Films & Events

Wonderful World

Joshua Goldin’s directorial debut stars Matthew Broderick as Ben Singer, a pot-smoking proofreader, failed children’s singer, lackluster weekend dad, and card-carrying pessimist. His only pleasures in life are regular chess matches and friendly debates about game theory with his Senegalese roommate, Ibou (Michael K. Williams). When Ibou suddenly falls ill and an unfeeling municipal employee exacerbates the situation, Ben's cynicism seems validated. He channels his frustrations into a lawsuit against the city for depraved indifference. But things change when Ibou’s sister Khadi (Sanaa Lathan) comes to stay. What begins as an awkward living arrangement soon turns into something else entirely. Ben's usual misanthropy gives way as he realizes that sometimes cynicism is a matter of self-indulgence and that inspiration can be found in the most unlikely places. Goldin’s balance of levity and gravity give texture and depth to this offbeat study of midlife melancholy and its cures. Director Joshua Goldin expected to attend both screenings

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Sponsors:
Brotherton Cadillac Buick Pontiac GMC, ShadowCatcher Entertainment

Cast & Crew

Director: Joshua Goldin
Producer: Miranda Bailey, Matthew Leutwyler, Glenn Williamson
Editor: Jeff Canavan
Screenwriter: Joshua Goldin
Cinematographer: Daniel Shulman

Music: Craig Richey
Principal Cast: Matthew Broderick, Sanaa Lathan, Philip Baker Hall, Jodelle Ferland, Ally Walker
Filmography: Debut Feature Film

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(8 reviews)

user reviews

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    Wonderful Movie!!, May 14, 2009

    By M Johnson

    “Saw this movie at Tribeca and was so pleasantly surprised at how terrific it was. Great writing, great cast with a subtle message of how one's perception of life dictates their happiness or lack of. Matthew Broderick's best performance in years, probably since Election. He handles the” … full review

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    Perfectly pleasant, Jun 06, 2009

    By Mimi Noyes

    “A good but far from great movie about a man who has given up on the world, and who can blame him? With all the bad news, violence, wars, genocide, greed, and selfishness that we face every day it's no wonder that he's given up on life ever being more than something that one survives through. Ben” … full review

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    Deeply Touching and Funny too, Jun 06, 2009

    By Joseph Iceball

    “This is one of those movies that I woke up the next morning thinking about. The film not only features Matthew Broderick's best performance in years, perhaps ever, but also captures with wonderful clarity, and hilariously unsentimental bite how hard everyday existence can be. I'm tired of all” … full review

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    Superb film, Jun 06, 2009

    By Ari Posner

    “Matthew Broderick gives what may be his best ever performance in this beautifully observed, deeply touching, and wryly comic film. A subversive and unsentimental gem, "Wonderful World" reminded me of something from the 1970s, my favorite era in American movies, with its unformulaic storytelling,” … full review

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    Terrific, Terrific Film, Jun 06, 2009

    By Cameron Dixon

    “How lucky I was to stumble on this film. Very rarely do I find something so authentic, so genuinely moving as this tale of a curmudgeon - a failed idealist - who scrambles around to find some meaning in life, and must rise above his own self-restrictions to do so. Terrifically biting, with a” … full review

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Screenings

Kirkland Performance Center
June 5, 2009 7:00 PM
7:00 PM (Date has passed.)
Egyptian Theatre
June 11, 2009 7:00 PM
7:00 PM (Date has passed.)
June 12, 2009 4:15 PM
4:15 PM (Date has passed.)