At Middleton

At Middleton is a 2013 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Rodgers and starring Andy García, Vera Farmiga, Taissa Farmiga, and Spencer Lofranco. Written by Glenn German and Adam Rodgers, the film follows a man and a woman as they meet and fall in love while taking their children on a college tour. The film had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 17, 2013.[2] It was released in a limited release and through video on demand on January 31, 2014 by Anchor Bay Films.[3]

At Middleton
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAdam Rodgers
Produced by
Screenplay by
  • Glenn German
  • Adam Rodgers
Starring
Music byArturo Sandoval
CinematographyEmmanuel Kadosh
Edited bySuzy Elmiger
Production
companies
  • CineSon Entertainment
  • Look at the Moon Productions
  • North by Northwest Entertainment
Distributed byAnchor Bay Films
Release date
  • May 17, 2013 (2013-05-17) (Seattle)
  • January 31, 2014 (2014-01-31) (United States)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million
Box office$82,993[1]

Plot

Edith Martin and her highly strung daughter Audrey, and George Hartman and his unmotivated son Conrad, arrive for a campus tour of the quaint Middleton College led by junior "dingleberry" Justin. When Edith and George wander off, the two bond as they try to reunite with the tour. When they meet the group in the library, Edith and George embarrass their children.

Audrey accuses Edith of not supporting her decision to go to Middleton, and as revenge, Edith lies and says that she and George are taking an exclusive tour of the campus with the university's Dean. Audrey and Conrad are then left alone with the rest of the "cookie cutter" tour, while Edith and George play hooky. The two borrow some bikes to explore the campus. They climb to the top of the belltower, and sneak into an acting class. During an acting exercise, the two emotionally connect.

Meanwhile, Audrey tells Conrad that the reason she wants to attend Middleton is so she can be mentored by Middleton's acclaimed professor Roland Emerson. Conrad says he's keeping his options open. At lunch, Audrey calls the Dean's assistant, and finds out that Edith was lying about the exclusive tour. She then bumps into George and demands to know where her mother is. He tells her that Edith went to the observatory, when she is really having lunch with George in the cafeteria. Edith and George discuss their relationship, unsure of what it is since they are both married.

Audrey and Conrad go to the observatory, finding it locked. In her anger, Audrey insults Conrad, saying he's peaked in life and it's all downhill for him; Conrad walks off. George and Edith then meet film student Daphne, who offers George her computer so he can help out a heart patient. Edith and George then get high with Daphne and her boyfriend Travis, and discuss their relationships with their children.

Audrey and Conrad go to their respective meetings with professors. Audrey has tea with Emerson, while Conrad meets Boneyard Sims, who runs the campus' radio station. Audrey finds out that Emerson is going on a sabbatical, meaning he won't be able to be her advisor should she attend Middleton. Audrey reacts angrily, and Emerson warns her that she might've crossed the line from ambition into obsession. Conrad realizes his interest is in radio.

Edith and George go back to the belltower, where they spend an intimate moment. Conrad apologizes to Audrey for her bad day, and informs her that he could see himself going to Middleton; Audrey tells him she no longer wants to go there. As Edith and George head back to their cars, they emotionally part ways. The two then embrace their children and drive off. Edith tells Audrey that they're going to be okay, and George requests Conrad take the long way home.

Cast

Production

Development

The film was directed by Adam Rodgers, and co-written by Rodgers and Glenn German. It was produced by German, Andy García (who also stars in the film), and Sig Libowitz, via the production companies Look at the Moon Productions, CineSon Entertainment, and North by Northwest Entertainment.[4]

Casting

In April 2012, it was reported that Vera Farmiga and Andy García had been cast in the film as Edith Martin and George Hartman, respectively.[5] In June 2012, it was announced that Taissa Farmiga, Spencer Lofranco, and Nicholas Braun had been cast in the film, portraying Audrey Martin, Conrad Hartman, and Justin the admissions tour guide, respectively.[6]

Filming

Principal photography for the film took place in Washington state, on the campuses of Gonzaga University in Spokane and Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, with a budget of $2.5 million.[7][8] The film was originally set to shoot in May 2012 at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, but the shoot was pushed back and relocated to the Pacific Northwest.[9] Filming began on July 16, 2012 and lasted four weeks.[7]

Soundtrack

At Middleton (Original Score)
Soundtrack album by
Arturo Sandoval
ReleasedSeptember 9, 2014 (2014-09-09)
GenreScore
Length41:55
LabelPerseverance

At Middleton: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released in the United States on September 9, 2014 by Perseverance Records in digital download and physical formats. The album was then released in the United Kingdom on October 27, 2014 in digital download and CD formats.[10] It includes the original score composed and performed by ten-time Grammy Award-winning jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval[11] and "There Was a Day", which was written and performed by Sandoval and Andy García.[12] The album was one of 114 scores in contention for a nomination at the 2014 Academy Awards ceremony (for the Academy Award for Best Original Score), but lost out on a nomination.[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Arturo Sandoval except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Fanfare for a Son"1:02
2."George's Cellphone"0:47
3."A Slice of Heaven"1:18
4."Library Mezzanine"1:30
5."Bicycling"1:09
6."Up to the Belltower"0:57
7."Acrophobic George"1:58
8."Bench Observers"3:22
9."Chopsticks"1:13
10."Campus Cops"1:12
11."Lakeside Bench"1:47
12."Don't Want This Day to End"1:11
13."Edith and George Depart"2:39
14."Dorm Source #1 (Arturo's Reggae)"1:20
15."To the Belltower"1:57
16."Not Yet"1:27
17."Goodbyes"3:07
18."End Credits"5:12
19."There Was a Day" (Sandoval, Andy García)4:25
20."There Was a Day (Instrumental)" (Sandoval, García)4:22

Distribution

Release

In May 2012, Anchor Bay Films pre-bought U.S distribution rights to the film.[16] The film had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 17, 2013,[2] and subsequently screened at festivals including Woodstock Film Festival,[17] Boston Film Festival,[18] and the Mill Valley Film Festival.[19] It was released in a limited release on January 31, 2014 in the United States.[20]

Home media

The film was released onto DVD & Blu-ray on April 1, 2014.[21] As of May 2016, the film has made an additional $385,952 via DVD sales and $31,549 via Blu-ray sales, for a total of $417,501.[22]

Reception

Box office

The film was given a limited release in the United States through Anchor Bay Films, opening in a maximum of 20 theaters. It made $33,768 in its opening weekend for a per theater average of $1,688. The film went on to make a further $20,069 for a total domestic gross of $53,837, and made $29,156 in Spain.[1]

Critical response

The film received a mixed reception from film critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 57% approval rating, based on 35 reviews, with a weighted average of 5.93/10.[23] Metacritic gave the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 15 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[24]

Susan Wloszczyna of RogerEbert.com wrote, "At Middleton is the just the sort of trite if inoffensive diversion that barely tiptoes into theaters before landing in the cable and video on demand listings. And Garcia and Farmiga, as good as they can be in the right roles, aren't doing themselves or their careers any favors with this sort of C-level effort. At least the ending is brazen enough not to conclude in a tidy fashion. But watching George and Edith cavort in slo-mo while being drenched in a campus fountain is antithesis of enjoying Annie Hall and Alvy Singer as those classic polar opposites engage in battle against a runaway lobster. One scene has comic snap. The other is merely soggy."[25] Vulture critic Bilge Ebiri gave a positive review, stating, "At Middleton is a modest movie with modest aims, but at times it feels like a small miracle. A daylong romance starring Andy García and Vera Farmiga as two parents who meet cute while their kids tour the same small college, it takes a relatively undistinguished premise and sets itself apart with details that ring true. It's all fairly predictable enough."[26]

Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, writing, "Some advance publicity is describing At Middleton as a romantic comedy, but that is too simplistic a label for this delicate, restrained movie. Yes, it's full of droll humor, but it's also a bittersweet portrait of two people, who, in the process of helping their children choose a college, confront the emptiness of their respective marriages."[27] Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a lukewarm review, "Garcia and Farmiga have such an easy, natural chemistry that their on-screen sparkle helps mitigate the film's weaknesses. At others times, it serves to underscore what might have been. It's a feckless conundrum. Edith (Farmiga) is the free-spirited mom. Audrey is her serious, literary-minded daughter, nicely played by Farmiga's real-life sister Taissa, who shares Vera's luminous presence on screen. George (Garcia) is a cardiac surgeon, nattily uptight in his crisp white shirt and bow tie. He's with his reluctant son Conrad (Spencer Lofranco)... Together, Garcia and Farmiga are a sweetheart couple whose mild flirtation makes the time spent At Middleton bearable. With a stronger script, it might have turned into a beautiful day."[28]

Accolades
Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result
2013 Boston Film Festival Festival Prize – Best Actor Andy García Won
Festival Prize – Best Actress Vera Farmiga Won
2013 Denver Film Festival Festival Prize – Rising Star Spencer Lofranco Won
2013 Montreal World Film Festival Golden Zenith for Best First Fiction Feature Film Adam Rodgers Nominated
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References
  1. "At Middleton (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  2. Rome, Emily (May 18, 2013). "'Middleton' stars Vera Farmiga, Andy Garcia in a tale of self-discovery". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  3. "At Middleton (2014)". Fandango. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  4. "'Admissions' movie to be filmed at WSU, Gonzaga". Northwest Cable News. July 10, 2012.
  5. Trumbore, Dave (April 28, 2012). "Vera Farmiga and Andy Garcia to Star in Indie Rom-Com ADMISSIONS; Michael Sheen Joins Tina Fey and Paul Rudd Comedy ADMISSION". Collider. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  6. Kit, Borys (June 19, 2012). "Three Actors Join Indie Dramedy 'Admissions'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
  7. Nappi, Rebecca (July 8, 2012). "'Admissions' set to film in Inland Northwest". The Spokesman-Review.
  8. Macdonald, Moira (January 30, 2014). "'At Middleton': Gonzaga, WSU star in campus-tour romance". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  9. "'Admissions' begins filming in Spokane, Washington next week, extras needed". On Location Vacations. July 9, 2012.
  10. "At Middleton: Original Score". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
  11. "Arturo Sandoval Scoring 'Middleton'". Film Music Reporter. February 16, 2013.
  12. "'At Middleton' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. July 29, 2014.
  13. "114 Original Scores in 2014 Oscar Race". Oscars.org. December 12, 2014.
  14. Roberts, Sheila (February 3, 2014). "Andy Garcia talks At Middleton, the beautiful script, his Chopsticks duet with Vera Farmiga, and future projects". Collider.
  15. "At Middleton". AllMusic. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  16. Team (May 17, 2012). "Anchor Bay Teams With Andy Garcia For 'Admissions': Cannes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  17. Cox, Gordon (September 3, 2013). "Woodstock Film Festival Sets 2013 Slate". Variety.
  18. Kilgore-Parshall, Chandler (October 27, 2013). "The 29th Annual Boston Film Festival, A Taste of Hollywood". Entertainment Monthly. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015.
  19. "36th Mill Valley Film Festival: Stars, films and more". Dig In Magazine. September 30, 2013.
  20. Jaugernauth, Kevin (October 22, 2013). "Watch: Vera Farmiga & Andy Garcia Go Back To School For Romance In Trailer For 'At Middleton'". IndieWire. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  21. "At Middleton [Blu-ray]". Amazon.com. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  22. "At Middleton – Box Office Data, DVD and Blu-ray Sales". The Numbers. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  23. "At Middleton (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  24. "At Middleton Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  25. Wloszczyna, Susan (January 31, 2014). "At Middleton Movie Review & Film Summary (2014)". RogerEbert.com.
  26. "Ebiri on At Middleton: A College Visit, a Daylong Romance". Vulture. January 31, 2014.
  27. Genzlinger, Neil (January 30, 2014). "Your Child Is Choosing a College; Time to Tag Along 'At Middleton' Stars Vera Farmiga as a Confused Parent". The New York Times.
  28. Sharkey, Betsy (January 30, 2014). "'At Middleton' romantic comedy gets a middling grade". Los Angeles Times.
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