Last month I wrote about Margaret, a film starring Anna Paquin and Matt Damon that was shot six years ago but hasn’t been released yet because director Kenneth Lonergan, writer of Gangs of New York and Analyze This, has battled with the studio Fox Searchlight over the length of the film. Despite being contracted for a film under two and a half hours, Lonergan has refused to reduce the length of his three hour cut despite Fox Searchlight even reportedly bringing in Martin Scorsese to work a compromise with Lonergan. Though at that time it wasn’t clear which side “won,” we seem to have an answer now.
Buried in a Deadline report about the Telluride Film Festival seems to confirm that when the film finally hits theaters on September 30 it won’t be Lonergan‘s three hour cut. According to the article, “Contractually the film, which once ran more than 3 hours, must come in under 2 1/2 hours. Official time I am told is now 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 40 seconds. “There’s a good movie in there somewhere,” the staffer said. Not everything can be a winner.”
Yikes, when someone who works for the studio is already saying that the film can’t be a winner three weeks before it’s release you know the movie is, at best, a flawed piece of work. Nonetheless the trailer has come out recently which seems to offer an interesting film that tackles a number of moral dilemmas. Though I have to admit, part of me can’t get over how young Paquin looks in this “new” film. I expect that this trailer will be the extent of promotion we’ll get for this film, as I doubt Fox Searchlight expects this to make any sort of money.
Although a DVD release of the director’s cut might not hurt… I’m more curious in seeing that myself. Anyway, check out the trailer below:
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