The Amateurs
The Amateurs, originally called The Moguls, is a 2005 comedy film written and directed by Michael Traeger and starring Jeff Bridges.[3] The story revolves around six friends in a small town in the United States who decide to make a full-length amateur adult film.[4]
The Amateurs | |
---|---|
Directed by | Michael Traeger |
Written by | Michael Traeger |
Produced by | Scott Kroop Adam Merims Scott Strauss |
Starring | Jeff Bridges Tim Blake Nelson Joe Pantoliano William Fichtner Ted Danson Patrick Fugit |
Cinematography | Denis Maloney |
Edited by | Raúl Dávalos |
Music by | Nic. tenBroek |
Distributed by | First Look Studios |
Release date |
|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $64,253[2] |
The film was released under the title The Moguls in the United Kingdom on April 28, 2006. The film was released under the title The Amateurs and opened in limited release in the United States on December 7, 2007.
Plot
Six friends come together to try to find fame and fortune by making the world's most innocent adult movie ever made. Although they have literally no idea what they're doing, they keep at it and are determined to accomplish their goal...no matter what gets in the way.
After the clueless crew finally completes the film, they screen it for the first time at the local bar. The brother of a girl whose scene ultimately was not used (besides some brief shots of her face) barges in, takes the reel off the projector, covers it in whiskey and sets it aflame.
It is revealed that this was the only print they had and that all their work has been lost. However, the cinematographer had been videotaping the entire production process on mini DV tapes. He then edits these down into a completely innocent documentary, minus the nudity and sex scenes, about the trials and tribulations of making (and then losing) their original film. This new version is released as the titular The Amateurs which becomes a critical and financial success on the independent film circuit.
Cast
- Jeff Bridges as Andy
- Tim Blake Nelson as Barney
- William Fichtner as Otis
- Joe Pantoliano as Some Idiot
- Patrick Fugit as Emmett
- Isaiah Washington as Homer
- Steven Weber as Howard
- Ted Danson as "Moose"
- John Hawkes as Moe
- Jeanne Tripplehorn as Thelma
- Glenne Headly as Helen
- Tom Bower as Floyd
- Lauren Graham as Peggy
- Dawn Didawick as Clara
- Norm O'Neill as Clara's Man
- Alex D. Linz as Billy
References
- "A wasted effort for some film acting pros". Los Angeles Times. 7 December 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- "The Amateurs". Box Office Mojo.
- Mark Deming (2015). "The Amateurs". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10.
- "Jeff Bridges Is No 'Amateur'". CBS News. January 11, 2009.
External links
- The Amateurs at IMDb
- The Amateurs at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Amateurs at Metacritic
- The Amateurs at Box Office Mojo
- The Amateurs at AllMovie
- The Amateurs Lebowski Podcast review