Claudia weill is an american film director best known for her film girlfriends 1978, starring melanie mayron, christopher guest, bob balaban and eli wallach, made independently and sold to warner brothers after multiple awards at cannes, filmex and sundance. One of its many gentle astonishments was brought to mind by a viewing of alex ross perrys recently. While that seems like an adequate enough description of lena dunhams recent indie success story tiny furniture, it is in fact also an apt summary of director claudia weill s 1978 film girlfriends. Grab your former roommate and have a listen as christine and emily tackle a pair of cinematic spiritual twins. The enduring legacy of claudia weills girlfriends little white lies. Claudia weill s delightful and groundbreaking indie follows aspiring new york photographer melanie mayron in a stylishly subtle performance as she navigates her way through a complicated web of friendships and romantic entanglements after her best friend and flatmate leaves to get married. The feminine critique 88 girlfriends ha internet archive. Claudia has something to say, girlfriends the hip opinion. We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic.
Press photo claudia weill, director of the film girlfriends lrx65559. Prior to making this popular film, weill spent ten years as a camerawoman and documentarist. Film quarterly, published since 1958, provides readers with insightful analyses of film, the film industry, and international cinemas. Unsung girlfriends had great impact on feminist cinema. There she meets a man, the son of the woman her father is marrying. Melanie mayron and claudia weill in girlfriends 1978. Girlfriend was written by vicki polon and directed by claudia weill. Det danske filminstitut registrerer international festivaldeltagelse og priser til danske film, dog prim. Girlfriends manufactured on demand, widescreen, mono sound on. Her life starts to change when her roommate and only friend decides to get married. Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the claudia weill directed movie via subscription can be.
Girlfriends was also shown at gpjffs second festival in 1982. Jul 14, 2019 starring michael urie broadways torch song, ugly betty, poas a departure and tony winner harriet harris frasier, desperate housewives, phantom thread, my husband by paul rudnick the new yorker, the upcoming the devil wears prada is directed by claudia weill girlfriends, hbos girls, poas hate baby. Girlfriends this is a warm, emotional and at times wise picture about friendship. Realism in girlfriends 1978 directed by claudia weill. Claudia weills girlfriends 1978 is still a pretty good film about a young jewish woman melanie mayron who loses her livein friendship with bff anne anita skinner when the latter moves out to get married. Claudia weills girlfriends movie confessions of a movie. Cyclops girlfriends focuses on a pair of roommates, susan weinblatt and anne munroe. Subscribe to the new yorker on youtube to keep up with all of our latest videos and shows. After a little rupauls drag race and wonder woman chitchat, the ladies delve into 1978s girlfriends, directed by claudia weill, and 2012s frances ha.
From indie filmmakers greta gerwig and noah baumbach to. Shot on 16mm film stock that enhances its warm, livedin interiors, girlfriends primary concern is the evolving relationship between amateur. Looney tunes on film with an audience and on youtube whenever i have seven minutes. The girlfriends is a movie produced in 1978 and directed by claudia weill. Producerdirector claudia weill its my turn captures. She is stuck with smallchange shooting jobs and dreams of success.
The bond between girlfriends, as girlfriends details, goes much deeper than physical attraction or sex. Girlfriends has also picked up recent steam as a parallel to the storylines in lena dunhams hbo series, girls, so much so that dunham and claudia weill have made public appearances. Its about valuable, delicate and complex ties that bind people girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and lovers. Girlfriends 1978 posted on january 7, 2018 leave a comment. Girlfriends 1978 a semi forgotten pioneer of reddit. When the best friends go their separate ways, girlfriends focuses on what happens to the one left behind. Its about valuable, delicate and complex ties that bind people girlfriends. From girlfriends to my socalled life, the underrated.
The small film is thinly written by vicki polon as played out in episodes. Claudia weill s film girlfriends was shown as part of the lineup on tcms trailblazing women series that took place last year the film was new to me and thought it deserved a writeup because it is the precursor to so many films and female friendships depicted on our screens today, including nicole holofceners walking and talking, kristen wiigsbridesmaids, frances ha, and lena. Download classics torrents from our searched results, get classics torrent or magnet via bittorrent clients. Melanie mayron on how snapshots is based on a true story duration. That film, i thought, was one of the very rare american films that i would compare with the serious, intelligent, sensitive writing and filmmaking that you find in the best directors in europe. Unsung girlfriends had great impact on feminist cinema local news. The series centers on a woman who works as a photographer who finds herself taking on a lot of jobs for not very much money. Postscreening conversation with director claudia weill and archive film programmer paul malcolm. With the rise of mumblecore, recent popularity of greta gerwig, and interest in the women perspective in films, why isnt girlfriends considered one of the most important films in film history. Claudia weill is an american film director best known for her film girlfriends 1978, starring.
Claudia weill s 1978 film girlfriends can be seen as the orginiary text for these releases, giving as it does a perceptive insight into the problems of growing up and apart. Top 100 american films by women directors by erin hill and brian hu download as. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that youve provided to them or that theyve collected from your use of their services. The dialogue is understated and naturalistic, and the performances, particularly from melanie mayron in the lead role of susan, are gentle and unfussy. Girlfriends is a comedy drama that was released in 1973. One of the first fictional efforts by former documentary maker claudia weill, girlfriends focuses on a pair of roommates, susan weinblatt and anne munroe, played by melanie mayron and anita skinner. Director claudia weill s unsung 1978 feature girlfriends, is the tale of two flatmates growing up and growing apart in new york. It is so close to girls in style, tone and pacing that its perfect that dunham gave episodes to director claudia weill to direct. This film about two best friends and roommates trying to make it in nyc resonated so much with actress lena dunham that she immediately invited director claudia weill to direct an episode of her hit show, girls 201217. On friday night, the film will screen at the human resources art space in l. Weills film chronicles changes, choices, and conflicts in weinblatts life.
Anne gets married, leaving the plump, insecure susan alone for virtually the first time in her life. Rent claudia wells movies and tv shows on dvd and bluray. She is a director, known for girlfriends 1978, girls 2012 and abc afterschool specials 1972. It is no secret that the cinema canon has historically skewed toward lionizing the white, male auteur. Claudia weills film girlfriends was shown as part of the lineup on tcms trailblazing women series that took place last year the film was new to me and thought it deserved a writeup because it is the precursor to so many films and female friendships depicted on our screens today, including nicole holofceners walking and talking, kristen wiigsbridesmaids, frances ha, and lena. For claudia weill groundbreaking director of the 1978 feature film girlfriends the opportunity came halfway through her undergraduate studies at harvard university, where she was majoring in the venerable history and literature program. After a little rupauls drag race and wonder woman chitchat, the ladies delve into 1978s girlfriends, directed by claudia weill, and 2012s frances ha, by noah baumbach with a little help from greta gerwig. Girlfriends, the new film by claudia weill, is composed of so many small, deft scenes that one is reminded of a handsome piece of embroidery, lovingly made whole. Director claudia weill talks with gina about how girlfriends was made and financed, her creative endeavors in television and theatre, and why she made just a handful of movies.
Why isnt claudia weills girlfriends not more known. Girlfriends manufactured on demand, widescreen, mono sound. Claudia weills girlfriends is a marvellous film that presents. Looking to feast your eyes on girlfriends in the comfort of your own home. This was claudia weill s feature film debut that met with high accolades including director stanley kubrick who considered it his favorite film of 1978. Dec 26, 2012 lena dunham in conversation with claudia weill after the mindblowing girlfriends and with the incredible nora ephron after this is my life, both at bam. Call your girlfriend girlfriends listen via stitcher for. When her roommate decides to get married and leave, she feels hurt and has to learn how to deal with living alone. The film stars melanie mayron as susan weinblatt, a jewish photographer who experiences loneliness once her roommate anne anita skinner moves out of their apartment in new york city. Anne gets married, leaving the plump and insecure susan alone for virtually the first time in her life. Long before girls in the big city became a common trope, via the films of nora ephron to sex and the city and lena dunhams girls, girlfriends was one of. Girlfriends gershman philadelphia jewish film festival. Click on any episode below to listen and view links, credits, and a full transcript.
It was the first american independent film to be funded with grants, although private investors were. Claudia weill discusses her 1978 touchstone of american independent filmmaking. On a rare occasion she takes a day off, and goes to her fathers wedding. Its documentary filmmaker claudia weill s first feature, although theres no reason to apologetically pigeonhole. Girlfriends 1978 watch on fubotv, tcm, and streaming online. Finding a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the claudia weilldirected movie via subscription can be. Girlfriends 1978 a chubby photographer melanie mayron is on her own in manhattan after her best friend anita skinner moves out. Inevitable comparisons are frances ha in pregentrified manhattan, with less dance montages and much bigger hair. Girlfriends still shines as a revelation in style and. In a 1980 interview with the director claudia weill.
Screening followed by a conversation between rachel weisz and hilton als. The dialogue is understated and naturalistic, and the performances, particularly from melanie mayron in. With melanie mayron, eli wallach, adam cohen, anita skinner. Listen to call your girlfriend episodes free, on demand.
This was based on a screenplay by vicki polon and directed by claudia weill, which means it was the rare film even by todays standards to be almost entirely a female production. Girlfriends 1978 claudia weill cast and crew allmovie. Theres a nice understated quality here that not only brings out a vivid late. Claudia weill, 1978, 16mm transferred to digital file, colour, sound, 88min susan is an emerging photographer in claudia weill s overlooked classic girlfriends 1978. When susans best friend and roommate anne announces her departure from their shared new york apartment, susan is faced with the challenges of freedom and. May 07, 2018 its nebulous ending is not much of a flaw. In spite of the fact that it narrates about women, the movie cannot be considered feministic. The movies script was written by vickie polon tibbetts 270. Are claudia weill and her castcrew time travellers. A refreshing little film that marked the directorial debut of weill, girlfriends strips away the pretentiousness of so many small movies and offers us a real look at real people. Claudia weill was born in 1947 in new york city, new york, usa. Its documentary filmmaker claudia weill s once a heroface of a strangera child lost forever unpretentious and technically adept first feature, supposedly a landmark in feminist and indie filmmaking. O ne of the great cinematic injustices of the late 20th century is that while woody allens name became synonymous with the neurotic artist living in new york city, claudia weill and her debut feature girlfriends was largely forgotten.
Please write a critical response to the movie girlfriends by claudia weill. I think one of the most interesting hollywood films, well not hollywood american films that ive seen in a long time is claudia weill s girlfriends. Weill directed the film on weekends over a the course of a year. Girlfriends 1978 stream and watch online moviefone. A story told with a sharp eye for comedy and surprisingly contemporary feel, girlfriends is a warm. This is the story of a very stressed out math professor who doesnt seem to have any time for a personal life. This results in the woman having to find out what she really wants to do with her life, make new friends, and she eventually goes on a funny journey to find herself. Find movie and film cast and crew information for girlfriends 1978 claudia weill on allmovie. Jerry lewis answering his fans questions at 92ytribeca. Claudia weill is best known for her film girlfriends 1978, which chronicles the struggle of a young girl to become a professional photographer and maintain a friendship with a female pal. In 2019, girlfriends was selected by the library of congress for preservation in the national film registry for being culturally. In new york city, susan weinblatt and anne munroe are longtime roommates and friends. In 1967, which was the summer of love, i got a job working as a production assistant on a paramount. Aspiring photographer susan weinblatt and wouldbe poet anne munroe are best friends and roommates in a fiveflight walkup on manhattans upper west side.
Weills first feature, a painfully true paean to the peculiarities of female friendship, stars thirtysomethings melanie mayron as susan weinblatt, a new york photographer whos blindsided when her roommate and bestie, anne anita skinner, announces that shes moving out to marry boyfriend bob balaban. Susan is a struggling photographer who wants to get out of the wedding and bar mitzvah racket, those jobs which she primarily gets through her friend, rabbi gold, to selling the photographs she wants to take, but she realizes that she has to pay the rent. Learn more about claudia weill at with exclusive news, full bio and filmography as well as photos, videos, and more. Girlfriends has been cited as an influence by girls creator lena dunham and was praised by filmmaker stanley kubrick. I was very fixated on what it meant to be jewish and female in america at that time, because that was what i was facing.
Apr 18, 2014 i first saw this film last fall and i fell head over heels for it. Find similar and related movies for girlfriends 1978 claudia weill on allmovie. Producerdirector claudia weill its my turn captures the offbeat charm and edgy moments of city life as well as a gem of a performance by mayron thirtysomething, missing in her first starring role. Girlfriends is available to stream on fubotv and tcm. Beyond the canon is a monthly series that seeks to question that history and broaden horizons by pairing one muchloved, highly regarded, canonized classic with a thematically or stylisticallyrelatedand equally brilliantwork by a filmmaker traditionally excluded from that discussion. The pioneering director recalls her journey to fiction filmmaking and her desire to go against the grain of womendriven storytelling. Noah baumbachs frances ha brought memories of claudia weills girlfriends to mind almost immediately. In the clip above, i discuss claudia weill s first feature, girlfriends, from 1978. Girlfriends is a 1978 comedydrama film produced and directed by claudia weill and written by vicki polon. Inspired by a line from eleanor bergsteins novel advancing paul newman 1973, filmmaker claudia weill created a nuanced character study rife with the interdependencyand ultimately, rich in the empowermentfound in female companionship.
Girlfriends 1978 usa claudia weill nyc classic gem. The latest film and perhaps the one most explicitly aimed at this once unexplored area is claudia weill s girlfriends, which opens here next week at the cinema i. Seems to have been a big influence on lena dunham and the mumblecore crowd. Claudia weill, jane anderson, bob balaban, tanya berezin, adam cohen, roderick cook. Girlfriends is a 1978 comedydrama film produced and directed by claudia weill and written by.
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