Laurel Canyon | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Lisa Cholodenko |
Produced by |
Jeff Levy-Hinte Susan A. Stover |
Written by | Lisa Cholodenko |
Starring |
Frances McDormand Christian Bale Kate Beckinsale Natascha McElhone Alessandro Nivola |
Music by | Craig Wedren |
Cinematography | Wally Pfister |
Edited by | Amy E. Duddleston |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
Release date
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Running time
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101 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $4,412,203 |
Laurel Canyon is a 2002 American drama film written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko. The film stars Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, and Alessandro Nivola.
Sam (Christian Bale) and Alex (Kate Beckinsale) are a newly engaged couple who move to Los Angeles to further their careers. Sam is a recently graduated psychiatrist, starting his residency, while Alex, who comes from a very wealthy background, is finishing her M.D.-Ph.D. dissertation on genomics. The relatively strait-laced, upwardly mobile couple plan to stay at the vacant home of Sam's mother, Jane (Frances McDormand), a free-spirited record producer in the Laurel Canyon section of the City of Los Angeles.
In a change of plans, however, Jane is still around, recording an album with her boyfriend, Ian McKnight (Alessandro Nivola), and his band. The film focuses in some depth on the challenge of trying to create successful pop music, showing work on two tracks (both actually written, and previously released, by the band Sparklehorse). Ian's bandmates are played by noted indie rockers, bassist Lou Barlow and guitarist Imaad Wasif.