OVERNIGHT
Year: 2003
USA: ThinkFilm
UK: Metrodome Distribution
Cast: Troy Duffy, Taylor Duffy, Gordon Clark, Jimi Jackson, Chris Brinker, Tony Montana, Mark Brian Smith
Appearances by: Mark Wahlberg, Jake Busey, Paul Ruebens, Willem Dafoe, Billy Connolly, Ron Jeremy
Directors: Mark Brian Smith, Tony Montana
Country: USA
USA: 82 mins
UK: 81 mins
USA Rated: R for pervasive strong language, sexual references and some nudity
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language
USA Release Date: 10 November 2004 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 8 July 2005
Synopsis
On paper, it sounds great, a true workingman's success story. A struggling musician and bartender, Troy Duffy, sells a screenplay "The Boondock Saints" to Harvey Weinstein of Miramax. As part of the deal, he gets to direct the film, provide songs for the soundtrack, and Miramax will buy him the bar he works in. Life is sweet. Duffy even asks two of his friends, Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana, to document his rise to glory, a clue that Mr. Duffy may not be the deserving Cinderella he seems to be. This decision becomes the genesis for a very different, but much more fascinating, film that chronicles the amazing rags-to-riches-to-rags story of a wolf in artist's clothing.
Over the course of the film, Duffy systematically alienates all of his friends and family with his arrogance, vanity, and narcissism. He burns every bridge possible in the music and film industry as well. Does success change Duffy, or just bring out his true character?
For seven years, filmmakers Mark Brian Smith and Tony Montana have been either the lucky winners or the unfortunate pawns in this crazy game of life and movies. Capturing a new breed of monster - "the indie film director" - OVERNIGHT is as much an indictment of the film industry as it is of Duffy, whose only real mistake may have been to let the cameras keep rolling.
Following several months of restless development and reckless missteps, Duffy slides from A-list to blacklist. Calls go unreturned, his film is dropped by Miramax, is revived by a minor company at half its original budget, then ultimately consigned to the video bins. Midnight becomes Cinderella.
