NOTHING SPECIAL

“Nothing Special,” received International distribution, critical acclaim (Variety/Rotten Tomatoes) and 12 festival awards, including the Best Debut Feature award from the "The Female Eye," the Toronto based International film festival dedicated to films directed by women.

This film marks Karen Black's last starring role and is now available for streaming and purchase on Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus and Apple TV.

“An amazing filmmaker. Truly remarkable.”

— Henry Jaglom, Writer/Director

“This courageous film is about nuance and introspection - a deliberate, careful and ultimately loving look at the dynamics among three women.”

— Sylvie Drake, Chief Film Critic Emeritus, LA Times

“I really loved the movie. Not a single car chase, not a fire ball, not a shooting, merely closely connected human beings scratching and chaffing and struggling with that thing called life. I’m reminded that it’s the simplest stories that pack the most power.”

— Richard Walter, Professor/Chair, Department of Screenwriting, UCLA

Dear President Carter, Published in the Huffington Post

A few years ago, a dear friend left us too soon after succumbing to cancer. I resisted articulating my love and admiration to her as I witnessed an unseemly parade of tearful remembrances at her bedside. I know now that it was a mistake not to have found a way to convey to her how her art and being had influenced and inspired me. Recent news of your diagnosis, Mr. President, has reminded me of those regrets, so now I want to send my good wishes for your health, and tell you how much you have inspired and guided me. I cannot possibly convey the entire story in a thousand words, but here is one tiny thread.

Why "Selma" Got It Right, Published in the Huffington Post

There is much hoopla over Ava DuVernay's buzzed-about film Selma regarding historical "inaccuracies" in the portrayal of President Johnson. In a TIME magazine article, David Kaiser takes us through a narrative presupposing the president's intentions, while admitting, "LBJ never let anyone know what he planned to do until it was absolutely necessary." This seems an admission that the dramatized conversations in Selma that have become the subject of this debate are not out of place and are therefore free territory for the imaginations of a gifted filmmaker like DuVernay.

"Karen Black: Perfectly Misunderstood," Published in the Huffington Post

Karen Black died last week and she was my unlikely friend.

I say so because all the conventional markers could not have predicted it. I am an atheist, a feminist and a film director and Karen was none of those things. I plan fastidiously with storyboards and shotlists in pursuit of the dramatic truth. Karen sought the same truth, but through jarringly different means.