jk simmons, Bear Actors Abby Elliott and John Reynolds top the list purgatory, The comedy/drama film from director Lindsay Lanzilotta and her directorial debut.
The indie film, which just wrapped production in St. John’s, Newfoundland, also stars newcomers Ruby McGurrin, Lauren McRae, Mary Walsh, Jack Inanen, Julian Arrieta, Marcus Njoo and Gemma Rosaria-Rae.
“Set in the early 1980s, the film follows thirteen-year-old Beatrice Gravel (McGurrin), whose comfortable world—family, school, church—is shattered when her mother (Elliot) moves on to ‘self-actualization,’ leaving Beatrice and her sister (MacRae) with their destructive father (Reynolds). As Beatrice doubles down on a plan to ‘fix it’ with her family, she encounters bullies, friendship bombings, and a party,” the producers say in the film’s synopsis. A make-up, kleptomaniac babysitter – forcing her to decide who she wants to be when she can’t have what she wants.
Simmons plays Father Malone, Beatrice’s best friend, Inanen plays the vice principal of her school and her mother’s new lover, while Walsh plays a teacher and Arita is the head of the PTA.
Lanzilotta’s face purgatory From a screenplay by Christine Speer, in a statement he said about the film: “Beatrice Gravelle is just a lot of fun. At my core, I’m still that teenage girl watching my parents’ divorce, and when I read Christine’s honest and funny take on Beatrice’s experience, it felt so honest and real and strangely comforting. I’ve always loved films that can entertain a wide audience while tackling difficult subjects with heart and humor, and that’s what brought me back to cinema.” 1980s to tell this story as a first-time director.
purgatory Produced by Lanzilotta, Simon Curlew, Aldo Lanzilotta, Denise Gomostas, Mark O’Neill and Gus Murray. Executive producer credits are shared by Ryan Horton, Elliott, Ty Trousdale, and William Patterson.
McGurrin is repped by The Characters Talent Agency, while Elliott is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency and OPE Partners. Reynolds is repped by CAA and Entertainment 360, and Simmons is repped by The Gersh Agency.
