FRANKIE AND JOHNNY
ARE MARRIED
Year: 2004
USA: IFC Films
Cast: Lisa Chess, Michael Pressman, Alan Rosenberg, Jillian Armenante, Stephen Tobolowsky, Morgan Nagler, Lou Antonio, Kathy Baker, Hector Elizondo, Nicole Gomez Fisher, Steven Glick, Elizabeth Hayden, Ann Hearn, David E Kelley, Linda Klein, Ken Lerner, Jerry Levine, Debra Magit, Leslie Moonves, Vahan Moosekian, Natalia Nogulich, James Oliver, Jeffery Passero, Mandy Patinkin, Barry Primus, Maury Sterling, Alice West
Director: Michael Pressman
Country: USA
USA: 95 mins
USA Rated: R for language including sexual references, and brief drug use.
USA Release Date: 28 May 2004 (Limited Release)
Synopsis
A romantic comedy about Michael Pressman, a successful film television director and producer and Lisa Chess, a talented struggling actress, who are married and decide to mount a production of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune in equity-waiver in Los Angeles with the hopes of bringing some life and joy back into their marriage.
They bring in Alan Rosenberg to play Johnny, Lisa plays Frankie and Michael directs. What starts off as a simple idea to revitalize the marriage turns into an utter nightmare. Alan becomes insanely difficult and the marriage becomes even more strained as the rehearsal process becomes tense and explosive. It reaches a point where after a devastatingly disastrous preview, Michael shuts the play down and loses his whole investment, and possibly his marriage.
His only choice is to take over the role of Johnny himself and fire Alan Rosenberg. Now the stakes are truly high as to whether or not this couple can pull it off.