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Don's Plum
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Wikipedia article
'Don's Plum' is a 2001 black-and-white independent drama film directed by R. D. Robb, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Kevin Connolly. It was filmed in 19951996, and written by Robb with Bethany Ashton, Tawd Beckman, David Stutman and Dale Wheatley. The film takes place over the course of one night in which a group of young adults discuss life while eating at a diner.
The film was blocked from release in the U.S. and Canada, as DiCaprio and Maguire claim that they had only agreed to star in a short film but not a feature film.
Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley provided the soundtrack for the film. His bandmate Jenny Lewis has a role as Sara.
It is the second film on-screen collaboration between Maguire and DiCaprio, the first film 'This Boy's Life', released in 1993, and the third film 'The Great Gatsby', released in 2013.
Plot
Don's Plum is centered around a friend group of young twenty-year-olds who meet at a restaurant called "Don's Plum" every Saturday night. The four male friends usually each bring a girl with them to all hang out. Drama ensues, including verbal and physical altercations between the friends and other members in the restaurant. There is very little concrete plot, with more of a friends-hanging-out movie.
Cast
* Leonardo DiCaprio as Derek
* Tobey Maguire as Ian
* Kevin Connolly as Jeremy
* Scott Bloom as Brad
* Jenny Lewis as Sara
* Amber Benson as Amy
* Heather McComb as Constance
* Meadow Sisto as Juliet
* Marissa Ribisi as Tracy
* Nikki Cox as Karen
* Jeremy Sisto as Bernard
* Ethan Suplee as Big Bum
Production
Much of the film is improvised.
DiCaprio and Maguire were paid $575 per day to appear in the film.
Release issues
DiCaprio and Maguire were opposed to having the film released. According to them, the film was pitched to them as a short film but was later re-edited into a feature-length film. Producer David Stutman alleges that Maguire opposed the film's release due to his improvised performance revealing too much about him.
Stutman filed a lawsuit in 1998 against DiCaprio and Maguire. They settled on allowing the film to be released outside the U.S. and Canada, and had some scenes removed.
Free streaming
In 2014, Dale Wheatley published an open letter to DiCaprio on the website 'freedonsplum.com', giving his take on the history of the film and the ensuing legal issues. Wheatley also uploaded the film to the website so that it could be streamed for free. It was removed in January 2016 after a third-party notification by DiCaprio and Maguire claiming infringement. Wheatley made the following statement to Fox News: "It saddens me deeply that in 2016 we witness the senseless oppression of film and art by one of America's most beloved actors". "While the world celebrates and certainly Americans celebrate his great achievements in cinema, he chooses to use an iron fist to suppress the work of many other artists including him in a film made 20 years ago." The film can be watched on YouTube.Reception
It premiered on February 10, 2001, in Berlin. 'Time Out New York' writer Mike D'Angelo called it "the best film [I saw] in Berlin". 'Variety Magazine' called it an "unpleasant and tedious ensemble."
See also
* 'My Dinner with Andre'
References
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