In America: A Portrait of the Film

From Publishers Weekly
Sheridan's poignant film about an Irish immigrant family's 1980s move to New York receives a thorough treatment in this illustrated screenplay. The three forewords-written by Jim Sheridan and his daughters Naomi and Kirsten, who collaborated on the film-tell the story of the film's provenance: the movie is largely autobiographical, featuring an Irish man who comes to America with his wife and two daughters to make it in show business (much as Sheridan did himself). The lack of special effects sets this book apart from other illustrated screenplays; there isn't a whole lot on how the filmmakers created intricate scenes or costumes. However, the screenplay's moving story should be of interest not only to lovers of the film, but also to those fascinated by the experience of coming to a new country in search of a better life. The book also includes short essays on Sheridan's directing style, Declan Quinn's cinematography and shooting the film in New York (In America was one of the first productions to shoot in the city after September 11). Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
From the winner of two Academy Awards® and a total of 13 Oscar ® nominations—a semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father). With their two young daughters in tow, Johnny and Sarah emigrate from Ireland to New York City in pursuit of a dream. The family uses ingenuity and sheer strength of will to make the most of their new life. Ultimately it is their kindness to a stranger and that stranger's response in return that builds their new home. Starring Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine, Sarah Bolger, and Djimon Hounsou, In America was written by Sheridan and his daughters, Naomi and Kristen. In the acclaimed Newmarket Shooting Script format, the book includes a facsimile of the shooting script, a foreword from Jim Sheridan, movie stills, and full cast and crew credits.

About the Author
Jim Sheridan wrote and directed My Left Foot (1989), the rousing story of artist-writer Christy Brown, which earned Oscars for stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker, and nominations for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. Sheridan went on to direct and adapt The Field (based on John B. Keane's play), write the Irish fable Into the West (1993), and team up again with Day-Lewis for In the Name of the Father (1993), the intense, true-life story of a wrongly imprisoned man. Sheridan won Oscar nominations for Best Director, Screenplay (as co-writer), and Best Picture (as producer). He wrote In America with his daughters. Naomi Sheridan has written two feature films in addition to In America, one of which she will direct in 2003, and is presently completing her third. She is currently editing a documentary, which she also directed, about the Irish soccer team at the 2002 World Cup. Kirsten Sheridan's first feature-length screenplay, Honor Bright, won the Miramax Best Irish Screenplay Award '98. She is currently writing two feature films: Freedom, California and There Lived a Little Girl.


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This volume is a hybrid of the "Shooting Script" line and the picture books: it contains the full script plus several color screen grabs, production notes, and more. A nice package. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.


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