Wrestling with Angels -- Tony Kushner Documentary

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/4/06 at 4:49pm

Just saw this today at Film Forum. Lots of terrific footage of him -- at the Bethesda Fountain during the filming of the ANGELS film with Streep, Mike Nichols & company (and scenes from both the film and the Broadway production), in the rehearsal room with Tesori and Wolfe trying to figure out how to fix/create "Lot's Wife" (as well as several clips of the Public Theatre production), with Maurice Sendak working on BRUNDIBAR, interviews with Linda Emond (who played the Homebody in HOMEBODY/KABUL, of which there are a few scenes of the NY Theatre Workshop production) and Oskar Eustus (current head of the Public and the man who originally commissioned ANGELS IN AMERICA when he was head of the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco), footage of his childhood home in Lake Charles, Lousiana (we see the "basement" laundry room where much of CAROLINE, OR CHANGE takes place and we meet Kushner's father, brother and the woman who was the inspiration for Caroline), his wedding to his partner Mark (with Michael McElroy singing at the reception) and we see him giving various speeches, commencement addresses and participating on panel discussions (including one with Larry Kramer, Paul Rudnick and Terrence McNally).

The documentary is rather short on deep and thoughtful analysis of his significance as a playwright and a public intellectual, but is nevertheless an interesting portarait of one of the most important writers of our time.

Updated On: 10/4/06 at 04:49 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/4/06 at 4:52pm

I would absolutely love to see this.

[StephenSondheimWHOO]

Posted: 10/4/06 at 4:53pm

thanks for the review. I looking foward to seeing this, Kushner is not only the most amazing living playwrights he is one of my best friends godfather.

[Alix7272]

Posted: 10/5/06 at 12:01pm

I really want to see this and am very frustrated that I'm missing it by a week. Hopefully, a DVD will eventually be released.