Carving a Life
| Carving a Life | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | Terry Ross |
| Written by | Lisa Bruhn |
| Produced by | Evette Betancourt |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Oscar Velázquez |
| Edited by | Janna Reznik |
| Music by | Edna Alejandra Longoria |
Production company | Life In Reels Productions |
| Distributed by | Indie Rights |
Release date |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Carving a Life is a 2017 American romance drama film directed by Terry Ross and written by Lisa Bruhn. The film stars Tyler Bruhn and Karenssa LeGear.
Plot
Mitch (Tyler Bruhn), a woodworker struggling with alcoholism after the death of his mother, begins a relationship with Lauren (Karenssa LeGear), a local elementary schoolteacher. His past trauma and difficult relationship with his father strains his romantic relationship with Lauren.
Cast
- Tyler Bruhn as Mitch
- Karenssa LeGear as Lauren
- Aaron Landon Bornstein as Stephen
- Lisa Winans as Rebecca
- Sandi Todorovic as Eric
- Jay Jee as Dr. Johnson
- Laura Bohlin as Mary
- Navid Negahban as Dr. Kasem
- Tiffany Espensen as Veronica
- Lindsay Kaye Sainato as Lyndsey
- Marla Bingham as Rehab Psychologist
- Kathleen Holt as Nurse Mary
- Max Baroudi as Young Mitch
- Samuel James Pfoser as Young Eric
- Kellen Rose as Kid at beach
- Mark Benjamin as Ethan
- Frank Papia as Gordon
- Lizet Benrey as Rehab Counselor
Production
It was the debut film of director Terry Ross.[1] Principal photography took place in North County of San Diego, Anaheim and Julian, California.[2]
Release
The film was presented at the American Film Market.[3] The film had a screening in San Diego,[4] a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles and was distributed by Indie Rights.[5][6]
Reception
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics. Katie Walsh at Los Angeles Times described it as well-intentioned but amateurish, calling it "the kind of DIY indie film that tries very, very hard but completely misses the mark."[1] Adam Keller at Film Threat scored it 1 out of 5 stating it was "stream-of-consciousness mush."[7] Chris Olson at UK Film Review scored it 4 stars calling it "genuinely moving [...] tender and engaging."[8] Occhi Magazine rated the film 3 stars and said it would've been better with an "expanded plot and more focus on the characters."[9]
References
- ^ a b Walsh, Katie (October 13, 2017). "Review: Indie drama 'Carving a Life,' about addiction, means well but is ineptly made". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Sherman, Lola (December 3, 2015). "Films coming back to county". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Cole, Ann Reilly (December 3, 2015). "One Step Back, Two Steps Forward: Catching Up with 'Carving A Life'". Ramona Journal. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ "'Carving a Life' premiere screening happening Tuesday -". KUSI. January 7, 2018. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Shepherd, Wendy (October 13, 2017). "Life in Reels Productions Releases Award-Winning Film : Carving A Life | Movie Vine". Movie Vine. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ "Carving a Life (2017) - Financial Information". The Numbers. November 12, 2017. Archived from the original on November 20, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Keller, Adam (May 9, 2018). "Carving A Life | Film Threat". Film Threat. Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ Olson, Chris (December 12, 2017). "Carving a Life indie film". UK Film Review. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
- ^ "Review: 'Carving a Life' is an Enjoyable Film Written by Lisa Bruhn". Occhi Magazine. December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.