Turning Green (film)
Encyclopedia
Turning Green is a 2009 Irish-American dark comedy written and directed by Michael Aimette and John G. Hofmann. The script was a runner up in the original Project Greenlight
on HBO. Donal Gallery stars as James Powers, a displaced American teenager living in Ireland
in 1979 who discovers girlie magazines on a random trip to London
. He illegally imports the magazines, which changes his fortunes – and perspective on life in Ireland. The tagline for the film is "Turning Green. The tale of a boy, a country and a box of porn."
As one of the first movies to receive a domestic theatrical release by New Films International, it screened in Los Angeles
(November 6, 2009), New York
(November 13, 2009) and Chicago
(November 20, 2009.)
The title Turning Green refers to many themes of the film, both physical (James becoming sick after performing one of his drinking bar tricks
, converting Irish pounds to American dollars) and metaphorical (James unwittingly becoming more Irish.)
Turning Green received positive reviews from The LA Times
, The New York Times
, Variety
, NPR and The Star-Ledger
among others.
. For James, getting back to the U.S. is a long and improbable prospect. He tries to make money, little by little, to return to New York City
– making small bar bets and working for the local bookie, Bill the Bookie, played by Alessandro Nivola
. When Bill doesn't get the money owed to him, Bill the Breaker is sent in, played by Academy Award winning actor Timothy Hutton
. Bill the Breaker does exactly the same job as James, only with an added dose of extreme violence. But it's obvious that Bill the Bookie prefers James, and takes a shine to the clever and resourceful young man.
James has just two friends. The first is his younger brother Pete, who has assimilated much better to Irish life than his older sibling. Still, James quizzes the 11 year old on all things American, from baseball
to New York City, yet Pete doesn't have that connection to America that James does. Pete, ever the thoughtful brother, simply goes along with James' obsession. James' other friend is Tom (Colm Meaney
), the gruff-yet-affectionate fisherman
and frequently unsuccessful gambler. He sells his boat to pay for his gambling debt and in one scene, hands James a wad of cash. James has the ability to read between the lines of Tom's grouchy commentary, and sees the good in him. Tom in turn, is a rather faulty father figure to the directionless James.
James also pines for the cutest girl in town, Fiona, who may or may not know he even exists. If he had more confidence, he might approach her, but he keeps his distance. Meanwhile, James' clueless aunts suspect something is wrong with James, based on the inordinate amount of time he spends locked in the bathroom. Of course, what they suspect to be an illness is no mystery to a more informed audience who can more easily determine what interests most 16 year olds.
In a fortuitous moment, the aunts send James to London for a few days to see a medical specialist. There, he discovers his possible ticket out of Ireland – pornography
. Illegal in Ireland, James strikes a deal with a local London newsagent to import them to his town and, using his connections made working for Bill, sells them to an eager Irish
audience. To pay for them, he uses money that Tom gave him to repay his debt to Bill. This sets up conflict as Bill always demands payment on time.
Upon his return a few days later, James meets up with the two Bills and they discuss business. In the racetrack toilet, Bill the Bookie asks James repeatedly if he had collected any money before he left. James, fully aware that he used Tom's money to buy the magazines, lies and says no. With that, Bill the Breaker suddenly attacks and beats the unsuspecting James. Bill the Bookie knew very well that Tom's money was supposed to come to him, but somehow hadn't. The beating serves as a warning to James to watch his step.
James immediately runs over to Tom's, who has also been beaten up by Bill. Tom banishes James from his house. Now, James is more alone than ever. James fantasizes that one of the girls in the magazine is talking to him, as she cajoles him to sell the magazines and then sell some more. Determined more than ever to pay back Bill, James finally receives his shipment of magazines and sells them all in one day. This leads him to expand his business – from approaching local merchants to selling them to other towns east, west, north and south. Suddenly, business is booming. James feels he's actually helping Ireland, he's liberating them, inspiring them. "Like Michael Collins
, Éamon de Valera
. Or that guy from Thin Lizzy
."
As he nears closer and closer to his possible escape from Ireland, his perspective on the place changes. He even seems to be enjoying life for the first time in years. He finally strikes up the nerve to ask Fiona out on a date. He buys Tom a bigger boat. Even the aunts seem more tolerable. Meanwhile, Bill the Bookie has been wondering where this glut of illegal magazines has come from. Learning that the magazines are coming from London, Bill figures out that James is the one who is cutting into his underground business. He's the only one smart enough to do it.
And just as James is about to reverse course on his skewed vision of Ireland, Bill steps in. The two Bills take James to the top of the cliff, which leads to an ironic and wistful conclusion.
stories, Turning Green is about a young man learning about himself. In this case, it's more than a fish out of water story, but a fish out of two waters – Ireland and America. James is teetering on the cusp of adulthood and childhood, between his homeland and his adopted one, and deciding where his future lies. He refers to himself not as "Irish American
" but "Irish American Irish." This constant flip-flopping has left him unsure of who he is and where he belongs. As his lot in life changes, James has to decide where home really is – a place or really just a state of mind.
It's also a story about a point of view. James has almost spitefully decided to hate Ireland and idealize America. As he's just 16, he's lived only 10 years in the U.S. and 6 in Ireland, hardly enough time for him to really relate to either. Additionally, in the 6 years there, he's inadvertently developed an Irish accent. It's clear to us that he's much more Irish than he'd like to admit.
He's also plagued by a none-too-healthy imagination, which only skews his perspective further. He has visions of nude women talking to him, urging him to sell the magazines in Ireland. His perspective on the aunts makes them almost cartoonish – they're really only as annoying as he makes them out to be. He's convinced himself that his brother wants to leave Ireland too, although that's obviously not true. And when the two Bills take James up to the cliffs to teach him a final lesson, it's not nearly as climactic as James has led himself to believe.
, which was created to give first-time writers a chance to direct their own film. The script made the final round of 30 and from that, gave the script greater exposure in Hollywood. After two years of development, the script was optioned by the NY-based independent production company Curbside Productions, and principal photography
began in 2005. After completing an initial cut, the film premiered at CineVegas
film festival to positive reviews.
However, unhappy with the producer's cut and how the film was being marketed, Aimette and Hofmann created a director's cut
which is more comedic and with a different ending. The new version of the film was screened at The Craic Film Festival in 2007 and won the Audience Award.
In 2009, New Films International made their foray into the U.S. domestic distribution market and Turning Green received a limited release
in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in November, 2009. New Films opted for the original cut of the movie, due to the expense of re-finishing the directors' version.
The American actor Alessandro Nivola
is cast as Bill the Bookie, who brought a fey, soft-accented element to what could have been a typical "bad guy" role. Another American, Timothy Hutton
, is almost unrecognizable as Bill the Breaker, and he embraced the role of gruff Irish enforcer fully. Colm Meaney
, a celebrity throughout Ireland, was cast as James' only friend Tom. The remainder of the cast is 100% Irish, featuring screen and stage actors from Dublin and its environs.
, Rathdrum
and Ardmore Studios
outside of Dublin. The final scene where James is now working at a bar in America was shot in New York, NY.
There was minimal rehearsal, and filming spanned 20 days during the summer. It was shot on a 24p
high-definition
camera. The opening animated sequence, which tells the story of James and Pete and their metaphorical journey from America to Ireland, was created by Phil Jungmann, an advertising creative director
and friend of the directors. Using Jungmann's illustrations and created in Flash
, the animated James and Pete take a subway
ride in New York. When the doors finally open, they're magically released into the Irish wilderness, left alone on a giant cliff looking out into the endless sea, their old homeland beyond their grasp.
, Iron & Wine
, The Caesars, arco
and Brian Seymour all contributed, and the commercial music company Pull scored the film. The original script had references to 1970s artists Queen
, ELO
, Led Zeppelin
among others, but due to budgetary constraints, their inclusion was not possible.
's review in The New York Times was largely positive as well, calling it "whimsical" but noting that the story's ending left the movie "stranded in the wilderness." Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger said "as the debut film from a couple of new directors, it's an encouraging start" and Varietys Robert Koehler dubbed it "a tart comedy...empowered and alive" before succumbing to "uneven drama." In general, the reviews were positive, and the negatives are primarily based on the very ending of the movie, which Aimette and Hofmann both felt deviated from the tone and humor of the rest of the movie.
The DVD
release of Turning Green is scheduled for early 2010.
Project Greenlight
Project Greenlight was a contest and television series focusing on first-time filmmakers being given the chance to direct a feature film. It was created by Alex Keledjian, developed by Eli Holzman and produced by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Sean Bailey, and Chris Moore through their production...
on HBO. Donal Gallery stars as James Powers, a displaced American teenager living in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1979 who discovers girlie magazines on a random trip to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He illegally imports the magazines, which changes his fortunes – and perspective on life in Ireland. The tagline for the film is "Turning Green. The tale of a boy, a country and a box of porn."
As one of the first movies to receive a domestic theatrical release by New Films International, it screened in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(November 6, 2009), New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(November 13, 2009) and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(November 20, 2009.)
The title Turning Green refers to many themes of the film, both physical (James becoming sick after performing one of his drinking bar tricks
Bar trick
The term bar trick refers to all optical and magical illusions performed in bars, taverns or similar establishments. The performer is often the bartender, with the recipient or audience of the trick being a patron...
, converting Irish pounds to American dollars) and metaphorical (James unwittingly becoming more Irish.)
Turning Green received positive reviews from The LA Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, NPR and The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
among others.
Plot
Sixteen year old James Powers hates his life in Ireland. Six years prior, he was forced to live with his three aunts after his mother died and his father shipped him and his little brother Pete (Killian Morgan) off to rural Ireland. There, the bored, depressed and xenophobic James drops out of school and spends his days yearning to get back to his idealized AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. For James, getting back to the U.S. is a long and improbable prospect. He tries to make money, little by little, to return to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
– making small bar bets and working for the local bookie, Bill the Bookie, played by Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Antine Nivola is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the films Best Laid Plans, Jurassic Park III, Face/Off, and the first two films of the Goal! trilogy.-Personal life:...
. When Bill doesn't get the money owed to him, Bill the Breaker is sent in, played by Academy Award winning actor Timothy Hutton
Timothy Hutton
Timothy Tarquin Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People . He currently stars as Nathan "Nate" Ford on the TNT series Leverage.-Early life:Timothy...
. Bill the Breaker does exactly the same job as James, only with an added dose of extreme violence. But it's obvious that Bill the Bookie prefers James, and takes a shine to the clever and resourceful young man.
James has just two friends. The first is his younger brother Pete, who has assimilated much better to Irish life than his older sibling. Still, James quizzes the 11 year old on all things American, from baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
to New York City, yet Pete doesn't have that connection to America that James does. Pete, ever the thoughtful brother, simply goes along with James' obsession. James' other friend is Tom (Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
), the gruff-yet-affectionate fisherman
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
and frequently unsuccessful gambler. He sells his boat to pay for his gambling debt and in one scene, hands James a wad of cash. James has the ability to read between the lines of Tom's grouchy commentary, and sees the good in him. Tom in turn, is a rather faulty father figure to the directionless James.
James also pines for the cutest girl in town, Fiona, who may or may not know he even exists. If he had more confidence, he might approach her, but he keeps his distance. Meanwhile, James' clueless aunts suspect something is wrong with James, based on the inordinate amount of time he spends locked in the bathroom. Of course, what they suspect to be an illness is no mystery to a more informed audience who can more easily determine what interests most 16 year olds.
In a fortuitous moment, the aunts send James to London for a few days to see a medical specialist. There, he discovers his possible ticket out of Ireland – pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
. Illegal in Ireland, James strikes a deal with a local London newsagent to import them to his town and, using his connections made working for Bill, sells them to an eager Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
audience. To pay for them, he uses money that Tom gave him to repay his debt to Bill. This sets up conflict as Bill always demands payment on time.
Upon his return a few days later, James meets up with the two Bills and they discuss business. In the racetrack toilet, Bill the Bookie asks James repeatedly if he had collected any money before he left. James, fully aware that he used Tom's money to buy the magazines, lies and says no. With that, Bill the Breaker suddenly attacks and beats the unsuspecting James. Bill the Bookie knew very well that Tom's money was supposed to come to him, but somehow hadn't. The beating serves as a warning to James to watch his step.
James immediately runs over to Tom's, who has also been beaten up by Bill. Tom banishes James from his house. Now, James is more alone than ever. James fantasizes that one of the girls in the magazine is talking to him, as she cajoles him to sell the magazines and then sell some more. Determined more than ever to pay back Bill, James finally receives his shipment of magazines and sells them all in one day. This leads him to expand his business – from approaching local merchants to selling them to other towns east, west, north and south. Suddenly, business is booming. James feels he's actually helping Ireland, he's liberating them, inspiring them. "Like Michael Collins
Michael Collins (Irish leader)
Michael "Mick" Collins was an Irish revolutionary leader, Minister for Finance and Teachta Dála for Cork South in the First Dáil of 1919, Director of Intelligence for the IRA, and member of the Irish delegation during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations. Subsequently, he was both Chairman of the...
, Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera was one of the dominant political figures in twentieth century Ireland, serving as head of government of the Irish Free State and head of government and head of state of Ireland...
. Or that guy from Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
."
As he nears closer and closer to his possible escape from Ireland, his perspective on the place changes. He even seems to be enjoying life for the first time in years. He finally strikes up the nerve to ask Fiona out on a date. He buys Tom a bigger boat. Even the aunts seem more tolerable. Meanwhile, Bill the Bookie has been wondering where this glut of illegal magazines has come from. Learning that the magazines are coming from London, Bill figures out that James is the one who is cutting into his underground business. He's the only one smart enough to do it.
And just as James is about to reverse course on his skewed vision of Ireland, Bill steps in. The two Bills take James to the top of the cliff, which leads to an ironic and wistful conclusion.
Themes
Like many coming of ageComing of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
stories, Turning Green is about a young man learning about himself. In this case, it's more than a fish out of water story, but a fish out of two waters – Ireland and America. James is teetering on the cusp of adulthood and childhood, between his homeland and his adopted one, and deciding where his future lies. He refers to himself not as "Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
" but "Irish American Irish." This constant flip-flopping has left him unsure of who he is and where he belongs. As his lot in life changes, James has to decide where home really is – a place or really just a state of mind.
It's also a story about a point of view. James has almost spitefully decided to hate Ireland and idealize America. As he's just 16, he's lived only 10 years in the U.S. and 6 in Ireland, hardly enough time for him to really relate to either. Additionally, in the 6 years there, he's inadvertently developed an Irish accent. It's clear to us that he's much more Irish than he'd like to admit.
He's also plagued by a none-too-healthy imagination, which only skews his perspective further. He has visions of nude women talking to him, urging him to sell the magazines in Ireland. His perspective on the aunts makes them almost cartoonish – they're really only as annoying as he makes them out to be. He's convinced himself that his brother wants to leave Ireland too, although that's obviously not true. And when the two Bills take James up to the cliffs to teach him a final lesson, it's not nearly as climactic as James has led himself to believe.
Development
Michael Aimette and John G. Hofmann first co-wrote the script and submitted it to the first season of HBO's TV series Project GreenlightProject Greenlight
Project Greenlight was a contest and television series focusing on first-time filmmakers being given the chance to direct a feature film. It was created by Alex Keledjian, developed by Eli Holzman and produced by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Sean Bailey, and Chris Moore through their production...
, which was created to give first-time writers a chance to direct their own film. The script made the final round of 30 and from that, gave the script greater exposure in Hollywood. After two years of development, the script was optioned by the NY-based independent production company Curbside Productions, and principal photography
Principal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began in 2005. After completing an initial cut, the film premiered at CineVegas
Cinevegas
CineVegas was a film festival held annually at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas that ran from 1999 to 2009, typically in early June. Robin Greenspun serves as the Festival president, and Trevor Groth serves as artistic director. Actor Dennis Hopper is the chairman of the Festival's creative...
film festival to positive reviews.
However, unhappy with the producer's cut and how the film was being marketed, Aimette and Hofmann created a director's cut
Director's cut
A director's cut is a specially edited version of a film, and less often TV series, music video, commercials, comic book or video games, that is supposed to represent the director's own approved edit...
which is more comedic and with a different ending. The new version of the film was screened at The Craic Film Festival in 2007 and won the Audience Award.
In 2009, New Films International made their foray into the U.S. domestic distribution market and Turning Green received a limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in November, 2009. New Films opted for the original cut of the movie, due to the expense of re-finishing the directors' version.
Casting
Casting the role of James was essential, as he appears in virtually every scene of the movie. After a few weeks of unsuccessfully searching for the perfect balance between adult and child, the 17 year old Donal Gallery auditioned for the role. He was given the role of James Powers on the spot. Never having acted professionally before, Gallery's performance was subsequently greeted with terrific reviews. The New York Times praised Gallery for his "cheeky charm" while Variety called him "an impressive newcomer."The American actor Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Antine Nivola is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles in the films Best Laid Plans, Jurassic Park III, Face/Off, and the first two films of the Goal! trilogy.-Personal life:...
is cast as Bill the Bookie, who brought a fey, soft-accented element to what could have been a typical "bad guy" role. Another American, Timothy Hutton
Timothy Hutton
Timothy Tarquin Hutton is an American actor. He is the youngest actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at the age of 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in Ordinary People . He currently stars as Nathan "Nate" Ford on the TNT series Leverage.-Early life:Timothy...
, is almost unrecognizable as Bill the Breaker, and he embraced the role of gruff Irish enforcer fully. Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
, a celebrity throughout Ireland, was cast as James' only friend Tom. The remainder of the cast is 100% Irish, featuring screen and stage actors from Dublin and its environs.
Filming
The budget of US$400,000 includes all cast and crew, and was shot on the east coast of Ireland, primarily WicklowWicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
, Rathdrum
Rathdrum, County Wicklow
Rathdrum is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated high on the western side of the Avonmore river valley, which flows through the Vale of Clara.-People:Born in Rathdrum:...
and Ardmore Studios
Ardmore Studios
Ardmore Studios is a film studio in Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland which was founded by Emmet Dalton and opened by the Minister for Industry and Commerce Seán Lemass on May 12, 1958....
outside of Dublin. The final scene where James is now working at a bar in America was shot in New York, NY.
There was minimal rehearsal, and filming spanned 20 days during the summer. It was shot on a 24p
24p
In video technology, 24p refers to a video format that operates at 24 frames per second frame rate with progressive scanning . Originally, 24p was used in the non-linear editing of film-originated material...
high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
camera. The opening animated sequence, which tells the story of James and Pete and their metaphorical journey from America to Ireland, was created by Phil Jungmann, an advertising creative director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
and friend of the directors. Using Jungmann's illustrations and created in Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
, the animated James and Pete take a subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
ride in New York. When the doors finally open, they're magically released into the Irish wilderness, left alone on a giant cliff looking out into the endless sea, their old homeland beyond their grasp.
Music
The movie features indie music artists that, while not from the 1970s period, reflect the mood of the film and James' dour view of the place. Nada SurfNada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, Iron & Wine
Iron & Wine
Samuel Beam , better known by his stage and recording name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released four studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live album...
, The Caesars, arco
Arco (band)
Arco are a British band noted for unusually slow, quiet, poetic music: a gig review in national newspaper The Guardian suggested "an hour in arco's company is the aural equivalent of a day in a flotation tank"...
and Brian Seymour all contributed, and the commercial music company Pull scored the film. The original script had references to 1970s artists Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, ELO
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
among others, but due to budgetary constraints, their inclusion was not possible.
Critical Reaction
Turning Green received many positive reviews, as well as some mixed reviews. Kevin Thomas from The LA Times called it "an amusing Irish coming-of-age story...when all those triple-X magazines spread throughout the community, Turning Green takes off in earnest." NPR's Mark Jenkins felt is was "enlivened by witty asides and playful commentary" and praised Aimette and Hofmann that "for a couple of Yanks making their first feature, they've drawn a perceptive sketch of the Old Sod." Stephen HoldenStephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
's review in The New York Times was largely positive as well, calling it "whimsical" but noting that the story's ending left the movie "stranded in the wilderness." Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger said "as the debut film from a couple of new directors, it's an encouraging start" and Varietys Robert Koehler dubbed it "a tart comedy...empowered and alive" before succumbing to "uneven drama." In general, the reviews were positive, and the negatives are primarily based on the very ending of the movie, which Aimette and Hofmann both felt deviated from the tone and humor of the rest of the movie.
The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release of Turning Green is scheduled for early 2010.