Abigail Breslin as Janie Jones Dazzles Tribeca Audiences

The Westfield Rialto came alive on Friday night as dozens of American Express card holders got a taste of what it’s like to walk amongst the rich and famous. For the first time, you didn’t have to travel through trains and subways to experience an independent film festival. Eager to bring this medium to a wider audience, the Tribeca Film Festival took to the road with stars, directors, and crew in tow.

There were no diva attitudes or overbearing body guards warding off the stars; David Rosenthal, director and writer of Janie Jones and his talented young star, Oscar nominated Abigail Breslin walked amongst our own, ready and waiting to hear what the public had to say about this beautifully crafted, emotionally heart-warming film.

As local film patrons entered the theater, they were greeted by a cameraman encouraging the star-struck residents to pose for a picture on the red carpet. A vivacious group of Union County residents were incredibly excited to be a part of this truly unique experience.

Aida, Amy, Barbara, Lori and Colleen are four of a twelve member film that club that get together to see a film and then discuss it afterwards.

“I feel strongly that Tribeca should come to Westfield every year,” Aida stated, “It can be hard to find something really unique and interesting. This is a wonderful way to see something new and different.”

After taking their turn posing on the red carpet, Karen Steinfield Ken and Jeannie Arida noted that they were “thrilled to be here tonight,” and also related that they hope Tribeca in Westfield becomes an annual event.

It wasn’t long before emerged from the cool, autumn night air and made her way into the theater to address the press and her fans. Standing in a crisp, cream colored structured dress and blush pumps, the 15 year old exuded a youthful beauty and poise of a woman far beyond her years.

However, when the young star opened her mouth to speak, the crowd was instantly dazzled by her friendly energy and the genuine charisma; qualities we first fell in love with upon seeing her as the quirky and determined Olive Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine, the film that awarded Breslin an Oscar nod in 2006.

Upon speaking to Ms. Breslin, Patch learned that this was not Abigail’s first time in Westfield.

“My mom’s family is from here so Summit is like my second home,” Breslin explained. “I come out to the Summit area every week or two and every Christmas eve and for a lot of Halloweens. Growing up close by, I’ve been to Westfield a bunch of times.”

Abigail went on to describe the experience of taking Janie Jones on the road and what it means to her and her family.

 “As a New Yorker, it is so exciting for me to be a part of the Tribeca Film Festival, but I think that it is really great to bring Tribeca to an area that doesn’t have their own festival. This is a movie I am really proud of. I have a lot of family here tonight so I am really excited.”

Janie Jones tells the story of a rocker on his last legs in the business who meets his 13 year old daughter for the first time under extremely difficult circumstances.  The two grow to learn to love and accept each other through their mutual talent and love for music.

Breslin had to record 14 songs before the start of filming. Looking back on her unforgettable dancing rendition of “Super Freak” in Little Miss Sunshine, Patch was eager to learn if Breslin would continue to wow audiences with her musical talents.

“I have my own band with my best friend Cassidy called CABB. This is definitely something I love to do and hope to continue doing.”

In a space so often filled with the weekend havoc of wild teens and sticky floors, the theater housing Janie Jones was overcome with serious film fans eager to experience an out of the box work of art.

Prior to the start of the film, the audience had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Stache, a short film starring Richard Sommer and Amy Smart. The hysterical short encourages people everywhere to “embrace their inner mustache,” loving one another for who we want to be whether that includes a robust handlebar mustache or the peach fuzz that goes unbleached.

Before the start of the film, David Rosenthal, the director and writer of Janie Jones revealed his inspiration for this great work of art.

“I met my daughter for the first time when I was 30 and she was 11. When I saw my daughter for the first time, my heart was racing. She walked out of her classroom, our eyes met and she just ran into my arms. From that moment to this moment right now we have been best friends. She changed my life, she changed the way I experience love. It was just so clear that I had to tell a version of this story that had been burning inside me for so long.”

After being abandoned her junkie mom (Elizabeth Shue) outside the stage door of her father Ethan’s rock concert, Janie (Abigail Breslin) joins Ethan (Alessandro Nivola) on the nomadic, self-destructive spiral through the heartland of America as the he tries desperately to recapture the hypnotic, magnetized feeling he experiences when consumed by thousands of fans and liters of hard liquor. The film forces us to question time and time again, how many times can you hit rock bottom, and what does it take to swim back up?

The sheer power and honesty of Alessandro Nivola’s performance as Ethan is outstanding.

By the end of the film, we understand every side of Ethan’s character; the emotions that spill out of control and drive others away, the loneliness masked by a false sense of security, and the love and compassion he never knew he was capable of. The casting of this film is truly impeccable.

After the film, one audience member asked Breslin how she managed to communicate the depth of emotion expressed by her character. Breslin remarked that she loved Janie because of her ability to stay true to herself even in times of crisis.

Despite her clear passion and dedication to this role, Breslin’s talent for understanding characters and communicating the triumph, suffering, and even Janie’s dry sense of cynicism and humor cannot be explained by the use of technique or training.  

The brilliant young actress is a true rarity; the ability to tackle these roles and understand these characters comes from having an innate sense of empathy; and that cannot be taught.

It would be impossible to discuss the immediate, heart wrenching impact of Janie Jones without remarking on the mesmerizing use of music and overall art direction.

The color and tone of the gritty landscape and the dark, neon magnetizing glow are symbolic of a catastrophic life on the edge of rock. The color and the shape of this environment communicate Ethan’s egocentric downward spiral. This combined with the earthy landscape of desert roads and seedy highway motels send the viewer to a world with no sense of home and little stability. This is the landscape that Janie and Ethan live in as they attempt to navigate their relationship with each other and the world that they live in.

“What are you doing messing around with ancient folk songs?” – Ethan to Janie

Every song performed by Ethan, Janie, and Ethan’s band was exclusively written for the movie. The soundtrack utilizes the talents of Gemma Jones with a flawless score by Eef Barzelay.

The music in the film closely follows Ethan’s emotional transition; from the tenacious rock beats of Ethan’s band to the acoustic melodies performed by the father daughter duo. As Janie and Ethan perform together, one is instantly reminded of June and Johnny Cash; Nivola’s gruff yet emotionally charged, melodic baritone is seamlessly complimented by Breslin’s soprano crooning. Breslin’s solo performances will knock you breathless. There is an ease and a haunting in her voice that cannot be taught or manufactures.  

During the Q&A, Rosenthal explained why he set the film in the music world.

 “The film business is a very egocentric world but the music business is even more so. Ethan is trying so hard to be famous and find meaning in his life but everything is just falling apart. His daughter shows up at just that moment to pick him up,” Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal also took the time to delve deeper into his personal connection with this story.

“When I began my relationship with my daughter, I was writing poetry. Her mother had sent me all of this poetry that she had written at ages 10 and 11 and I thought it was so bizarre. That is why I wanted Ethan and Janie to communicate on an artistic level first before they are able to communicate in any other way.”

After the screening, audience members made their way to an elaborate cocktail party to rub elbows with the cast and crew. Patch caught up with audience members to see what they thought of the film.

Patty Martin of Cranford remarked that “Abigail stole the show. How does she pull that off? She is as adorable in person as she is in real life. This is a lovely event. I hope it happens every year!”

Lou F. of Roselle Park noted that he “loved the way they developed the characters. It is so awesome to see Elizabeth Shue back on the map!”

Audience members continued to praise the actors. Doug Miller of Westfield stated that he thought the film was “terrific” and that “David’s experience made it so special. The music was nicely done. I especially enjoyed watching the interactions between Ethan and Janie.”

Patch caught up with the film club after the showing; all members loved the film.

“We are so excited to see Abigail in person! The film was so heartwarming,” Diane said. Members of this film club also stated that they were fascinated with the art direction and the wealth of new and interesting camera angles.

David Rosenthal paused to converse with Patch about what it means to bring his film to audiences around the country.

“There is so much more satisfaction in showing my film to a community like this than showing at big city premiere. The theme of a broken family is so universal. Everyone can identify with this relationship. These people, this town is my audience,” Rosenthal stated.