Closing Night Film: Ezra

TAGS: Drama Film

Sat 04/13/2024

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Marimbas Award

Preceded by an Art of Light Award presentation to Director Tony Goldwyn

When a film stars Robert De Niro, you take notice. When a film stars Robert De Niro, Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson, and Whoopie Goldberg, you instantly know you’re in for something special. AndEzra is just that.

Stand-up comedian Max Brandel (Bobby Cannavale) leans on his life experiences for his comedy sets, and his son, Ezra, certainly provides plenty of inspiration. 11-years-old, brilliant, and on the austism spectrum, Ezra is funny, spirited, and, yes…sometimes a little chaotic. When Max and his ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne) are advised to enroll Ezra in a specialized school and to start him on medication, the two parents disagree about the proper course of action, leading Max to run off with Ezra without Jenna’s permission, taking him on a cross-country trip that the father-son duo won’t soon forget.

Best known as a celebrated actor for his roles in films such as Ghost and Shonda Rhimes’ hit show Scandal, Tony Goldwyn puts on his directing hat in this endlessly lovable tale of good intentions and misguided actions. With a supremely delicate touch, he’s crafted a film that’s funny, heartwarming, and achingly sensitive. It’s a star-studded work that, despite the chaos at the forefront, never forgets about the most important thing: the deeply rooted love of family.

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Actor, director, producer Tony Goldwyn just finished a sold-out run of director Ivo Van Hove's Broadway production of Network with Bryan Cranston and Tatiana Maslany. He can be seen on the Netflix series, Chambers, starring with Uma Thurman. Recently he concluded his role as 'President Fitzgerald Grant' in Shonda Rhimes' remarkable series Scandal after its seven-season run. Goldwyn continues to juggle multiple projects both behind and in front of the camera.