What The Critics Say

"Performance artist Miranda July hits a grand slam as the writer, director and star of her first film." Peter Travers ROLLING STONE "A graceful first step in what is sure to be a long and wonderfully imaginative evolution." E! ONLINE "July’s tender, original movie is a wonderfully uplifting experience." Liz Beardsworth EMPIRE MAGAZINE UK "Me and You and Everyone We Know brings a fresh perspective to age-old human dilemmas: the longing of children to become adults, the yearning of adults to recapture the innocence of youth, the difficulty of finding true love at age 7 or 70." Scott Foundas L A WEEKLY "A refreshingly original and touching film about the incredible loneliness of isolated individuals in this digital age of so-called connectedness." Frederic and Mary Ann SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH "A journey from sexual innocence to youthful curiosity, middle-aged disconnection and finally death in the magical simultaneity of screen time." Bryant Frazer BRYANT FRAZER'S DEEP FOCUS "Characterized by an ensemble of rich and delicious characters and witty, unexpected dialogue, July's script is also marked by a deep affection for children." Annlee Ellingson, BOXOFFICE MAGAZINE "In her roles as writer, director and star, July brings to the project a freshness of vision and tone that makes it feel as if nobody has done this sort of thing before." Shawn Levy OREGONIAN "Micro budget, no-name cast, but a movie with boundless imagination." Robert Roten LARAMIE MOVIE SCOPE

The Inside Story When it comes to films receiving an R18+ rating there's always someone crying foul. In many cases the content of these films justify receiving a restricted R18+ rating, after all we don't want cinemas turned into porn galleries, now do we? Obviously the rating of some films will become a contentious battle between those who believe we should be allowed to see anything we like at the suburban cinemas and those who still believe in the sanctity of a few community standards being applied. Recently the film review board has come under fire for a number of borderline films which distributors cunningly have pleaded a case for along the lines of "having artistic values and sending a strong message to the community". Let's have a look at four such films. "Blaise Moi". The film review board got it wrong on this one. Rated XXX around the world, the film got a start in some cinemas and then was withdrawn. One segment in the film showed the girls killing everyone in an adult sex club and then murdering the manager by having him strip naked, get on the floor like a pig before suffering an undinified death at the hands of the two who shove a gun in his arsehole and shoot him. "Irréversible" was another film which raised the shackles of many who wanted it banned. It stayed with an R18+ rating, supposedly because of the strong messages it sent to the community. Yeh, right! One of the 'highlights' of this film was the 10 minute on screen brutal, sadistic, anal raping of an attractive young woman by a homosexual deviat. Such an act on any woman would be abhorrent and the community certainly didn't need to be sent a strong message on that subject. This helpless victim was, after being sodomized received a savage kick in the guts, was then sat upon by her victim and had her face smashed to a pulp [in a bone crunching segment] on the concrete floor. Another film some people found distasteful was "Mysterious Skin" which featured a predatory baseball coach who prey on very young boys and used them for sexual pleasure including fisting him up the arse. This film had a strong message and while it received an R18+ rating it did deserve a cinema release. One film that should have copped an R18+ rating was the ultra violent "The Devil's Rejects", the sequel to "House Of 1000 Corpses". It was that bad, AT THE MOVIES David Stratton didn't even bother rating it and neither did I. Brutal, sadistic, inhumane, degrading and even worse, a total waste of time watching. The only high point for this film was its soundtrack, which is a beauty. Considering "The Devil's Rejects" received an MA15+ rating, many might consider slapping an R18+ rating on my next film, "Wolf Creek" a huge injustice, considering many film critics are singing its praises loud and long. It most probably copped the high rating for a scene in which Mick sticks a hunting knife into a young womans spine and then severs it. Or was it his taunting of another young woman whose tits he was going to cut off? After he'd had his pleasure with her! I'd agree with the film review board that "Wolf Creek" certainly deserved and R18+ rating, but as some critics noted, so did "The Devil's Rejects". Having said all that I'd hate anyone to think I am a prude or in favour of the wholesale banning of any film that contains subject material which some people might find highly offensive, distateful, degrading or has been included in a film purely for being 'sensationally confronting'. No, I'm not a member of any political party, ultraconservative group or even a church member, I just get pissed off by the hypocrisy surrounding some of the ratings being handed out in light of what the community is screaming out for. Which brings me to "Me and You and Everyone We Know" a film which deserved an MA15+ rating but has in fact been slapped with an R18+. It's a film which has received great critical acclaim and deservedly so. It's a quirky look at life through the eyes of writer, director and actress Miranda July. I've spoken to a number of people and to be honest, they're just as dumbfounded as I am over this rating. Here's some of the Awards the film has been honoured with in 2005. Critics Week Grand Prize, Golden Camera, Prix Regards Jeune, Young Critics Award, Producers Award, Best First Time Directors Award, Audience Award, SKYY Prize and Special Jury Prize. And where did these awards come from? Respected film festivals such as CANNES [Camera d'Or Best First Film and Critics Week Grand Prize Award], Sundance, San Franciso, Philadelphia and the Independent Spirit Awards. I was so infuriated by the fact that this film copped an R18+ rating I actually emailed the SA Attorney General Michael Atkinson seeking his assistance through the SA Film Review Board, in the hope that the film would be re-rated diown to MA15+ giving parents the opportunity to take 'older' children along to see how inappropriate behavour can bring about what they, as parents, would see as undesireable concequences. What the fuck was I thinking. Me asking for a reclassification? I must have been out of my cotton picking mind. I didn't even get an official acknowlegement of my email. The Attorney General, who has jumped on the bandwagon when there have been calls to ban other films he hadn't seen [the Advertiser Newspaper and on 5AA], obviously didn't give a toss. In fact I actually sent the Attorney General two emails, both of which have been ingnored. It didn't take much working out as to why he'd ignore my written correspondence and why he would show a distinct lack of common courtesy and good manners. There wasn't any political mileage in it. All I can say in respose to this wall of silence is what another commentator once exclaimed; Shame! Shame! Shame!. I've gotten over it now and I'm urging every free thinking, 'liberal minded' cinemagoer to have a look at this wonderful first up effort by Miranda July. Much kudos must be given to Miranda July for coming up with this zany, quirky, enchantingly imaginative little film. How do they think them up? "This movie was inspired by the longing I carried around as a child, longing for the future," Miranda explained, "for someone to find me, for magic to descend upon my life and transform everything. It was also informed by how this longing progressed as I became an adult, slightly more fearful, more contorted, but no less fantastically hopeful." The turning pount for bringing the film to the big screen came in January 2003 when Miranda attended the Sundance Screenwriter's Lab. "I had never shown my script to anyone before this, so just hearing people speak these character's names out loud was ground breaking for me," the performance artist recalls. "The month long lab gave me the opportunity to shoot 7 scenes from my script as practice runs. It was so important to break the movie out of my internal world and learn just how much I was going to have to communicate to make this happen. In retrospect, it was also important to know how hard the process would be. By the time I got to the real thing I was braced and ready." That readiness has produced a freshness lacking in bigger production. This comes through the chatacters and the cast who portray them. Who are these people. Here's a few bio-grabs on some of the castmembers. "Me and You and Everyone We Know" is Miranda July's first feature length production. July works in many different mediums including film, audio, performance and writing. Her short films ( Haysha Royko, The Amateurist, Nest of Tens, Getting Stronger Every Day) have been screened internationally at sites such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum. John Hawkes was born and raised in rural Minnesota. Later Hawkes moved to Austin, Texas, where he began his career as an actor and musician. He co-founded the Big State Productions theater company and appeared in the group’s original play, In the West at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He won over audiences and critics alike with his soulful portrayal of 'Bugsy' in "The Perfect Storm". Hector Elias film credits include "Buddy Boy", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "The Pornographer" and "Three Amigos". He has appeared on numerous TV shows including Kingpin, Empty Nest, The Wonder Years and General Hospital to name a few. Hector is also and art director, graphic designer and photographer. Natasha Slayton began her acting career a the age of nine and within the first six months landed co-starting roles on ABC’s "Brothers Keeper" and MGM’s animated-series "Lionhearts" playing the daugter of William H Macy and Peri Gilpen. For the past seven years, Natasha has landed memorable roles in various plays, commercials and sitcoms. "Me and You and Everyone We Know" is full of memorable moments, memorable characters, joy, heartbreak, love and more importantly some very redeeming, valuable 'social' messages. Crew Bytes "ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW" was .......
directed by Miranda July ["Me and You and Everyone We Know"]; screenplay by Miranda July ["The Center of the World" and "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?"]; costume design by Christie Wittenborn ["Ides of March", "Straight Right", "The New Women" and "Memory"]; production design by Aran Mann ["Collateral"]; edited by Andrew Dickler ["Waitin for the Rocket" and "Jackpot"] and Charles Ireland ["Cyberella: Forbidden Passions", "Early Bird Special", "View From The Top" and "Shall We Dance"]; cinematography by Chuy Chávez ["Perfect Target", "Chuck&Buck", "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?" and "The Sisters"]; set decoration by Bryan Venegas ["Straight Right", "Held For Ransom" and "Chasing Papi"]; original music by Mike Andrews ["Donnie Darko", "Orange County", "Cypher" and "Stuck On You"] produced by Gina Kwon ["Chuck&Buck", "The Good Girl" and "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?"]. Casting About "ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW" stars .......
Miranda July ["Jesus' Son", "Me and You and Everyone We Know" and "Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?"]; John Hawkes ["Rush Hour", "The Perfect Storm", "Hardball" and "Identity"]; Natasha Slayton [TV'S "Brothers' Keeper", "Jesse" and "Ladies Man"]; Najarra Townsend ["Maggie Moore", "Menace", "Why Can't I Just Be Me?", "The Violent Kind" and "Donn: Plain and Tall"]; JoNell Kennedy ["How U Like Me Now", "Goodbye Lover", "Andre Royo's Big Scene" and "Collateral"]; Hector Elias ["Bang the Drum Slowly", "Heroes", "Three Amigos!" and "Envy"]; Brad William Henke ["The Fan", "The Thirteenth Floor", "The Assassination Of Richard Nixon" and "Must Love Dogs"] and Tracy Wright ["Wake Up, Jerk Off", "Elimination Dance", "The Five Senses" and "Childstar"] as Nancy Herrington. What It's All About Richard's a shoe saleman, the father of two boys named Robby and Peter. His marriage has failed. His wife Pam has new partner so Richard and the boys must move out. Robby and Peter aren't happy but Richard consoles them by saying, "You know some kids don't even have one home and now you get to have two. Think about that." Christine is a lonely 'Elder Cab' driver with an artistic flair who has made a video presentation she hopes will bring her big break. Heather and Rebecca are two young high school students. They meet Andrew while on their way to school. The mischievous teens tempt him with their sexuality. He responds by leaving tempting notes on the window of his apartment each day for them. The naive young girls eventually decide they will get together with him. When their nerve fails them, the teenagers turn their attention to Peter. Hector is seventy and in love. His elation with life is cut short when his lady friend suddenly dies. From seven to seventy, in various forms, love is out there. It may not be an easy journey to find it, but love is out there. The Verdict "It brims with boundless energy, quirky characters and lessons on life. Never boring, Miranda July's "Me and You and Everyone We Know" is a sensational debut film marred only by outdated censorship values which have buried the film in Australia by slamming it with an inappropriate and totally unwarranted R18+ rating. Shame! Shame! Shame! Stick it up the review board and go see this excellent reflection on life. Little wonder then that "Me and You and Everyone We Know" picked up the Camera d'Or Best First Film and Critics' Week Grand Prize Award at Cannes, and the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Highly Recommended." The Cast

Miranda July John Hawkes Miles Thompson Brandon Ratcliff Carlie Westerman Hector Elias Brad William Henke Natasha Slayton Najarra Townsend Tracy Wright JoNell Kennedy Ellen Geer Colette Kilroy James Kayten Amy French Sven Holmberg James Mathers Jordan Potter

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Christine Jesperson Richard Swersey Peter Swersey Robby Swersey Sylvie Michael Andrew Heather Rebecca Nancy Herrington Pam Ellen Sylvie's Mom Sylvie's Dad Museum Assistant Artist Teacher Shamus

The Crew Directed by Miranda July Written by Miranda July Produced by Gina Kwon Original Music by Mike Andrews Cinematography by Chuy Chávez Film Editing by Andrew Dickler & Charles Ireland Production Design by Aran Mann Art Direction by John Wyatt Set Decoration by Bryan Venegas Costume Design by Christie Wittenborn Run Time 91 minutes Rated R18+ Copyright ©2005 - IFC FILMS - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2005 - Impact Internet Services & The Movie Pages - All Rights Reserved