Something's Missing is a 2010 American comedy-drama film, directed by Anna Reynolds and written by Ryan Ross Hernandez with additional treatment done by Reynolds'. The story is about a general counsel for a record label's legal department. It follows his isolated life and philosophies along with the people that he meets along the way. It is Ryan Ross Hernandez' acting, film producing, and screenwriting debut.
Hernandez allowed Reynolds to rewrite some parts specifically for Hernandez' co-stars Minka Dumont, Jamie Lee Alexander, Anna London, and Amanda Curtis. During pre-production Hernandez and Reynolds went to visit a law firm in New York to get more a feel of corporate matters inside the company for the film. Also they spent three days of pre-production at a record label to get a more behind the scenes look, especially on the legal department side. While they were there, they witnessed twelve workers get laid off, which lead them to include the laid off workers to play themselves as extras in the film.
Filming was primarily in New York City, New York which substituted for a number of other cities shown in the film. Several scenes were also filmed in Detroit, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, Las Vegas, Nevada and Miami, Florida.
Reynolds has heavily promoted
Something's Missing with personal appearances during film festivals and other showings, starting with the Telluride Film Festival on September 5, 2009.
The North American premiere will be at the Mann's Village Theater, Los Angeles, California on Monday, December 28, 2009. Paramount has scheduled a limited North American release on January 15, 2010, broadening the release on January 29, 2009 with wide release set for February 12, 2010.
(Poster Coming Soon)
Directed by: Anna Reynolds
Produced by: Emily Williams
Ryan Ross Hernandez
Written by: Ryan Ross Hernandez
Starring: Ryan Ross Hernandez
Minka Dumont
Jaimie Lee Alexander
Anna London
Amanda Curtis
Music by: Lisa Gerrard
Ryan Ross Hernandez
Cinematography: Caleb Williams
Editing by: Dana Clark
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release date(s): January 15, 2010 (limited)
January 29, 2010 (expanded)
February 12, 2010 (wide)
Running time: 149 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English
Rating: R for language and some sexual content
Budget: $30 million
Gross revenue: To Be Decided
Plot summary
Ryan Ross Hernandez plays Ross Lancaster, a young, general counsel for a record label's legal department. Despite him only being in his second year working with the company, he was promoted to general counsel in just a year becoming the youngest. Lancaster left behind his small hometown of Franklin, Tennessee, when he graduated college to purse his dream of a upper class lifestyle. Now at 25 years old, he has accomplished his dream but on his way has lost his friends and family. Lancaster has become obsessed with his work, and even more of his solo, commitment-free lifestyle. "
Love" is a word that has no meaning to him but could one woman (or a few) make him change his ways.
Production
DevelopmentHernandez started writing the script in late 2006 when he started to become more interested in the creation of films. He wrote the script backwards, beginning with the ending. The project began as a hobby, doing much of the initial writing in his bunk while touring with PANIC!. After he fell into a depression due to the ending of a relationship in October 2007, Hernandez became more serious in the idea of actually taking his screenplay to life. When he completed writing in mid-2008, soon after he began to pitch the screenplay to various directors but initially, the four directors Hernandez met with, criticized the script due to it being too "complex," for the audience it was being aimed at.
When Hernandez met with Anna Reynolds, in December 2008, Reynolds' initially declined to direct the film for it being too out of place with her previous directed films. At a second meeting, Hernandez gave the full script to Reynolds allowing her to make any change she saw fit, Reynolds then accepted to direct the film but didn't make any changes to the script until casting began in January 2009 to fit each character.
Over the course of writing Something's Missing, Hernandez became a famous musician, bought a home, and has experienced true love. He stated that he started the screenplay as a cynical guy in his teen's who was really just a satirist and over the four years became more mature as a person but who also realized that this was important in his own life and that really changed the main character's journey as he completed the screenplay.
Main Cast
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Ryan Ross Hernandez as Ross Lancaster, general counsel for Central Music Group Records legal department
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Minka Dumont as Autumn Michelle Seaver, President for CMG Records legal department
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Jaimie Lee Alexander as Natalie Reitman, assistant general counsel
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Anna London as Stacey Davis, Ross Lancaster's childhood best friend in Tennessee
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Amanda Curtis as Crystal Porter, CEO and Chairwoman of CMG Records
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Mary Elizabeth Fitzgerald as Laura McClane, legal secretary for Lancaster and Reitman
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Matthew Greco as Adam Freeman, CEO and Chairman of CMG Records International
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Claire Hyland as Julie Winter-Freeman, wife of Adam Freeman / general counsel for CMG International
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Ashley Perry as Hayley Pritchett, singer signed to CMG Records
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Anabelle Williams as Alyson Lancaster-Kennedy, one of Ross Lancaster's older sister
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Monica Penn as Mona Sykrister, one of Ross Lancaster's older sister
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Nate Conrad as Jimmy Kennedy, Alyson's husband
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Jason Hartman as Steve, a fired employee
Reynolds stated: "
It's easier for me to write when I know who I'm actually writing for. That's often how I identify the voice of the character. The side Ryan's character shows at work is, well what viewers will see as an insensitive, sarcastic, cynic, but he is more of a realistic guy, that's how I see him and how Ryan intended to portray him as. If you're going to make a movie about a guy like that and you still want viewers to like him, that actor better be damn charming. Just because of Ryan's character, is why the movie is rated R. Neither Ryan or I, wanted to edit his dialogue because Ross Lancaster, wouldn't work without it. Ryan's character sort-of uses wise-cracks and sardonic attitude, as a defense mechanism. But the funniest moments in the film are his sarcastic remarks towards almost everything around him. Ryan had been writing this character for the last three, four years, he had the vision of how Ross Lancaster is. It would have been unfair not to have Ryan portray him."
Protagonist Ryan Ross Hernandez explained that Ross Lancaster doesn't have any real friends he has "
acquaintances".
Something's Missing cast 2,000 extras with 26 Michigan actors in minor speaking roles. 20 of which were recently laid off from automobile companies. About 250 extras were used from the New York and Chicago area. They were used for filming inside and outside the terminal at JFK airport, while the cast shot their scenes inside the terminal.
Filming
The film was directed by Anna Reynolds and filmed mostly in the New York City area. Several scenes were also filmed at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in late March 2009, in Detroit, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, Las Vegas, Nevada and Miami, Florida..
Producers set up a New York City production office on January 5, 2009. Filming began in New York City on March 3, 2009 and continued through mid May. The film includes 80 different sets at 50 locations throughout the New York City area, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, various condos and apartments in the SoHo and TriBeCa neighborhoods, Madison Square Garden in New York city during a basketball of the Knicks, Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, the Empire State Building in New York City, MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand Detroit, the Sears Building in Chicago, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Detroit Metro Airport and Hyatt Regency Chicago.
O'Hare International Airport in Chicago wound-up playing the part of two airports. They filmed for five days at O'Hare, twenty hours each day.
Reynolds needed three in a half months to film Something's Missing, the last week of which were devoted to aerial shooting.
Corporate sponsorshipThe film features heavy product placement, with American Airlines, Hertz, Travelpro, MGM Grand Hotels & Casino and Hilton Hotels all featured prominently. Competing brands are displayed only as blurs in scene backgrounds. Although mostly all characters make dialogue references to competing brands, especially Ryan Ross Hernandez' character.
Producing
According to producer Emily Williams, Reynolds has a good idea from the beginning of how she wants something cut and how she wants her movies. They collaborated well in the cutting room, throwing ideas off of each other, and building off of that. Hernandez said he kept his ideas to minimal saying that he knew both women are amazing at their jobs and knew what they were doing.
Producing helped determine of how nonverbal moments shape the sexual tensions Ross and the other four female protagonist share.
"
In scenes like that, there is a sort of playfulness that goes on. All the moments like that he shared with the four, all had a different to them," producer Emily Williams says. "You could tell by different little looks, different motions, different tones. Sometimes I stayed a beat longer on a take to get that little sparkle in their eyes."
"
You can see a lot of playfulness in the quick cuts back and forth when they are teasing each other, but then there are also certain moments that Ryan's body language speaks out to the viewers. Tiny nuances are really helpful to show their character and show what they are after. Ross Lancaster is a very complex character so moments like that are what hint viewers of the real Ross."
Music
The score to was composed by Lisa Gerrard, who recorded his score with a 60-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Sony Scoring Stage.
No details about the soundtrack have been announced. Director Anna Reynolds stated: "
The soundtrack is Ryan's territory. He is the one in charge of all that. He has the connections for that, the musician friends. All I know is that Ryan has already written a song that should be featured in the soundtrack and it is the song heard in the trailer."
Themes
According to Hernandez "
In one sense, it’s a movie about a man who deals with the political legal crap behind a record label. In another sense, it’s a movie about a man who is brutally honest, is realistic but at the same time shows it by being sarcastic and stereotyping. In another sense, it’s about a man who thinks living life solo with no commitments is the best lifestyle. In another sense, it is about a man looking for true love, everywhere he goes, even though he doesn't show in a direct form due to his character. In another sense, it's about a man who has lost his true self while trying to accomplish his dream. In another sense, it's about a man and his relationships around the woman around him."
According to Reynolds, "
The movie is about the examination of a philosophy. What if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?"
Release
Reynolds has heavily promoted
Something's Missing with personal appearances during film festivals and other showings. She indicated that she could relate to that lifestyle of the lead character, Ross Lancaster, and she enjoys it himself. "
Yesterday [October 28, 2009] I took my 10th flight in 10 days so I live that life myself and I kinda enjoy it," Reynolds said, "
I think when you're in an airplane it's the last refuge for the people who enjoy being alone and reading a book."
The North American premiere will be at the Mann's Village Theater, Los Angeles, California on Monday, December 28, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. Paramount had originally scheduled the North American release for December 4, 2009 but was pushed back so protagonist Ryan Ross Hernandez schedule could clear and begin to promote the film. With the enthusiastic reception it received at Telluride, Paramount later planned a release in limited markets on November 13, 2009, and a wide release on November 25, 2009 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. However, this release schedule was postponed for unknown reasons. Paramount currently has scheduled a limited North American release in twelve markets in fifteen theaters on January 15, 2010, broadening the release the next week on January 29, 2009 in 72 theaters. Wide release has been set for, February 12, 2010. The release date for other countries will be later on in spring of 2010.
Critical responseTo be decided
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OOC:
Well, I worked my ass off to get this up, so a little interest for it is more than encourage. Might seem a bit confusing right now, but I have a pretty good idea for it, which will be revealed later on. As you noticed if you clicked on RRH name in the cast, I've changed his pic-base but just for this.Edited by user 18 January 2010 12:25:34(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified