jamesy boy
jamesy boy - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. jamesy boy. theatrical release poster .
maryland - made' jamesy boy' film to premier jan. 17 | mdbiznews
jamesy boy mary - louise parker, ving rhames and james woods have joined the cast of trevor white’s “jamesy boy”. shooting aims to kick off march 4th in baltimore .
mary - louise parker will appear in
jamesy boy ,
filming in baltimore .
the producer for
jamesy boy
is trevor white' s brother, tim .
cannes: phase 4 acquires north american rights to' jamesy boy' and' philosophers'
. the hollywood reporter. ^
jamesy boy (2. dvdreleasedates. com. ^
jamesy boy (2. rotten tomatoes. retrieved june 1 .
trevor, 28, started developing the screenplay for
jamesy boy
five years ago. both brothers have known the real jamesy boy, james burns, for about 13 years .
with jamesy boy on their imdb filmographies, both white and lofranco are ones to watch .
ving rhames, mary - louise parker and james woods have joined the cast of jamesy boy .
references [ edit ] ^ ab
independent film
jamesy boy
to shoot in maryland
. choose maryland. february 2. buchanan, james .
movies: jamesy boy
.
jamesy boy reviews
. metacritic. retrieved june 1. tsai, martin (january 1 .
use the thumbs up and thumbs down icons to agree or disagree that the title is similar to jamesy boy. you can also suggest completely new similar titles to jamesy boy in the search box below .
the baltimore sun. ^
extras maryland â€“ jamesy boy
. auditions free. march 2 .
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing jamesy boy near you .
according to the maryland film office, the independent film jamesy boy will begin filming in baltimore next month .
' jamesy boy' stars spencer lofranco (right) in the title role and ving rhames as a mentor .
phase 4 films and xlrator media will be release jamesy boy on vod january 3rd and in theaters january 17th .
american horror story' star taissa farmiga joins sofia coppola' s' the bling ring' and drama' jamesy boy'
. collider. com. ^
taboo will be in the' jamesy boy' film
. tab. magnetic. march 2. kaltenbach, chris (february 2. jamesy boy' to shoot in baltimore
.
winslow, theresa (january 5, 2. annapolis brothers hit the big screen with' jamesy boy'
.
jamesy boy movie info - movie times, trailers, reviews, tickets, actors and more on fandango. 5 november 2014 11: 30 am. jamesy boy (2014). a teenage boy is sent to a juvenile reform facility in the wilderness. jamesy boy is the story of teenager james burns (played by spencer lofranco) who goes from the suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by. jamesy boy. not rated | 1h 49min | biography, crime, drama | 3 january 2014 (usa) 1: 37 | trailer. 1 video | 15 images. title: jamesy boy (2014) .
if you spot jamesy boy filming in baltimore this spring, let us know about it at olv @ onlocationvacations. com !
mary - louise parker will appear in
jamesy boy ,
filming in baltimore. (david livingston, getty images )
fore, john (january 1. jamesy boy: film review
. the hollywood reporter. external links [ edit ] .
january 1. 7, 2. 01. jamesy boy was released on blu - ray in the united states on march 1 .
this inspirational true story is captured in the new independent film, “ jamesy boy, ” premiering in limited theaters on jan. 17 .
digital spy. ^
jamesy boy (2. production credits
. the new york times. ^
mary - louise parker, ving rhames and james woods join jamesy boy
. collider. com. february 2. chitwood, adam (march 2, 2 .
for such a seriously street film, jamesy boy has some surprisingly sappy moments. but the redemptive ending, while thin, is genuinely gratifying .
maryland capital gazette. ^
jamesy boy has wrapped !
. facebook. april 4, 2. vlessing, etan (may 2 .
review:' jamesy boy,' an inside - the - pen drama, a bit too predictable
. los angeles times. ^ hiltbrand, david (january 1. jamesy boy': true story of a troubled kid and his mentors
. the philadelphia inquirer. ^ de .
jamesy boy .
mpaa rating: none. running time: 1 hour, 49 minutes. at arena cinema, hollywood. also on vod .
jamesy boy is the feature debut of writer / director trevor white. the film costars james woods, taissa farmiga, and taboo of black eyed peas .
tim and trevor white talk about their last film
jamesy boy .
the annapolis brothers are now involved in a movie about president lyndon baines johnson .
reindeer by garrisonphoto / sxc. hu | jamesy pics | pinterest | norway facts
the new york times. retrieved january 6, 2. patches, matt (december 2. mary - louise parker fights for her gang - member son in' jamesy boy' (exclusive video )
. the hollywood reporter. ^ langshaw, mark (february 2. jamesy boy' casts ving rhames, mary - louise parker
.
tim and trevor white talk about their last film
jamesy boy .
the annapolis brothers are now involved in a movie about president lyndon baines johnson. (capital file photo )
toronto – canadian indie distributor phase 4 films has acquired the north american rights to two more films in cannes, trevor white' s jamesy boy and john huddle' s philosophers .
pre - production, the maryland film office estimated that “jamesy boy” would create approximately 400 jobs for crew, actors and extras, with a total economic impact of $ 5 million .
phase 4 films and xlrator media have jointly acquired north american rights to crime thriller “jamesy boy, ” starring mary - louise parker, james woods, ving rhames, taissa farmiga and spencer lofranco. deal was announced saturday at cannes, where atlas international is handling international sales. “jamesy boy” is produced by synergics films and star thrower entertainment. producers are [ … ]
the partnership has yielded results. their first feature film ,
jamesy boy ,
is available through video on demand and opens in several cities across the country, including baltimore, on
toronto - based phase 4 films went in with xlrator media to pick up jamesy boy, a crime - thriller that stars mary - louise parker, james woods, ving rhames and taissa farmiga .
phase 4 films and xlrator media have jointly acquired north american rights to crime thriller “jamesy boy, ” starring mary - louise parker, james woods, ving rhames, taissa farmiga and spencer lofranco .
“jamesy boy ” is produced by synergics films and star thrower entertainment. producers are tim white, wayne l. rogers, steven p. saeta, maria norman, galen walker and scott mednick .
for an independent film, jamesy boy has a distinguished cast, including ving rhames, mary - louise parker, and james woods. but it' s an unknown, spencer lofranco, who makes this gritty chronicle, based on a true story, so memorable. . for such a seriously street film, jamesy boy has some surprisingly sappy moments. but the redemptive ending, while thin, is genuinely gratifying .
[ 1. the hollywood reporter critic john de. fore wrote :
a true story of a young con who turned his life around, trevor white' s jamesy boy wants very much to be inspirational .
jamesy boy
will generate a $ 5 million economic impact on maryland, according to estimates provided by the film office, and could provide work for as many as 400 cast and crew, including extras .
[ us ] jamesy boy (2014) an angry teen winds up in prison for running drugs and guns - - but his friendship with a killer gives him a chance to change his life for the better .
' jamesy boy' boasts a cast that includes ving rhames, mary - louise parker and james woods, as well as a solid central performance by spencer lofranco. still, its tale of reform is awfully familiar .
[ us ] jamesy boy (2014) an angry teen winds up in prison for running drugs and guns - - but his friendship with a killer gives him a chance to change his life for the better. : netflixbestof
jamesy boy in movie theaters january 3, 2014, directed by trevor white. movies. 2016; 2015; 2014; 2013; 2012; 2011; 2010; 2009; 2008; 2007; 2017; 2018; features .
jamesy boy tells the story of a teenage gang member, who ends up in a maximum - security prison surrounded by hardened criminals. behind bars, the youth strikes up an unlikely friendship with a convicted murderer, with life - changing results .
jamesy boy ,
an independent film directed and co - written by maryland native trevor white and starring mary - louise parker, ving rhames and james woods, will begin filming in baltimore march 5, the maryland film office announced today .
inspired by the real life of troubled teenager james burns, jamesy boy tells the compelling story of a young man who goes from suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison surrounded by hardened criminals. in prison, james fosters an unlikely friendship with a convicted murderer who ends up becoming his mentor and ultimately defines and changes the course of his life. jamesy boy is a film about hope and redemption, where a fighter becomes a dreamer and a kid with no faith finally sees a brighter future .
for an independent film, jamesy boy has a distinguished cast, including ving rhames, mary - louise parker, and james woods. but it' s an unknown, spencer lofranco, who makes this gritty chronicle, based on a true story, so memorable .
first - time director trevor white has racked up a solid cast for his upcoming indie drama jamesy boy, with ving rhames, mary - louise parker, and james woods set to star. filming will begin in baltimore in march. if that trinity of screen pros isn' t enough for you, deadline' s got details on, y' know, the plot: jamesy boy
tells the story of a young man [ newbie spencer lofranco ] who goes from suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison surrounded by hardened criminals. in prison, james fosters an unlikely friendship with a convicted murderer who ends up becoming his mentor and ultimately defines and changes the course of his life .
though woods isn' t playing the lead, he better come off the shoot with the nickname jamesy boy .
seeing as he’s only making a directorial debut with jamesy boy, trevor white can count himself as a very luck man. according to deadline, mary - louise parker, james woods, and ving rhames have all signed for the indie drama, written by the director and lane shadgett .
urltoken and xlrator media are offering two members the opportunity to win a copy of director / co - writer trevor white' s jamesy boy, starring james woods, mary - louise parker, ving rhames, taissa farmiga, taboo and spencer lofranco. one grand prize winner will ...
maryland' s film production employment act of 2011 helped bring
jamesy boy
to the state, said jack gerbes, head of the maryland film office. the act set up a fund that offers a partial tax credit for local production expenditures and encourages producers to use local film crews .
xlrator media and phase 4 films have announced the blu - ray release of director / co - writer trevor white' s jamesy boy, starring james woods, mary - louise parker, ving rhames, taissa farmiga, taboo and spencer lofranco. the film arrives on blu - ray on february 25th .
james burns overcame a life of crime and incarceration as a teenager to reinvent himself as a college - educated poet. his reckless youth and road to redemption are the subject of
jamesy boy ,
a film with a message of inspiration, to be sure, but not much in terms of innovation .
jamesy boy is the story of teenager james burns (played by spencer lofranco) who goes from the suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. in prison, he forms a friendship with a convicted murderer (ving rhames) who becomes his mentor and helps him turn his life around .
we are excited to welcome another cast and crew that is filming a motion picture in our great city ,
said baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings - blake .
baltimore has been the setting for numerous outstanding productions on the large and small screen, and we are happy to add
jamesy boy
to the list .
jamesy boy is based on the true story of teenager james burns (spencer lofranco) who goes from a suburban street gang to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. he turns his life around in prison thanks to the unexpected friendship he forms with a convicted murderer (ving rhames) who becomes his mentor .
we are pleased that these filmmakers will be returning home and producing' jamesy boy' in our state and creating jobs for local marylanders ,
governor martin o' malley said in announcing the project .
our state has long been a location for many outstanding independent films, and we look forward to working with this production .
jamesy boy is an unconvincing portrait of a teen’s fall into a pit of crime and his eventual redemption that comes with time served in the pen, for two reasons. first, a formulaic script from lane shadgett and trevor white puts its delinquent protagonist, james burns, into a lot of questionable situations that seem engineered to ruin the character and forecast his eventual downfall – although they makes precious little sense. second, newcomer spencer lofranco looks dazed and confused as burns, although he also looks too squeaky clean and model cute to pass as a tormented teenage thug. although it is based on a true story (of the film’s co - producer), jamesy boy is definitely not a genuine representation of burns’ troubled past .
additionally, farmiga has landed a leading role in the drama jamesy boy. the film tells the story of a young suburban street gang member who gets sent to a maximum - security prison and strikes up an unlikely friendship with a convicted murderer. farmiga will play the main character’s love interest with a supporting cast that includes mary - louise parker, ving rhames, and james woods. farmiga is the younger sister of actress vera, and i found her work to be quite impressive on american horror story. given the show’s anthology nature, farmiga isn’t expected to return for its second season this fall. she’ll shoot jamesy boy first before moving on to bling ring, and i think both roles are smart choices for the young actress .
the core of
jamesy boy
— a juvenile delinquent' s inside - the - pen coming of age — follows a too - familiar trajectory: due to the toxic mix of broken family and corruptive friends, james burns (spencer lofranco) has already earned a tracking device on his ankle and an impressive rap sheet boasting robbery, vandalism, assault and firearm possession .
a trio of swell actors have signed on to star in the drama jamesy boy. mary - louise parker, ving rhames, and james woods will star in the feature debut of director / co - writer trevor white. the film tells the story of a young suburban street gang member who gets sent to a maximum - security prison. once inside, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a convicted murderer (as one does) who ends up becoming the boy’s mentor “and ultimately defines and changes the course of his life. ” newcomer spencer lofranco will play the young prisoner .
in may 2013, it was announced that phase 4 films had acquired the north american distribution rights to the film. the film was released on all video on demand platforms on january 3, 2014 before a limited release on january 17, 2014. jamesy boy was released on blu - ray in the united states on march 11, 2014, and on dvd on march 18, 2014 .
“i am so thrilled to be back in my home state to make ‘jamesy boy. ’ the maryland film office could not have been more supportive and accommodating, and we truly feel like there isn’t a better place to be making this film. i look forward to working with the outstanding crews and actors from the area, and hope we can together make a great movie, ” he said .
jamesy boy is the story of teenager james burns (played by spencer lofranco) who goes from the suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. in prison, he forms a friendship with a convicted murderer (ving rhames) who becomes his mentor and helps him turn his life around. in this unlikely setting, james ultimately emerges with hope and a brighter future .
jamesy boy
is the story of teenager james burns (played by spencer lofranco) who goes from the suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. in prison, he forms a friendship with a convicted murderer (ving rhames) who becomes his mentor and helps him turn his life around. in this unlikely setting, james ultimately emerges with hope and a brighter future .
jamesy boy (2. 01. imdb. edit. trivia. this is the second time taissa farmiga and spencer lofranco have worked together, having previously worked together on at middleton. see more ». at the end of the film, there is a summary of what james has achieved since the movie time - line finished but there' s a glaring spelling mistake and quite ironic in the context of the sentence .
jamesy boy is the story of teenager james burns (played by spencer lofranco) who goes from the suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. in prison, he forms a friendship with a convicted murderer (ving rhames) who becomes his mentor and helps him turn his life around. in this unlikely setting, james ultimately emerges with hope and a brighter future. (c) xlrator media
naturally, rhames' s conrad winds up encouraging james' nascent interest in poetry. further opportunity for redemption comes as james stands up for a meek newbie (ben rosenfield) even when it puts him at odds with the jail' s hardened warden (james woods). every word of the story may be true, and if it happened to someone you knew, you' d be captivated. in jamesy boy, though, it' s hard to see why we should care .
martin tsai of the los angeles times wrote :
the core of jamesy boy â€“ a juvenile delinquent' s inside - the - pen coming of age â€“ follows a too - familiar trajectory: due to the toxic mix of broken family and corruptive friends, james burns (spencer lofranco) has already earned a tracking device on his ankle and an impressive rap sheet boasting robbery, vandalism, assault and firearm possession .
[ 1. david hiltbrand of the philadelphia inquirer gave the film 2 .
when we first see james, he' s lying face - down on the ground outside a prison bus while a corrections officer beats him in front of all the other inmates for picking a fight .
jamesy boy
then flashes back three years earlier, when he was only 14 and already wearing an ankle bracelet because of his long rap sheet. his single mother (an exasperated, straight - talking parker) fights to place him in a public school, but administrators deem him too much of a risk .
thankfully, jamesy boy does pick up shortly after these plodding opening minutes, if mostly for very good supporting performances of the periphery figures in burns’ life. we meet his mom, tracy (a blistering, if underused mary louise - parker), who tries to inspire her son to make something of his life, although her odds of doing the same with back - end jobs are just as low. then, there is a promiscuous girlfriend, crystal (rosa salazar), who tempts burns into shoplifting, substance abuse and meaningless sex – and later, into a job helping her drug dealer friend roc (michael trotter). softening up the bruised bad boy is a kind convenience store cashier, sarah (taissa farmiga), who sees something sweet and kindred in the teen criminal .
los angeles, ca – february 28, 2012 – mary - louise parker (“weeds”, “red”, “fried green tomatoes, ” “angels in america”), ving rhames (“mission: impossible” series, “pulp fiction”, “out of sight”) and james woods (“casino”, “nixon”, “salvador”) have joined the cast of jamesy boy. the lead role of james will be played by newcomer spencer lofranco. trevor white will be making his feature debut with his brother, tim white producing. filming begins march 4, 2012 in baltimore, maryland .
jamesy boy
jumps back and forth between james' increasing presence and responsibility in roc' s crew and his tutelage under the man who would become his role model behind bars: convicted murderer conrad. rhames' character is so thinly drawn and is such a stock figure as the wise, quiet elder, he barely registers. and he' s perilously close to functioning as another stock figure: the magical black man. james woods doesn' t get much to do, either, as the stern, smart - ass warden .
it' s lofranco, though, who is mesmerizing for the way he handles the physical and psychological maturation of james. he does a great job of showing the boy' s thick, aggressive armor as well as the sensitivity that flashes like minnows beneath the surface .
that is the pivotal plot development in jamesy boy, a fact - based tale of redemption marking the noteworthy directorial and scriptwriting debut of trevor white. while the overcoming - the - odds biopic might not break any new ground in terms of the genre, it makes up in earnestness what it might lack in originality, thanks to a talented cast which includes veterans ving rhames, mary - louise parker and james woods as well as fresh faces spencer lofranco, taissa farmiga (vera’s sister) and hip - hop star taboo of the black eyed peas .
a true story of a young con who turned his life around, trevor white' s jamesy boy wants very much to be inspirational. but nothing the first - time helmer tries - - not casting big names in small parts, not scrambling the timeline, not casting a newcomer (spencer lofranco) whose swept - back coif recalls james dean (even if nothing else about him does) - - can keep the tale from feeling like one cribbed from a score of other second - chance films. commercial prospects are dim despite the marquee - worthy supporting cast .
based on the true story of james burns, jamesy boy is the story of a teenager who drifts from life in a street gang to a maximum - security institution, surrounded by convicts. what james can' t find in schools, he discovers in jail. while incarcerated, he bonds with a convicted murderer (ving rhames), who becomes a much needed mentor in the ways of surviving and thriving. in this exclusive clip from the film, we see an education system resisting the wayward, failing a mother, and pushing a young person further into despair .
at one moment in jamesy boy, burns whines that he is “tired of being a charity case. ” unfortunately, the pedestrian screenplay portrays him as such, martyring a cocky criminal with a big heart and resolve to do better. lofranco does not have the acting range to portray a despaired delinquent or an inmate trying to change his life through writing and accepting forgiveness. he is simply too slight a presence to carry a film that is already a rather tame look at a life of crime, resulting in an end product that is an earnest, but unconvincing look at a rebel’s road to redemption .
the film received generally negative reviews from film critics. on metacritic, the film garnered an approval score of 29. review aggregator website rotten tomatoes gave the film a 26% rating, based on 19 reviews. martin tsai of the los angeles times wrote :
the core of jamesy boy – a juvenile delinquent' s inside - the - pen coming of age – follows a too - familiar trajectory: due to the toxic mix of broken family and corruptive friends, james burns (spencer lofranco) has already earned a tracking device on his ankle and an impressive rap sheet boasting robbery, vandalism, assault and firearm possession .
( wikipedia )
i have always been a huge fan of real life drama, because lets face it, some of this stuff you just can' t make up. even the best writers couldn' t imagine some of the things these people have had to endure, and it makes for some amazing films. on the otherside of that, there are other stories, which just aren' t that unique or interesting, and in my opinion really don' t warrent a full length feature film, jamesy boy is an example of this. james (spencer lofranco) is your typical rebellious kid from a single parent home. he' s not poor and has a lot of opportunities, but for whatever reason, he' s turned to drugs and crime. he' s living the gangsta life on the streets until the inevitable happens, and he winds up in jail. once there, james witnesses a crime, and meets a man who helps him unlock a talent he never knew he had, but will james turn to the straight and narrow or will his friends pull him back into his old life? this is a true story and newcomer spencer lofranco was fantastic, but haven' t we seen stories like this done over and over again? to be honest the only reason i kept watching it was to see which path james chose after prison. i wanted to see how his life turned out, but either way, we' ve seen films like this many times before and jamesy boy doesn' t stand out in any type of significant way. if you want to do a film that has been done over and over again, true story or not, there has to be something about it that makes it stand out from the pack, and that doesn' t happen here. the bottom line, jamesy boy is decent and it' s fine if you' re just looking to kill a couple of hours. it features a pretty good up and coming young talent and some old familiar faces, but beyond that, there' s nothing really special about it .
trevor white shows some decent instincts and has assembled a impressive supporting cast (ving rhames, mary - louise parker, taissa farmiga, james woods). but he hits all the notes you' d expect in this type of uplifting tale: rebellion and debauchery, followed by run - ins with thugs and brushes with death, followed by time behind bars – where more run - ins with thugs and brushes with death await – and finally a chance to prove he can turn his life around .
jamesy boy
could play on a scared - straight double feature this week with the similarly formulaic
life of a king ,
starring cuba gooding jr. as an ex - con who mentors wayward youth through chess .
with boy, things are told from the perspective of a young man, james (spencer lofranco), who “goes from suburban street gangs to a maximum - security prison surrounded by hardened criminals, ” but soon “fosters an unlikely friendship with a convicted murderer who ends up becoming his mentor and ultimately defines and changes the course of his life. ” thr gives a little more insight in the casting realm, noting that parker will play the boy’s mother; rhames, his mentor; and woods has the part of “an authority figure at a detention center. ” (the description for a james woods character if i’ve ever heard one .) not a bad collection of players, and that doesn’t sound like the worst material for a compelling feature, either. shooting will kick off on march 4th .
lofranco plays james burns, a troubled kid who at 14 has gotten into so much trouble his school doesn' t even want him around. despite the encouragement of his working - class mom (mary - louise parker, trying to bring earthy determination to a barely there character), james falls in with a crew of thieves; as flash - forward opening scenes make clear, this path leads quickly from juvie to big - boy prison .
as a small - time dealer, burns routinely brings back weapons to his house and to roc’s place. he also swerves down the street in a souped - up oldsmobile that attracts police attention (foolish since there is dope in the trunk) and then attempts to rob a manager without explanation. the film depicts burns as a cocky chump, eager to prove his bad boy reputation; however, the ill - brained decisions his character makes would never fly in the criminal enterprise he was a part of .
this tale examines the true life story of james burns, a young man whose early life on the street as a part of a denver gang leads him to a life sentence in prison. after a childhood filled with violence and illicit activities, james begins a new existence in a maximum security prison, but much to his surprise, his fortunes begin to take a turn for the better. while james still faces decades behind bars, he begins to find hope thanks to a fellow prisoner. while this man is a murderer, he is also a sage who has come to find a deep peace and contentment, and as he shares that with young james, the former gang member begins to have a very different outlook .
after breaking out with the first season of ryan murphy ’s hit horror anthology series american horror story, actress taissa farmiga has booked two new feature roles. variety reports that farmiga has signed on to join sofia coppola ’s true crime story the bling ring. written by coppola, the film is based on the true story of a group of teenagers who robbed the homes of the rich and famous between october 2008 and august 2009, coming away with over $ 3 million worth of loot from the likes of paris hilton, orlando bloom, and lindsay lohan. yesterday we reported that harry potter star emma watson is set for a leading role in the ensemble, and now it appears farmiga will be joining her .
mary elizabeth winstead joins adam scott in a. c. o. d .
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lofranco plays james burns, who, when we meet him at 14, could pass for a young (er) justin bieber. except he' s wearing an ankle monitor, thanks to an extensive history of violence and criminal acts .
parker plays his tough single mom, who continues to advocate for her son long after the system has washed its hands of him .
it' s not just that james seems to run with the wrong crowd - crystal (rosa salazar) has trouble all but tattooed on her - but even his best intentions seem to backfire .
the film toggles between his life in prison, which he entered at 17 on gun charges, and the road and the choices that got him there .
woods plays a prison guard supervisor who tries to tame james' combative spirit. and rhames gives a quietly forceful performance as a laconic lifer who encourages james' predilection for writing .
the score - all hip - hop and citizen cope - is tasty and complementary .
ving rhames, mary - louise parker, and james woods. distributed by phase 4 films / xlrator media .
directed by trevor white. with ving rhames, mary - louise parker, taboo, james woods, taissa farmiga, spencer lofranco. distributed by xlrator media .
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fresh - faced and all tatted up, james acts out as if emulous of the rapper mgk. instead of being scared straight, he thrives in jail and fights anyone who gets in his way or menaces the defenseless chris (ben rosenfield). that is, until world - weary lifer conrad (ving rhames) shows james that inner strength is also a form of power .
the film skirts after - school - special territory, in part with parallel time lines that seamlessly juxtapose james' ascent as a small - time dealer of drugs and guns with his maturation behind bars. still, the screenplay by lane shadgett and director trevor white relies far too much on telling rather than showing. newcomer lofranco deserves credit for carrying the film. he holds his own against vets such as rhames, mary - louise parker (as james' mother) and james woods (as the warden), and he delivers in the climactic scene before the parole committee .
the
weeds
star won' t let her child slip through the system in a first look at trevor white' s directorial debut .
“we have some concerns, ” an admissions officer tells tracey (mary - louise parker). it' s a prelude to the administration' s lengthy list of reasons why her son james (spencer lofranco) won' t be attending high school. in fact, maybe he belongs in a prison .
and that' s how the white brothers make movies. it' s a collaboration with annapolis origins, and their company - star thrower entertainment - is named after their parents' boat .
the white brothers impressed me with their dedication to the story, their beautiful script and the letter - perfect casting ,
said james woods, one of the stars of the film, through his publicist .
they were really a delight to work with, and very talented, with an amazing future in front of them .
the movie, whose cast also includes mary - louise parker and ving rhames, is based on the true story of a teen who turned around his life while in prison .
if we could be inspired, we felt we could make a film that could inspire a lot of people ,
trevor said. he co - wrote the screenplay and directed, while tim produced the film, which had a budget of around $ 5 million .
jack gerbes, director of the maryland film office, helped the brothers arrange for the movie to be shot locally. filming was done in baltimore, curtis bay, brooklyn park and at the closed maryland house of correction in jessup .
for the first time out of the gate, it was amazing how they put it together ,
gerbes said .
although the brothers live in southern california, annapolis is where they first learned filmmaking. they are key school graduates; their mother, patti, is a documentarian and one of the driving forces behind the popular children' s filmsters academy and the annapolis film festival .
patti knew trevor would go into filmmaking from age 11, when he got his first video camera. he wouldn' t put it down .
i' ve always loved movies ,
the 31 - year - old said .
being around it your whole life, it kind of seeped in. but i didn' t zero in on it until my junior year in college .
they met him through their mother, who made a documentary about him and an earlier one involving his mother. both films were about troubled children .
trevor and tim lost touch with burns, who hails from the denver area, after the second documentary. in the meantime, he served five years in prison for armed robbery .
about a year after his release, burns contacted patti, and she called her sons. burns wanted to look at schools in los angeles, and needed somewhere to stay .
it took about a day for all three to feel comfortable, and for burns to open up about his life. they stayed in touch, and trevor began to work on the script .
in 2009, trevor reached out to another writer to hone the writing. by the end of 2010, planning started for the movie .
james kept asking why him.' why my story?'
trevor said .
to him, he was like so many kids, but what really set him apart in our eyes was his desire to live a better life, to be something beyond just accepting life on the streets and in trouble as his destiny .
filming took 23 days in 2012, with burns in attendance. the whites thought about having him play himself, but he looked too old to play a teenager by then .
burns, 26, does make a cameo toward the end of the movie, playing someone who tries to pull his film self back to his old life. he found it somewhat bizarre to be the focus of a movie, but trusted the whites .
they' re my brothers ,
said burns, who lives in new york and is working as a waiter while pursuing his own career in the arts .
patti always supported her sons' careers. after all, movies are the family business .
they had a dream and they had a plan ,
patti said .
they made mistakes along the way, but they did a lot of things right .
trevor white enlists mary - louise parker, ving rhames and james woods to support spencer lofranco in a familiar troubled - kid story .
the film jumbles prison hardship and the crimes leading up to it for reasons that are never apparent. possibly, white and editor josh noyes hoped that frequent scenes of james having to fend off hardened inmates would help sell flashback scenes, in which lofranco is barely credible as a kid so cut out for crime he immediately wins the trust of gang leader roc (michael trotter) and catches the eye of bad girl chrystal (rosa salazar). cookie - cutter dialogue doesn' t help sell james' s descent into crime :
i got brains, plus i can hustle ,
james says when asking for a job; roc replies ,
we do this, you' ll be my bitch, nonnegotiable .
the picture comes closest to earning our sympathy when james is with sarah (taissa farmiga), a good girl who encourages his dreams of escaping their dead - end town. but since we already know he' ll make all the wrong decisions, many of them dumb even by thug - life standards, this subplot is a preordained failure .
in the joint, ving rhames maintains a surprising amount of dignity while playing one of the jailhouse genre' s biggest cliches: the murderer everyone knows not to mess with, who spends his days buried in books and responds to friendly gestures with
shut up ,
don' t talk to me ,
and
i don' t wanna be friends, guppy .
producers: tim white, wayne l. rogers, steve saeta, maria norman, galen walker, scott mednick
the twin deals follow the canadian distributor' s picking up shana betz' s' free ride' and' the crash reel,' by lucy walker .
those purchases come on top of the previously announced buys for shana betz' s free ride and the crash reel, directed by lucy walker .
the deal was negotiated by larry greenberg of phase 4 films and barry gordon of xlrator media with the paradigm finance group on behalf of the film producers .
and phase 4' s greenberg and katharyn howe acquired from paradigm the philosophers title, a sci - fi, fantasy thriller starring james d' arcy, sophie lowe, daryl sabara and bonnie wright (harry potter) .
the film follows an international philosophy teacher in jakarta who challenges his class to choose which would take shelter underground and reboot the human race in the event of a nuclear apocalypse .
, and should the show be picked up to series he’ll have himself a prime spot on weekly television. hit the jump to read the full press release .
maryland - based wayne l. rogers and new york based bonnie timmermann are executive producers. the production team also includes producers maria norman (“public enemies”), steve saeta (“the kingdom”, “the island”), galen walker (tmnt, highlander) and scott mednick (300, superman returns, we are marshall) from a screenplay written by lane shadgett and trevor white .
paul giamatti, samuel l. jackson, bill hader and more join voice cast…
the stars join james woods among the cast of trevor white' s project .
trevor white' s directorial debut previously recruited newcomer spencer lofranco in the lead role of james burns, a troubled teen who ends up in prison .
white penned the film' s screenplay in collaboration with lane shadgett. his brother tim white will serve as producer, comingsoon reports .
woods was last seen on the big screen in the straw dogs remake, while rhames recently made a cameo in mission: impossible - ghost protocol. parker is best known for her role in the tv show weeds .
woods' has no choice but to buy gun' after obama ...
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a young gang member turns his life around in prison, thanks to the friendship he forms with a convicted murderer who becomes his mentor .
trippy indie madeline' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .
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the true story of james burns who, as a teenager goes from the suburban street gangs of denver to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. in this unlikely setting, will james emerge with hope and a brighter future ?
] we get a hundred little shits like you transferred from youth corrections every year. now, you got two problems. one, you done all your time so far with kids instead of real cons, so you think you' re tougher than you actually are. two, the guards at the yos still think they can put humpty back together, which makes' em soft. means you' re used to gettin' away with shit. here, you throw an elbow at another inmate, we got a problem. you understand that ?
i usually like prison flicks, but this, jeez. where do i begin. the movie skips back and forward with nothing but the awful artificial aging as a clue. and age yes, its a problem. he is suppose to play an fourteen year old in the flashbacks. ehm, no. just no. i don' t believe it. and neither should you. nothing is believable. the gang members are not scary. the cringe - worthy mom - son scenes are, well cringe - worthy. and the love story are so extremely shallow. so in conclusion. bad acting. bad casting. bad writing. bad directing. bad movie. if we add that the real james burns never changed for the better, and still lives hustling and steeling another day, its really no reason for anyone to watch this crap .
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the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75% or higher after a set amount of reviews (80 for wide - release movies, 40 for limited - release movies, 20 for tv shows), including 5 reviews from top critics .
a film with a message of inspiration, to be sure, but not much in terms of innovation .
the screenplay by lane shadgett and director trevor white relies far too much on telling rather than showing .
white' s decision to shackle his film to a redemptive arc ends up making burns' s story an argument for juvenile imprisonment .
tackled with a sense of thoughtfulness and compassion that makes the would - be garden - variety narrative worthwhile .
the protagonist seems more sociopathic than sympathetic, and the film takes such a distorted view of the responsibility of role models and artistic expression in shaping troubled youth .
it' s ultimately little more than the story of a hot - tempered young man who made a lot of bad choices, didn' t like where they got him, and finally started making some better ones. while that' s admirable, it isn' t inherently compelling .
although the plot is formulaic, the strong performances and the empathetic main character make this drama stand out .
sans nuance and much - needed depth, the end result feels underwhelming, bland and undercooked. up - and - coming spencer lofranco shows promise as an actor .
a well - intentioned coming - of - age drama that never pushes past a comfortable orbit of earnestness in search of deeper truths .
stay up. never down. good movie! while not nearly as powerful the movie did remind me a little of american history x in the the way that a person can live his life one way without apologizing but when removed from that life he realizes the error in his ways and tries everything he can to change. there are some pretty big names in this movie but the kid that plays james is a perfect choice and really carries as well as outshines everyone else. while this is in no way a perfect movie i do recommend this and was surprised by how good it was. overall, a lighter version of american history x that i recommend. the fact that this was a true story helped as well. the true story of james burns who, as a teenager goes from the suburban street gangs of denver to a maximum - security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. in this unlikely setting, will james emerge with hope and a brighter future ?
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him. riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you. …
jamesy boy is a 2014 american biographical crime drama film directed by trevor white and written by white and lane shadgett . the film stars spencer lofranco , mary-louise parker , taissa farmiga , ving rhames , and james woods . it tells the true story of ex-convict james burns . the film was released in north america on january 3 , 2014 through video on demand , and in a limited release on january 17 , 2014 by phase 4 films . 
jamesy boy is a 2014 american biographical crime drama film directed by trevor white and written by white and lane shadgett. the film stars spencer lofranco, mary-louise parker, taissa farmiga, ving rhames, and james woods. it tells the true story of ex-convict james burns. the film was released in north america on january 3, 2014 through video on demand, and in a limited release on january 17, 2014 by phase 4 films.
jamesy boy is a 2014 american biographical crime drama film directed by trevor white and written by white and lane shadgett. the film stars spencer lofranco, mary-louise parker, taissa farmiga, ving rhames, and james woods. it tells the true story of ex-convict james burns. the film was released in north america on january 3, 2014 through video on demand, and in a limited release on january 17, 2014 by phase 4 films.