Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1997
Arresting Gena
Buy Arresting Gena now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
'Arresting Gena' is a 1997 American independent drama film directed by Hannah Weyer. It was shown as part of the 1997 edition of the Sundance Film Festival.
Premise
When 16-year-old Gena's mother is hospitalized in a coma, she meets Jane, a charismatic runaway.
Cast
* Aesha Waks as Gena
* Summer Phoenix as Jane Freeman
* Paul Lazar as Uncle John
* J. Smith Cameron as Caroline Lee
* Sam Rockwell as Sonny
* Brendan Sexton III as Soldier
* Adrian Grenier as Kabush
* Heather Matarazzo as Pam
* Kirk Acevedo as Caller
* Paul Giamatti as Detective Wilson
Production
Director Hannah Weyer attracted attention in 1995 with her New York University MFA thesis film, 'The Salesman and Other Adventures', which won the Best Short prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1995. Following this, she began work on 'Arresting Gena', with the intention of screening it at Sundance. Actress Aesha Waks was cast in the lead role following a two-month video submission audition process. Filming occurred in New Jersey.
Reception
The film was expected to perform well at Sundance; however it received a mixed reaction at the festival. In a review published on February 6, 1997, 'Variety' described 'Arresting Gena' as being a "frustrating, misconceived effort to illuminate the painful coming of age of its protagonist, a sensitive girl unwillingly pushed into a sleazy world of crime."
References
Buy Arresting Gena now from Amazon
<-- Return to movies from 1997