Movies Starring Summer Phoenix
The Laramie Project
When a small town comes face to face with murder, everybody has a tale to tell.
Christina Ricci, Steve Buscemi, Laura Linney, Summer Phoenix
DIRECTOR:Moisés Kaufman
'Moisés Kaufman' (qv) and members of New York's Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, Wyoming after the murder of 'Matthew Shepard (I)' (qv). This is a film version of the play they wrote based on more than 200 interviews they conducted in Laramie. It follows and in some cases re-enacts the chronology of Shepherd's visit to a local bar, his kidnap and beating, the discovery of him tied to a fence, the vigil at the hospital, his death and funeral, and the trial of his killers. It mixes real news reports with actors portraying friends, family, cops, killers, and other Laramie residents in their own words. It concludes with a Laramie staging of "Angels in America" a year after Shephard's death.
The Believer
Glenn Fitzgerald, Theresa Russell, Billy Zane, Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Garret Dillahunt, A.D. Miles, Joshua Harto, Kris Eivers, Joel Garland, Elizabeth Reaser, Dean Strober, Judah Lazarus, Ronald Guttman, Heather Goldenhersh
DIRECTOR:Henry Bean
"The Believer" explores a Jewish student's private journey to understand the meaning of Judaism in his life. Set in New York City, the Plot follows a morally confused young adult struggling with the conflict between his beliefs and his heritage. "The Believer" examines themes of religion, family, and self-loathing. It is a psychological examination into the forces of intolerance, both on the individual and society as a whole.
