A Work of Fiction

Authors: Douglas Reese
Location: Clarksville, Ohio

"A Work of Fiction”

Written, Produced and Directed by Miranda July
Produced by Bob Wells

Principal Cast:

Steve Carell … Jesus Christ
Jennifer Tilly … Karen Foley
Daryl Sabara … Aaron Foley
Daveigh Chase … Lizzi Harlem
Lacey Chabert … Jessica Ambers
Russell Sams … Brandon Schaeffer

Tagline: N/A

Synopsis: After the death of her husband, Karen Foley (Jennifer Tilly) begins to give up on life, becoming a weak and insincere human being. Her son is fourteen-year old Aaron (Daryl Sabara) a punk-dressing teen who has given upon life because of how his life is.

But one night, after a long day of pouring rain, Karen invites the new neighbor, the young and beautiful Jessica (Lacey Chabert), over for dinner. That night is when Aaron loses his virginity to Jessica, causing feelings of guiltiness but in a way, happiness. After Jessica leaves, sneaking out the bedroom window of the trailer like a teenager, Aaron feels as if he is being watched. To his surprise he is – by a clown standing in the shadows of his room. Then out of nowhere, a man crashes in through the roof. The man is dressed in a glowing white robe, his eyes are water blue, and his hair and beard are waves of shiny flickering brown. He claims he is Jesus Himself!

Jesus (Steve Carell) is very knowledgeable, he seems to know things about Aaron’s past and predicts things right about the future and can seem to read Aaron’s mind. He speaks any language fluently and has a very good knowledge on almost any topic. This causes atheist Aaron to believe that God exists.

Aaron ends up introducing Jesus to Karen, an atheist herself, who seems more enlightened and happy when he is around. Is she in love? With Jesus?

As the film ends, Aaron begins to forget his “bad past” and looks forward to the “good future”. Karen is happily getting married to a man (Russell Sams) who she hated in high school. And the clown in the shadows turns up more and more as it reveals itself to possibly be the Devil himself.

What the press would say:

A WORK OF FICTION is a truly fascinating picture that showcases human nature and its involvement in producing what is most commonly called miracles. Miranda July, the fascinating writer and director of the brilliant 2005 film ‘Me and You and Everyone We Know’, writes a brilliant portrayal of family, love, religion, sexuality, adolescence, miracles, happiness, and the two most important things in life: life and death. Whether Christians get terribly mad at Steve Carell for portraying Jesus in a darkly comedic doesn’t matter. He is still the hero in the film and he is put down in no way whatsoever! Carell is technically the lead of the film but whether he goes Lead or Supporting this Oscar season doesn’t matter, he generously plays the character with such genuine realism. He is truly fantastic! Jennifer Tilly, though, is the standout of the picture as she plays Karen, a woman confused by herself. She plays her character with a blistering, touching, believable, and hardcore sincerity. Tilly doesn’t wear heavy makeup in this film, she lets it low, she becomes a real average everyday person who thinks she is weak but really is lazy and can’t show her true strength.

“Tilly’s performance is absolutely brilliant as it makes you laugh, smile, and cry. At times you hate her for being so lazy, but there are other times when you feel like you love her because of how good of a person she really is. Jennifer Tilly is utterly irresistible!” – Roger Ebert

A WORK OF FICTION is a truly wonderful instant classic that, coming Oscar season, will be nominated for and possibly win:

Quote:

KAREN: “Sweetie I really don’t wanna be bothered right
now I’ve gotta go to work at four!”
AARON: “But, Mom, Jesus fell through the roof!”
KAREN: (silence) “Go to bed.”

Best Picture
Best Director – Miranda July (a worthy recipient of
the first female win)
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor – Steve Carell
Best Actress – Jennifer Tilly
Best Supporting Actor – Steve Carell
Best Film Editing