Greenberg. A Noah Baumbach Picture. International Press Contacts:

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1 Greenberg A Noah Baumbach Picture International Press Contacts: DDA PR Mandala Hotel #504 Potsdamer Straße Berlin, Germany T: E: greenberg@ddapr.com Paul Saunter M: Alice Gledhill-Hall M:

2 2 Greenberg Synopsis In Greenberg, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter/director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) brings us the funny, touching and poignant story of two souls adrift in Los Angeles, trying to forge a connection. Florence Marr (Greta Gerwig), an aspiring singer, is struggling to find her place in the world. She works as a personal assistant to the Greenberg family, beginning and ending each day tending to other people s needs. In sharp contrast to the Greenbergs bustling life in their elegant Hollywood Hills home, Florence lives alone in a tiny studio apartment and sings at open-mike nights. When Phillip Greenberg (Chris Messina) takes his wife and children on an extended trip abroad, Florence is suddenly left more to her own devices. She makes the occasional visit to their home to check up on the family s dog Mahler, and look in on Phillip s brother Roger (Ben Stiller), who has come to L.A. to housesit. Single and fortyish, Greenberg is intelligent, witty, sharp-tongued and, like Florence, something of a lost soul; he is at a crossroads in his life. He has been working as a carpenter in New York after an early career as a musician in L.A. petered out. Greenberg claims to be doing nothing and his most tangible projects include drafting letters of complaint and building a doghouse for Mahler. Roger tries to reconnect with friend and former bandmate Ivan (Rhys Ifans) and old flame Beth (Jennifer Jason Leigh), but they ve moved on with their lives while Greenberg has been stuck treading water. In trying to restart his life, Greenberg finds that times have changed and old friends aren t necessarily still best friends. After years of living in New York City, Greenberg doesn t drive and finds himself stranded at his brother s house. His vulnerability immediately endears him to Florence, who helps him navigate Los Angeles and take care of Mahler. What begins as a courtesy to her employer develops into a charmingly eccentric and unexpectedly significant connection. As Greenberg discovers there is only so much nothing you can do, the awkward beauty of what he builds with Florence starts to look more and more like a reason to be happy. A Focus Features presentation of a Scott Rudin production. A Noah Baumbach picture. Ben Stiller. Greenberg. Greta Gerwig, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Casting by Francine Maisler, C.S.A. Costume Designer, Mark Bridges. Music Supervisor, George Drakoulias. Music by James Murphy. Film Editor, Tim Streeto. Production Designer, Ford Wheeler. Director of Photography, Harris Savides, ASC. Executive Producer, Lila Yacoub. Produced by Scott Rudin, Jennifer Jason Leigh. Story by Jennifer Jason Leigh & Noah Baumbach. Screenplay by Noah Baumbach. Directed by Noah Baumbach. A Focus Features Release.

3 3 Greenberg About the Production Writer/director Noah Baumbach and producer/actor Jennifer Jason Leigh had previously teamed with Academy Award-winning producer Scott Rudin on Margot at the Wedding. Even as the film was being completed and then released in 2007 to accolades including an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Ms. Leigh the trio was already planning a new picture together. Baumbach and Leigh mapped out the new movie as one that would afford Baumbach the opportunity to once again interlace emotional insight with biting wit, as he had in pictures from his debut Kicking and Screaming to the Oscar-nominated The Squid and the Whale. Baumbach and Leigh conceived a story that would take the writer/director to Los Angeles for filming. Several years prior, Leigh had co-written and co-directed a Los Angeles-set tale of relationships, The Anniversary Party. But Greenberg would make even more use of the city, as much more than a backdrop for the splendidly realized characters in the screenplay. It would be filmed on a tight seven-week schedule, roughly the same amount of time the title character, Roger Greenberg, finds himself in Los Angeles. Los Angeles plays such a big part in Greenberg that it s another character, adding to the vibe of the film, says locations manager Stephenson Crossley. I didn t have to show Noah a lot of photos to give him different options. For the most part, he knew where he wanted to go and a lot of those places were written into the script so it was my job to get us in there. Many of the locations very specifically noted in the script hadn t been featured in movies before, or at least weren t instantly recognizable. But we weren t a big-budget film, and since there s no gunfire or special effects in the picture, it s less disruptive to a place or a community. So, people were pretty accommodating. For example, the famed Musso & Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard, first opened in 1919 and a local institution ever since, was scripted as the setting for a modest yet arguably (to Greenberg, at least) excessive birthday celebration. While other movies had shot there over the years, we got them to close on a Tuesday for the first time in their history, says Crossley. We expressed to the owner how important it was for us to shoot there, and how it would help bring the film and the characters to life. The mandate from Noah was always real places and real people. Accordingly, the restaurant s real-life waiters, one a 50-year veteran, were on duty for the sequence and regular customers came in to be extras. Other L.A. locations were also specifically written into the script for verisimilitude. These included Lucy s El Adobe restaurant, across the street from Paramount Pictures; the Runyon Canyon hiking trails, 160 acres of the Santa Monica Mountains that are a

4 4 sanctuary for dog walkers; the Fairfax district, where orthodox Jews are seen walking to and from Temple every Friday and Saturday, alongside the trendsetters who hit the restaurants and boutiques along Melrose Avenue; and the Highland Gardens Hotel. Most of the locations were in Hollywood or West Hollywood accurately representing what would be within walking distance for the non-driving Greenberg including a veterinarian s office where Leigh and Baumbach have taken their own pets. The Silverlake area art gallery Machine Project allowed the production to incorporate an existing art installation into filming. Crossley explains, The artists were building a forest in that space and we had one night to shoot there before that exhibition opened. Our production designer, Ford Wheeler, worked with me at all times, mapping out what he was designing in tandem with where we would be shooting. Hopefully Greenberg will give audiences a sense of what it s actually like to live or visit here. Cinematographer Harris Savides captured Los Angeles for Greenberg in widescreen, reteaming with the filmmakers after their work on Margot at the Wedding. This made the new movie at once more cinematic and more real almost documentary-like, given the extensive location shooting. Following the lensing all around town, the latter half of the shoot took place in and around a 1920s-era house in the Hollywood Hills which was cast as the Phillip Greenberg home. Wheeler and his team transformed the house to reflect both the established world of Philip s family and the transient nature of Greenberg s existence in their absence. Recommended by a colleague to Wheeler, set decorator Elizabeth Keenan immediately began working closely with him and the filmmakers. She notes, Getting the house together entailed seven-day weeks for about a month, from paint color tests with Harris filming to playing with white spaces. But on this shoot, there was a wonderful camaraderie. Noah and Jennifer were so specific about what they wanted to show and who these characters were. They had been thinking about the people in this story for a long time which actually made things easier. Working with them was a process of getting to know the characters and pushing the story ahead; for me, being responsible for everything that isn t a floor or a wall, the set decoration on Greenberg extended to bedside reading, chosen perfumes, and with the costume department what clothes a character would have in his or her closet. If clothes do make the man, then, as costume designer Mark Bridges notes, There s an element of Greenberg that lives a bit in the past and hasn t really moved on from a certain time. You see how he s more strongly attached to it than his friend Ivan is. He still feels as if he s starting out, but time is going by. He has kind of a late 80s/early 90s look, in colors that you don t see so much these days any more like his caramel cotton sweater. The idea was to subtly evoke a feeling of an earlier time without broadcasting it. Even his shoes were important to me; you may never see them on camera, but I work from the ground up.

5 5 In terms of the L.A. experience, we wanted you to relate to Greenberg s discomfort when, say, he s at Musso & Frank or at the afternoon barbecue [filmed at a Los Feliz house] and especially for the big party sequence, where some of the kids are riffing on the 80s in their fashion choices, which makes things more surreal for him then they already are. If you don t notice these things, then I ve done my job, because it s up to Noah and Harris to guide viewers to what they re supposed to see. Elaborating on how much he prizes the collaborative nature of making movies, Bridges offers, After reading the script, I already see the movie in my mind s eye. Then, working with the director, we compare points of view and reassess after a role is cast. I feel fortunate that I m able to help the actor create his role. To bring the lead character to life, the filmmakers tapped Ben Stiller. The actor says, I was a fan of The Squid and the Whale the reality, the tone, and the emotion of it and Margot at the Wedding and Kicking and Screaming. Noah finds humor without going for laughs. So I was very excited to get this script and then get to talk to him about it. When we got into the process of working on the movie, I knew I was with a filmmaker who had a really clear vision of what he wanted to do and a point of view yet was also open to what s going on in the moment. Known as being skilled in improvisation and therefore able to elevate a scene, Stiller found that Noah s work is very detailed and goes into specifics on the characters; it s all written on the page. We rehearsed a lot; it really has to be said as written. So there was hardly any improvisation on the shoot and that was exciting not having the burden of having to come up with something to try to make it better. What I had to do was to make sure that I would get the rhythm of his dialogue, his lines, to work. Some sequences 4-6 pages in the script were like doing little plays. In this movie, you see the incremental building of a relationship between two people who like everybody have issues in their lives. Greenberg and Florence are able to come together and get past self-imposed barriers. Until now, I d never done a film which reminded me of the Hal Ashby or Robert Altman movies of the 1970s that would explore characters and find their little private moments that happen and that you don t usually see in movies. These moments are captured, marvels Stiller, with no video playback on the set for Noah to look at. We would do a lot of takes of a scene, with Noah making adjustments; You want to get out of that room quicker, or You really feel let down by this guy. He wants to get at the reality of the people. Noah and Harris Savides would block a scene and then shoot with a couple of cameras at the same time. They make it seem so easy, but what they do together takes a lot of courage creatively. Savides states simply, I like to keep things natural, and real while also respecting the script. To that point, Stiller notes, Noah writes the way people talk and also how, in

6 6 conversation, they don t listen to each other. Making this movie, I realized that was something I had been doing in life a lot someone would be telling me something and I d be going uh huh, uh huh while thinking about the next thing I wanted to say! He remarks, Another benefit for me was getting to be in a movie opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh, who I think is one of our great actors. She was on-set most of the time, partnered with him on making this movie. An even more crucial acting partner for Stiller was Greta Gerwig, who with Greenberg was making her biggest film to date. Gerwig was well aware of her leap, commenting, I couldn t believe that I might actually be in a movie for Focus Features and Scott Rudin. I auditioned for Noah and Jennifer in their apartment, and sang a little song for them because Florence is a singer. I thought, Man, even if I don t get this, I m happy that I got to get this far. Reading the script, I knew exactly who Florence was. I ve never read a part that so perfectly articulated what it means to be a 25-year-old girl who s figuring out that she is going to keep getting older. So I wanted to be part of this bigger film, not just because it seemed a logical step, but because I have a deep love of movies that this project spoke to. Gerwig saw her character of Florence as someone with a lot of pluck and beliefs that things will work out despite everything sort of pointing to the contrary. She never allows herself to feel down about things or wallow, which I think is admirable. Also, she s very honest which makes her very funny; she has no filter in stating the exact reason why she might be uncomfortable in a certain situation. In private moments, she is able to reflect about how her life may not be going exactly as planned. Yet she keeps moving forward, which is admirable. Her ability to take care of herself grows over the course of the film. Gerwig herself felt taken care of by her colleagues on Greenberg. She remarks, What ultimately turned out to be similar to the smaller movies I ve done is that they made it all feel like a close-knit family. There was not a sense of hierarchy. Although Rhys Ifans was in awe every day at how much food there was from the craft services truck; he would take pictures to send to friends in London We did a couple of weeks of rehearsal. Right away, Noah and Ben and Jennifer created this continuum for me because they are all so much more experienced than I am. They created a zone of comfort, where there was protection and a feeling of safety in what we were doing, even in the hardest scenes between Ben and myself. Ben who plunged in with everything he had would give me as much of a performance in our scenes together even when the camera was not on him. Stiller comments, With Greta, you don t feel you re acting; you feel like you re just living real life with her. She seems incapable of being false on camera, and nothing she does feels forced. She s a beautiful person, and that comes through in what she does. She has a total commitment to the material and to the character she s playing. Bridges dressed Florence as someone who doesn t have a lot of money and is a little

7 7 uncomfortable in her skin. So she has an eclectic mix of clothing. Greta is tall, so it s like the character is an awkward colt sometimes stunning and sometimes clearly still growing. In the role of Greenberg s all-but-best friend Ivan, Welsh-born actor Rhys Ifans was keenly attuned to how we all spend time keeping our own Greenbergs at bay. Ivan now has different priorities and different aspirations from Greenberg, but is still fully aware of the ones that they shared at one time. The script was so well-written that it was clear where my character was coming from. In almost all of his scenes, Ivan doesn t say what he wants to say. It was decided to make my character English which made things easier for me, but also gave Ivan an otherness that enhances the film; I know a lot of Ivans in L.A., and they re British, funnily enough. To me, everyone in the story seems slightly isolated, Greenberg in particular. But Ivan seems to have the mechanisms to cope a little better than Greenberg does. Ifans adds, I m the same age as Ivan, and this story raises questions about being 40 and whether you ve achieved what you set out to achieve. This is a very funny comedy that comes from a serious place. Noah s writing is analytical but never judgmental. I find his dialogue to be a nuanced, sonic observation of the way we speak to each other, while the humanity of it forces you to face the truth of the scenes. Working with him as a director was everything I hoped it would be and more. There was a process of exploration, so we would do a lot of takes to dig deeper and deeper while sticking to the script. Stiller recalls, Rhys and I were playing decades-old friends, but we didn t get a chance to meet until just before we started shooting. Luckily, Rhys has incredible accessibility as a person, and all these chops as an actor. Right off the bat, he and I were able to figure out the dynamic for these two guys who hadn t seen each other in a while. That was because it was specific in Noah s script. Greenberg is about people who haven t realized their dreams, which is something a lot of people can identify with. How do you deal with it? Greenberg has put up so many layers of defenses and so many barriers of protection to push people away. By showing all of the characters in a real way, hopefully the audience will feel for the love story that emerges from this movie. Gerwig adds, The tone of the movie is melancholy, funny, bittersweet, and vivid. I think people will recognize themselves in it, and I hope that Noah s fans will see it as deepening his body of work. Since at its core Greenberg is a love story, for those who don t know Noah s work it s a good way to come to him and what he does movies about people.

8 8 Greenberg Q&A with Noah Baumbach & Jennifer Jason Leigh Q: Noah, your movies as writer/director have been set on the East Coast. When you thought of the character of Greenberg, did you immediately think of him in Los Angeles? Or did you think of Greenberg and who he was first, and then think of the place he would be from and would be returning to? Noah Baumbach: Early versions of the character of Greenberg have come up in different things I ve worked on. Not necessarily movies I ve made, but maybe halfwritten scripts or ideas. I have a draft of a play with a character who shares some of Greenberg s temperament. A central idea I had in writing the script was that I wanted to make a movie in the tradition of American novels that I ve loved, books by Philip Roth and Saul Bellow and John Updike, stories about men at crisis points in their lives. People have made movies of some of their novels, but I felt it was possible to create a movie that was part of that tradition and done purely cinematically. I also wanted to make a movie that showed L.A. as a real city, not an industry town. Jennifer is from L.A. and through her I started to experience the city this way. Part of my inspiration in making Greenberg was seeing L.A. as this remarkable, unique place where people actually lived and raised families. I d been re-watching some great L.A. movies from the 1970s, movies by Paul Mazursky and John Cassavetes and Hal Ashby and Robert Altman. They all had very distinct visions of the city. I love Altman s The Long Goodbye; the L.A. of that movie is so specific and appealing and it has nothing to do with the movie industry. Joan Didion and Leonard Michaels both of whom write about L.A. were also an inspiration. Jennifer Jason Leigh: Since I grew up in Los Angeles, I see the city in a very personal way and I wanted to show Los Angeles the way I grew up in it. There s a light in L.A. that is very different from the East Coast, and there s an expansiveness. There is much that is ugly in L.A., but also a kind of beauty in the ugliness. I love that there are still sections of the Sunset Strip without high-rises. That you can be at a farmers market surrounded by 1920s Craftsman homes and then halfway down the street is a ninetynine-cent store. The way the dust catches the light, how green it is. The beauty of the sky in winter. Q: Playing favorites; which L.A. location(s) were you particularly pleased to give screen time to in Greenberg? JJL: There are so many. It s my home. Every location in the film is a place we know well. It s hard to say which is my favorite; Greenberg s walks up Fairfax and drives down La Brea, Florence driving on Sunset, the outdoor market in Silverlake, the hikes, Lucy s El Adobe, even the vet s. NB: It all feels of a piece.

9 9 Q: This is your second project with cinematographer Harris Savides. How did you challenge yourselves anew after Margot at the Wedding, which had him working in a very probing, rugged, style? NB: Margot was rougher-hewn, hand-held; we used very old lenses and flashed the film. But we wanted Greenberg to be expansive. Although it s about a man trying to do nothing, the world around him is open, beautiful, and active. So we shot widescreen. We looked at movies like Play It As It Lays, and at photographs by William Eggleston and Ed Ruscha. Q: The climactic party sequence is in the movie tradition of bashes that escalate psychologically and physically. On the set, how did you encourage the key actors like the tag team of Brie Larson & Juno Temple and the supporting actors like Dave Franco to make it flow freely (or, not)? NB: We treated it like a real party. We had Brie and Juno and Dave invite their friends. Everyone there interacted for real, there was no fake talking in the backgrounds. Basically they threw a party for five nights and we shot it. Q: There and in other scenes, music plays a big role in Greenberg; there s the soundtrack that s in the movie and then the music that you set the movie to. It establishes who these people are, and how Greenberg tentatively reaches out to Florence. Can you talk a little about James Murphy s music? NB: It s the most score I ve used to this point. I was coming off Margot at the Wedding which had no score, only songs. Jennifer and I were in the car in L.A. missing New York a bit (or I was, anyway), and writing Greenberg, and the song New York, I Love You But You re Bringing Me Down came on. It was the first song I d heard by LCD Soundsystem, and I was totally taken with it so I bought the record. James Murphy s observations of New York City and about getting older felt to me like another version of Greenberg, and I listened to it a lot while I was writing. I made a mental note at the time to look into this band when I start thinking about the score for the movie. James and I hit it off immediately, and coincidentally he d planned to record his new record in L.A. while we were shooting. So he was around, on the set, in the movie, watching dailies. His songs act as another voice in the movie. Many of the other songs in Greenberg Albert Hammond s It Never Rains in Southern California, Duran Duran s The Chauffeur, Paul & Linda McCartney s Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey were written into the script. These songs come from the characters. Q: Speaking of the characters, the movie s title is Greenberg, but when the picture starts we enter the movie through Florence s perspective, which is lovely. We really fall for her immediately because she s so likable. Did you know that you were going to begin things that way, or was that something that came out of having cast Greta Gerwig? NB: It came before Greta, but it came late in the writing process. The early drafts all started with Greenberg. Some with him in New York. I don t remember why I chose to

10 10 start with her it felt right and it was satisfying to delay his entrance. The beginning plays almost like a short film about Florence and then she hands the movie over to Greenberg. Q: The compassion that is shown Greta s character in Greenberg if not always by Greenberg himself seems to come from some place very personal, whether via Greta or yourselves. Do you feel you know women like that? NB: Yes, we ve both known young women like Florence. JJL: She s unsure how to form a relationship, or of how one comes about. Her sexuality is somewhat mysterious to her and not yet precious; there s an innocence to Florence. There s no weariness; the hurts she has experienced haven t yet left their mark. Greta was the first actress we read for the role. She understood Florence in such a complete and lived-in way that we immediately felt the role was hers. Greta brought a kind of sunny open ungainliness to Florence; she can look very beautiful but also very awkward. She s funny and terribly sweet, and so natural in the role it s jaw-dropping. NB: Greta connected very deeply and very personally to something about the character. She broadened what was written. Once she got going, I tried to stay out of her way. Q: This was your first time working with Ben Stiller, too. Was there a rehearsals period? NB: Ben and I spent weeks together working on the character of Greenberg. Ben s immersion into the guy was awe-inspiring and really really fun to witness. I rehearsed him with Greta too, but not too much as their characters don t know each other very well in the movie and I didn t want there to be too much familiarity. Q: We re given a view of both characters during their alone moments, which are fantastic and so real Greta in the car, Ben with his letters. What do the letters mean to Greenberg, and what were you thinking about when you gave him that particular character trait? NB: It s a place to focus all of his energy and passion and anger and frustration. It s confrontational but after the fact which is very Greenberg. As for alone time, I tend to write a lot of dialogue in my movies and this was an opportunity to quiet things down. I like that in movies when people are by themselves, their private faces versus their public ones. This is a major subject in Greenberg, I think. And environment is so important too: James s music as well as the very specific sounds of L.A., the birds, the leaf blowers, pools, cars. We recorded all of these things separately so we could have the real atmosphere built into the mix. These actors were so compelling to watch too. Ben is remarkable in that he s able to suggest whole thoughts, and emotions without saying anything and while seemingly doing almost nothing. Q: Greenberg s breakdown; how does he think of it and what happened, just in his own mind how does he see it? Was it something that he diagnosed himself or something that was like a big serious thing that happened?

11 11 NB: It s something that happened to him that was out of his control and it s given him a scare. He spends a lot of his time trying to maintain control of his life, and then he gets set off in ways that he can t control, and you see that in the movie. There is real contrast from the early scene, when Florence comes over to get her check and he plays a song on his ipod the Albert Hammond song he s more withdrawn, shy even. And then later on, when they sing Happy Birthday To You to him, he can t help but get furious. Something Ben and I talked about a lot was how Greenberg is always trying to avoid embarrassment. He s trying to fix a life for himself that skirts as much humiliation as possible, which of course is impossible. I think the breakdown itself, though, was something that was even beyond that: his body, his emotional life and his psyche, all gave way. He doesn t tell people about the breakdown, he rationalizes where he s found himself in life as a deliberate decision; I m doing nothing deliberately. So he s still hiding a lot; I think, often, at least in my experience, people who ve had emotional collapses don t necessarily change right away. It s interesting that the only person he tells about the collapse is Beth, someone he was close to 15 years ago but is merely an acquaintance now. Q: Jennifer, were you always going to play Beth? It seems like it was too good an opportunity to pass up, playing those particular scenes opposite Ben JJL: That wasn t the thinking when we were writing it. But when we began thinking about casting, it suddenly seemed like a good idea. I loved the idea of playing opposite Ben and getting to do that incredibly awkward scene in the restaurant. Beth has so clearly moved on in her life and Greenberg, who she once cared for, hasn t. I liked the comedy in the scene for me as an actress; I loved how the scene exposes the depth of Greenberg s attachment to past injuries he s inflicted and past relationships he hasn t moved on from, and his inability to live in the present. Q: We laugh because the anxiety and the embarrassment are so funny. But at the same time you feel for this character, as Florence does, and you feel for his vulnerability. Like at the birthday party, and with the editing there s this jumpiness about it you can feel what he s going through. How did that sequence get cut together? NB: For that sequence Beller s [Mark Duplass] we had scripted and shot that party in linear order, but when we cut it, even though all the moments seemed to work, it felt too long. It wasn t capturing what you re saying something about it wasn t clicking. Jennifer was the one who suggested there s a party in the movie Midnight Cowboy that Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman go to, it s a sort of recreation of the Factory with the real Warhol people. But it s told as an impressionistic experience. Conversations are all cut up. And so, one day we just tried to see what would happen if we cut the party as Greenberg s experience of it, rather than as straightforward narrative. It immediately changed the whole thing, because it captured what was written in the script even though it was cut differently. If you have social anxiety or are uncomfortable at a party, you re not taking things in any kind of direct way. People say their names, you re not listening. And Greenberg s having a mini anxiety attack at this party, really because everyone seems so comfortable and settled and he s not. Q: Could you talk a little bit about Ivan and Greenberg s relationship, which is such a strong part of the movie. They ve just sort of gotten back in contact since Greenberg s been in town, but I wanted you to talk about Ivan and why he puts up with Greenberg or

12 12 what he thinks of Greenberg now. NB: I think Ivan really likes Greenberg, there is still great affection there. No matter how much you ve changed in your life and moved on, or how much distance you ve gotten from certain relationships often when you see the person again, it s hard not to fall right back into those patterns. Ivan has altered his life in significant ways: he s sober, he s married, he has a child. Greenberg is still pretty close to the person he was when he and Ivan first met, except now he s 20 years older. Ivan s wary of getting caught up in old patterns and Greenberg is really committed to how things used to be. And it s not clicking how it used to. I always find it interesting, no matter how far away people get from past injuries or slights in their lives, how over it they think they are in this case, the band breaking up these are wounds that can be easily opened. When they have their confrontation at the end, they re talking about something that happened years ago, which in some ways is silly because they re so far past it. But the emotional reality of it is still very present, which makes it sad, too. Q: The movie takes quite seriously that moment in time when Greenberg went one way and it changed the course of his life. He seems to really discover something when he has that lunch with Beller NB: It starts to sink in at the lunch, but he s not ready to admit anything yet. He s still defensive, falling back on adolescent ideas, stories he s been telling himself to rationalize his experience. Q: He s still that proud kind of guy, though he s no longer an artist. NB: Because his ideals, on the face of them, are not bad ideals they re admirable. But they re also defenses and rationalizations to hide the fact that he was scared. And he s even more afraid now. There s this notion unless life presents the perfect situation, unless this offer somehow matches the fantasy I ve had since I was 12, it s not good enough. I find something very touching about Greenberg s adherence to this storyline. It s too painful to change it at this point in his life. And he s made life very hard to live because it s not going to match the fantasies he had when he was younger. That s where the anger comes from because life isn t cooperating! Q: You feel that in the most powerful way in Greenberg s relationship with Florence...What s the thing that gets him to sort of open up at the end? NB: It happens throughout the movie. He s on a kind of collision course with himself. In the end, the combination of drugs, exhaustion, 20-year-old kids, the pain of losing Ivan all these things strip his defenses away. Also he s opening up on a voic which makes it easier because no one is actually there. Q: In the final moments, that comes back into play so well NB: It feels very much like Greenberg he s both present and past at the same time because it s a message he left a day earlier, but he s there while she s listening to it. Q: Do you feel hopeful for them and for the idea of him maybe staying in California? Or is it one of those things that s outside the bounds of the movie?

13 13 NB: I root for them, but I don t know that it matters. What s important is that he shows up for her at that moment and he stays. Q: They ve both traveled a distance. NB: Florence throws up very few boundaries and Greenberg constructs millions of them. Florence is willing to put up with a lot if she believes in somebody, and she sees something in Greenberg a sweetness, a vulnerability. And she s right, and in the end she s rewarded for sticking with him. And Greenberg is able to get out of his own way for a moment. That they can find this grace moment is a big deal for both of them. It s a movie of moments between people and that s what the actors capture so satisfyingly. It s one of the real pleasures of directing for me.

14 14 Greenberg About the Cast BEN STILLER (Roger Greenberg) Ben Stiller is an actor, writer, director, and producer. Through his production company, Red Hour Films, Mr. Stiller co-wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy Tropic Thunder opposite Robert Downey, Jr., Jack Black, and Tom Cruise. Mr. Downey was nominated for an Academy Award as well as a Golden Globe Award for his performance as Kirk Lazarus; Mr. Cruise was nominated for a Golden Globe for his work as Les Grossman. Mr. Stiller s other features as director include Reality Bites, in which he starred opposite Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke; The Cable Guy, starring Jim Carrey; and Zoolander, which he co-wrote and in which he played the title role. He executive-produced such television pilots as The Station and Heat Vision and Jack, the latter starring Jack Black and the voice of Owen Wilson and which Mr. Stiller also directed. He won an Emmy Award as one of the writers of The Ben Stiller Show, and directed the television series, which also starred Andy Dick, Janeane Garofalo, and Bob Odenkirk; and was recently again an Emmy nominee, for his guest-starring appearance on Extras. Mr. Stiller s theater credits as actor include the off-broadway world premiere staging of Neil LaBute s This is How It Goes, directed by George C. Wolfe, opposite Jeffrey Wright and Amanda Peet; and the Tony Award-winning Broadway production of John Guare s The House of Blue Leaves, directed by Jerry Zaks. His many films as actor include David Veloz Permanent Midnight, in which Mr. Stiller portrayed writer Jerry Stahl; Neil LaBute s Your Friends & Neighbors; David O. Russell s Flirting with Disaster; Steven Spielberg s Empire of the Sun; Peter and Bobby Farrelly s There s Something About Mary; Wes Anderson s The Royal Tenenbaums; in voiceover, Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath s Madagascar and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa; Shawn Levy s Night at the Museum and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian; Jay Roach s Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers; and Todd Phillips Starsky & Hutch and Rawson Marshall Thurber s Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, both Red Hour productions. Red Hour s other recent productions include Carter Smith s thriller The Ruins, which was adapted by Scott Smith from the latter s novel of the same name; Josh Gordon and Will Speck s hit comedy Blades of Glory, starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder; and Gregory and Jeff Sherman s acclaimed documentary feature The Boys: The Sherman Brothers Story. The company is currently in post-production on Tom McGrath s animated superhero comedy Megamind, featuring the voices of Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, and Tina Fey.

15 15 GRETA GERWIG (Florence Marr) Greta Gerwig has been a filmmaker on, and/or an actor in, a host of independent features over the past several years. With reference to the aesthetic of many of the movies that she has starred in, she is often referred to as the First Lady of Mumblecore. Ms. Gerwig starred in, co-wrote, produced, and directed the feature Nights and Weekends, showcased at the South by Southwest Music/Film/Interactive Festival. Previously, she co-wrote and starred in Hannah Takes the Stairs, which featured Mark Duplass (who also appears in Greenberg). The Sacramento native has also starred in Jay and Mark Duplass Sundance Film Festival hit Baghead; Ti West s The House of the Devil; and Mary Bronstein s Yeast. RHYS IFANS (Ivan Schrank) Rhys Ifans, one of Britain s finest contemporary actors, was born and raised in Wales. There he attended youth acting schools at Theatre Clwyd, Mold, and appeared in many Welsh-language television programs before embarking on his film career. His television work also includes starring as legendary actor/writer Peter Cook in Terry Johnson s Not Only But Always, for which he won a BAFTA Award. His breakout performance came in 1999 s Notting Hill, written by Richard Curtis and directed by Roger Michell, opposite Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, for which Mr. Ifans received a BAFTA Award nomination. He reteamed with the director on Enduring Love, for which he was an Empire Award nominee for Best British Actor. Mr. Ifans other films include Mira Nair s Vanity Fair, opposite Reese Witherspoon, also for Focus Features; Michel Gondry s Human Nature; Anthony Hopkins August; Mike Figgis Hotel; Pat O Connor s Dancing at Lughnasa; Steven Brill s Little Nicky; Howard Deutch s The Replacements; Lasse Hallström s The Shipping News; Charles McDougall s Heart; Gregor Jordan s The Informers; Karl Francis Streetlife; Clare Kilner s janice beard 45wpm; Shane Meadows Once Upon a Time in the Midlands; Jeff Balsmeyer s Danny Deckchair; Shekhar Kapur s Elizabeth: The Golden Age; Kevin Allen s Twin Town, alongside his brother Llyr Ifans; Jaco van Dormael s Mr. Nobody, which world-premiered at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival; Bernard Rose s soon-to-be-released Mr. Nice; David Yates eagerly anticipated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; Susanna White s recently wrapped Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang; also for Focus Features, Richard Curtis rock and roll comedy Pirate Radio; and, currently in production, Mitch Glazer s Passion Play, with Mickey Rourke and Megan Fox. He made a guest appearance for the rock band Oasis in their music video The Importance of Being Idle, for which he accepted their Video of the Year Award at the 2005/2006 NME Awards. Onstage, Mr. Ifans has appeared at the Donmar Warehouse in Robert Delamere s staging of Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Patrick Marber s of Don Juan in Soho, and Michael Sheen s of Bad Finger; and at the National Theatre in Matthew Warchus production of Volpone and Roger Michell s of Under Milk Wood; at the Duke of York Theatre in

16 16 Hettie MacDonald s staging of Beautiful Thing; at the Royal Court Theatre in James MacDonald s production of Thyestes; and at the Royal Exchange in Braham Murray and Derek Griffiths Smoke and Ronald Harwood s Poison Pen. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH (Beth) Please see bio in About the Filmmakers section. BRIE LARSON (Sara) Sacramento native Brie Larson currently stars opposite Emmy Award winner Toni Collette on the hit television series United States of Tara. Ms. Larson started her acting career at age six, also training to be a singer. She became one of the youngest students ever to be accepted at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and made her television debut at age nine with a recurring spot on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. After permanently moving to Los Angeles, she soon landed a series regular role on the television show Raising Dad; and segued into film with Joe Nussbaum s Sleepover and Wil Shriner s Hoot. Ms. Larson s other feature credits include Jess Manafort s Remember the Daze (a.k.a. The Beautiful Ordinary); Michael Nickles Just Peck; the upcoming Tanner Hall, directed by Francesca Gregorini and Tatiana von Furstenberg; and Edgar Wright s soonto-be-released Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, with Michael Cera. JUNO TEMPLE (Muriel) One of the most versatile and talented young actresses working in films today, Juno Temple came to worldwide attention in 2007 with her pivotal role in Joe Wright s Atonement (also for Focus Features), which won the BAFTA and Golden Globe Awards for Best Picture. Just prior to Atonement, she notably appeared as Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy s on-screen daughter in Richard Eyre s Notes on a Scandal. She followed up those films by joining the stellar ensemble of Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson s U.K. boxoffice hit St. Trinian s; in 2009, she reunited with the cast and filmmakers for the sequel St. Trinian s 2: The Legend of Fritton s Gold. Ms. Temple s other films include Justin Chadwick s The Other Boleyn Girl, with Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Jim Sturgess; Harold Ramis Year One, opposite Michael Cera and Jack Black; Nick Moore s Wild Child, with Emma Roberts; Stephen Poliakoff s Glorious 39, reteamed with Bill Nighy; and, in a lead role opposite Eva Green, Jordan Scott s debut feature Cracks, which recently screened at the London Film Festival. She portrays the younger incarnation of Diane Kruger s character in Jaco van Dormael s Mr. Nobody, which won two awards in its world premiere at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival; and has recently completed filming writer/director Gregg Araki s independent feature Kaboom, in which she has a starring role.

17 17 The daughter of director Julien Temple and producer Amanda Temple, Juno Temple made her film debut in her father s feature Pandaemonium. CHRIS MESSINA (Phillip Greenberg) Chris Messina was recently seen onscreen opposite Amy Adams in Nora Ephron s Julie & Julia. He is currently filming Devil, for Universal Pictures, starring in the lead role for directors John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle. The native New Yorker also recently appeared in another Focus Features movie, Sam Mendes Away We Go; and was directed by his fellow Away We Go actor John Krasinski in the independent feature Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. Mr. Messina s other films include Woody Allen s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, with Rebecca Hall and Academy Award winner Penélope Cruz; Robert Cary s award-winning Ira and Abby, as one-half of the titular duo, opposite screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt; Paul Weiland s Made of Honor; Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs Humboldt County; J.J. Abrams soon-to-air telefilm Anatomy of Hope; and Alan Ball s Towelhead. Mr. Messina first worked with the latter writer/director in a guest-starring arc on the acclaimed series Six Feet Under. The actor s other guest appearances on TV shows include ones on Medium and Law & Order. Among his many stage appearances are ones in Caryl Churchill s Far Away, opposite Frances McDormand for director Stephen Daldry at the New York Theatre Workshop; Oscar Wilde s Salome opposite Al Pacino and Marisa Tomei, in Estelle Parsons Broadway production; Adam Rapp s Faster; This Thing of Darkness, for Craig Lucas at the Atlantic Theatre Company, Melanie Marnich s Blur, at Manhattan Theatre Club; Jessica Goldberg s Good Thing directed by Jo Bonney, at The New Group; and Frank Pugliese s Late Night, Early Morning, which premiered at the 2004 Tribeca Theatre Festival and won the Jury Award for Best Theater at the 2005 Aspen Comedy Festival. Mr. Messina will next be seen onscreen in Dana Adam Shapiro s Monogamy, opposite Rashida Jones; and Marilyn Agrelo s An Invisible Sign of My Own, opposite Jessica Alba. About the Filmmakers NOAH BAUMBACH (Director; Screenplay; Story) Noah Baumbach s films as a writer and director include Kicking and Screaming, The Squid and the Whale, and Margot at the Wedding. Mr. Baumbach received an Academy Award nomination for his original screenplay The Squid and the Whale. The picture premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, where he was honored with the Directing Award (in the Dramatic features category) and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. The script also earned him Best Original Screenplay awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics, the National Board of Review, the Toronto Film Critics Association, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. The film was on over 150 Top Ten lists, including AFI s 10

18 18 Best of the Year. The Squid and the Whale received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Picture (Musical/Comedy); and six Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and for actors Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, and Jesse Eisenberg. In 2007 Margot at the Wedding was selected to the Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival. The picture received Gotham Award nominations for Best Film and Best Ensemble Cast. Jennifer Jason Leigh earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance opposite Nicole Kidman and Jack Black. With director Wes Anderson, Mr. Baumbach co-wrote The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and Fantastic Mr. Fox (the latter adapted from the novel by Roald Dahl). In 2008, he directed the shorts Clearing the Air and New York Underground, which he co-wrote with Bill Hader and Fred Armisen, for Saturday Night Live. He is a contributor of humor pieces to the Shouts and Murmurs section of The New Yorker magazine. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH (Story; Producer) Jennifer Jason Leigh previously was directed by Noah Baumbach in Margot at the Wedding, for which she was an Independent Spirit Award nominee and was cited as Best Supporting Actress by the Chicago Film Critics Association. Prior to producing and costarring in Greenberg, she produced and starred in Georgia, written by Barbara Turner and directed by Ulu Grosbard. Ms. Leigh was cited as Best Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle and at the Montréal World Film Festival for her performance in the film; Mare Winningham was nominated for an Academy Award, and won an Independent Spirit Award, for her performance in the film. With Alan Cumming, Ms. Leigh wrote, directed, and starred in The Anniversary Party, the ensemble cast of which also featured Phoebe Cates, Kevin Kline, and Gwyneth Paltrow, among many others. Mr. Cumming and Ms. Leigh received Independent Spirit Award nominations for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. As an actor, she first came to prominence in Sam O Steen s telefilm The Best Little Girl in the World, starring in the title role opposite Charles Durning and Eva Marie Saint. Her feature film breakout role was in Amy Heckerling s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, alongside Sean Penn, Phoebe Cates, and Judge Reinhold. In 1990, Ms. Leigh was named Best Supporting Actress by the New York Film Critics Circle and the Boston Society of Film Critics for her performances in Uli Edel s Last Exit to Brooklyn and George Armitage s Miami Blues. She starred in two films for director Robert Altman, Short Cuts and Kansas City. She reteamed with Mr. Altman when he produced Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle, directed by Alan Rudolph. For her portrayal of the legendary writer Dorothy Parker, Ms. Leigh was named Best Actress by the National Society of Film Critics and the Chicago

19 19 Film Critics Association, and received Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations. Her many other feature credits include Richard Brooks Wrong is Right; Christopher Guest s The Big Picture; Lili Fini Zanuck s Rush; Barbet Schroeder s Single White Female; Joel & Ethan Coen s The Hudsucker Proxy; Taylor Hackford s Dolores Claiborne; Anjelica Huston s Bastard Out of Carolina; Agnieszka Holland s Washington Square; David Cronenberg s existenz; Tamra Davis Skipped Parts, which she co-produced; Sam Mendes Road to Perdition; Jane Campion s In the Cut; Todd Solondz Palindromes; and Charlie Kaufman s Synecdoche, New York. She was named Best Actress at the Tokyo International Film Festival for her performance in the Dogme film The King is Alive. Ms. Leigh s Broadway stage appearances include Cabaret, opposite Alan Cumming and directed by Sam Mendes, and David Auburn s Proof, directed by Daniel Sullivan. In 2005, she starred off-broadway in the American premiere of Mike Leigh s Abigail s Party, staged by Scott Elliott for The New Group; her performance earned her Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Best Actress. She also recently starred in the radio play, Anomalisa, written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, at UCLA s Royce Hall in Los Angeles. She has been honored with career retrospectives at the American Cinematheque, the Telluride Film Festival, and the American Museum of the Moving Image. In 2002, the Film Society of Lincoln Center presented Ms. Leigh with its Young Friends of Film Honor. SCOTT RUDIN (Producer) Films include: It s Complicated; Fantastic Mr. Fox; Julie & Julia; Doubt; No Country for Old Men; Revolutionary Road; There Will Be Blood; The Darjeeling Limited; Reprise; The Queen; Margot at the Wedding; Notes on a Scandal; Venus; Closer; Team America: World Police; I Heart Huckabees; The Village; School of Rock; The Hours; Iris; The Royal Tenenbaums; Zoolander; Sleepy Hollow; Wonder Boys; Angela s Ashes; Bringing Out the Dead; South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut; A Civil Action; The Truman Show; In & Out; Ransom; Mother; The First Wives Club; Clueless; Nobody s Fool; The Firm; Searching for Bobby Fischer; Sister Act; The Addams Family; Addams Family Values. Theatre includes: Passion; Hamlet; Seven Guitars; A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to The Forum; Skylight; The Chairs; The Blue Room; Closer; Amy s View; Copenhagen; The Designated Mourner; The Goat; Medea; The Caretaker; Caroline, or Change; The Normal Heart; Who s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Doubt; Mark Twain Tonight!; Faith Healer; The History Boys; Shining City; Stuff Happens; The Vertical Hour; The Year of Magical Thinking; Gypsy; Exit The King; God of Carnage; Fences; A Behanding in Spokane. Upcoming films: Peter Weir s The Way Back; Stephen Frears Tamara Drewe; David Fincher s The Social Network; Joel and Ethan Coen s True Grit; and Bennett Miller s Moneyball.

20 20 LILA YACOUB (Executive Producer) Lila Yacoub previously teamed with Greenberg producer Jennifer Jason Leigh as an associate producer of The Anniversary Party, which Ms. Leigh co-wrote and directed with Alan Cumming. Ms. Yacoub most recently produced Marina Zenovich s acclaimed documentary feature Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, which won two Emmy Awards and received a Gotham Independent Film Award nomination, and is currently at work on a follow-up documentary on the subject. She recently executive-produced Kieran and Michele Mulroney s Paper Man, which world-premiered as the opening-night film of the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. The feature stars Jeff Daniels, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Stone. Ms. Yacoub has been an on-location production supervisor for such features as Steven Spielberg s Catch Me If You Can and Peter Segal s 50 First Dates. She was associate producer of Lasse Hallström s The Cider House Rules, starring Academy Award winner Michael Caine, and Robert Iscove s hit comedy She s All That. Her other production credits include consulting on Robert Redford s Lions for Lambs and Stephen Daldry s The Reader, starring Academy Award winner Kate Winslet; and producing Scott Gill s documentary feature The Mars Underground. HARRIS SAVIDES, A.S.C. (Director of Photography) Harris Savides first collaborated with Greenberg director Noah Baumbach as cinematographer of Margot at the Wedding, starring Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh (also of Greenberg). Recently, he completed work as director of photography on writer/director Sofia Coppola s Somewhere, starring Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning, also for Focus Features; and was an Independent Spirit Award nominee as cinematographer of Focus Milk, starring Academy Award winner Sean Penn. The latter film marked Mr. Savides fifth feature collaboration with director Gus Van Sant. Their prior works together include Gerry and Elephant, for which Mr. Savides won a New York Film Critics Circle award (for both films) and was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards (for each film); Last Days, for which he was again an Independent Spirit Award nominee; and Finding Forrester. Their sixth film together is Restless, which is currently in production. Mr. Savides other films as director of photography include David Fincher s Zodiac and The Game; Ridley Scott s American Gangster, for which he was a BAFTA Award nominee; Martin Scorsese s Hitchcock homage short The Key to Reserva; Woody Allen s Whatever Works; James Gray s The Yards; and Jonathan Glazer s Birth. He received his degree from the School of Visual Arts, where he studied film and photography. After a career as a still photographer, he made the transition into cinematography.

21 21 FORD WHEELER (Production Designer) Ford Wheeler is currently at work as production designer on Matt Reeves Let Me In (based on the film Let the Right One In). He has completed work in the same capacity on Bart Freundlich s The Rebound (starring Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo s After.Life (starring Liam Neeson), both soon-to-be-released. His other feature credits as production designer include Terry George s Reservation Road, for Focus Features and Random House Films; James Gray s We Own the Night; Hugh Bush s Sleeping Together; and Sean Smith and Anthony Stark s Into My Heart. As set decorator, Mr. Wheeler has worked extensively with production designer Kevin Thompson. Their features together include James Gray s Little Odessa and The Yards; Marc Forster s Stranger than Fiction; Jonathan Glazer s Birth; David O. Russell s Flirting with Disaster; Ismail Merchant s The Proprietor; Cindy Sherman s Office Killer; and Larry Clark s Kids. Mr. Wheeler has also worked as set decorator or art director on such features as Philip Haas The Music of Chance (which was his first movie project) and The Blood Oranges; Spike Lee s She Hate Me and Bamboozled; Oliver Stone s Any Given Sunday; and Nigel Finch s Stonewall. For director Jonathan Demme, he has worked as set decorator, on Beloved; as set dresser, on Philadelphia; as art director, on The Truth About Charlie; and as production designer, on Rachel Getting Married. Mr. Wheeler hails from the Southern California coastal town of Corona del Mar. He studied fine art at Brigham Young University before moving to San Francisco to be part of the counterculture in Later, in NYC, prior to beginning his motion picture design career, he owned and operated a major retail wholesale store in Manhattan s SoHo; the store was the largest importer of traditional African utilitarian items in the U.S., supplying stores, museums, and dealers worldwide. TIM STREETO (Editor) Tim Streeto previously collaborated with Noah Baumbach as film editor of The Squid and the Whale; and the shorts Conrad & Butler Take a Vacation, and the Saturday Night Live shorts Clearing the Air and New York Underground. The Hartford, Connecticut native got his start in the film business managing the thenfledgling post-production office of the independent film production company Good Machine in After hours, he taught himself to use Avid Media Composer and began editing shorts and promos. Two years later, he joined the Motion Picture Editors Guild and began his freelance career. Mr. Streeto s other feature credits include Craig Zobel s Great World of Sound; Steve Conrad s The Promotion; Terry Kinney s Diminished Capacity; and Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman s American Splendor. He was also an assistant editor on Todd Solondz Storytelling; Steven Soderbergh s Solaris; and Ang Lee s multi-academy Award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon;

22 22 Additionally, he has been the editor on a number of television programs, ranging from short segments to full-length documentaries. JAMES MURPHY (Music) James Murphy is the leader of the Grammy Award-nominated New York City band LCD Soundsystem, as well as a DJ, producer, composer, and label head. Long a fixture on the downtown NYC music scene, Mr. Murphy has over the past decade achieved international prominence. He co-founded the DFA label, whose roster includes Hercules and Love Affair, Hot Chip, YACHT, the Juan Maclean, and his own LCD Soundsystem. LCD Soundsystem released its self-titled debut album in 2005, which featured the underground classics Losing My Edge and Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, and which received two Grammy Award nominations. The band s second album Sound of Silver was released in 2007 to rave reviews and a Grammy nomination. Sound of Silver was preceded by a 45:33 EP featuring the singles North American Scum, Someone Great, and All My Friends; Time Magazine ranked the latter at #4 among the Best Songs of In 2008, LCD Soundsystem contributed the track Big Ideas to the soundtrack of Robert Luketic s hit movie 21. The band has since released the 45:33 Remixes EP and a cover of the Alan Vega song Bye Bye Bayou, issued to commemorate Record Store Day. Greenberg marks Mr. Murphy s first foray into film scoring. He is currently at work on the third LCD Soundsystem album, due out in MARK BRIDGES (Costume Designer) Mark Bridges was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York; he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts from Stony Brook University. He began his career at Barbara Matera Costumes in New York City, as a shopper for a range of Broadway, dance, and film projects. He then studied for three years at New York University s Tisch School of the Arts, receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in costume design. After Tisch, Bridges began working in film, as assistant costume designer on Sandra Seacat s In the Spirit; and as design assistant on Jonathan Demme s Married to the Mob. Mr. Bridges next worked as design assistant for costume designer Richard Hornung on Joel & Ethan Coen s Miller s Crossing; at Mr. Hornung s invitation, he relocated to Los Angeles, where they reteamed as designer and assistant on Stephen Frears The Grifters and Hero, Michael Caton-Jones Doc Hollywood, Ivan Reitman s Dave, Oliver Stone s Natural Born Killers and Nixon, and Joel & Ethan Coen s Barton Fink and The Hudsucker Proxy. In 1995, he began his collaboration as costume designer with writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson, which has to date entailed the films Hard Eight (a.k.a. Sydney),

23 23 Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, and There Will Be Blood (starring Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis). Mr. Bridges other features as costume designer include Ted Demme s Blow, for which he received a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination; Curtis Hanson s 8 Mile; Peyton Reed s Yes Man; Steven Shainberg s Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus; F. Gary Gray s Be Cool and The Italian Job; David O. Russell s I Heart Huckabees; Renny Harlin s Deep Blue Sea; Hugh Wilson s Blast From the Past; and Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan s Can t Hardly Wait. He recently completed work on Mr. Russell s The Fighter, starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Melissa Leo. His costume designs were part of the 1998 Biennale di Firenze Fashion/Cinema exhibit; and the 2002 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences exhibit Fifty Designers, Fifty Costumes: Concept to Character, showcased in Los Angeles and Tokyo. More recently, he was one of the film artists included in On Otto, an Installation at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, in the summer of Mr. Bridges design work has appeared in such publications as [Australian] Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, The New York Post, and The Hollywood Reporter; and in such books as Dressing in the Dark by Marion Maneker, and Dressed: 100 Years of Cinema Costume by Deborah Nadoolman Landis.

24 24 Greenberg CAST Florence Marr Greenberg Boy Greenberg Girl Phillip Greenberg Carol Greenberg Gina Gallery Band Members Guy at Gallery Roger Greenberg Marlon Peggy Ivan Schrank Greta Gerwig Koby Rouviere Sydney Rouviere Chris Messina Susan Traylor Merritt Wever Emily Lacy Aaron Wrinkle Heather Lockie Chris Coy Ben Stiller Zach Chassler Mina Badie Rhys Ifans Beller s Party Megan Blair Tefkin Eric Beller Mark Duplass Johno Jake Paltrow Beth Jennifer Jason Leigh Beller s Daughter Charlotte Vida Silverman Vet Receptionist Female Vet Guitarist Bus Boy Musso and Frank s patrons Male Vet Victor Second Vet Receptionist Nurse Sara Muriel Nicole Luizzi Nora Isela Monterroso Luke Clements Alfredo Marin Jeremy Barber Anna Culp Erica Huggins Dale JE Herbert, II Sophie Savides Robert N. Wolfe, M.D. Trace Webb Jessica Mills Maria Snow Brie Larson Juno Temple Sara s Party Girl with Beer Layla Delridge Rich Dave Franco Jerry Max Hoffman Anita Ramona Gonzalez Olivia Alessandra Balazs Kids at Stereo Nick Nordella

25 25 Guests Guy with Joint Trent Gill Emily Kuntz Zosia Mamet Zoe Di Stefano Cole M. Greif-Neil Micah Shaffer Produced in Association with Twins Financing, LLC Directed by Screenplay by Story by Produced by Executive Producer Director of Photography Production Designer Film Editor Unit Production Manager First Assistant Director Second Assistant Director Production Sound Mixer Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer Music by Music Supervisor Costume Designer Casting by Production Supervisor Post-Production Supervisor A-Camera/Steadicam Operator First Assistant A-Camera Second Assistant A-Camera B-Camera Operator First Assistant B-Camera Additional B-Camera Operator Second Assistant B-Camera Film Loader Camera Intern Script Supervisor Boom Operator Noah Baumbach Noah Baumbach Jennifer Jason Leigh & Noah Baumbach Scott Rudin Jennifer Jason Leigh Lila Yacoub Harris Savides, ASC Ford Wheeler Tim Streeto Meredith Zamsky David Webb John Saunders Felix Andrew Paul Hsu James Murhpy George Drakoulias Mark Bridges Francine Maisler, C.S.A. Yoli Poropat Jennifer Lane Jacques Jouffret Jason McCormick Paul Metcalf Christopher Blauvelt Stephen Macdougall John Barr Tucker Korte Eric Jensch Sam Falconi Karen Golden Michael E. Primmer

26 26 Sound Assistant Assistant Editor Post-Production Assistant NY Post-Production Assistant LA Post-Production Intern Art Director Set Decorator Costume Supervisor Key Costumer Set Costumer Additional Set Costumer Department Head Make-up Artist Key Make-up Artist Department Head Hair Stylist Key Hair Stylist Colorist for Ben Stiller Chief Lighting Technician Best Boy Electric Lamp Operators Rigging Gaffer Rigging Best Boy Rigging Technicians Key Grip Best Boy Grip Dolly Grip Set Grips Rigging Set Grip Property Master Assistant Property Master Props Assistants Special Effects Coordinator Special Effects Foreman Neil Riha Perri B. Frank Jed I. Rosenberg Naomi Sunrise Filoramo Molly Wedgwood Curt Beech Elizabeth Keenan, SDSA Eden C. Coblenz Eric Yake David Page Mark Walcott Jean A. Black Fionagh Cush Lori Guidroz Samantha L. Wade Jonathan Gale Cory Geryak Larry Sushinski Samantha Bahramian Jeff Chassler Eric M. Davis Derrick Esperanza Cricket Sloat Kenny Solomon Brian Woronec Curtis A. Andrews, Jr. Steve Charnow Christopher Franey Rich Botchlet Michael Kenner Christian F. Staab Jeffrey Sherman Kunkel Eric Cross William M. Hewson Sandy Bloom Amber Maahs Hank Sheppherd Steven B. Melton Lance Larson Gregory F. Poulos Jared Scardina Scott R. Fisher Jim Rollins

27 27 Production Coordinator Second Second Assistant Director Assistants to Scott Rudin Assistant to Noah Baumbach Assistants to Ben Stiller Office Production Assistants Production Assistants Key Set Production Assistant Set Production Assistants Additional Set Production Assistant Arts/Green Production Assistant Greenberg House Site Rep Art Department Coordinator Additional Art Director Art Production Assistant Additional Art Production Assistant Lead Dresser On Set Dresser Set Dressers Buyer Dialogue Editor ADR Editor Foley Editor Assistant Sound Editor Apprentice Sound Editor Sound Intern Post-Production Sound Editorial Facility Foley Mixer Foley Artist ADR Mixers ADR Recordists Chris Hadlock Ian Calip David Kennedy Nick Zayas Fanny Schwartz Heidi Harlan Matt Nemeth Anna Fishko Jill Remis Micki Caruso Elaine Ferritto Richard Itskovich Jordan L. Romano Kristen Kopp Narges Takesh Matt Miller Carey Field Lindsey J. Boyd Nathan Fields Scott Ballew Clint O Quinn Chris Kusiack Catherine Leyba Harry Matheu Kiel J. Gookin Elizabeth Cummings Brent Rice John H. Maxwell David Agajanian Scott W. Leslie Howard Payne Miller Michael Timman Christopher Taylor Kimberly Merlin Branka Mrkic-Tana, MPSE Marissa Littlefield Jamie R. Baker David Corcoran Joy Smith Josh Sachs C5, Inc., New York George Lara Marko Costanzo Michael Miller David Guerrero Courtney Bishop

28 28 ADR Recorded at Mix Technicians Mixed at Construction Coordinator General Foreman Labor Foreman Toolman Propmaker Foreman Propmakers Lead Painter Paint Foremen On Set Painter Plaster Foreman Laborer Head Greensman Locations Manager Key Assistant Locations Managers Assistant Locations Manager Location Scout Insurance Legal Services Clearance Services Music Legal and Clearances Production Accountant First Assistant Accountant Second Assistant Accountant Payroll Accountant Construction Accountant Post Accountant Cameron Davis Doug Latislaw LA Studios C5, Inc., New York POP Sound Monkeyland Audio James Redding Dan Harris Jimmy Cruz Digital Cinema, LLC Mike Chachi Medina Larry G. Clause Dominic Sandfrey Seth Phillips Randy Culberhouse Jeremy Cook Michael Childers Mark C. Lopez Pete Peanut Medina Anne Hyvarinen Gene Hunter Wendy Jerde Danny Ronay Michael W. Volz Charles Kern Todd Bennett Vince Meridith Rod Gregory Stephenson Crossley Mark A. Freid Leann Emmert Justin Harrold Nate Taylor AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services, Inc. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP Ashley Kravitz/ Cleared By Ashley, Inc. Christine Bergren M.K. Gleason Elizabeth Speckman Ryan Gomez Stan Umamoto Carol Sue Byron Yana Collins Lehman/

29 29 Studio Teachers Unit Publicist Still Photographer Transportation Coordinator Transportation Captains Transportation Co-Captains Trevanna Post Carolyn Crimley Phil Eisenhower Rob Harris Wilson R. Webb Joel A. Renfro Thomas Lyons Ron Wamhoff Juan Rodriguez Jim Herbert Drivers Alfredo Arriola Rubén Gutiérrez Mike Bangs Jason Hardman Edwin P. Blay Bryan Henley, Jr. Robert A. Brown John Jordan Steve Cole Donny Joseph Bill Condit Debbie Morris Spencer Foster Steve Rawson Spencer Foster, Jr. Scott Tyler Vincent B. Giordano A.J. Wade Charles Winzer Casting Associate Extras Casting Extras Casting Assistant Animal Handlers Mahler Catering Cook/Driver Chef Assistants Craft Service Craft Service Driver Additional Craft Service Set Medic Construction Medics Rigging Medic Digital Intermediate Film Recording Digital Intermediate Colorist Digital Intermediate Producer Lauren Grey Carla Lewis, Headquarters Casting Rose Colasanti Raymond W. Beal/ Birds & Animals Unlimited Sam Chef Robert Catering Robert Lamkin Orlando O. Hurtado Sergio Jiminez Vera Arturo D. Hurtado Guadalupe Gonzalez Orlando J. Chongo Gary C. Ferraro Therese Clinton Anthony Pemido Christian Humphreys Chad N. Smith Margarita Velona Deluxe New York EFILM Joe Gawler Marcus Alexander

30 30 Digital Intermediate Editor Digital Intermediate Coordinator Digital Intermediate Assistants Smoke Artist Scanning & Recording Data Wrangler QC Lead Engineering Dailies by Dailies Colorist Dailies Project Manager Dailies Coordinator Main and End Titles Color Timer Dolby Technician Assistant Score Engineers Score Musicians Jacob Robinson Darrell R. Smith Jonathan Sanden Jack Lewars Chris MacKenzie Markus Janner Iain Stasukevich Norberto Valle Duck Grossberg Molle DeBartolo Tim Mullen Deluxe Digital Media Sam Tirado Laura Geucherian Shannon Torchia Chris MacKenzie, Deluxe New York Steve Sheridan Steve F.B. Smith Gunnar Bjerk Matthew Thornely Al Doyle Jason Disu Pat Mahoney James Murphy appears courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Jet Airliner Written by Paul Pena Performed by Steve Miller Band Courtesy of Sailor Records under exclusive license to Capitol Records Under license from EMI Film & Television Music SONGS People Written by James Murphy and Al Doyle Produced by James Murphy Performed by James Murphy and Al Doyle Al Doyle appears courtesy of EMI Records Ltd. Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Abstract Yodel #1 Written and performed by Emily Lacy Sleepy Baby Written, produced and performed by James Murphy Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Suburbia Written and performed by Nite Jewel Thumbs Written, produced and performed by James Murphy Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. It Never Rains In Southern California Written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood Performed by Albert Hammond Courtesy of Columbia Records and The Columbia/Epic Label Group, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment By arrangement with Sony Music Licensing Disco Inferno Written by Leroy Green and Tyrone Kersey

31 31 Plenty of Time Written, produced and performed by James Murphy Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Windy Written by Ruthann Friedman Performed by The Association Courtesy of Brian Perera & Cleopatra Records Photographs Written by James Murphy and Al Doyle Produced and performed by James Murphy Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. There s A Rugged Road Written by Judee Sill Performed by Greta Gerwig Happy Birthday To You Written by Mildred Hill and Patty Hill Don t Follow Me Written and produced by James Murphy Performed by James Murphy, Pat Mahoney, and Jason Disu Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Shot Down Written by Gerald Roslie Performed by The Sonics Courtesy of Etiquette Records/Etiquette Productions Tell Me What You Need Written by Charles Tolbert Performed by Chuck The Triple Threat Courtesy of Soundfile Records The Chauffeur Written by Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor Performed by Duran Duran Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd. Under license from EMI Film & Television Music Melody Written and performed by Serge Gainsbourg Courtesy of Mercury France Under license from Universal Music Enterprises Australia Written by James Murphy and Pat Mahoney Produced by James Murphy Performed by James Murphy and Pat Mahoney Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Gente Written by James Murphy and Al Doyle Produced by James Murphy Performed by James Murphy and Al Doyle Al Doyle appears courtesy of EMI Records Ltd. Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Strange Written by Damon Krukowski, Michael Dean Wareham and Naomi Yang Performed by Galaxie 500 Courtesy of Galaxie 500 and 20/20/20 Records Birthday Song Written, produced and performed by James Murphy Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey Written and performed by Paul & Linda McCartney Courtesy of MPL Communications, Inc. Stick Em Up Written by Evan Thomas Katz Performed by The Nucc Courtesy of Soundfile Records Everyone s At It Written by Lily Allen and Greg Kurstin Performed by Lily Allen Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd. Under license from EMI Film & Television Music It s A Wonderful Subdivision Written by Doskocil, Broyles & Otazo Performed by Drunks With Guns Ring The Bell Written by Jona Bechtolt Performed by Yacht Courtesy of DFA Records By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music If You Need A Friend Written and produced by James Murphy Performed by James Murphy, Matthew Thornley and Gunnar Bjerk Courtesy of DFA Records/EMI Records Ltd.

32 32 Soundtrack Available on Virgin Records American Humane monitored the animal action. No animals were harmed. (AHAD 01668) This motion picture used sustainability strategies to reduce its carbon emissions and environmental impact. For more information visit Footage from Just My Luck Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox, Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. and Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. All rights reserved. Paintings by Robert Cottingham, Linden Frederick, Peter Krausz, Wade Schuman, and Raphael Soyer; Drawings by Robert Cottingham and Bela Kadar; Etching by Cesar Galicia; and Paper Construction by Cybèle Young used by permission, courtesy of Forum Gallery, New York. Machine Project Gallery installation by Sara Newey and Christine McCaffrey Publications courtesy of The New Yorker, Condé Nast Publications CD cover artwork courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment CD cover artwork courtesy of Columbia Records SPECIAL THANKS Me&Ro Peter Dunham Hollywood at Home Niall Bourke Kipper Furniture Annette Gutierrez Potted

33 33 Evgenia Citkowitz Julian Sands Barbara Bestor Georgia Brown Michael Cary Barbara Turner Camera Dollies by Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc MPAA #45703 Copyright 2009 Focus Features LLC. All Rights Reserved. Focus Features LLC is the author of this motion picture for purposes of the Berne Convention and all national laws giving effect thereto. The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution. Dolby Stereo SR/SRD/DTS, in selected theaters Aspect Ratio: 2:35/1 [Scope] A Focus Features Release