Jamie-lynnSigler Tagged Articles at Cinematical

You might remember a new film I posted about last year called Son of Mourning. The film was set to star Joseph Cross (Running with Scissors) as a young man who goes to Florida to process his parent's divorce. While there, he is mistaken for the Messiah, and has to decide what he wants with his new-found fame -- to help himself out, or to help the world. Just to make things more interesting, the world is in the midst of an international climate crisis. Tim Curry, Heather Graham, and Barbara Hershey had also signed on for roles.

And now we're getting some female Sopranos in the mix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Both Lorraine Bracco and Jamie-Lynn Sigler have signed on to the indie satire. Bracco will play Cross' soon-to-be-divorced mom, while Sigler will play his love interest. Originally, I'd imagined that Hershey and Curry will be the parents, but sadly, it looks like they might have left the project. (No!) The THR story only lists Graham, and the IMDb listing doesn't mention Barbara Hershey and says that Curry is only a rumored addition. If any of you Mourning crew are reading, give us the low-down!

The New York Times reported yesterday on a series of short films being produced by Glamour (gotta love that British spelling) magazine, based on "true stories" submitted by readers, "by and about women." Aw. The series -- financed entirely by Cartier, to the tune of about $2 million -- is called "Reel Moments" (Did I mention "aw"?), and will actually have a 10-city theatrical run starting in October, in addition to being available on the magazine's website.

In an effort to increase the profile of the series, Glamour has signed some notable female names to direct, among them Jennifer Aniston and Bryce Dallas Howard; Robin Wright Penn and Jamie-Lynn Sigler will star in two of the films, and both will appear for free. Aniston in particular is excited about the opportunity, and the fact that so many women are involved. Though not "a bleeding-heart anything," she wants us all to know that she thinks more women should be directing. Because, she says, "I think I like women. I support women." Good to know, Jen. Thanks for sharing.

Profits from the films, such as they are, will be donated in part to FilmAid International, "a nonprofit group that introduces women in underdeveloped countries to film."

[Edited 8/2 to correct the names; thanks, Stu.]

There's no good reason for it whatsoever, but I'm sort of perpetually annoyed at Frank Whaley. I've actually seen a lot of his movies, but I think he somehow bears the brunt of my desperate hatred for Swimming with Sharks, in which he had the great misfortune to play personal assistant to Kevin Spacey's absurdly sadistic (like, so sadistic that it just gets stupid) boss. I'm sorry, Frank, because I really like your gooey early movies (particularly Field of Dreams and Swing Kids), but I just don't think I can get over Swimming with Sharks.

For the Whaley fans among you, however, your man is getting ready to direct his third film, New York City Serenade.* The movie, which The Hollywood Reporter describes in such detail that I suspect they're on someone's payroll, is based on a period in the actor/director's own life, and tells the story of "two close friends who realize that sometimes to keep a friend you have to grow up and grow apart." (And here we go again with the summary that spells the movie's moral out for us before it's even made. Super.) The plot becomes pretty complicated, but basically the friends are an aspiring filmmaker (Owen, to be played by Freddie Prinze Jr.) and "a drummer, ex-husband and father who plays the dive bar circuit" (Ray, played by Chris Klein); they have a falling-out which, like all good falling-outs, revolves around Wallace Shawn. Also in the cast is Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who plays Owen's finaceé.

*For the musically-inclined among you, the movie takes its title from a Bruce Springsteen song. And, in further news, Ed Harcourt will both "[oversee] the original songs and score" and record a cover of Springsteen song for the soundtrack.