Chicago Filmmaker Eschews Conventions
WDCB’s Gary Zidek sits down with Chicago-based filmmaker Jack C. Newell to talk about his new movie, MONUMENTS.
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“I think a lot of it is, figuring out how to do those transitions from moment to moment to moment. For this movie, we’re intentionally tonally-promiscuous. Part of it is, exploring how do you make those moments, play every moment real and then piece it together in the end.” - MONUMENTS writer/director Jack Newell talking about balancing tone in a comedy about a man struggling with grief.
Filmmaker Jack C. Newell
Profound grief, comedy, an eccentric cast of characters and open roads are among the ingredients in the new indie film MONUMENTS. The movie comes from Chicago-based filmmaker Jack C. Newell. The Glen Ellyn-native wrote, directed and produced MONUMENTS, which is currently being presented by the Siskel Film Center’s streaming platform.
(left) David Sullivan as Ted and Marguerite Moreau as Laura in a scene from MONUMENTS.
The plot centers around a grieving widower, Ted (David Sullivan), who is trying to cope after the sudden death of his wife, Laura (Marguerite Moreau). A disagreement between Ted and Laura’s family about how her ashes should be laid to rest sets the stage for an unconventional road trip movie that’s mixes humor and drama.
Some of the wide open spaces on display in MONUMENTS.
Here in Chicago, the film is being presented virtually by the Siskel Film Center. But MONUMENTS is also being screened in front of in-person audiences at a select number of cinemas around the country. The film is being distributed by a small Pittsburgh theater, Row House Cinema, that’s experimenting with a new film distribution model.
(left) David Sullivan as Ted getting a Mold-A-Rama while a museum security guard played by Joel Murray waits
