From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1989 film
Fear, Anxiety and Depression
is a 1989 American
comedy film
written and directed by
Todd Solondz
and starring Solondz,
Stanley Tucci
and
Jill Wisoff
.
[3]
[4]
[5]
Production
[
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]
The film was Solondz's first for a major studio, after his work in film school had attracted interest and he had been offered a three-picture contract. He had wanted to title it
The Young and the Hopeless
and was deeply unhappy with the lack of creative control; he has called it "a painful demoralizing experience", and did not make another film for several years.
[6]
[7]
[8]
Plot
[
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]
Solondz plays Ira Ellis, a neurotic aspiring playwright in the
East Village
of
Manhattan
, whose latest work is titled
Despair
. The film consists of vignettes featuring equally pretentious and as yet unsuccessful members of the arts scene including Ira's friend, Jack, a painter; his chubby girlfriend Sharon, a mime; his subsequent girlfriend, a performance artist; and Jack's cast-off girlfriend with whom he has a fling, an actress. Meanwhile, an old classmate of Ira's, Donny (played by
Stanley Tucci
in one of his first roles), has achieved success without apparent effort and takes up with Sharon.
[3]
[8]
Critical reception
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A reviewer for
The New York Times
called
Fear, Anxiety and Depression
"an amiable, uninspired spoof of the notion that agony and art go together" that acknowledges its debts to other film makers (such as
Woody Allen
in Ira's character and mannerisms) but lacking a "distinctive voice or vision".
[3]
A retrospective review for
IFC
called it "wan and obvious" satire.
[8]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Fear, Anxiety & Depression Production Credits"
. Movies & TV Dept.
The New York Times
. 2015. Archived from
the original
on 2015-05-26.
- ^
"Fear, Anxiety & Depression"
.
Box Office Mojo
. Retrieved
July 25,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
James, Caryn (December 8, 1989).
"Review/Film; Spoofing the Unity of Art and Agony"
.
The New York Times
.
- ^
"Fear, Anxiety, and Depression (1989)"
. Turner Classic Movies
. Retrieved
August 1,
2013
.
- ^
"Fear, Anxiety & Depression"
. MSN Entertainment
. Retrieved
August 1,
2013
.
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
"Bio"
.
The Films of Todd Solondz
. Retrieved
July 25,
2020
.
- ^
"Todd Solondz DARK HOUSE Interview"
.
Collider
. 14 September 2011
. Retrieved
16 September
2019
.
- ^
a
b
c
Willmore, Alison (July 26, 2010).
"Your Early Work: 'Fear, Anxiety & Depression"
. Retrieved
July 25,
2020
.
External links
[
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]