Living in Oblivion
| Living in Oblivion | |
|---|---|
Living in Oblivion theatrical poster
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|
| Directed by | Tom DiCillo |
| Produced by | Michael Griffiths Marcus Viscidi |
| Written by | Tom DiCillo |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Jim Farmer |
| Cinematography | Frank Prinzi |
| Edited by | Dana Congdon Camilla Toniolo |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
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Release date
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July 21, 1995 |
|
Running time
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90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000 |
| Box office | $1.1 million |
Living in Oblivion is a 1995 low-budget independent comedy-drama film, written and directed by Tom DiCillo and is also Peter Dinklage's debut role.
The film is divided into three parts, all of which concern the making of a low-budget movie featuring the same director, crew and substantially the same cast.
Part one: Director Nick Reve (Steve Buscemi) is shooting a low-budget independent film in the middle of New York City. The catering crew are under-funded and apathetic, deciding not to replace a carton of milk that has been on the craft service table for a week. The scene being shot is a difficult one: a young woman, Ellen, reproaches her elderly mother (Rica Martens) for not intervening when the father beat Ellen as a child. However, on the set, just about everything that can go wrong does go wrong: shots are spoiled because of how the mic boom is visible; the camera assistant fails to keep the shot in focus; Cora, the actress playing the mother, forgets her lines; and Nicole, the actress playing Ellen, becomes increasingly unfocused and careless. A dispirited Nick calls for a rehearsal without camera to refresh the actors. However, when Nicole (Catherine Keener) berates herself for acting badly, Cora (Rica Martens) reassures her with a gesture that reminds Nicole of a similar gesture made by her own terminally ill mother. Nicole is so upset by the memory that she turns in an unexpectedly passionate performance; and Cora, startled by Nicole's sudden intensity, is equally good. Watching them, Nick becomes enthusiastic all over again. Unfortunately, it was not captured on film; cinematographer and camera operator Wolf (Dermot Mulroney), who has been diluting the sub-standard coffee with the spoiled milk, was vomiting in the toilet throughout. Nick ruefully calls for another take. This time, a sudden and insistent beeping sound distracts the actors. Nobody can tell where it's coming from; and Nick flies into a rage, berating everyone on the crew and cast for their inadequacies. He then wakes up in his own bed; the beeping sound was his own alarm clock. He has dreamed the entire segment. It is 4.30am; and he is due on set.
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