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Nice Guy Johnny

[2010]
TFF 10
TOFF 10 Feature Narrative | 89 min | Encounters
Credit: William Rexer II
Photos (3)
Videos (3) Interview: Edward Burns on TKA - Premiere

Synopsis

Sure, she can be a little overbearing sometimes, but Johnny Rizzo loves his fiancée Claire, and he made her a promise: By the time he's 25, he'll trade his current dream job as a sports talk radio host (even if it is the 2 a.m. slot) for something that'll pay bigger bucks. And Johnny's nothing if not a man of his word. Now he's flying to New York to interview for some snoozeville job that Claire's well-to-do dad set up. Enter Uncle Terry, a rascally womanizer bent on turning a day in the Hamptons into a final fling for his nephew. Nice guy Johnny's not interested, of course, but then he meets the lovely Brooke….

A master of the modern relationship dramedy, Edward Burns is once again in top form as a writer, director, and wise-crackin' actor. His swaggering bartender Terry is the perfect foil to baby-faced Matt Bush's (Adventureland) Johnny, and together they're great at trading Burns' characteristically sharp dialogue. More contrasts are mined with Anna Wood's image-conscious Claire and Kerry Bische's (Scrubs) Brooke, a blonde-haired and bright-eyed free spirit. Burns wraps a summery tone around Johnny's real crisis: follow through with your promises, or follow your heart?

--Nancy Schafer

About The Director(s)

Edward Burns won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and an Independent Spirit Award for his first feature, The Brothers McMullen, in 1995. He continues to write, direct, star in, and produce his films, including She's the One, Sidewalks of New York, and Purple Violets. Nice Guy Johnny is Burns' fifth film in the Tribeca Film Festival.

Director Statement

More often than not, pursuing your dream can be heartbreaking, demoralizing, frustrating, and almost always financially reckless. I know writers, actors, musicians, photographers, directors, and artists who have and continue to struggle with the question: Do I continue to follow my dream, or do I give up and find a job that pays the bills? Most everyone who works in the film business faces this question. In fact, I too was recently forced to ask myself whether or not I continue to make personal films or take a job as a director-for-hire.

My answer: Nice Guy Johnny. In the film, our hero, Johnny Rizzo (Matt Bush) faces this same dilemma. When he is asked to give up his dream of becoming a sports broadcaster for a better paying job, he caves into the pressure. The weekend leading up to his new job interview is reluctantly spent in the Hamptons with his obnoxious Uncle Terry (yours truly), who introduces him to the beautiful, free-spirited, Brooke (Kerry Bishe´), who challenges Johnny to rethink his decision, and quite possibly the course of his life. For Johnny, or anyone who is chasing a dream, the cost may be high… but so is the reward.

Film Contacts

Press Contact
Rhett Usry
Phone: 212-981-5214
Email: rhett_usry@dkcnews.com
Press Contact
Susan Novak
dkc Public Relations & Integrated Marketing
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212-981-5243
Email: susan_novak@dkcnews.com