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Presents
a C. JAY COX film
KISS THE BRIDE
TORI SPELLING
PHILIPP KARNER
JAMES O’SHEA
Running Time: 115 mins.
Rating/Certificate: R
OFFICIAL U.S. WEB SITE:
www.kissthebridemovie.com
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SYNOPSIS:
Short:
As Ryan (James O’Shea) and Alex (Tori Spelling) prepare to walk
down the aisle, their happy day is disrupted by the arrival of Ryan’s
old high school friend, Matt (Philipp Karner), with whom Ryan had a
fling in his teenage years. Suddenly, both Matt and Ryan are forced to
confront long-forgotten feelings for each other while perky,
unsuspecting Alex quickly befriends Matt. The result is a funny,
fascinating exploration of the complex social and sexual landscape of
today’s society.
Long:
Kiss the Bride follows the impending nuptials of happy, heterosexual
couple Ryan (James O’Shea) and Alex (Tori Spelling). Their
happiness is disrupted by the arrival of Ryan’s old high school friend,
Matt (Philipp Karner), with whom Ryan had a fling in his teenage
years.
When Matt receives an invitation to Ryan's wedding he's surprised –
especially by the fact that Ryan is marrying a woman. Matt interrupts
his ideal life in San Francisco to return to his hometown. He plans to
rescue his former love from whatever "she-devil" has trapped him into
this huge mistake.
Ryan's perky fiancé, Alex, on the other hand, takes quite the liking to
Matt. As Matt tries to rekindle the old flame, Ryan is intent on putting
out any sparks. Ryan dismisses their old romance as just a high school
tryst, but Matt realizes Ryan may still be the love of his life. All the
while, Matt must deal with "his new best friend" Alex, their two
families and a hometown he thought he had left entirely in the past.
As the wedding day fast approaches, old feelings resurface and secrets
are revealed. Each of them must balance the past with the present,
and make a choice that will determine the rest of their lives. Kiss the
Bride is a comedic, fascinating exploration of the complex social and
sexual landscape of today’s society.
About the Filmmakers:
SHADOW FACTORY (PRODUCTION COMPANY):
Shadow Factory is dedicated to producing commercially successful
entertainment projects under an efficient economic model. The
company is anchored on the creative talent of C. Jay Cox, and
structured through the practical experience of Bob Schuck and Richard
Santilena. Having been friends and collaborators for over 15 years, C.
Jay, Bob, and Richard formed Shadow Factory in 2005 to, as the
company’s Mission Statement attests, “create a body of work that is
entertaining, profitable and reflects the creative vision of the
partners.”
Shadow Factory is developing a variety of projects that cover a range
of changing markets. With a flexible structure and cohesive production
team, more emphasis can be placed on project development and
assembling the right talent for the right endeavor. As they’ve proven
with their first project, Kiss the Bride, C. Jay, Bob and Richard know
how to bring together the proper mix of people and resources to make
any pursuit meaningful, successful and entertaining.
C. JAY COX (PRODUCER/DIRECTOR):
C. Jay Cox grew up on a ranch in Eastern Nevada. His first screenplay,
The Thing in Bob’s Garage, was optioned by Norman Lear. He has
subsequently written projects for Bette Midler and Antonio Banderas,
as well as The Walt Disney Co., Columbia Pictures and New Line
Cinema. He wrote Sweet Home Alabama, which became Reese
Witherspoon’s highest grossing movie and holds the record for the
biggest September opening ever.
As a filmmaker, he began screening short films, such as Get That Girl
and reason thirteen, at Outfest. His feature directorial debut, Latter
Days, won the HBO Award for Best First Feature at 2003’s Outfest, and
went on to win nearly a dozen other awards at festivals from
Rochester to Rio de Janerio. It became the highest grossing gay film
of 2004.
In 2005, he formed Shadow Factory with producing partners Bob
Schuck and Richard Santilena. Their first feature, Kiss the Bride,
stars Tori Spelling, Joanna Cassidy, Tess Harper and Robert Foxworth,
among others. Ty Lieberman wrote the script as a fellow in the
Outfest Screenwriting Lab, for which C. Jay has been a mentor for
several years. C. Jay was thrilled to have to have his “homegrown
Outfest movie” selected as the closing night film for the 25th
Anniversary Outfest, as well as for the closing night at the Philadelphia
International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
TY LIEBERMAN (WRITER):
Raised in Charlevoix, Michigan (pop. 2,994), Tyler
Lieberman graduated from the University of Michigan in 2004 with a
BA in Film. While in Ann Arbor, he received two Hopwood Awards for
Dramatic Writing and won a UTA-sponsored screenwriting contest.
In 2004, he dropped the "-ler" from his name and headed out West,
where he survived various temp and internship experiences. In 2005
his script, Kiss the Bride, was accepted into the Outfest
Screenwriting Lab. Later that summer, a stage version of Kiss the
Bride premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Ty was
recently featured in the June 2007 "Out in Hollywood" section of The
Advocate.
Ty spends his days in Sherman Oaks, CA, blogging and writing
screenplays (five and counting). He enjoys playing guitar, tennis, golf
and Texas Hold 'Em.
SCOTT ZIMMERMAN (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER):
Scott Zimmerman has spent over 20 years working in the
entertainment industry in various capacities. He started his career in
the motion picture department at the William Morris Agency,
representing, among others, actors such as Matt Dillon, Kurt Russell
and Marisa Tomei and directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Gus
Van Sant. He was involved in helping cast films that became influential
to the independent film world, including Sex, Lies and Videotape and
Drugstore Cowboy. He also helped put together films such as My Own
Private Idaho and Pulp Fiction. He then turned to the management
side of the business, working with Untitled Entertainment for six years.
He also executive produced the gay indie hit Latter Days and is
currently working with Evolution Entertainment. He has represented C.
Jay Cox for ten years.
Scott has also served two years as a board member of the Trevor
Project, the only nationwide, 24-hour suicide prevention hotline for
gay and questioning youth.
Scott lives in Los Angeles with his 17 year old son.
RICHARD SANTILENA (PRODUCER):
A solid business background, coupled with entertainment project
experience, allows Richard Santilena to effectively balance business
requirements with the creative process. His track record in marketing,
operations and finance includes such accomplishments as:
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Creation, implementation, and management of national
marketing campaigns and promotional programs for various
Fortune 500 companies, including Time Warner, Comcast, AT&T
Broadband and DIRECTV
Producer and director of over 25 hours of marketing and training
videos for DIRECTV
Producer of C. Jay Cox’s short film Hell for Homosexuals, which
screened at several film festivals
Owner of a marketing consulting company, which coordinates
graphic art, print advertising and overall strategic messaging for
small businesses
Utilizing his MBA from Loyola Marymount, Richard combines creative
experience with a practical business foundation. His expertise in
production scheduling, accounting oversight and line-item
management greatly benefited Kiss the Bride by providing a
pragmatic yet imaginative perspective.
BOB SCHUCK (PRODUCER):
Twenty-five years of management experience, combined with an MBA
and a natural attention to detail, provided Bob Schuck with all of the
elements necessary to keep Kiss the Bride on-track from inception
through completion. His prior accomplishments included:
•
•
•
•
Management of crews of up to 100 individuals, with
responsibility for staffing, performance oversight and on-going
direction to achieve the overall vision
Management of production, including scheduling, timelines and
contingency planning
Creation and implementation of budget line-items, including
detailed project break-downs and overall budget accountability
Field/corporate liaison with responsibility for project coordination
and execution
Bob’s proven effectiveness for managing resources and assembling a
diverse team of talented individuals enables projects to reach their
maximum potential, both creatively and financially. His
comprehensive management skills provided strong leadership on Kiss
the Bride and ensured accuracy and accountability in every respect.
JENNIFER SCHAEFER, POWERGIRL PICTURES (LINE
PRODUCER):
Jennifer is the founder and owner of PowerGirl Pictures. In 2005
Jennifer, along with 42 Frames Productions, produced the feature film
Arc, written and directed by Robert Ethan Gunnerson and starring
Peter Facinelli, Ken Howard, Ann Cusack and Blake Robbins. Arc is the
first feature under the PowerGirl Pictures banner. Arc won the Viewers
Choice Award and Gunnerson won the Best Director Award at The
Indie Gathering in 2006, and it had its West Coast premiere at The
Hollywood Film Festival.
Before starting her own company, Jennifer was the VP of Production
for Funny Boy Films. Jennifer was accountable for and oversaw all
aspects of physical and post-production for their entire 10 picture
slate. Because of her work at Funny Boy Films, Jennifer was chosen as
one of Metro Source Magazines “30 People We Love” in 2003.
While at Funny Boy Films, Jennifer also produced the award-winning
feature film Latter Days, written and directed by C. Jay Cox and
starring Mary Kay Place, Erik Palladino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and
Jacqueline Bisset. Latter Days had a theatrical run of eight months on
over 100 screens. It has taken home the Audience Award for Best
Feature at over 10 film festivals. Latter Days is currently available on
DVD and can be seen on Logo. In late 2006 Jennifer teamed up again
with C. Jay Cox to line produce Kiss the Bride.
Jennifer has been Line Producing for feature films and TV for over
eight years. Her more recent features include the feature film
Touched, written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart and starring
Jenna Elfman, Bruce Davison, Diane Venora, Samantha Mathis and
Randall Batinkoff. Touched premiered in early 2005 at the Boston Film
Festival and had its premiere on Lifetime Television in early November
2005. She also worked on Rome & Jewel, written and directed by
Charles T. Kanganis and starring Allen Maldanado, Nathaniel Parker,
and Lindsey Haun. Jennifer was also the Production Coordinator for
the final battle for MTV’s Nike Battlegrounds Season 2. Along with
Line Producing, Jennifer also enjoys post production supervising. She
most recently post supervised the feature film Adam & Steve for Funny
Boy Films.
Jennifer served as co-producer of the critically acclaimed independent
feature The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me in 2000. That same year
she produced the feature length film The Distance. In April 2001 the
film was selected and screened at the New York International
Independent Film and Video Festival and brought home the award for
Best Drama.
Jennifer also worked as delivery supervisor on the Golden Globe and
Academy Award-nominated film Y Tu Mama Tambien, directed by
Alfonso Cuaron. She served as an associate producer for National
Public Radio’s Rock and Roll America before co-founding Bailey Street
Productions, a corporate video company in Indianapolis, IN.
Jennifer is a graduate of Ball State University, where she founded
Cardinal Filmworks. As a result of her groundbreaking work to initiate
a film program for Ball State, she received the distinction of being
selected for the prestigious Kodak Filmmakers Program and was
invited by Kodak to attend the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
LES WILLIAMS (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/LARRY):
Les Williams was born and raised in Perry Hall, MD. Les graduated
from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), where he
appeared in The Bacchae, The Visit, Medea and Salome, an American
College Theatre Festival Finalist. He traveled the East Coast with
Shakespeare on Wheels’ production of As You Like It and was invited
to perform with the professional theatre company in residence at
UMBC, The Maryland Stage Company, in the critically acclaimed
production of Marat/Sade.
Les was chosen to work with world renowned acting teacher Sanford
Meisner and his protégé, Martin Barter. Once graduating the program,
he was invited to be a member of the Sanford Meisner Theater
Company in North Hollywood, CA, where he honed his skills and
worked on several original plays, creating roles in Lynn Mamet’s The
Walking Wounded, Larry Cohen’s Fallen Eagle and Patrick Wood’s
Didn’t You See That?. Other notable performances include Adam and
the Experts, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Doll’s House and A
Chorus Line.
In addition to his stage work, Les has appeared in several film and
television roles, including the popular TV show Days of Our Lives, the
made for TV movies Sketch Artist II and Enemy Within and the
independent film Training Wheels, an official selection at the Phoenix
Film Festival.
Les put his acting aside and for several years was a development
professional for the Anti-Defamation League, raising millions of dollars
to fight anti-Semitism, bigotry and hate. In 2006 he was approached
to executive produce Kiss the Bride, which marks his executive
producing debut.
Les is going back to his acting roots with the independent film
production of The Ghastly Love of Johnny X. Shot in the film noir
Hollywood tradition of black and white and reminiscent of The Rocky
Horror Picture Show and Grease. Les will play the All-American lead,
“Chip,” a man who falls in love with a girl from another planet in a
quirky and fun musical.
About the Cast:
TORI SPELLING (ALEX):
Tori Spelling is a versatile actress whose career spans theatre,
television and film. Spelling and husband, Dean McDermott, can
currently be seen working their own bed and breakfast in the Oxygen
Network reality series Tori & Dean: Inn Love. Spelling and McDermott
created the show and serve as executive producers alongside Fenton
Bailey and Randy Barbato of World of Wonder Productions.
Tori also recently penned a humorous self-deprecating memoir, which
will let readers experience her truly unique life. The book takes an
irreverent look at her family and childhood, marriages, motherhood
and all that stems from a private life made public. The book is set for
release in the spring of 2008.
Tori recently starred in the comedy series So NoTORIous on VH1. She
also served as an executive producer on the scripted comedy, loosely
based on her life. In addition, she starred in the Los Angeles stage
production of the highly acclaimed Maybe Baby, It's You. In the twoperson show, Spelling portrayed eleven different characters. Spelling
has made a guest appearance this season on The CW's hit series
Smallville.
Spelling received critical praise for her performance in the Fine Line
Features comedy Trick, playing an aspiring actress who is constantly
coming between her best friend and his potential hunky one-night
stand.
Her additional feature credits include the independent feature 50 Ways
to Leave Your Lover, opposite Poppy Montgomery and Fred Willard;
Scary Movie 2, the sequel to the 2000 blockbuster; a cameo in Scream
2; and a starring role in the Miramax comedy-drama The House of
Yes, garnering Spelling kudos for her portrayal of a young college
student who meets her fiancée's dysfunctional family over a stormy
Thanksgiving weekend. For ten seasons Spelling starred as “Donna
Martin” on the Fox cornerstone series Beverly Hills, 90210. She also
starred on The WB's midseason comedy series The Help.
In 2004, Spelling launched her own fashion jewelry line, Maven. The
collection consists of necklaces, bracelets, cuffs, pendants, earrings
and rings made out of a variety of metals and semi-precious stones.
Maven is a product of Tori’s passion for style and design and is
currently sold at high-end specialty boutiques throughout the United
States.
Spelling works with numerous charities including Much Love Animal
Rescue, a no-kill shelter dedicated to finding rescued animals loving
homes in the Los Angeles area. She also lends her support to the
Dream Foundation, a charitable organization that helps terminally ill
adults fulfill their dreams.
PHILIPP KARNER (MATT):
Born and raised in Vienna, Austria, to social worker parents, Philipp
Karner is fluent in English, French and German. The 28-year-old actor
discovered his passion for the trade at the age of 12 when he was cast
to play the young composer Johann Strauss in the miniseries The
Strauss Dynasty. Being on set with John Gielgud was an unforgettable
experience for Philipp and he was immediately hooked.
Philipp moved to New York City at age 19. He enrolled at the
acclaimed Lee Strasberg Institute, where he honed his acting craft.
After Karner did some Off Off Broadway plays and had guest parts in
the acclaimed TV series Sex and the City and The Sopranos, he
decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue bigger roles.
Since arriving in Los Angeles, Philipp has had roles on several hit TV
shows such as Without a Trace, Will & Grace, CSI:
Miami and Everwood.
Philipp lives in LA with his two dogs, Milo and Jackson, and he also
recently became an uncle.
In June 2007, Phillip was given the title of America’s Most Eligible
Bachelor by the syndicated entertainment show Extra.
JAMES O’SHEA (RYAN):
James O’Shea was born in New York and raised in Louisiana. As a high
school National Championship soccer player who moved to Los Angeles
to experience the West Coast, James was at first amused but
uninterested in all the suggestions that he should model or act. Soon
he gave into the lure of possible easy cash and decided to give
modeling a try.
Things quickly started to go well, but he found the work unsatisfying.
One day at the conclusion of a shoot, he was sent to meet a casting
director who promptly cast him as a recurring guest star in the series
Sweet Valley High. Other guest roles followed including Charmed,
Roswell and JAG. He also won a starring role in the Internet broadcast
sensation Frat Ratz.
Continuing his career’s rapid ascent, James was tapped to star in one
of the most expensive television pilots ever made, Ice Planet, which
put the industry on notice that he was a serious contender.
ROBERT FOXWORTH (WAYNE):
Robert Foxworth has had the good fortune to have worked in the
American theater for nearly 50 years. From the Guthrie Theatre in
Minneapolis, Arena Stage in Washington, DC, The Old Globe in San
Diego, The Alley Theatre in Houston, Center Stage in Baltimore,
Hartford Stage in Connecticut, South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa,
California, Lincoln Center Theatre, and many more to appearances on
Broadway (most recently in the acclaimed Twelve Angry Men) he has
applied his craft in classics and new works alike.
On television he has starred in many series from Storefront Lawyers
and Men at Law, to 2000 Malibu Road, Falcon Crest for six seasons,
Six Feet Under for two seasons, and innumerable TV movies. Mr.
Foxworth’s guest appearances on series are countless, but most
recently include Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Gilmore Girls and
Boston Legal.
In feature films he has starred in The Black Marble and appeared,
most recently, in Syriana. He can also be heard as “Rachet” in The
Transformers.
Robert and his wife, Stacey, live in Los Angeles.
TESS HARPER (BARBARA):
Tess Harper was nominated for both the Academy Award and the
Golden Globe for her portrayal of “Chick” in Bruce Beresford's Crimes
of the Heart. Previously, she was honored with a Golden Globe
nomination for her role in Beresford's Tender Mercies, which co-starred
Robert Duvall. Other movie credits for the actress include The Jackal,
The Man in the Moon, Silkwood, Karla and this year’s Academy Awardwinning No Country for Old Men.
Tess recently starred opposite Toby Keith and Kelly Preston in the
music drama Broken Bridges.
GARRETT M. BROWN (GERALD):
While probably most widely recognized for his five-year run on the
NBC series Sisters, and for his performance in Uncle Buck with John
Candy, Garrett M. Brown has become a very familiar face to
moviegoers, TV audiences and theatre-goers alike through a wide
variety of roles.
Recent films include Gridiron Gang with The Rock, Fun with Dick and
Jane with Jim Carrey, and the independent feature Arc. He has
appeared on such television series as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
Cold Case, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, NYPD Blue and
multiple episodes of The Shield, The OC, Roswell, Boston Public and
The Practice. He currently recurs on the HBO series Big Love.
He has been active in theatre for many years in both New York and
Los Angeles, and recently served as Artistic Director of Ensemble
Studio Theatre – The LA Project.
JOANNA CASSIDY (EVELYN):
With a career that spans over 30 years in feature films and television,
Joanna Cassidy is today immediately recognized from her Emmynominated role in the successful series Six Feet Under, on which she
played “Margaret Chenoweth,” the acerbic, amoral, self-obsessed
psychologist mother of “Brenda” and “Billy.”
Starting as a print model in San Francisco before making the move to
Los Angeles, Cassidy landed memorable roles in Bob Rafelson's Stay
Hungry, Robert Benton's The Late Show, Ridley Scott's cult classic
Blade Runner and Roger Spottiswoode’s Under Fire.
Some of the talented actress’ other key roles include playing Bob
Hoskins' romantic partner in Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger
Rabbit? and an amusing turn as Christina Applegate's business mentor
in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. She also co-starred in
Vampire in Brooklyn, Chain Reaction, Dangerous Beauty and Ghosts of
Mars, among others.
On the small screen, Cassidy has enlivened many series. She had a
memorable role as the TV director with an on-again, off-again
relationship with her arrogant star, Dabney Coleman, in the sitcom
Buffalo Bill. Her portrayal earned her a Golden Globe Award and an
Emmy nomination. She’s also had recurring roles on such television
classics as Falcon Crest, LA Law, Melrose Place, Diagnosis Murder,
Enterprise and currently recurs on Boston Legal.
In addition, the gifted actress has graced many telefilms and
miniseries, including Hollywood Wives, Live! From Death Row,
Barbarians at the Gate, Other Mothers, in which she was the lesbian
mother of a teenager, and a delicious turn as “Caroline Kass,” opposite
Cybill Shepherd, in Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart.
AMBER BENSON (ELLY):
Amber Benson is best known for her portrayal of Tara on Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. An actress/writer/director, her most recent work
includes the independent films Latter Days, Race You to the Bottom,
Chance and Lovers, Liars and Lunatics, the latter two she also wrote,
produced and directed.
Among Benson's other film credits are The Crush, Bye Bye Love,
Imaginary Crimes and Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed King of
the Hill. Upcoming projects include the original Sci Fi Channel movie
Gryphon and the independent films Strictly Sexual and Tripping
Forward.
She is also the co-author (with Christopher Golden) of two novels for
Random House: The Ghosts of Albion: Accursed and Witchery.
JANE CHO (STEPHANIE):
Jane Cho is building her acting resume, and has credits that include
recurring roles on shows such as The Shield, Presidio Med and The
District. In addition, television audiences know Jane from parts on ER,
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rodney and The Division.
On the theater side, Jane starred for director Mary Zimmerman in the
Off Broadway production of The Arabian Nights at the Brooklyn
Academy of Music and for director Anne Kaufman in Sides at the
Culture Project. Regional theater credits for Jane include working at
the Goodman Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre
Company, Huntington Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Yale Repertory Theatre
and the Actors Gang, among others.
Jane is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Yale School of
Drama, and she currently serves as an Artistic Associate of the About
Face Theatre.
STEVE SANDVOSS (SEAN):
Steve Sandvoss made his acting debut in C. Jay Cox’s 2003 film Latter
Days. Since then, he has accrued a number of film and television
credits. Most recently, he played the lead role in the independent
feature Lie to Me, which also stars Brandon Routh of Superman
Returns. Steve hails from the East Coast, and he graduated from
Harvard in 2002.
MICHAEL MEDICO (CHRIS):
Michael Medico, born and bred in Wilmington, Delaware, has spent the
past seven years in Los Angeles, where met director C. Jay Cox. His
films include: Day Stripper and Pro-Choice, both by David Jahn, Life’s
Too Good, Queer Eye for the Homeless Guy and Grace. His television
credits include: House, The New Adventures of Old Christine,
Threshold, Frasier, Will & Grace, Sex and the City, Law & Order: SVU,
Roswell, Angel, Good Morning Miami and The Young and the Restless.
Before that, he called New York City his home while doing countless
regional theater productions across the county, including: Old Globe,
Rubicon Theatre, San Jose Rep, Huntington Theatre Co., McCarter
Theatre, Arden Theatre, the Shakespeare Theatre - DC, Saratoga
Shakespeare Co., The Caldwell Theatre and Off Broadway: the US
premier of Murder in Mind at La Mama.
Michael received a BFA from Boston University and attended the
British American Drama Academy. He is also the creator and
executive producer of “Hot in Hollywood,” a celebrity driven AIDS
benefit, last year hosted by Jaime Pressly. C. Jay Cox is on the Board
of this benefit and is directing the stage show.
DEAN MCDERMOTT (PLUMBER):
Dean McDermott is a veteran film and television actor who has had
starring roles in such series as 1-800-Missing and Due South, as well
as the Kevin Costner-directed feature Open Range.
Currently, McDermott and wife Tori Spelling can be seen working their
own bed and breakfast in the Oxygen Network reality series Tori &
Dean: Inn Love. Spelling and McDermott created the show and serve
as executive producers along side Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato of
World of Wonder Productions.
McDermott has made numerous television guest appearances on such
popular programming as The Closer, NCIS, Without a Trace and Kojak,
alongside Ving Rhames. He had a recurring role in the long-running
sci fi series Earth: Final Conflict. McDermott also starred in the
television movie Mind Over Murder, where he met his wife Tori
Spelling.
McDermott has received two Gemini nominations for his roles in Lives
of Girls and Women, the telefilm based on the acclaimed Alice Monro
novel of the same name, and the CBS miniseries The Tournament.
McDermott will next be seen in the telefilm The Housesitter, in which
he reunites on camera with his wife, Tori Spelling. McDermott also
served as executive producer on the project, which aired on Oxygen in
2007.
ELIZABETH KELL (MONICA):
Elizabeth Kell is originally from Chicago, but grew up in Boston and
South Florida. She is a graduate of Northwestern University's theatre
program and has lived in Los Angeles for three years. Her recent
theater credits include Love & Hate at the Ruby Theatre and Tape at
the Ivar Theatre, both in Hollywood. She recently starred in the indie
horror film The Lodge and can be seen in an episode of ABC's
According to Jim.
BROOKE DILLMAN (VIRGINIA):
Brooke Dillman, last seen playing hard-nosed home economics teacher
Mrs. Hayworth in Judd Apatow produced Superbad, can now be seen
on the current season of Nip/Tuck.
Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Dillman was the youngest of
three sisters. After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater at
the University of Missouri, Dillman headed for Chicago.
While in the Windy City, Dillman created and honed several of her
favorite characters in the local theater scene, including stints at the
Factory Theatre and at the Organic Theatre. Thereafter, she left for
Los Angeles and immediately found work in numerous TV commercials,
including one spot for a marquee computer company that found her
working with rock star Sting.
Dillman's big break came when she filmed her impersonation of Julia
Child on a lark for a friend's birthday party. An agent attending the
get-together was impressed enough to recommend her for an audition
for The Wayne Brady Show, which resulted in her being cast as a
regular on the variety series. She was then cast as the weathercasting nun, Sister Brenda, on NBC's Good Morning, Miami. Along the
way she has also starred in the feature films National Lampoon’s
Barely Legal, Larceny and Pot of Gold. Dillman appeared in a recurring
role on HBO's Emmy Award-winning Six Feet Under and starred in the
cult hit sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV. She was reunited with her
Blue Collar co-star, LARRY THE CABLE GUY, in her role in Larry The
Cable Guy: Health Inspector.
Dillman’s husband, Charlie, is a marketing director of a commercial
real estate investment firm. In her leisure time, she enjoys running
marathons, playing croquet and the piano, ladies poker night and
walking her dogs, Carol and Ernie.
Director’s Notes - C. Jay Cox
I first encountered Kiss the Bride as a mentor for the Screenwriting
Lab at Outfest (The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival). Over
three days, five established screenwriters hole up at the Chateau
Marmont Hotel with five aspiring screenwriters and crush their dreams.
It’s great! Truthfully, it was at the 2005 Lab that Ty Lieberman’s
script struck me as having the makings of a really fun romantic
comedy.
I immediately loved the premise of the wedding movie with a twist.
The situation in which these characters find themselves was
compelling – on the verge of marriage, our groom must choose
between his fiancée and his first love. I felt there was a delightful
paradox in the fact that his first love was a man. It is both crucial to
the story and yet incidental; this could happen to anyone.
Thematically, I liked how the screenplay took sexual identity out for a
spin. It discussed the fact that sexuality may be more fluid than hard
and fast gay/straight labels might indicate. While bisexuality and the
Kinsey scale are certainly not new or ground-breaking concepts, I have
often found it very interesting how quickly gay men in particular will
reject the possibility. As Matt states in the movie, when it is
suggested, “Bi is just the last thing gay men say before they leave
their wives.”
At the time of the screenwriters lab, I was in the process of putting
together my production company, Shadow Factory. A few months
later, my partners Bob Schuck, Richard Santilena and I started
discussing possible projects. I gave them Ty’s script and they agreed
that it would be a great first project. We optioned it and were on our
way.
For me, having already directed a script of my own, I looked forward
to working with someone else’s material. The best work always comes
from a uniquely individual place and Ty’s script was no different. Ty is
a funny and resilient writer and showed a great openness to work on a
personal story that lesser writers might have shied away from. He
was willing to dive right into revisions to the script. Some were for
practical considerations (we couldn’t afford to send our honeymooners
flying away in a hot air balloon). Other changes came from the purely
coincidental. (Ryan and Matt’s characters were originally named
Andrew and Jake. I had written another movie, “Sweet Home
Alabama,” in which Reese Whitherspoon must choose between her
fiancé and her first love named… wait for it… Andrew and Jake.)
After the characters became Matt and Ryan, they were first embodied
by Philipp Karner and James O’Shea in a reading we did for investors
several months prior to actual filming. Though we spent weeks
auditioning actors for the movie, these two rose through the process
and outshined everyone else. It was hugely gratifying that the two
guys who were willing to do a reading for free were also the ones who
were the best for the roles.
When it came to the role of Alex we knew we needed someone special.
While I wanted the audience to be invested in the Matt and Ryan
relationship, I found myself empathizing, even rooting for Alex’s
character. We needed an actress who could elicit those feelings. As
we were in the midst of the casting process, I was on a return flight
from Miami and Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott were
seated in the row behind me. I found myself thinking how perfect she
would be for Alex. The character is someone who can be
underestimated, but by the end of the movie shows great reserves of
intelligence, openness and love. I think all of those things are qualities
that Tori has in abundance. When she came in and gave us a great
reading, she confirmed it for us.
As we geared up for production, I realized that not only were we
planning a movie shoot, but we were also planning a wedding. It was
funny to switch gears from things like production trucks and
equipment rentals to bridesmaid dresses and flower arrangements.
One of the great parts of the whole process for me is that it brought
back a whole group of friends I love who were part of Latter Days (my
first directorial feature): executive producer Scott Zimmerman; line
producer Jennifer Scheafer; casting director Michael Testa; director of
photography Carl Bartels; production designer Chris Miller; and editor
John Keitel. There are even a couple of familiar faces in the movie
itself, Steve Sandvoss and Amber Benson. In addition, there were
several great people who have come into my life as a result of, or
since Latter Days: Steve’s brother, Pete Sandvoss, did a truly heroic
job as our key second assistant director, and Pete’s girlfriend,
Elizabeth Kell, is one of our lovely bridesmaids. Michael Medico, who
plays Steve’s stoner buddy, did a reading of another script of mine and
has become a close friend. During production, he was so great playing
a dumbass that I actually forgot that he’s a brilliant guy, doing
amazing things. My assistant, Daniel Kells, (“I’m really more like a
paid friend,” he insists) took on the Herculean task of hustling up all of
our mostly unpaid extras. It really felt like a family wedding as we
headed into it. Everyone pulled more than their weight and got paid
only a fraction of what they were truly worth.
Being surrounded by people I trusted and really liked was a life-saver
during production. It was vital to be able to laugh together, or at the
very least be able to lean on each other. Eighteen days, very little
money and an ambitious scope, made for a tough shoot. During our
first week, we had four major company moves, several nine page days
and a big church wedding with lots of guests to shoot. It was a huge,
daunting task and everyone really rose to the occasion. Going into the
movie, I wanted to capture some of the chaos that leads up to a
wedding and hope that shows up. During the production there were
several times that I made a mental note to myself that in the future,
with such a tight schedule, it might be better to not have scenes
involving a dozen speaking parts and actors crossing every which way.
But at the same time, I loved what I was seeing. The actors were
connecting with one another. I was seeing a great chemistry evolving
and despite, or perhaps due to her pregnancy, Tori was lovely.
At the end of the line, after shooting, editing and post-production,
after the addition of Ben Holbrook’s beautiful score, some great songs
from friends like Brian Kent and Levi Kreis and the final check on the
spelling of the credits, I see a movie that I’m really proud of. I think
it’s a true romantic comedy with a romance that is complicated,
emotional and real and comedy that I find genuinely funny.
One of the things I love about making movies is that during the
process it becomes vitally important. Movies are big enough to wrap
our dreams within them. But when “that’s a wrap” is called, no one
lives or dies based on them. Movies can amuse, inspire and entertain
us, but movies have never launched armies against one another or
cured cancer. In my experience, sitting in the dark, as an audience
member when watching a movie becomes a joyous occasion, that’s
more than enough. When I finally sat in a packed house and watched
Kiss the Bride for the first time with an audience, that’s exactly what
the experience was for me. I hope for others it can be the same.
Executive Producer’s Notes – Scott Zimmerman
I've worked with C. Jay Cox for 11 years. I was in a transitional period
of my life after 13 years at the William Morris Agency and met this unproduced writer -- working in a windowless office downtown -- who'd
just written a fantastic script. I optioned The Thing in Bob's Garage,
and easily found C. Jay an agent; shortly thereafter he was able to
quit his day job to make his living as a screenwriter.
C. Jay's goal was to be a writer/director. He hesitated when Norman
Lear wanted to option the script, because he knew the studio wouldn't
approve him as director. But I always knew that C. Jay's unique voice
as a writer would inevitably lead to a directing career.
After the enormous success of Sweet Home Alabama, he showed his
team a very personal script, based in part on his past, called Latter
Days. It had the qualities the entertainment business grew to know as
hallmarks of C. Jay's talent -- vivid, honest characters, intelligent,
witty dialogue and the ability to get a laugh from the audience
followed by some tears (or the other way around). That film remains
one of the most successful gay-themed films and, most importantly, it
has become a touchstone to people from all walks of life.
C. Jay read Ty Lieberman's script for Kiss the Bride almost two years
again at the Outfest Screenwriter's seminar. He and his company,
Shadow Factory, optioned the script because they saw what it could
be. Ty came up with a great premise. Additionally, he was smart
enough and open enough to let an industry veteran work with him to
develop what would ultimately become our film. Ty and C. Jay worked
together tirelessly for months; and I was so pleased to read the final
draft -- vivid, honest characters, intelligent, witty dialogue and the
ability to get a laugh from the audience followed by some tears (or the
other way around).
Producers’ Notes – Bob Schuck and Richard Santilena
When we read Kiss the Bride for the first time, we found a story that
took us above and beyond previously read scripts. The idea of creating
a film about love that transcends sexuality felt unique and exciting.
Kiss the Bride looked beyond predetermined limits, and demonstrated
the maturation of stories with gay themes.
As proponents of Outfest, the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival,
it seemed only natural that our first movie should come from a writer
who was part of the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. C. Jay worked as a
mentor to Ty Lieberman during the Lab, and presented his work to us
as a viable option for production.
Our investors were wonderfully supportive throughout the process.
Although the majority had never invested in film before, they had seen
C. Jay’s previous work and trusted in his vision for the project. We
spent many months prior to the start of production developing a
strong business plan. We approached Kiss the Bride as we would any
other business venture, and made sure that everyone was aware of
the risks and rewards. In addition, investors were made to feel “part of
the family;” they were included as much as possible in the overall
experience. Look close, and you will see a few of them in the
background now and then.
The crew for the film came together with the help of Jennifer Schaefer
- our line producer - who had collaborated with C. Jay on Latter Days.
Assembling many crew members who had worked together previously,
a cohesive production team was created that effortlessly generated the
momentum necessary to get the ball rolling from Day One. We
acknowledge all of the hard work and dedication that this team put
forth to make Kiss the Bride a film we are proud to present.
We were thrilled at the prospect of Tori Spelling playing our leading
lady. She had the wonderful perky personality that epitomized Alex.
Our one concern – she was 5 months pregnant at the beginning of the
shoot! C. Jay worked through the scenes with our DP, Carl Bartels,
and they pulled a few tricks to get the scenes shot without any
attention being drawn to her pregnancy. During our test screenings,
women were much more aware of the fact that Tori was pregnant than
the men were. With a few adjustments during post, we were “good to
go.” We thought about marketing the film along with a drinking game
– you take a shot every time you see an obvious way in which we
covered up Tori’s middle section! Wanna play?
There were challenges throughout production, which caused us to
learn and grow. We had an 18 day shoot – with an aggressive eightpage-a-day shooting schedule over four locations in the first week
alone. To top it all off, our big wedding scene was to be filmed at the
end of that first week. We were lucky to have many of our friends and
family pitch in and volunteer to be background talent for the wedding.
We really did appreciate their support. Getting through that week was
a huge challenge, but it made the rest of the production days seem
much easier.
The second week, we set up shop at one location for five days (what a
breath of fresh air), and filmed all of the scenes that took place in Alex
and Ryan’s home. There was one problem with that location, though –
the owners of the house had cats, and Tori was very allergic to cats.
Being five months pregnant – and unable to take any medication – she
still remained a trooper throughout the process. She got through the
filming of her scenes without a trace of a problem – smiling and
wonderful on the outside, although she felt miserable on the inside.
We were lucky to have such a professional, easy-going actress like Tori
Spelling in the lead.
CAST:
Alex
TORI SPELLING
Matt
PHILIPP KARNER
Ryan
JAMES O’SHEA
Wayne
ROBERT FOXWORTH
Barbara
TESS HARPER
Gerald
GARRETT M. BROWN
Evelyn
JOANNA CASSIDY
Elly
AMBER BENSON
Stephanie
JANE CHO
Sean
STEVE SANDVOSS
Chris
MICHAEL MEDICO
Dan
E.E. BELL
Virginia
BROOKE DILLMAN
Plumber
DEAN MCDERMOTT
Monica
ELIZABETH KELL
Harley
KYLE DAVIS
Reverend
DEAN NOLEN
Barry
RALPH COLE JR.
Joey
CHARLIE DAVID
Aunt Minnie
CONNIE SAWYER
Saleslady
MARY GILES
Waiter
WORTHIE PAUL MEACHAM III
Larry
LES WILLIAMS
CREW:
Director
C. JAY COX
Writer
TY LIEBERMAN
Executive Producers
SCOTT ZIMMERMAN
LES WILLIAMS
STEPHEN P. JARCHOW
PAUL COLICHMAN
Producers
C. JAY COX
BOB SCHUCK
RICHARD SANTILENA
Line Producer
JENNIFER SCHAEFER
Unit Production Manager
JIM SHARON
1st Asst. Director
NEIL KINSELLA
2nd Asst. Director
PETER SANDVOSS
2nd 2nd Asst. Director
LACY WITTMAN
Director’s Asst.
DANIEL KELLS
Extras Casting Director
DANIEL KELLS
Editor
JOHN KEITEL
Composer
BEN HOLBROOK
Script Supervisor
SHERIE GIEHTBROCK
Production Designer
CHRIS MILLER
Art Director
NATHAN LAY
On-Set Dresser
KATHRIN EDER
Leadman
MICHAEL BROUSSARD “BRUISER”
Lead Asst.
SCOTT IMAI
Set Dresser
LANCE LINDAHL
KEVIN SHIPLEY
MARIO M. MEDINA
Painter
KYLE D. REDMAN
STEVEN B. FISH
ROBERT J. TOTH
Carpenter
KURT T. ALTSCHWAGER
Painting
CHANTAL L. FILSON
Art Department
DENNIS BAKER
Prop Master
MEREDITH RILEY
Asst. Prop Master
VANESSA VELEZ
Director of Photography
CARL BARTELS
1st Asst. Camera
DOUGLAS OH
JOSEPH WALSH
ZOE VAN BRUNT
CONOR MURPHY
2nd Asst. Camera
AARON MARQUETTE
JOE SEGURA
Stills Photographer
JAN STANDERFER
Unit Publicist
JONATHON AUBRY
Gaffer
ERIC BORLAND
Best Boy Grip
ABEL SOTO
CHRIS FERGUSON
NATASHA M. BAUMGARDNER
ALBEE WINBUSH III
Key Grip
HILARIO GONZALEZ
Grip
JAXON WOODS
ERIC R. EVANS
Best Boy Electrician
JOHNNY FEIT
BRIAN D’HAEM
ALEX SIMON
Swing/Driver
JOHNNY FEIT
Electric
ERIN WELLER
Sound Mixer
GEORGE WHITTAM
BRIAN MAIER
Boom Operator
TODD KRUGER
Costume Designer
LAURA BRODY
Costume Asst.
ALEXIS CUESTA
Costumer
KAREN YAN
Wardrobe Asst.
MICHELLE VAZQUES
Wardrobe Intern
ROBYN FIELDER
Hair & Make-Up
ASHLEY FOX
Hair & Make-Up Asst.
MEGAN TITUS
DANA WALLACE
ANITA COLON
LEISHA MCCORD
Key Set PA
DAVID HAWKINS
Set PA
LORRAINE AGUILAR
MARY CARDENAS
NATHAN BISHOP
Production Asst.
NATALIE MCKINNEY
ARIA STEWART
Craft Services
LORRAINE AGUILAR
Production Intern
YFKE VAN BERCKELAER
CURTIS DREYER
PRAVESH GURUNG