," says Demme. "I couldn't have been happier. Jeffrey brought all of his Jeffrey Wright brilliance to his performance."
Rounding out the star-studded cast are Swiss actor Bruno Ganz in the role of Richard Delp, a rogue scientist who tries to help Marco retrieve his memories; Dean Stockwell, Jude Ciccolella and John Bedford Lloyd as executives of the Manchurian Global Corporation, a major contributor to Raymond's campaign; Miguel Ferrer in the role of Colonel Garret, Marco's commanding officer; actor/director Simon McBurney as Noyle, a doctor who specializes in the brain; and singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, who makes his feature film debut as Laurent Tokar, a British guide to the Americans in Kuwait.
Finally, appearing as political heavyweights are the legendary producer Roger Corman, who produced several of Demme's earlier films, and famed author Walter Mosley, whose novel Devil in a Blue Dress, starring Washington, was produced for the screen by Demme.
According to the star of "The Manchurian Candidate," Denzel Washington, the fact that the film boasts so much talent is a testament to a unanimous, heartfelt admiration for director Jonathan Demme.
"He brings such positive energy that he makes actors feel like they can try anything that they feel might work," observes Washington. "I've learned a great deal from him as a human being, as an actor and as a filmmaker."
CONTROLLING AUTHENTICITY
Central to the theme of "The Manchurian Candidate" are the concepts of memory manipulation and mind control, both areas that director Jonathan Demme wanted to infuse with as much authenticity as possible. To that end, he enlisted the expertise of Dr. Jay Lombard, director of the Brain Behavior Center in Nyack, New York. A behavioral neurologist, Lombard appreciated Demme's drive for accuracy throughout the film, specifically with regard to scenes concerning scientific or medical technology.
"There have been significant advances in the study of the brain and mind control," observes Lombard, who came to Demme's attention because of his work with autism and other afflictions affecting the brain. "My role was to look at the original film, which used brainwashing to manipulate Marco and his men, and to update it with today's highly advanced technology."
Demme comments, "It was crucial to the tone of the film that the scientific aspects not only be grounded in the absolute latest technological progress but also point towards the sinister directions that such progress might lead to in the future."
Co-screenwriter Daniel Pyne adds, "Whether or not what we've envisioned will ever be possible, my concern in updating Condon's premise was to make the brainwashing of Shaw and Marco feel real. You have to believe that it happened, and you have to fear the consequences of it."
According to Lombard, there is a pain/pleasure center of the brain which neuroscientists believe drives a significant amount of behaviors. In fact, researchers have inserted electrodes into the brains of rats, developing what they call "roborats," whose actions can be manipulated not unlike Liev Schreiber's character Raymond Shaw.
"What's so frightening about this movie is that it lends support to how vulnerable our brains are to external manipulation, both positive and negative," says Lombard. "Our memories are so tenuous and subject to malleability, it's literally mind-bending. We all have had moments where we wonder if what we remember is real, and if it isn't, what really did happen? Essentially, this film opens up a very scary, reality-based Pandora's box of brain manipulation. It's telling us that all the science about brain behavior is out there, and if used immorally, anything can happen."
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Besides attracting major talent in front of the camera, renowned director Jonathan Demme continues to draw highly skilled professionals to work with him behind the camera. Once again he collaborates with key members of his creative team: cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, ASC, production designer Kristi Zea, editor and Academy AwardR nominee Carol Littleton, A.C.E., and composer and Academy AwardR winner Rachel Portman, whose score features contributions by Wyclef Jean.
Demme began production at PS 32, an elementary school in Yonkers, New York, with a key scene that introduces audiences to Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) and to the inner conflict he's about to face. In the sequence, Marco, formerly in command of troops in the Gulf War and now relegated to the Army's public relations department, talks to a group of Boy Scouts about the ambush of his patrol in Kuwait and the heroism of Marco's staff sergeant, Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber).
In order to film the crucial battle scenes that Marco describes at the school, Demme and his team did extensive research into the Gulf War, keeping full-time researchers and military advisors close at hand to ensure accuracy in every detail.
Since shooting in Kuwait was clearly out of the question, the filmmakers created the desert closer to home at the sand mine Sahara Sand. In only two weeks, members of the film crew moved tons of sand in order to build two roads that served as the site where Marco and his men fall under enemy attack.
"Filming those battle sequences was like working in a huge sandbox," recalls production designer Kristi Zea, who also created Marco's apartment in Washington, D.C. "I based the outside of his place after the typical mock-Tudor residential buildings I found in the D.C. area, but the interior design had a lot to do with Denzel Washington's input."
A small dark space filled with books and newspapers was the actor's idea, remembers Zea, who had originally pictured Marco to be meticulously neat, in keeping with his military background. Washington, however, imagined that the character's obsessive nature would turn him into a pack rat.
"Maybe all Marco can do is hold himself together by putting on his uniform every morning," says Washington. "But his house afforded the opportunity to paint a picture that was in stark contrast - full of signs indicating a man who is on the verge of an internal breakdown. I think he would be unbelievably messy, not able to throw anything out because he's obsessed with piecing together what happened to him."
Zea also delved into the Washington, D.C., political arena that is the hothouse milieu of Liev Schreiber's character, Congressman Raymond Shaw, and his mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw, portrayed by Meryl Streep. In particular, she sought striking visuals that would represent the high-stakes, national campaign of a Robert Arthur/Raymond Shaw ticket.
"I wanted to achieve a mood with Works Progress Administration (WPA) style posters that grew out of the 1930s Depression Era," says Zea. "To achieve this, our graphic designers came up with some astounding stuff, including an eerie Arthur/Shaw campaign slogan, 'Secure Tomorrow,' which was coupled with a visual akin to the 'Uncle Sam Wants You' poster - a pointed finger coming out of a red, white and blue starburst."
The filmmakers' research included trips to the U.S. Senate, where they visited the offices of Senator Barbara Boxer in order to create an authentic look for the senatorial offices of Eleanor Shaw (Streep) and her political rival, Senator Thomas Jordan (Jon Voight). To that end, the historic Yonkers City Hall, an imposing Beaux Arts building dating from 1911, captured the old-world elegance and grave atmosphere of the senate.
Similarly, the production sought out homes on the Potomac owned by our nation's more prominent politicians as references for Eleanor Prentiss Shaw's sprawling mansion. Old Westbury Manor, a beautiful house on Long Island, New York, fit the bill perfectly. Built in 1906 as the country estate of John S. Phipps, son of a partner in Carnegie Steel, the house was so close to what the filmmakers envisioned (both inside and out) that their only changes before filming were to add new draperies and a few personal items from the fictional Prentiss-Shaw political dynasty.
New York, where Marco follows Raymond on the campaign trail, offered the filmmakers a variety of locations throughout the city, including the Compass Restaurant on the Upper West Side, the Plaza Hotel, the New York Public Library for Science, Business and Industry, the Javits Center, Times Square, Penn Station, the ballroom of the Regent Wall Street Hotel and Central Park.
A key location was the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx, the nation's largest Victorian glasshouse. Built in 1902, it served as the setting for a Shaw fundraising gala where Marco seeks out Raymond among the Washington elite.
In creating the costumes for that well-dressed group, two-time Academy AwardR-winning costume designer Albert Wolsky describes Washington, D.C., as "a world of suits, suits, suits." Accordingly, he dressed Liev Schreiber's Raymond, a young man born into a prominent political family, in high-end custom-made suits, similar to the impeccable look of Jon Voight's Senator Jordan, also a political insider.
Having worked six times with Meryl Streep, Wolsky says he was careful to give her character Ellie Shaw more polish and style than the average female politician. "We wanted to avoid the kind of lacquered hairdo women in politics often have to have because they're on camera so much and don't want their hair to move," explains Wolsky. "Also, Ellie Shaw comes from an almost aristocratic line, so we wanted to give her a look that reflects someone accustomed to having money. Therefore, she's dressed in attire of the highest quality and wears fine jewelry from the prestigious Fred Leighton collection."
In order to costume the military characters and sequences, Wolsky researched the uniforms worn by American soldiers in the Gulf War and had replicas made by authentic military sources. A further challenge to the costume designer was Ben Marco's wardrobe out of uniform, and the changes in Marco's look throughout the film.
Prior to filming, Wolsky, who worked with Washington on "The Pelican Brief," consulted the actor. "He's really a brilliant actor, and being so good at what he does, he wants to offer his input as to how the character is going to look," says Wolsky. "We talked about it a lot and decided that when not in uniform, Marco had to have a signature look, so we came up with a khaki-colored raincoat that had a slight military echo."
One sequence in the film that was left entirely to the filmmakers' imaginations is the dreamscape that Marco continually revisits in his nightmares, a frightening series of visions resulting from the character's twisted, violent memories of Kuwait. Production designer Kristi Zea found the dreamscape sequence to be her most intriguing challenge - and the most thrilling work she did on the film.
"Suddenly you're in a whole other world of the mind where there are no laws and there is no reality," says Zea. "Because of that, you have the freedom to make your designs as crazy or as odd as you want."
Working closely with cinematographer Tak Fujimoto, Zea delved into surrealistic art and the Dada movement as inspiration for the style of the horrific dreamscape, which also creeps into the mad drawings done by Jeffrey Wright's character, Al Melvin. Painstakingly drawn by art department team member and film student Jimmy Joe Roche, the bizarre artwork is discovered by Marco, who searches out his disturbed missing comrade, only to find his squalid apartment strewn with nightmarish images of blood and death, featuring soldiers with whom Melvin served, including Marco and Shaw.
"These images started with looking at pieces of paper found in the streets of New York City, and by looking at the drawings of some of my folk art heroes," says Roche. "I tried to work in such a way that the results would seem like the creation of a madman - I didn't want to create works of art, but rather, road maps of Melvin's descent into madness."
"Jonathan Demme wanted to mirror the paranoia in Melvin's drawings with Marco's paranoia," remembers Fujimoto. "He wanted to give audiences a visual connection between Melvin's room and Marco's mind. In that way, the cinematography is almost documentary-like, with the camera sort of poking around, probing to find something in the center of the frame that's not there."
Fujimoto's innovative camerawork adds intensity to the story's chilling suspense, which co-screenwriter Daniel Pyne believes will have audiences responding on a myriad of different levels.
"I think people will walk away from this film having lost themselves in Marco's emotional experience," says Pyne. "At the same time, because of the compelling performances of all the actors, I think they're going to come out of theaters with all sorts of ideas spinning around in their heads."
Producer Tina Sinatra, daughter of the late Frank Sinatra, who portrayed Marco in the original 1962 film, observes that as spooky as the story is, its true core is human emotion. "It's about a group of individuals who are in serious jeopardy because of a similar experience they cannot explain," says Sinatra. "And Marco in particular is going to figure it out … or die trying."
Denzel Washington agrees wholeheartedly. "The film is essentially a very human tale about how the spirit wins out," says the actor. "In a nutshell, what the story is saying is that the heart is stronger than anything."
ABOUT THE CAST
Two-time Academy AwardR-winning actor DENZEL WASHINGTON portrays Army Major Ben Marco, a talented career soldier determined to discover the truth about his experiences in Kuwait during the Gulf War.
In such roles as the South African freedom fighter Steven Biko in "Cry Freedom," Shakespeare's tragic historical figure "Richard III," the womanizing trumpet player Bleek Gilliam in Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues," and his Academy AwardR-winning portrayal of an embittered runaway slave in Ed Zwick's "Glory," Denzel Washington has amazed and entertained us with a rich and colorful array of characters distinctly his own.
Washington was awarded the OscarR for Best Actor for one of his most critically acclaimed performances to date, as a grizzled LAPD veteran in "Training Day," directed by Antoine Fuqua.
In 2002, Denzel Washington made his feature film directorial debut with "Antwone Fisher." Based on a true-life story, the film follows Fisher, a troubled young sailor played by newcomer Derek Luke, as he comes to terms with his past. The film won critical praise, and was awarded the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild of America, as well as winning an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Washington.
Most recently, Washington starred in Tony Scott's "Man on Fire," in which he portrayed a former Marine who swears vengeance on people who have harmed the family he's sworn to protect. In 2003, he starred in Carl Franklin's "Out of Time," in which he played a Florida police chief who must solve a double homicide before he falls under suspicion for the murders himself. He was also seen in "John Q," a story about a down-on-his-luck father whose son is in need of a heart transplant, which garnered Washington a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
In September of 2000, he starred in Jerry Bruckheimer's box-office sensation ($115 million domestic gross) "Remember the Titans," a fact-based film about the 1971 integration of a high school football team. In 1999, he starred in "The Hurricane," for director Norman Jewison, and received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and an Academy AwardR nomination (his fourth) for his portrayal of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the world middleweight champion boxer who was wrongfully imprisoned twice for murder.
In November of 1999, he starred in "The Bone Collector," the adaptation of Jeffery Deaver's novel about the search for a serial killer, co-starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Phillip Noyce. In 1998, he starred in the crime thriller "Fallen," for director Greg Hoblit, and in Spike Lee's "He Got Game." He also re-teamed with "Glory" director Ed Zwick for the terrorist thriller "The Siege," co-starring Annette Bening and Bruce Willis.
In 1996, Washington starred in the critically acclaimed military drama "Courage Under Fire," for director Ed Zwick, and also starred opposite Whitney Houston in Penny Marshall's romantic comedy "The Preacher's Wife." In 1995, he starred opposite Gene Hackman in Tony Scott's underwater action adventure "Crimson Tide"; as an ex-cop released from prison to track down a criminal in the futuristic thriller "Virtuosity"; and as World War II veteran Easy Rawlins in the 1940s romantic thriller "Devil in a Blue Dress" (which Washington's Mundy Lane Entertainment produced with Jonathan Demme's Clinica Estetico).
Washington also starred in the title role of the complex and controversial Black activist in director Spike Lee's biographical epic, "Malcolm X," for which the actor received, among many other accolades, an Academy AwardR nomination for Best Actor.
A native of Mt. Vernon, New York, Washington studied acting under Robinson Stone at Fordham University and later attended San Francisco's prestigious American Conservatory Theater.
Washington's professional New York theater career began with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park and was quickly followed by numerous off-Broadway productions, including "A Soldier's Play," for which he won an Obie Award. Washington's stage appearances also include the Broadway production of "Checkmates" and the Shakespeare in the Park production of "Richard III."
Washington first came to the attention of American audiences when he was cast as Dr. Phillip Chandler in NBC's long-running, hit television series "St. Elsewhere." In 1984, he re-created his role from "A Soldier's Play" for Norman Jewison's film version, "A Soldier's Story," and soon went on to star in Sidney Lumet's "Power" and Richard Attenborough's "Cry Freedom," for which he received his first OscarR nomination. Washington also starred in the action adventure film "Ricochet," in Mira Nair's bittersweet comedy "Mississippi Masala," as well as in "For Queen and Country," "The Mighty Quinn," "Heart Condition" and Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues."
Additional film credits include Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing," Jonathan Demme's controversial "Philadelphia," with Tom Hanks, and "The Pelican Brief," based on the John Grisham novel.
MERYL STREEP plays Eleanor Prentiss Shaw, a powerful U.S. senator who has ambitious plans for her son, war hero and congressman, Raymond Shaw.
Regarded as one of the world's finest actors, Meryl Streep has portrayed an astonishing array of characters in a career that has cut its own unique path from the theater through television and film. A two-time Academy AwardR winner and a recipient of a record-breaking 13 OscarR nominations, Streep recently was honored by the American Film Institute with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received the new Dramatists' Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Stanislavsky Award at the Moscow International Film Festival. In addition, Streep was awarded a Golden Globe and a SAG Award for her starring role alongside Al Pacino and Emma Thompson in the HBO epic "Angels in America," directed by Mike Nichols, from Tony Kushner's adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning plays.
Streep made her acting debut at Vassar College starring in the title role in Strindberg's "Miss Julie," and later won a scholarship to the Yale School of Drama where she received an M.F.A. degree and the Carol Dye Acting Award, becoming the first woman in the school's history to receive this honor.
After a summer with the O'Neill Playwrights conference in Connecticut, Streep moved to New York and made her debut in Joseph Papp's Lincoln Center production of "Trelawney of the Wells." At Phoenix Repertory, for her performances in rotating productions of the Civil War melodrama "Secret Service," Arthur Miller's "A Memory of Two Mondays" and Tennessee Williams' "27 Wagons Full of Cotton," Streep won the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Theater World Award and a Tony nomination. She performed in seven productions during her first season in New York, including the New York Shakespeare Festival productions of "Henry V" and "Measure for Measure," opposite John Cazale and Sam Waterston. She starred on Broadway in the Brecht/Weill musical "Happy End," and won an Obie for her performance in the all-sung, off-Broadway production of "Alice at the Palace." During this period she also won the Emmy for Best Actress for her portrayal of a devastated German wife in the controversial eight-part miniseries "Holocaust."
Meryl Streep began her feature film career as Jane Fonda's society friend in "Julia," directed by Fred Zinnemann. In her second screen role, Streep starred opposite Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken in "The Deer Hunter," receiving her first OscarR nomination. Her next film was the political drama "The Seduction of Joe Tynan," with Alan Alda. She returned to the stage that summer to star opposite Raul Julia in the Shakespeare in the Park production of "The Taming of the Shrew," and during the day alternated filming "Manhattan" for Woody Allen and "Kramer vs. Kramer" with Dustin Hoffman. Playing Hoffman's troubled ex-wife in a custody battle, she garnered her first Academy AwardR for Best Supporting Actress.
She won her third OscarR nomination and the British Academy Award for her next film, "The French Lieutenant's Woman," directed by Karel Reisz, in which she played the dual roles of a sophisticated contemporary actress and a tragic 19th-century heroine. The following year, she won the Academy AwardR for Best Actress for her extraordinary performance in the title role of "Sophie's Choice," directed by Alan J. Pakula from his adaptation of William Styron's novel. She was nominated again the next year, for her portrayal of Karen Silkwood, the activist/heroine of Mike Nichols' "Silkwood." Reuniting with Robert De Niro in her next film, "Falling in Love," she won the David Award, the Italian equivalent of the OscarR.
Streep completed two films in 1985: Fred Schepisi's screen adaptation of David Hare's "Plenty" and Sydney Pollack's sweeping romantic adventure "Out of Africa," for which she received an Academy AwardR nomination for Best Actress. She then filmed two projects co-starring Jack Nicholson: Mike Nichols' "Heartburn" and "Ironweed," directed by Hector Babenco, for which she received her seventh OscarR nomination. She then traveled to Australia for Fred Schepisi's "A Cry in the Dark," in which she played the infamous, unfairly maligned Lindy Chamberlain, a role that won Streep the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, The New York Film Critics Circle, the AFI Award and another OscarR nomination.
She next won Golden Globe nominations for her work in Susan Seidelman's "She-Devil" and "Postcards From the Edge" (with Nichols again), starring opposite Shirley MacLaine. This adaptation by Carrie Fisher from her own novel won Streep praise for her singing and yet another OscarR nomination. She continued to find comedic work; with Albert Brooks in his delicious contemplation of a neurotic's trial in purgatory in "Defending Your Life," and in Robert Zemeckis' satirical look at aging in L.A., "Death Becomes Her," co-starring Goldie Hawn. After returning to the States from Europe - where she had filmed Bille August's "The House of the Spirits," from Isabel Allende's acclaimed novel - she tackled the physical challenges of an action movie, in "The River Wild," directed by Curtis Hanson, co-starring Kevin Bacon.
Her next film, Clint Eastwood's "The Bridges of Madison County," won her overwhelming acclaim and Screen Actor's Guild, Golden Globe and OscarR nominations for her complex portrayal of a lonely Iowa farm wife who opens her heart to a stranger. The following year she was seen opposite Liam Neeson in Barbet Schroeder's "Before and After," and opposite Diane Keaton and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Marvin's Room," for which she received another Golden Globe nomination.
She next returned to television, co-producing with director Jim Abrahams the real-life drama "First Do No Harm" and earning an Emmy nomination for her work as the mother of an epileptic child who pursues alternative therapies.
In 1998, Streep teamed with Renee Zellweger in "One True Thing," based on Anna Quindlen's prize-winning novel, winning SAG, Golden Globe and OscarR nominations for her performance. That same year, Streep appeared in the critically lauded "Dancing at Lughnasa," based on Brian Friel's play, directed by Pat O'Connor. In 1999, Streep earned her 12th Academy AwardR nomination for Wes Craven's "Music of the Heart," the real life story of a teacher and single mother who brings the violin to inner city kids.
In 2001, she returned to Central Park's Delacorte Theatre in Mike Nichols' production of "The Seagull," for the Public Theater's New York Shakespeare Festival, co-starring Kevin Kline, Christopher Walken, Marcia Gay Harden, Natalie Portman, John Goodman and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
More recently, her work in Paramount's "The Hours" won Streep the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, along with her co-stars Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore, as well as SAG and Golden Globe nominations. In the same year, her eccentric portrayal of Susan Orlean in Spike Jonze's "Adaptation" was recognized with a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and BAFTA and OscarR nominations. She was recently seen in the comedy "Stuck on You" with Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear and Cher. Streep will next star in Paramount's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," an adaptation of the beloved children's books, with Jim Carrey and Jude Law.
Last year she was given an Honorary César for Career Achievement in Paris, where she also was accorded a Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, the highest civilian honor given by the French government.
Widely regarded as one of the finest actors of his generation, LIEV SCHREIBER stars as Raymond Shaw, son of the powerful Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw and a decorated Gulf War hero, who becomes a candidate for vice president of the United States.
Schreiber is currently directing his adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's best-selling novel, Everything Is Illuminated, for Warner Independent Pictures, in Prague. This film marks his feature directorial debut. A blend of high comedy and great tragedy, Everything Is Illuminated tells the story of a young, American Jewish man's (Elijah Wood) quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather - in a small Ukrainian town that was wiped off the map by the Nazi invasion. Prior to publication of the novel, Schreiber read an excerpt in The New Yorker, secured the rights himself, wrote the screenplay and subsequently brought the project to Warner Independent Pictures.
Schreiber's distinguished list of acting credits includes "The Sum of All Fears" with Morgan Freeman and Ben Affleck, "Kate & Leopold" with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman, Michael Almereyda's "Hamlet," "The Hurricane" opposite Denzel Washington, Tony Goldwyn's "A Walk on the Moon," Robert Benton's "Twilight" with Paul Newman, Barry Levinson's sci-fi epic "Sphere," the box-office hits "Scream," "Scream 2," "Scream 3" and "Ransom." Schreiber is also known for his work in such acclaimed independent features as Stanley Tucci's "Big Night," "Party Girl," "The Daytrippers" with Hope Davis, Nicole Holofcener's "Walking and Talking" with Catherine Keener, Nora Ephron's "Mixed Nuts," Antonia Bird's "Mad Love," Hal Salwen's "Denise Calls Up" and Tom Gilroy's "Spring Forward" with Ned Beatty, for which he also served as a producer.
Initially interested in playwriting, Schreiber went on to spend a year studying acting with the faculty from England's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1992, he graduated with a M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. His impressive stage credits include his critically acclaimed turn as Henry V in last summer's Shakespeare in the Park production at the Delacorte Theatre, along with "The Mercy Seat," opposite Sigourney Weaver and directed by Neil LaBute, Harold Pinter's "Betrayal," co-starring Juliette Binoche, and "Moonlight," with Blythe Danner and Jason Robards. Schreiber's enduring relationship with the Public Theatre's New York Shakespeare Festival has produced several critically acclaimed performances including the title role in "Hamlet," Iago in "Othello," "Macbeth," "The Tempest" and "Cymbeline," for which he won an Obie award. Other productions include "All for One," "In the Summer House," "Escape From Happiness," "The Real Thing," "Richard III," "Underground" and the Moscow Art Theatre's production of "Ivanov."
For television, Schreiber starred as Orson Welles in "RKO 281" (Emmy and Golden Globe nominations) and will also appear in the forthcoming "Lackawanna Blues" with Halle Berry, Jeffrey Wright and Rosie Perez. His television credits include "Spinning Borris," "Buffalo Girls," "People V" and "The Sunshine Boys," with Woody Allen and Peter Falk. As a voice-over artist, Schreiber has narrated numerous documentaries, including the popular PBS miniseries "Rock & Roll."
JON VOIGHT plays Thomas Jordan, a respected U.S. senator who stands in the way of Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw's ambitious plans. Voight is still remembered for the classic "Midnight Cowboy," which brought his first Academy AwardR nomination, as well as for his OscarR-winning turn as Luke Martin in "Coming Home." Since then, Voight has forged a career in which he successfully transitioned from leading man to one of America's most versatile character actors.
Voight recently played Mr. Sir in the popular and critically acclaimed Andy Davis feature film "Holes," based on the Newberry Award-winning book of the same name, and was also recently nominated for an Academy AwardR for his role as Howard Cosell in "Ali."
He was featured in "Pearl Harbor" and "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (starring his daughter, Angelina Jolie) and starred in "Mission: Impossible," "Varsity Blues," "Enemy of the State" and "Anaconda." Other feature film credits include Francis Ford Coppola's "The Rainmaker" (Golden Globe nominee), "The General," "Deliverance," "Runaway Train" (which earned him an Academy AwardR nomination and a Golden Globe), "The Odessa File" and "The Champ" (Golden Globe nominee).
Voight made his Broadway debut in "The Sound of Music." In 1966, he starred opposite Robert Duvall in the acclaimed revival of Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge." He later starred at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre in "A Streetcar Named Desire."
On television, Voight recently starred in the powerful, critically acclaimed film, "Jasper, Texas," Based on actual events, "Jasper, Texas" tells the disturbing story of a heinous racial crime in which a black man was dragged to his death in a small Texas town. Voight also co-starred in "Uprising," the true story of the Warsaw ghetto, for NBC, and in "Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story," a miniseries for CBS. He starred in "Chernobyl: The Final Warning," "The Last of His Tribe," which earned him a CableACE Award, and the miniseries "Return to Lonesome Dove." He made his directorial debut with the Showtime cable movie "Tin Soldier," which won several awards, including Best Children's Film at the Berlin Film Festival.
KIMBERLY ELISE, who portrays Rosie, the kind woman who Marco meets on the train, has been on the rise ever since her star-making role in Oprah Winfrey's "Beloved," for which she won the Chicago Film Critics Best Newcomer Award, playing Denver, the grown daughter of Winfrey's Sethe.
Elise will next star in the independent film "Woman Thou Art Loosed," playing an embittered woman in the throngs of resurrecting her life after a lifetime of childhood abuse. Her performance has earned mass critical acclaim and the film recently won top honors, including the American Spirit Award for Best American Film, at this year's Santa Barbara Film Festival. It is scheduled to open nationwide in October.
Most recently, she starred in the New Line Cinema drama "John Q," with Robert Duvall and Denzel Washington. Other feature film credits include "Set It Off," F. Gary Gray's drama in which Elise co-starred with Queen Latifah as part of a group of women who turn to robbing banks, and Antoine Fuqua's comedy "Bait," with Jamie Foxx.
Television credits include co-starring with Gregory Hines in Showtime's "Bojangles" and the title role in "The Loretta Claiborne Story" for ABC. Elise also won a CableACE Award for her performance in the Family Channel's "The Ditchdigger's Daughters."
JEFFREY WRIGHT (Al Melvin) was honored with an AFI Award for best actor for his portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. in HBO's "Boycott." His films include "Ali," "Shaft," "Ride with the Devil," "Cement," "Critical Care," and "Basquiat," which earned him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his debut performance in the title role.
In 1994, Wright won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Belize in "Angels in America: Perestroika," a role he reprised in the 2003 HBO miniseries, which won him a Golden Globe Award and a SAG nomination.
In 2002, Wright enjoyed a critically acclaimed run on Broadway in the Pulitzer Prize-winning show "Topdog/Underdog," for which he received a Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actor.
Most recently, Wright just wrapped "Lackawanna Blues," an HBO film co-starring Rosie Perez and Liev Schreiber.
TED LEVINE, who portrays Colonel Howard, the psychiatrist working with Marco, has steadily distinguished himself as an actor for many years on the big screen, in television and on stage. This year alone, he will appear in two other new feature films, in addition to "The Manchurian Candidate." He is starring in "Birth," with Nicole Kidman and Lauren Bacall, and has a role in "The L.A. Riot Spectacular," directed by Marc Klasfeld. Last year, he starred opposite Val Kilmer and Lisa Kudrow in "Wonderland."
After graduating with an M.F.A. from the University of Chicago, Levine appeared in many TV films in the 1980s, and then began making his mark in feature films in the 1990s. His breakthrough role came in 1991 for director Jonathan Demme, when he starred with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in "The Silence of the Lambs," as the other ominous villain in this blockbuster hit. Levine followed with "Georgia," starring as the complicated spouse of Jennifer Jason Leigh. Counting his role in "The Truth About Charlie," Levine has worked for director Jonathan Demme a total of three times.
Levine has appeared in 24 feature films, including roles in "Heat," with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, "Wild Wild West," starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline, and "Switchback," with Dennis Quaid and Danny Glover.
Most recently, Levine has become a familiar face on television in the USA hit detective/comedy series "Monk," playing the wry foil (Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer) for Tony Shalhoub's title character. In addition, Levine is a series regular on Peter Berg's "Wonderland" for ABC/Imagine. His prolific television work also includes roles in Showtime/MOW's "Harlan County War," for director Tony Bill, and in the HBO miniseries "From the Earth to the Moon," for director Tom Hanks, as well as roles in "Moby Dick," "Ellen Foster," "Crime Story" and "Wiseguy."
Before appearing on the screen, Levine had already emerged among the most respected of stage actors from his work at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, and he continues his stage career, most recently playing Tilden on Broadway in "Buried Child," directed by Gary Sinise.
BRUNO GANZ portrays Richard Delp, a rogue scientist who Marco turns to for help in retrieving his memories of the Gulf War. Born in Switzerland and living in Zurich, Ganz is fluent in German, French and English, giving him versatility in his entertainment career.
Ganz is the winner of numerous awards, including the Berlin Film Award Winner of numerous awards, including the the Swiss Film Award for Best Actor in 2000 for his work in Silvio Soldini's "Pane e Tulipani." Ganz has appeared in over a dozen films internationally, including Werner Herzog's "Nosferatu," Gillian Armstrong's "The Last Days of Chez Nous," Eric Rohmer's "The Marquise of O," Volker Schlondorff's "Circle of Deceit" and Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire." In addition, Ganz worked as a director with Otto Sander on the film "Gedachtnis," a highly personal documentary-style double portrait of actors Curt Bois and Bernhard Minetti. Ganz is also an accomplished theater actor, appearing in numerous Shakespearean plays abroad, including title roles in "Hamlet" and "Macbeth."
SIMON MCBURNEY portrays Dr. Atticus Noyle, a scientist whose experiments into the workings of the human brain have entered unchartered territory. McBurney is artistic director of the Theatre de Complicité, which he co-founded and for which he has devised, directed and acted in more than 24 productions, toured all over the world and won numerous major international awards.
As an actor, McBurney has performed extensively for radio, television and in feature films, including Steven Soderbergh's "Kafka" with Jeremy Irons, "Tom & Viv" with Willem Dafoe and Miranda Richardson, Bill Forsyth's "Being Human" with Robin Williams, "Mesmer," written by Dennis Potter and starring Alan Rickman, Volker Schlondorff's "The Ogre" with John Malkovich, "Cousin Bette," starring Jessica Lange, and "Onegin" with Ralph Fiennes and Liv Tyler. McBurney also starred in the title role of the film pioneer in "Eisenstein," for director Renny Bartlett. He will soon be seen in the upcoming dramas, "The Reckoning," with Willem Dafoe and Paul Bettany, Paul Cox's "The Human Touch" and Stephen Fry's "Bright Young Things."
Recently, McBurney directed Al Pacino in Bertolt Brecht's "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" at the National Actors Theatre in New York, in association with Complicité. He also directed the critically acclaimed, hit stage production of "Mnemonic" in New York and London. Other New York productions include "The Chairs" (Tony nomination - Director of a Play), "The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol," "Street of Crocodiles" and "The Noise of Time."
McBurney's acclaimed production of "The Elephant Vanishes" (Evening Standard Award nomination - Director of a Play) will transfer from The Barbican to New York in the summer. McBurney's production of Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure," is currently running at London's National Theatre.
VERA FARMIGA plays Jocelyn Jordan, daughter of Senator Thomas Jordan and Raymond Shaw's former love. Farmiga is currently in production in Vancouver on "Touching Evil," a television series produced by Bruce Willis and Arnold Rifkin ("Die Hard IV," "Hart's War") and directed by Allen Hughes ("Dead Presidents," "Menace II Society") for the USA Network. The crime-drama series, about two hard-nosed detectives who specialize in solving shocking, high profile crimes for the FBI's new Organized and Serial Crime Unit, co-stars Jeff Donovan. Based on the hit series by British Granada Television, "Touching Evil" premiered in March.
At this year's Sundance Film Festival, Farmiga won a Special Jury Prize for her performance in the independent film "Down to the Bone," a revelatory drama about a weary, working-class mother trapped in drug addiction. The film, which was in the Dramatic competition, also garnered a Director's Award for Debra Granik.
Farmiga recently appeared in the HBO miniseries "Iron Jawed Angels," about a group of fierce young women fighting for women's suffrage. The series co-starred Hilary Swank, Anjelica Huston, Frances O'Connor and Molly Parker.
Farmiga's film credits include the independent drama "Love in the Time of Money," co-starring Michael Imperioli and Adrian Grenier, Gregory Pritikin's romantic comedy "Dummy," co-starring Adrien Brody, and "15 Minutes," directed by John Herzfeld and co-starring Robert De Niro and Edward Burns, as well as "Autumn in New York" and "The Opportunists."
Farmiga's television and stage credits include the NBC action series "UC: Undercover" for Danny DeVito's Jersey Television, ABC's "Snow White" and a recent appearance in "Under the Blue Sky" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, opposite Annabella Sciorra and Marsha Mason.
ROBYN HITCHCOCK plays Laurent Tokar, a guide to the American soldiers in Kuwait. Making his feature film acting debut, Hitchcock is one of England's most enduring contemporary singer/songwriters and live performers. He started his recording career with the Soft Boys, a punk-era band specializing in melodic pop merged with comedic lyrics. Hitchcock's solo debut, 1981's "Black Snake Diamond Role," was followed by the psychedelia of "Groovy Decay" in 1982 and the all-acoustic "I Often Dream of Trains" in 1984. By 1985, his penchant for zaniness in songwriting coalesced with the album "Fegmania!," which he recorded with The Egyptians.
Three years later, Hitchcock landed his first major U.S. label contract with A&M Records and released "Element of Light," "Globe of Frogs," "Queen Elvis" and "Perspex Island," all of which topped the Rolling Stone Alternative chart. In 1996, he released "Moss Elixir," an acclaimed album in which Hitchcock embraced his folk roots.
In 1998, Hitchcock starred in the concert film "Storefront Hitchcock," shot on West 14th Street in New York and directed by Academy AwardR-winner Jonathan Demme.
In 1999, Hitchcock released "Jewels for Sophia," and a year later, a companion disc entitled "A Star for Bram." He made his acting debut in 2002, a cameo appearance in a television adaptation of Tony Parsons' book Man and Boy.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
JONATHAN DEMME (Director/Producer) has 18 films to his credit, including "The Agronomist," "The Truth About Charlie," "Beloved," "The Silence of the Lambs" (for which he won an Academy AwardR for Best Director), "Philadelphia," "Married to the Mob," "Something Wild," "Swimming to Cambodia" and "Melvin and Howard." Demme was twice named Best Director by the New York Film Critics, for "Melvin and Howard" and for "The Silence of the Lambs." Additional producing credits include "Devil in a Blue Dress," "Household Saints," "That Thing You Do!," "Ulee's Gold" and "Adaptation."
Demme's films have been nominated for 20 Academy Awards . "The Silence of the Lambs" received five Academy Awards in 1991 - for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay Adaptation. His films have won screenplay Oscars twice, "Melvin and Howard" (Best Original Screenplay, 1980) and "The Silence of the Lambs" (Best Screenplay Adaptation, 1991), and two of the Best Actor awards of the 1990s went to actors he directed, Anthony Hopkins ("The Silence of the Lambs," 1991) and Tom Hanks ("Philadelphia," 1993), with Jodie Foster receiving the Best Actress award ("The Silence of the Lambs," 1991) as well.
Since 1988, Demme has worked with a versatile team at his company Clinica Estetico, producing or directing a number of documentaries as well as feature film projects. Many of these have focused on Haiti, such as the acclaimed "Haiti Dreams of Democracy," "Tonbe Leve (Fall Down, Get Up)" and "Courage and Pain." In 2004, he completed "The Agronomist," a documentary on the Haitian radio journalist Jean Dominique, who was assassinated in April 2000 on the steps of his radio station. He also produced "Konbit," an album of Haitian music, and has published four books about the art of Haiti.
He also directed the documentary "Cousin Bobby," and produced the Academy Award -nominated biography "Mandela," as well as "Into the Rope!" (about Double Dutch), "The Uttmost" (a portrait of producer Kenny Utt) and "One Foot on a Banana Peel, The Other Foot in the Grave" (about living with AIDS). He also recently produced "Beah: A Black Woman Speaks," a documentary on the life of Beah Richards, directed by Lisa Gay Hamilton.
Demme's creative interests have also lured him into the musical domain. He directed the Robyn Hitchcock concert film, "Storefront Hitchcock," as well as the award-winning Talking Heads concert film, "Stop Making Sense." He has directed Artists United Against Apartheid's "Sun City," Neil Young's "The Complex Sessions" and music videos for Bruce Springsteen, Les Frères Parent, The Neville Brothers, KRS-One and the Feelies, among others.
SCOTT RUDIN (Producer) Film: "The Stepford Wives," "School of Rock," "The Hours," "Changing Lanes," "Orange County," "Iris," "The Royal Tenenbaums," "Zoolander," "Shaft," "Sleepy Hollow," "Angela's Ashes," "Rules of Engagement," "Wonder Boys," "Bringing Out the Dead," "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut," "The Truman Show," "A Civil Action," "In and Out," "Ransom," "Mother," "Marvin's Room," "The First Wives Club," "Twilight," "Clueless," "Sabrina," "Nobody's Fool," "The Firm," "Searching for Bobby Fischer," "Sister Act," "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit," "The Addams Family," "Addams Family Values," "Little Man Tate," "Regarding Henry," "Pacific Heights," "Flatliners," "Jennifer Eight," "Mrs. Soffel" and "He Makes Me Feel Like Dancing" (Academy Award - Best Documentary). Theater: "Passion" (Tony Award - Best Musical), "Indiscretions," "Hamlet," "Seven Guitars," "Skylight," "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," "On the Town," "The Chairs," "The Judas Kiss," "Stupid Kids," "The Blue Room," "The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told," "Closer" (London and New York), "Amy's View," "The Wild Party," "The Ride Down Mt. Morgan," "Copenhagen" (Tony Award - Best Play), "The Designated Mourner," "The Caretaker" (London), "The Goat" (Tony Award - Best Play), "Medea," "Beckett/Albee," "Caroline, or Change" and "The Normal Heart."
Upcoming Films: M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village," Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic," David O. Russell's "I Huckabees," Brad Silberling's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," Mike Nichols' "Closer," Trey Parker's "Team America," Richard Linklater's "The Smoker" and Kenneth Lonergan's "Margaret."
TINA SINATRA (Producer) founded TSProductions in 1983. The company's productions, for which Sinatra served as executive producer, include "Young at Heart," a two-hour CBS Movie of the Week, the 1992 Emmy Award/Golden Globe-winning five-hour miniseries "Sinatra," as well as "Sinatra 75 - The Best is Yet to Come," all for CBS. Earlier in her career, Sinatra worked as a literary and talent agent for the Steifel Organization and in product development for The Jozak Company. She is a co-founder of Sheffield Enterprises, Inc., a licensing and merchandising entity, and a general partner in Bristol Productions and Essex Ltd. Partnership, which licenses and administers Frank Sinatra catalogues of Reprise and Capitol Records, respectively. Sinatra is the best-selling author of My Father's Daughter.
ILONA HERZBERG (Producer) served as executive producer of Jonathan Demme's "The Truth About Charlie." She has also executive-produced such feature films as the acclaimed drama "Thirteen Days," starring Kevin Costner, as well as the disaster epic "Dante's Peak," starring Pierce Brosnan, the sci-fi saga "Waterworld," also with Kevin Costner, and the thriller "The River Wild," with Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon. Herzberg has served as creative executive for CTV Network in Canada and as a line producer for more than 250 hours of TV concert specials and variety shows.
DANIEL PYNE (Co-screenwriter) wrote the recent film, "The Sum of All Fears," directed by Phil Alden Robinson and starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman, and authored the screen story for "Any Given Sunday," directed by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino and Cameron Diaz. Pyne's first feature film as screenwriter was "Pacific Heights," starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Keaton, which he followed with screenplays for such films as "White Sands," directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Willem Dafoe and Samuel L. Jackson, and "Doc Hollywood," starring Michael J. Fox and Bridget Fonda and directed by Michael Caton-Jones.
Pyne made his directorial debut with the award-winning "Where's Marlowe?," starring Miguel Ferrer, which he also co-wrote.
Daniel Pyne was born in Oak Park, Illinois, grew up in Colorado, earned a B.A. from Stanford University, where he studied economics, and an M.F.A. from UCLA's Graduate School of Film, where he currently holds the Hunter/Zakin chair in screenwriting.
DEAN GEORGARIS (Co-screenwriter) recently wrote the screenplay for "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life," starring Angelina Jolie and directed by Jan DeBont, and "Paycheck" starring Ben Affleck and Uma Thurman and directed by John Woo.
Georgaris was raised in New York City and graduated with honors from Swarthmore College where he majored in political science. He decided to pursue a career in arts after living in Florence for six months, and enrolled in the directing program at USC Film School, which he later left to write full-time.
SCOTT AVERSANO (Executive Producer) previously worked as director of development at Paramount Pictures, serving as a production executive for such films as "Wonder Boys," "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut," "Runaway Bride" and "Double Jeopardy," among others. He is currently President of Scott Rudin Productions. Since working in this capacity he has produced such films as "Orange County," "Changing Lanes" and "School Of Rock."
Prior to entering the film business, Aversano taught English literature at the University of Michigan while working on his doctorate.
TAK FUJIMOTO, ASC, (Director of Photography) has collaborated on some of the most acclaimed films of the past three decades, including almost a dozen features with director Jonathan Demme, from "Caged Heat" and "Melvin and Howard" to "The Silence of the Lambs," "Beloved," "Philadelphia" and "The Truth About Charlie." Starting out by working with famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler, Fujimoto has also photographed such movie favorites as "Badlands" (Terence Malick), "Death Race 2000" (Paul Bartel), "Remember My Name" (Alan Rudolph), "Heart Like a Wheel" (Jonathan Kaplan), "Pretty in Pink" (Howard Deutch), "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (John Hughes), "Night and the City" (Irwin Winkler), "Devil in a Blue Dress" (Carl Franklin), "That Thing You Do!" (Tom Hanks) and M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" and "The Sixth Sense."
Fujimoto's other credits include "The Replacements," "A Thousand Acres," "Grumpier Old Men," "Gladiator" (1992), "Crooked Hearts," "Sweet Hearts Dance," "Miami Blues," "Cocoon: The Return," "Backfire," "Borderline" and "Where the Buffalo Roam." He recently shot "The Final Cut" for director Omar Naim, which stars Robin Williams. Fujimoto is a National Society of Film Critics Award winner for "Devil in a Blue Dress" and was nominated for an ASC Award for "The Sixth Sense."
KRISTI ZEA (Production Designer) is a multifaceted filmmaker who is not only a successful and well-respected production designer but also a director, an award-winning film producer and costume designer.
Zea has done double-duty on recent projects, serving as both production designer and second unit director for such films as "Beloved," "Sleepers," "Philadelphia" and "The Silence of the Lambs."
Zea made her directorial debut on the HBO telepic "Domestic Dilemma," starring Andie MacDowell and Ray Liotta. The film, a part of the "Men and Women 2" series, received a CableACE Award nomination. Her other production design credits include "Philadelphia," "Beloved," "The Super," "Lorenzo's Oil," "Goodfellas," "Miss Firecracker," "New York Stories," "Married to the Mob" and "The Family Man."
Zea began her career as a fashion stylist and eventually went on to design the costumes for such feature films as "Silverado," "Birdy," "Terms of Endearment," "Unfaithfully Yours," "Shoot the Moon," "Endless Love" and "Fame," among others. Zea then broadened her interests into producing, serving as associate producer on the motion pictures "Lucas" and "Broadcast News." More recently, Zea produced James Brooks' "As Good As It Gets," which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, a Golden Globe Award and a Producers Guild nomination. Zea also worked with director Roger Michell on "Changing Lanes," starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson, as well as with director Brett Ratner on "Red Dragon," starring Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes and Edward Norton.
Zea recently directed the DVD of singer/songwriter Annie Lennox's latest world concert tour and directed the visual accompaniment DVD to Lennox's latest album, "Bare." In addition, New York University has also recently appointed Zea to head up a new film production design department at the Tisch School of the Arts.
CAROL LITTLETON, A.C.E., (Editor) has collaborated previously with Jonathan Demme on films including "Swimming to Cambodia," "The Truth About Charlie" and "Beloved." Her work on "The Truth About Charlie" brought her back to Paris where she began her editing career on "French Postcards."
Littleton received a 1982 Academy AwardR nomination for Best Editing for Steven Spielberg's blockbuster "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial." Her many collaborations with director Lawrence Kasdan include "Body Heat," "The Big Chill," "Silverado," "The Accidental Tourist," "Grand Canyon," "Wyatt Earp," "Mumford" and "Dreamcatcher."
Littleton recently worked alongside her husband, cinematographer John Bailey, on the digitally shot "The Anniversary Party," directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming and officially selected for the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.
Littleton's eclectic body of work includes films vastly diverse in subject matter and visual style. Among the highlights of her credits are "Twilight," "China Moon," "White Palace," "Vibes," Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs," Robert Benton's "Places in the Heart," "Benny & Joon," and "Greed," a restoration of Erich von Stroheim's 1924 silent classic.
CRAIG MCKAY, A.C.E., (Editor) is an award-winning feature film editor, story consultant, director and executive producer. Directing credits include Emmy Award- winning "Bubbe Meises, Bubbe Stories" for PBS and HBO's "The Red Shoes," written by John Guare. Story consultant credits include Bravo's "Haiti Dreams of Democracy," the Academy Award -nominated "Mandela" and PBS' award-winning "Witness: Voices from the Holocaust." Editing credits include "Reds" and "The Silence of the Lambs," both of which garnered McKay Academy Award nominations. Other editing highlights include "Maid in Manhattan," "K-PAX," "A Map of the World," "Cop Land," "Philadelphia," "Married to the Mob," "Something Wild," "Melvin and Howard" and many others. McKay was co-executive producer on the award-winning feature documentary, "A Normal Life."
ALBERT WOLSKY (Costume Designer) is a two-time Academy AwardR winner, having received the coveted prize for his designs for "All That Jazz" and "Bugsy." In a career that encompasses more than 65 films, Wolsky also received Academy AwardR nominations for his work on "Sophie's Choice," "Toys" and "The Journey of Natty Gann." Wolsky's recent films include "Road to Perdition," starring Tom Hanks, Jude Law and Paul Newman, "Maid in Manhattan," starring Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes, as well as "Runaway Bride," "Galaxy Quest," "You've Got Mail," "Red Corner," "Lucky Numbers," "The Jackal" and "The Grass Harp."
Wolsky's first project with Paul Mazursky, "Harry and Tonto," led to a prolific relationship through eleven films, including "Next Stop, Greenwich Village," "An Unmarried Woman," "Moscow on the Hudson," "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" and "Enemies, A Love Story." Wolsky first worked with Bob Fosse on "Lenny," starring Dustin Hoffman, later designing the costumes for Fosse's "All That Jazz" and "Star 80," Fosse's last film. Wolsky's other film credits include "Grease," "Manhattan," "The Turning Point," "The Pelican Brief," "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter," "Little Murders," "The Jazz Singer," "The Falcon and the Snowman" and "Crimes of the Heart."
Born in Paris, Wolsky immigrated to the United States at the age of 10. Living in New York City, he graduated from the City College of New York and began his career in New York theater, receiving his first solo Broadway design credit for the play "Generation," starring Henry Fonda. Other theater credits include "Sly Fox," with George C. Scott, "The Sunshine Boys," Joseph Papp's production of "Hamlet" in Central Park and Tennessee Williams' "27 Wagons Full of Cotton," with Meryl Streep.
Wolsky was recently honored by the Costume Designers Guild with a Career Achievement Award, the first such honor bestowed by the Guild. Wolsky recently completed his third term on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
RACHEL PORTMAN (Composer) is the first female composer to win an Academy Award , for Douglas McGrath's 1996 drama "Emma." Portman's previous collaborations with director Jonathan Demme include her scores for "The Truth About Charlie" and "Beloved."
Portman has also been nominated for Academy Awards for her scores to Lasse Hallstrom's "The Cider House Rules" and "Chocolat."
Other films scored by Portman include "Benny & Joon," "The Joy Luck Club," "The Legend of Bagger Vance," "Hart's War," "Nicholas Nickleby," "The Human Stain" and "Mona Lisa Smile."
In May 2003, Portman's first opera, "The Little Prince," based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, premiered at the Houston Grand Opera.
WYCLEF JEAN (Composer) "The Manchurian Candidate" marks Wyclef's second film score collaboration with Jonathan Demme, following on the heels of his original score for "The Agronomist" (2003). Vocalist, producer, activist, and musician, Wyclef first entered the public eye as one third of the acclaimed rap group The Fugees, formed in 1987 with Lauryn Hill & Wyclef's cousin Pras Michel. The Fugees' groundbreaking second album, The Score (1996), featuring the singles "Fu-Gee-La," "Ready or Not," and a remake of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly," went six times platinum, making it one of hip hop's bestselling albums to this day as well as a classic for hip hop enthusiasts. Following this success, Wyclef became the first Fugee to pursue a solo career, releasing The Carnival in 1997. With singles "Gone Till November" (recorded with the help of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra) and "We Trying to Stay Alive" (a spin on the Bee Gees' classic), Wyclef gained a powerful status as both a solo rapper and a singer.
Wyclef is responsible for writing, producing, and remixing the work of various and eclectic music stars, including Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Destiny's Child, Sublime, Whitney Houston, the Black Eyed Peas, Cypress Hill, Canibus, Sinéad O'Connor, Simply Red, and Bounty Killer. The Ecleftic followed Carnival in 2000 and featured the Grammy-nominated single "911," a duet with Mary J. Blige. Next was Masquerade (2002), Greatest Hits (2003), and The Preacher's Son, also in 2003, which features the hit single "Party to Damascus" with Missy Elliott.
Haitian-born Wyclef is known for a multicultural style that transcends musical genre, exploring the fusion of hip-hop, reggae, rock and R&B, as well as a multilingual oeuvre, featuring English, Creole and Spanish lyrics.
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