CAVEDWELLER (DVD) DVD

Cavedweller
Cavedweller is an adaptation of Dorothy Allison's novel of the same name. Anne Meredith, who also adapted Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina, wrote the script, and the film was directed by Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon). Kyra Sedgwick stars as Delia Byrd. As the film opens, Delia loses her wayward Rock-star husband, Randall (Kevin Bacon in a bit part), to a car accident, and decides to take her angry, heartbroken young daughter, Cissy (Regan Arnold, who played the tormented little sister in Blue Car), from Los Angeles back to her hometown in rural Georgia, where Delia left her two daughters and her abusive husband, Clint (Aidan Quinn), many years ago, to join Randall on the road. "Those people are not gonna be happy to see you," warns Delia's friend, Rosemary (singer Jill Scott in her film debut), but Delia is determined to reclaim her daughters. Cissy irrationally blames Delia for Randall's death, making the drive to Georgia an unpleasant one. Upon arriving there, Delia finds that she is not remembered fondly. Her taciturn grandfather (Myron Natwick) reluctantly takes her and Cissy in, but Delia soon learns that Clint is dying, and that her daughters, Amanda (Vanessa Zima) and Dede (April Mullen), are living with Clint's fire-and-brimstone mother (Jackie Burroughs), who has no intention of letting the girls see her. Realizing he has wronged her, Clint agrees to help Delia get custody of the girls, in exchange for her caring for him until he dies. Cavedweller was shown at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival before premiering on Showtime. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Cast Kyra Sedgwick as Delia Byrd Aidan Quinn as Clint Windsor Sherilyn Fenn as M.T. Jill Scott as Rosemary Regan Arnold as Cissy Pritchard Vanessa Zima as Amanda Windsor Kevin Bacon as Randall Byrd Jackie Burroughs as Grandma Windsor April Mullen as Dede Dan Lett as Reverend Hillman Myron Natwick as Granddaddy Byrd

Crew James Oswald - Art Director Mary Gail Artz - Casting Barbara Cohen - Casting Joyce Schure - Costume Designer David McAree - First Assistant Director Lisa Cholodenko - Director Amy E. Duddleston - Editor Robert Halmi, Jr. - Executive Producer Orly Adelson - Executive Producer Valerie Stadler - Executive Producer Kyra Sedgwick - Executive Producer David Yudain - Executive Producer Wendy Melvoin - Composer (Music Score) Phillip Barker - Production Designer Xavier Pérez Grobet - Cinematographer Michael Levine - Producer Liz Calderhead - Set Designer Richard Penn - Sound/Sound Designer Anne Meredith - Screenwriter Dorothy Allison - Book Author

Cavedweller
Lisa Cholodenko's Cavedweller is a creditable adaptation of author Dorothy Allison's work. It's another fine demonstration of Cholodenko's excellent work with actors and handling of tone, but the efficient script, by Anne Meredith, lacks the bracing edginess of Cholodenko's original screenplays. Sharply focused performances, particularly by Kyra Sedgwick as Delia and the electric young Regan Arnold as her angry urbanite daughter, Cissy, and the true grit of Allison's tale of pain and resilience keep the film from veering into Lifetime movie territory. The songs, by former Prince bandmate Wendy Melvoin, are pretty good, but an ethereally breathy vocal performance by Lisa Germano on the film's main theme puts across the wounded, slightly off-kilter tone of the work. Allison renders some of the characters less vibrant than Delia and her daughters. For example, Rosemary, played by R&B star Jill Scott, doesn't seem to have much going on beyond her relationship with Delia. The film lacks the acuity of complex characterization that distinguishes both High Art and Laurel Canyon, but it's still a potent, absorbing family drama that ends on a note of real emotional power. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
 

Aidan Quinn: Independent Spirit Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominated) Kyra Sedgwick: Independent Spirit Awards, Best Actress (nominated)

Tribeca Film Festival, Film Presented (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, Spanish Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DD2: Dolby Digital Stereo Additional Features: cc Behind the scenes Photo gallery Filmographies Previews MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 105 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 2. Daddy's Eyes [13:02] 3. Pony Up [13:01] 4. On a Bender [3:08] 5. The Girls [12:40] 6. Quick Hello [13:30] 7. Is That Mine [9:19] 8. A Reason [18:58] 9. End Credits [4:58]