Mentor (film)
Encyclopedia
Mentor is a 2006 drama film
directed by David Langlitz and written by William Whitehurst, exploring the relationship between a Pulitzer Prize
-winning author and his protegé.
The film stars Rutger Hauer, Matthew Davis
, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Susan Misner
.
stars as Carter, introduced as a thirtysomething professor at a mediocre college. Through flashbacks, we learn about Carter's time as a promising writer enrolled in an exclusive grad school class taught by Sanford Pollard (Rutger Hauer),a hard-drinking, hard-driving, brilliant but abrasive writer whose career has stalled since winning a Pulitzer Prize decades ago. Julia (Dagmara Dominczyk) is Sanford's graduate assistant as well as his lover. Sanford and Julia 'adopt' the young, eager Carter and expose him to the world of wealth, television, and drugs. Carter travels with them to Sanford's beach house, where he and Julia eventually become lovers.
In the present, Carter has become a shadow of his former promise, a lethargic teacher, an alcoholic
, excessive smoker, lacking the ability to sustain relationships. Like Sanford, he has worked his way through a series of graduate assistant girlfriends, and we watch as he apparently allows his relationship with Susan (Lynn Chen
) to wither away. Carter is on a reckless path until he receives notice that Sanford has died of cancer.
The film jumps back and forth from the present to ten years earlier, as Carter wrestles with the unresolved emotions he felt with Sanford and Julia. After attending Sanford's funeral, Carter returns to the beach house, where Sanford's will is being read. There he again meets Julia, older but still appealing, and they discover that Sanford has left the two of them his entire estate. The film ends ambiguously, with Carter and Julia driving off into the night in the Porsche that had been Sanford's, but which is now theirs in "joint custody."
in the Spring of 2006. It also was accepted at the Maryland Film Festival on May 13, 2006.
As of January 2007, the film has not been generally released.
doubled for both colleges, St. Michaels, Maryland
was the location for all of the vacation scenes, and various locations in Baltimore
served as the background to the story.
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by David Langlitz and written by William Whitehurst, exploring the relationship between a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning author and his protegé.
The film stars Rutger Hauer, Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis
Matthew W. Davis is an American actor.-Life and career:Davis was born in Salt Lake City. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah....
, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Susan Misner
Susan Misner
Susan Misner is an American dancer, television and film actress.-Career:Misner portrayed the doomed Grace Davidson on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from 12 March 1999 to 17 November 1999...
.
Plot
Matthew DavisMatthew Davis
Matthew W. Davis is an American actor.-Life and career:Davis was born in Salt Lake City. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah....
stars as Carter, introduced as a thirtysomething professor at a mediocre college. Through flashbacks, we learn about Carter's time as a promising writer enrolled in an exclusive grad school class taught by Sanford Pollard (Rutger Hauer),a hard-drinking, hard-driving, brilliant but abrasive writer whose career has stalled since winning a Pulitzer Prize decades ago. Julia (Dagmara Dominczyk) is Sanford's graduate assistant as well as his lover. Sanford and Julia 'adopt' the young, eager Carter and expose him to the world of wealth, television, and drugs. Carter travels with them to Sanford's beach house, where he and Julia eventually become lovers.
In the present, Carter has become a shadow of his former promise, a lethargic teacher, an alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, excessive smoker, lacking the ability to sustain relationships. Like Sanford, he has worked his way through a series of graduate assistant girlfriends, and we watch as he apparently allows his relationship with Susan (Lynn Chen
Lynn Chen
Lynn Chen is an American actress. Lynn Chen is best known for playing "Vivian Shing" in Sony Pictures Classic's feature film Saving Face, a role for which she won the "Outstanding Newcomer Award" at the 2006 Asian Excellence Awards.-Early life:...
) to wither away. Carter is on a reckless path until he receives notice that Sanford has died of cancer.
The film jumps back and forth from the present to ten years earlier, as Carter wrestles with the unresolved emotions he felt with Sanford and Julia. After attending Sanford's funeral, Carter returns to the beach house, where Sanford's will is being read. There he again meets Julia, older but still appealing, and they discover that Sanford has left the two of them his entire estate. The film ends ambiguously, with Carter and Julia driving off into the night in the Porsche that had been Sanford's, but which is now theirs in "joint custody."
Film notes
Mentor was first presented at the Tribeca Film FestivalTribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
in the Spring of 2006. It also was accepted at the Maryland Film Festival on May 13, 2006.
As of January 2007, the film has not been generally released.
Editing techniques
The movie makes liberal use of flashback techniques, introducing the characters in 1997 at the end of their friendship, moving to the present day, then alternating between to sequential timelines, one in 1997 the other a decade later.Filming locations
The film was shot entirely in Maryland. Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
doubled for both colleges, St. Michaels, Maryland
St. Michaels, Maryland
Saint Michaels is a town in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2000 census. Saint Michaels derives its name from the Episcopal Parish established here in 1677...
was the location for all of the vacation scenes, and various locations in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
served as the background to the story.
Cast
- Rutger Hauer as Sanford Pollard
- Matthew DavisMatthew DavisMatthew W. Davis is an American actor.-Life and career:Davis was born in Salt Lake City. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah....
as Carter - Dagmara Dominczyk as Julia
- Susan MisnerSusan MisnerSusan Misner is an American dancer, television and film actress.-Career:Misner portrayed the doomed Grace Davidson on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live from 12 March 1999 to 17 November 1999...
as Marilyn Conner - Matt ServittoMatt ServittoMatt Servitto is an American actor, probably best known for his role on The Sopranos as FBI agent Dwight Harris. He also appeared on all 3 seasons of the Peabody Award-winning series Brotherhood as Rep. Donatello and had a guest appearance on Sex and the City as Carrie Bradshaw's editor...
as Howard - Peter ScolariPeter ScolariPeter Scolari is an American television, film and stage actor best known for his roles in the television shows Newhart, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, and Bosom Buddies.-Career:...
as Jonathan Parks - Lynn ChenLynn ChenLynn Chen is an American actress. Lynn Chen is best known for playing "Vivian Shing" in Sony Pictures Classic's feature film Saving Face, a role for which she won the "Outstanding Newcomer Award" at the 2006 Asian Excellence Awards.-Early life:...
as Terry Valentine - Isabel GlasserIsabel GlasserIsabel Glasser is an American actress who has starred in the movies Forever Young, Pure Country and the Law & Order franchise.-External links:...
as Margaret Burger - Lawrence PressmanLawrence PressmanDavid M. Pressman, Senior is an American actor, probably best known for roles on Doogie Howser, M.D., Ladies Man, a recurring role on Profiler, the titular character on Mulligan's Stew and as a fictional scientist in the 1971 film The Hellstrom Chronicle.His first role was on the soap opera The...
as Kendal - Ronald GuttmanRonald GuttmanRonald Guttman is a Belgian actor, theatrical producer and film producer.Guttman was born in Uccle. He has appeared in TV shows such as Lost, Lipstick Jungle, Heroes, The West Wing, and Sex and the City. He had a recurring role as Alexander Cambias, Sr...
as Interviewer - Carrie Yaeger as Nurse