Films: Harvest

Harvest

USA, 2010, 102 Minute Running Time
Genre/Subjects: American Indie, Drama, Family Issues, Medical/Health
Program: New Directors Showcase
Language: English

DIRECTOR: Marc Meyers
Producer: Jody Girgenti, Marc Meyers
Editor: Colleen Sharp
Screenwriter: Marc Meyers
Cinematographer: Ruben O'Malley
Principal Cast: Robert Loggia, Barbara Barrie, Jack T. Carpenter, Arye Gross, Peter Friedman, Victoria Clark

Harvest is first and foremost a film about family—namely the Monopolis, a multigenerational Connecticut clan struggling with the impending death of its patriarch over the course of one summer. After Silvio (Robert Loggia), a World War II vet, is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, his hovering, approval-seeking daughter Anna (Tony Award–winning actress Victoria Clark) takes charge—or tries to.

When Anna’s son Josh comes for a weekend visit, she guilts him into staying for the summer. Meanwhile, her brother Benny, a control freak, tries to change Silvio’s will and take over as executor of the estate. And when their brother Carmine, a local politician, shows up, the three play out age-old sibling rivalries. Josh, often caught in the crossfire, reluctantly acts as mediator. As for Silvio himself, he is determined to defy his dire prognosis on the sly: the bicycle rides he takes through town are unbeknownst to all but Josh. Complicating things even further is Grandma Yetta (Barbara Barrie); overcome with dementia, she wanders the yard sweeping grass and talking to imaginary companions.

Director Marc Meyers wrote this touching story as a tribute to his own grandfather, an immigrant who settled in Madison, Connecticut, where Harvest is set. The city gave Meyers its full support, providing much of the secondary cast and crew—and functioning as a character in its own right.
—Joey Porcelli

Sponsored by

Harvest Trailer from Ibid Filmworks on Vimeo.

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