.gif)
August (film)
Encyclopedia
August is a 2008 American drama film directed by Austin Chick
and presented by 57th & Irving
. The screenplay
by Howard A. Rodman focuses on two brothers, ambitious dot-com
entrepreneur
s attempting to keep their company afloat as the stock market begins to collapse in August 2001, one month prior to the 9/11 attacks.
The film premiered as an official selection of the Spectrum section at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
In the meantime, Tom Sterling is living the hedonistic life of an Internet star; he dates multiple women, drives a 67 Camaro convertible and hangs out at a new club called Bungalow 8
. But, like an emo
version of Patrick Bateman
, it somehow never seems to matter that Tom is not quite able to explain what his company actually does. Tom Sterling is a true showman, a demigod in a cult – and culture – of personality.
reported that 35% of critics rated the film positively based on 23 reviews, with a consensus that "Josh Hartnett puts in a well-intentioned performance but overall, August only superficially explores its dotcom-burst setting." Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 39 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, indicating a generally negative response.
Austin Chick
Austin Chick is an American film director, screenwriter and producer, who made the films XX/XY, released in 2002, and August, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.-Early life:...
and presented by 57th & Irving
57th & Irving
57th & Irving Productions is a New York City-based production company specializing in independent motion pictures. The company was founded in September 2005 by the Morris Family...
. The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Howard A. Rodman focuses on two brothers, ambitious dot-com
Dot-com company
A dot-com company, or simply a dot-com , is a company that does most of its business on the Internet, usually through a website that uses the popular top-level domain, ".com" .While the term can refer to present-day companies, it is also used specifically to refer to companies with...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s attempting to keep their company afloat as the stock market begins to collapse in August 2001, one month prior to the 9/11 attacks.
The film premiered as an official selection of the Spectrum section at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Plot
Tom and Joshua Sterling are two brothers, whose Internet start-up, Landshark, is as hot as a New York City summer – only this is the summer of 2001, their company is in lock up, its stock price is plunging and, in a few weeks, the world will change forever.In the meantime, Tom Sterling is living the hedonistic life of an Internet star; he dates multiple women, drives a 67 Camaro convertible and hangs out at a new club called Bungalow 8
Bungalow 8
Bungalow 8 was a nightclub in New York City, created in 2001., and was located on Chelsea's 27th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues.-Background:...
. But, like an emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
version of Patrick Bateman
Patrick Bateman
Patrick Bateman is a fictional character, the antihero and narrator of the novel American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis, and its film adaptation. He has also briefly appeared in other Ellis novels.-Biography and profile:...
, it somehow never seems to matter that Tom is not quite able to explain what his company actually does. Tom Sterling is a true showman, a demigod in a cult – and culture – of personality.
Cast
- Josh HartnettJosh HartnettJoshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...
as Tom Sterling - Naomie HarrisNaomie HarrisNaomie Melanie Harris is an English screen actress. She is best known for her starring role as Selena in 28 Days Later, as well as her supporting turn as Tia Dalma/Calypso in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films...
as Sarrah - Adam ScottAdam Scott (actor)Adam Scott is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Henry Pollard in the Starz comedy series Party Down and as Ben Wyatt in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation....
as Joshua Sterling - Robin TunneyRobin TunneyRobin Jessica Tunney is an American actress. She is best known for her lead roles in the movie The Craft and the television series Prison Break and The Mentalist.-Early life:...
as Melanie Hanson - Andre RoyoAndre RoyoAndre Royo is an American actor. He is best known for his role as "Bubbles" in The Wire , and has had guest starring appearances in Fringe, Party Down, and How To Make It In America.-Career:...
as Dylan Gottschalk - Emmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle ChriquiEmmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
as Morella Sterling - Laila RobinsLaila Robins-Personal life:Robins was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Latvian American parents Brigita and Janis Robins, who was a research chemist. She attended the Yale School of Drama, and received her undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, . Robins has been in a...
as Ottmar Peevo - Caroline LagerfeltCaroline LagerfeltCaroline Eugenie "Carolyn" Lagerfelt is a French-born stage, film, and television actress of Swedish descent, long-based in the United States.-Early life and education:...
as Nancy Sterling - Alan CoxAlan Cox (actor)-Biography:He is the son of the Emmy Award winning actor Brian Cox and his first wife Caroline Burt. Cox was educated at St Paul's School in London. He has a sister, Margaret, and a half brother Torin Kamran Charles....
as Burton - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
as Cyrus Ogilvie - Rip TornRip TornElmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
as David Sterling
Festival Screenings
| Festival | Section | Screening Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Sundance Film Festival | Spectrum | January 22, 2008 January 23, 2008 January 24, 2008 January 26, 2008 |
| Seattle International Film Festival Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees... |
Contemporary World Cinema | May 29, 2008 June 2, 2008 |
| Brooklyn International Film Festival Brooklyn International Film Festival The Brooklyn Film Festival ', prior to 2011 called the Brooklyn International Film Festival ' is an independent film festival held every June in Brooklyn, New York... |
Narrative Feature Films | May 31, 2008 June 6, 2008 |
| Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of Europe's major film events.... |
Horizons | July 7, 2008 |
| Oldenburg International Film Festival Filmfest Oldenburg Situated in Northwest Germany the Oldenburg International Film Festival covers since 1994 the international movie scene in all of its aspects. This open minded approach leads to an inspiring mix of great premieres, surprising discoveries and original independent productions... |
International Section | September 11, 2008 |
| Flanders International Film Festival Ghent | World Cinema | October 10, 2008 |
| Bahamas International Film Festival Bahamas International Film Festival Bahamas International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in early December in the Bahamas, founded in 2004.The Bahamas International Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the local community and international visitors with a diverse presentation of films... |
Spirit Of Freedom: Dramatic | December 8, 2008 |
Critical Reception
As of October 13, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 35% of critics rated the film positively based on 23 reviews, with a consensus that "Josh Hartnett puts in a well-intentioned performance but overall, August only superficially explores its dotcom-burst setting." Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 39 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, indicating a generally negative response.
External Links
- International Sales (ContentFilm)