Synecdoche, New York

Infobox Film
name = Synecdoche, New York


caption = Promotional poster for "Synecdoche, New York".
director = Charlie Kaufman
writer = Charlie Kaufman
starring = Philip Seymour Hoffman
Catherine Keener
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Michelle Williams
Samantha Morton
Hope Davis
Emily Watson
Dianne Weist
Tom Noonan
producer = Anthony Bregman
Spike Jonze
Charlie Kaufman
distributor = Sony Pictures Classics
released = North America:
October 24 2008 [ [http://www.beingcharliekaufman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=897&Itemid=102 Synecdoche, New York official release date] ]
runtime =
country = United States
language = English
imdb_id = 0383028

"Synecdoche, New York" is an upcoming film written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, in his directorial debut. It premiered in competition Friday, May 23rd at the 2008 61st Annual Cannes Film Festival [Cannes Film Festival, [http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/festival/officialSelection.html 2008 Cannes Film Festival Official Selection.] ] , and will be in limited release from October 24, 2008.

Title

The title is a play on Schenectady, New York, where some of the story takes place, with synecdoche, which reflects a trope of the film. [Jay A. Fernandez, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/cl-et-scriptland13sep13,0,4222289.story Reading Charlie Kaufman's Next Project.] "Los Angeles Times" Sept. 13, 2006] The title also refers to the fact that the main character builds a replica of New York in a warehouse for his play.

Summary

Caden, the main character, is a theatre director. After the inception of his new play, he discovers that his various autonomic functions are shutting down one at a time. The movie goes into themes such as the nature of family, of home, and of male-female relationships, all while blurring the nature of reality and representation in a nature consistent with the earlier work of Charlie Kaufman. [Drew McWeeny, [http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30224 ZeroC Reviews The Newest Charlie Kaufman Script!!] "Ain't It Cool News", Sept. 26, 2006]

Details

The film was originally set to be directed by Spike Jonze who instead chose to direct "Where the Wild Things Are". [Jay A. Fernandez, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/cl-et-scriptland13sep13,0,4222289.story Reading Charlie Kaufman's Next Project.] "Los Angeles Times" Sept. 13, 2006] Not much is known about the story other than it focuses on a playwright and his relationships with various women throughout his life. The film also will have questions about reality, similar to Kaufman's earlier screenplays "Being John Malkovich", "Adaptation.", and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".

The movie has been described by Kaufman as being "creepy" but not a traditional horror movie. [ Ed Symkus [http://www.beingcharliekaufman.com/articles/symkustalk.htm A Talk With Charlie Kaufman] . "Daily News Transcript", March 18, 2004 on Charlie Kaufman personal website]

Cast

The confirmed cast is Philip Seymour Hoffman as the playwright Caden, Catherine Keener as his first wife Adele, Michelle Williams as his second wife Claire, Samantha Morton as his mistress Hazel, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Keener's best friend Maria. [Nicole Sperling and Gregg Goldstein [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ic3141078f1f1c99f61248b08b4b2ddbf Five on way to Kaufman's "Synecdoche"] "Hollywood Reporter" Jan 11, 2007]

Notes

External links

*imdb title|id=0383028