Wikipedia

Lovelace(film)

Lovelaceis a 2013 Americanbiographical dramafilm centered on pornographic actressLinda Lovelace,star ofDeep Throat,a landmark 1972 film at the forefront of theGolden Age of Porn.Lovelacecovers her life from age 21 to 32.[7]

Lovelace
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written byAndy Bellin[2]
Produced by
  • Jason Weinberg
  • Jim Young
  • Heidi Jo Markel
  • Laura Rister
Starring
CinematographyEric Edwards
Edited by
Music byStephen Trask
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 22, 2013(2013-01-22)(Sundance)
  • August 9, 2013(2013-08-09)(United States)
Running time
93 minutes[5]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million
Box office$1.6 million[6]

Directed byRob EpsteinandJeffrey Friedman,the film was written by Andy Bellin and starsAmanda Seyfried,Peter Sarsgaard,Hank Azaria,Wes Bentley,Adam Brody,Bobby Cannavale,James Franco,Debi Mazar,Chris Noth,Robert Patrick,Eric Roberts,Chloë Sevigny,Sharon Stone,andJuno Temple.

Lovelacehad its world premiere at theSundance Film Festivalon January 22, 2013, and was given alimited theatrical releasein the United States on August 9, 2013.[8]

Plot

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In 1970, 21-year-oldLinda Susan Boremanis living with her parents inDavie, Florida,having moved from New York City. While out dancing one night with her best friend Patsy, Linda attracts the attention of a man namedChuck Traynorand the two soon develop a relationship after a vulnerable Linda reveals to him that she has a strained relationship with her parents. The strain was caused because Linda had earlier given birth to a son out-of-wedlock and her domineering mother Dorothy had tricked her into putting the baby up for adoption.

Chuck, much older than Linda, begins teaching her how to perform sexual acts, which she is initially thrilled about. After breaking curfew one night, Linda is berated by Dorothy, forcing Linda to move out so she can live with Chuck, later marrying him. During a party, Linda watches one of Chuck's homemade pornographic films for the first time and tells him that "good girls don't do that stuff".

Six months later, Linda bails Chuck out of jail for facilitating prostitution, although he claims to have had little knowledge of what went on in the parking lot behind his bar. Desperate for money, he persuades Linda to become a pornographic actress. By 1972, Linda begins working on a film,Deep Throat,in which she uses her new stage name "Linda Lovelace".

The film becomes a huge success, making over $30,000 at the box office in its first week. After it becomes a worldwide phenomenon, Linda is interviewed by a variety of print and radio reporters and becomes the subject of late-night television humor. Her life is seen as exciting and glamorous, and Linda poses nude, and attends parties, weekly.

During a private screening in Los Angeles,PlayboyfounderHugh Hefnerconvinces Linda that she has the potential to be more than a pornographic actress. However, Chuck's violent and cruel nature is gradually exposed and Linda's life is revealed not to be as perfect as it seems. Chuck seemingly chokes Linda during sex, refusing to stop when she asks, and later forces her into prostitution at gunpoint.

A battered Linda soon visits her parents seeking to move back in. Despite telling them of Chuck's dominating abuse towards her, Dorothy encourages Linda to endure her ordeal as their religion forbids divorce. When learning that Linda has been discussing a new salary with the film's director,Gerard Damiano,without telling him, an enraged Chuck punishes her by making Linda shower in freezing cold water.

Years afterDeep Throat's success, Chuck tries to persuade Linda to do another pornographic film. When Linda refuses, a now sadistic Chuck takes her to a party and forces Linda to participate in agang rape.Her attempts to escape result in Chuck sleeping on top of Linda, almost suffocating her.

The following day, Linda secretly meets with Anthony Romano, telling him she wants out of the pornography industry and also revealing the abuse inflicted on her by Chuck. Disgusted, Romano has her checked into a private hotel while he and his bodyguards attack Chuck for abusing Linda and for the $25,000 he owes.

Six years later, Linda marries Larry Marchiano, moves to Long Island and has a young son. Linda later takes apolygraphtest before publishing her autobiographyOrdeal,which details years of Chuck's physical and sexual abuse, as well as his stealing all of her earnings. Linda appears onDonahue,and her distraught parents break down in tears while watching her. A few days later, the Marchianos travel to Florida for Linda to reconcile with her parents.

Cast

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Production

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Casting

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In January 2011, pregnantKate Hudsonwas offered the part of Linda Lovelace whileJames Francowas in talks to portray Lovelace's husband Chuck Traynor.[9]The production of the film was planned to begin after the birth of Hudson's child and as of April 2011, the actress was still involved in the project.[10]However, on November 1, 2011,Amanda SeyfriedandPeter Sarsgaardwere reported to be in discussions to play Lovelace and Traynor.[11]Sharon Stoneannounced on November 16, 2011, that she would play Lovelace's mother.[12]In December 2011,Juno TempleandWes Bentleywere cast as Lovelace's best friend and Larry Marchiano, her second husband.[13]

In December 2011, Franco received the part ofHugh Hefner.[14]Robert Patrick,Hank Azaria,Chris Noth,andBobby Cannavalelanded the respective roles of John Boreman (Lovelace's father), Gerry Damiano, Anthony Romano and Butchie Peraino.[15]On January 2, 2012,Adam BrodyandEric Robertswere cast asHarry Reemsand Nat Laurendi, whileDemi Mooreagreed to a cameo appearance asGloria Steinem.[16]A few weeks later she dropped out of the film for personal issues[17]and was replaced bySarah Jessica Parker.[18]However, Parker's cameo was ultimately deleted.Cory HardrictandDebi MazarplayFrankie Crockerand Dolly Sharp.[19]Chloë Sevignyplays a feminist journalist. [20]

To prepare for the role, Seyfried read Lovelace's books and studied videos of her speaking.[21]She also watched the filmDeep Throatand underwent a New York accent training.[21]Seyfried said of Lovelace: "She was such a different person than what we expect. It's a good story to tell, and I'm really, really excited about it."[22]Brody prepared for the role of Reems by watching his interviews.[23]He told that "the arrest and indictment of Reems on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute obscenity across state lines" are not shown in the film.[23]He described as "brotherly" the relationship Reems shares withDeep Throatco-star Lovelace, explaining that "he was the antithesis of her husband [Traynor]".[23]

Filming

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We were doing a scene where I was supposed to be going down on Peter Sarsgaard. We used a popsicle, and I had my arms covering the popsicle. It was footage that he was going to show theDeep Throatguy, to get her into the movie, to get her cast. I was laughing hysterically throughout. I couldn't stop laughing.

—Seyfried on shooting a sex scene[24]

The Hollywood Reporterreported on January 13, 2012 that filming had already begun in Los Angeles.[25]A few days later, photographs ofAmanda Seyfriedas Linda Lovelace on a film set were published.[26]Scenes were shot inGlendale, California.[27]Filming wrapped in February 2012.[28][29]

Epstein used "grainy"16 mm filmas a reference to the 70s films depicted in the plot.[30]During the filming, the cooperation between Seyfried and Sarsgaard went so well that she called him with hindsight "the best actor I've ever worked with".[21]

Post-production

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Sarah Jessica Parker's scenes did not make it into the final version due to the time setting for the end of the film being changed from 1984 to 1980. As a result, the role of Gloria Steinem became unnecessary.[31]

Release

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Lovelacepremiered at theSundance Film Festivalon January 22, 2013.[32]The film was released in the United States on August 9, 2013.[33]

Reception

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Lovelacewas met with mixed reviews. On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 54% based on 127 reviews, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard do their best with the material, butLovelacelacks enough depth and conviction to truly do its fascinating subject justice. "[34]Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[35]

Todd McCarthyofThe Hollywood Reporterwrote the film was "smartly done".Richard Roepergave the film a B+, commenting that it "never really feels triumphant or inspirational. It's very well-made and well-acted, but it's a reminder that the most famous porn star of the most famous porn movie ever made was a victim through and through."[36]On the other hand,Variety'sRob Nelson complained the true story behind the film had been simplified to a "series of cartoonish vignettes".[37]Amanda Mae Meyncke endorsed Seyfried's portrayal as "excellent" but considered the film all in all only "mediocre".[38]

Historical accuracy

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Doubts were also raised as to the historical accuracy of the film's narrative.[39]In particular, Gerard Damiano Jr., son of the director ofDeep Throat,and Eric Danville, Linda Lovelace's biographer, spoke to The Rialto Report about how the film conflated spousal abuse with the treatment of actors in the adult film industry.[40]

Music

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The soundtrack toLovelacewas released on September 9, 2013.

No.TitleArtistLength
1."I've Got to Use My Imagination"Gladys Knight & the Pips3:30
2."Gimme Little Sign"Brenton Wood2:20
3."Fooled Around and Fell in Love"Elvin Bishop4:36
4."Funky Funky Way of Makin' Love"John Ellison& The Soul Brothers Six3:25
5."If You Ain't Gettin' Your Thing"L.J. Waiters & the Electrifiers3:21
6."Shotgun Shuffle"KC & the Sunshine Band2:45
7."Oh How I Love It"People's Choice3:05
8."Keep On Truckin'"Eddie Kendricks8:00
9."Let It Ride"Bachman–Turner Overdrive3:30
10."Rock Your Baby"George McCrae6:25
11."'Tain't Nobody's Business if I Do"Sofia Karstens3:42
12."You Made Me Beautiful"Stephen Trask2:09
13."Spirit in the Sky"Norman Greenbaum4:01
Total length:50:49[41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Breznican, Anthony."Amanda Seyfried as sex starlet Linda Lovelace in porn biopic".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 6,2012.
  2. ^"Amanda Seyfried to play Linda Lovelace".RetrievedFebruary 2,2011.
  3. ^"Lovelace".Sydney Film Festival.Archived fromthe originalon October 29, 2013.RetrievedOctober 23,2013.
  4. ^Fleming, Mike (January 22, 2013)."Sundance: Radius-TWC Seduced By 'Lovelace;' $3 Million Deal Closed".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedJuly 3,2013.
  5. ^"Lovelace(18) ".British Board of Film Classification.June 27, 2013.RetrievedAugust 12,2013.
  6. ^"Lovelace (2013)".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedOctober 12,2024.
  7. ^Nepales, Ruben (February 16, 2012)."From porn star to waif".Philippine Daily Inquirer.RetrievedFebruary 20,2012.
  8. ^"'Lovelace': Aug. 9 ".Los Angeles Times.Archived fromthe originalon May 3, 2013.RetrievedJuly 11,2013.
  9. ^Jagernauth, Kevin (January 25, 2011)."James Franco In Talks, Offer Out To Kate Hudson For Linda Lovelace Biopic".IndieWire.Archived fromthe originalon April 13, 2014.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  10. ^"Kate Hudson – Pregnant Kate Hudson Still Onboard Linda Lovelace Movie".Contactmusic.com. April 19, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  11. ^Sneider, Jeff (November 1, 2011)."Amanda Seyfried to play Linda Lovelace".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  12. ^Cohen, Sandy (November 16, 2011)."Sharon Stone announces 2 new roles".Yahoo! News.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  13. ^Sneider, Jeff (December 6, 2011)."Temple, Bentley in 'Lovelace'".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  14. ^McNary, Dave; Sneider, Jeff (December 20, 2011)."Franco to cameo in 'Lovelace'".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  15. ^Carlson, Erin (December 20, 2011)."'Lovelace' Cast Adds Hank Azaria, Chris Noth and Bobby Cannavale ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  16. ^Sneider, Jeff (January 2, 2012)."Demi Moore set for 'Lovelace' cameo".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  17. ^Carlson, Eric (January 25, 2012)."Demi Moore Drops Out of 'Lovelace'".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  18. ^Breznican, Anthony (January 27, 2012)."Sarah Jessica Parker replaces Demi Moore in 'Lovelace' – EXCLUSIVE".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  19. ^Nededog, Jethro (January 11, 2012)."'Lovelace' Adds Debi Mazar and Cory Hardrict ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  20. ^McNary, Dave (January 25, 2012)."Chloe Sevigny set for 'Lovelace'".RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  21. ^abc"Amanda Seyfried is going, going, gone".Gethampshire.co.uk. Archived fromthe originalon August 4, 2012.RetrievedApril 19,2012.
  22. ^Marikar, Sheila (December 7, 2011)."Amanda Seyfried Says Playing Linda Lovelace Will Be 'Terrifying'".ABC News.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  23. ^abcVineyard, Jennifer (April 20, 2012)."Adam Brody talks" Lovelace "biopic and not being a" complete "prude".IFC.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  24. ^King, Steve (November 20, 2012)."Amanda for This Season".Vanity Fair.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  25. ^Kit, Borys (January 2, 2012)."Demi Moore to Play Feminist Activist Gloria Steinem in Linda Lovelace Movie".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  26. ^"Amanda Seyfried Goes Dark to Play 'Lovelace'".RetrievedFebruary 2,2011.
  27. ^Kellam, Mark (January 27, 2012)."'Deep Throat' in Glendale? No, just filming Linda Lovelace biopic ".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  28. ^"#Lovelace officially wrapped..."Twitter.com. February 3, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  29. ^Blay, Zeba (February 5, 2012)."Amanda Seyfried 'Lovelace' biopic wraps".Digital Spy.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  30. ^NPR Staff (August 10, 2013)."'Lovelace': A Sex Superstar's Struggle To Show Herself ".KERA News.RetrievedMarch 17,2022.
  31. ^Breznican, Anthony (January 16, 2013)."'Lovelace': Sarah Jessica Parker cut from porn drama – EXCLUSIVE ".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJune 12,2013.
  32. ^Breznican, Anthony (December 3, 2012)."Sundance to premiere 'Lovelace' and Ashton Kutcher's Steve Jobs biopic".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedJanuary 13,2013.
  33. ^"Lovelace Trailer, News, Videos, and Reviews".ComingSoon.net.RetrievedJuly 3,2013.
  34. ^"Lovelace".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedOctober 12,2024.
  35. ^"Lovelace".Metacritic.RetrievedOctober 23,2013.
  36. ^Roeper, Richard(August 9, 2013)."LovelaceReview ".Reelz.RetrievedOctober 23,2013.
  37. ^Nelson, Rob."Review: ReviewLovelace".Variety.RetrievedJanuary 23,2013.
  38. ^Meyncke, Amanda Mae."Sundance Review: 'Lovelace'".Film.com.RetrievedJanuary 23,2013.
  39. ^"Lovelace" – by Gerard Damiano Jr.,The Rialto Report, August 13, 2013
  40. ^Deep Throat: Damiano, Lovelace.. and "Lovelace",The Rialto Report, September 8, 2013
  41. ^Lovelace SoundtrackAllMUSIC. Retrieved January 8, 2014
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