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    Helen Hunt Directs Feature Film “Ride,” Eyes Return To TV

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1738 Views
    In this Tuesday, April 28, 2015 file photo, Helen Hunt arrives at the LA Premiere of "Ride" at The Arclight Hollywood Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File)

    When Helen Hunt met with Australian actor Brenton Thwaites to audition for the role of her son in "Ride" — a movie she wrote and directed — the actress liked him but didn't think he was right for the part.

    "I wrote it as a love story between a mother and a son, so it was all about who was gonna be this boy and Brenton came in to audition," Hunt recalls. "I didn't know what to do because he's gorgeous and kind, clearly on his way to being a movie star, no doubt about it, and totally wrong for what I wrote."

    But Thwaites wouldn't take no for an answer and asked if he could have another audition.

    "That reminded me of me," said Hunt in a recent interview. "I got some of the best parts I've ever had by saying I'd like to come back in" — like her role in 1997's "As Good as it Gets," which won her a best actress Oscar.

    After a couple of auditions, Hunt said director James L. Brooks told her, '"I'm really close to thinking you're right for it,' and I remember telling him, 'You should be sure. I want you to be sure.' … I wanted him to believe in me."

    In "Ride," Hunt plays a single mom who is completely devoted to her college-aged son. When he drops out of school and moves cross country to surf, she follows him and takes up the sport, too. Along the way, she begins to re-establish her own identity.

    Hunt, 51, said she "didn't bother" wondering whether someone else could play her part because she didn't think anyone else would "put up with what I put up with. I was in the ocean for nine hours at a stretch."

    Fortunately, surfing and the ocean are important to Hunt in real-life.

    "There is nothing that right-sizes you more than that beautiful, big body of water," she said.

    Hunt says she's now in the middle of writing her third film, and is also planning a return to television (she co-starred with Paul Reiser in the NBC sitcom "Mad About You" from 1992-1999).

    "I'm developing a show with my partner (Matthew Carnahan) that is wild and weird and I hope we get a chance to make it. I'm smart enough to not have any prejudice about the size of the screen. It's the part and the writing and the story."

    "Ride" is now playing in limited theatrical release and also in VOD.

    By Alicia Rancilio

    Category:News
    Tags:Helen HuntRide

    Director Kacper Larski Joins RSA Films For Spot Representation

    Tuesday, November 12, 2024

    RSA Films has added director Kacper Larski to its roster for commercial representation in the U.S. Larski is known for his work in automotive and sport, and a style of filmmaking which features epic visuals and gripping montage, often combining the real and surreal. Among his most recent commercial films are Garmin’s “Fenix 8” (direct to brand), U.S. Army Reserve’s “Helper” (DDB Chicago) and Bushmills Whiskey’s “Follow No One” (Mekanism). He’s also directed campaigns for Hyundai, Jeep, GMC, Subaru, VW, Mazda and Chevrolet.

    Larski’s distinctive aesthetic emerged in one of his first projects, Land Rover’s “68 Years Later,” which won a Cannes Young Directors Award in 2016. Two years later, he directed the “Greatness is Rare” campaign for BBDO Toronto and the Canadian Paralympic Committee which won Cannes Lion Gold. Prior to joining RSA, Larski had most recently been repped in the U.S. market by production house Eleanor.

    “The camera and film for me have always been about the ability to live 1,000 lives,” Larski said. “Stylistically, I want to transport viewers in whatever stories I’m telling--a super athlete’s runner’s high, a skier’s dream powder, a giant’s tale, even driving in space.”

    “Kacper is one of the most exciting filmmakers I’ve seen over the last several years,” said Luke Ricci, president, RSA Films US. “Whether it’s a character, an emotion, an environment, car or other product, he has a special and distinctive way of capturing and articulating the world around him in all his work. He is a fantastic addition to our RSA family.”

    “Joining RSA is a dream come true,” Larski said. “The roster includes some of the best filmmakers in the world, with founder Ridley Scott... Read More

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