King of the Corner (2004) with Peter Riegert
Sunday, 10:15 am, Regal Downtown #3
Director: Peter Riegert
Writers: Peter Riegert, Gerald Shapiro
Cinematographer: Mauricio Rubinstein
Cast: Peter Riegert, Isabella Rossellini, Eli Wallach, Eric Bogosian, Beverly D’Angelo
Running Time: 93 min
Based on a collection of short stories called Bad Jews and Other Stories by Gerald Shapiro, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Riegert (Local Hero), King of the Corner is the story of Leo Spivak, a guy who hates what his life has become. He’s being pushed out at work by a younger man (Jake Hoffman); his wife (Isabella Rossellini) is mad at him; his teenage daughter is dating a loser; and he and his father (Eli Wallach) have a contentious relationship.
The thing is, Leo has a pretty good life, but he allows his daily, petty grievances to skew his outlook. Things pick up when he meets his high-school crush (Beverly D’Angelo) on a business trip. She didn’t give him a second thought back in the day, and she’s still the same now, but there’s something about this brief interlude that pushes Leo over the edge—a cliff he may have secretly wanted to jump off for quite some time.
As an actor, Peter Riegert gives a deadpan and sardonic performance that gives this midlife crisis deeper meaning about what it means to be a good son, a good Jew, and ultimately, a good man. As the director, Riegert surrounds himself with an ensemble cast of exceptional actors, all delivering energetic, three-dimensional characterizations that give the film richness and texture.
By Courier, a short film based on an O’Henry short story, was Riegert’s directorial debut, and it earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2001 for Best Live Action Short Film. Legendary musician Al Kooper composed the music for this beautifully acted, wonderfully crafted romantic tale of estrangement and reconciliation.
