Taglines: It’s not a party until something gets broken.
Celebrity couple Joe and Sally Therrian are going through yet another rough stage in their six-year marriage: while Joe’s novels have been climbing higher and higher on the best-seller lists, Sally’s film career has been steadily sinking into oblivion. Joe’s been given the rights to cast and direct the screenplay of his latest book, but rather than resurrect Sally’s career by casting her in the lead role, he’s given it to Sally’s rival, Skye Davidson. Even worse, he’s invited Skye to their anniversary bash. Will the marriage, or anything else for that matter, survive the party?
The Anniversary Party is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring JJennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Jane Adams, Parker Posey, Phoebe Cates, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mina Badie and Denis O’Hare. The film premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival in May[3] prior to its limited release in the US the following month. It grossed $4,047,329 in the US and $884,559 in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $4,931,888.
In an episode of the Sundance Channel series Anatomy of a Scene, the filmmakers discussed the project at length. Because of conflicting schedules, there was a period of only 19 days in which the entire cast—consisting of friends and actors with whom Leigh and Cumming previously had worked—would be available for filming. This prompted the decision to film using digital video, which Leigh felt also added a sense of immediacy and intimacy that would draw the audience into the action as party guests observing everything from the sidelines.
The order in which the toasts were made was determined before the scene was filmed, although with the exception of that offered by Skye, they were improvised rather than scripted. Retired actress Phoebe Cates returned to acting for this one film, as a favor to director Leigh, her best friend.
The Anniversary Party (2001)
Directed by: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming
Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Jane Adams, Parker Posey, Phoebe Cates, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mina Badie, Denis O’Hare
Screenplay by: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Alan Cumming
Production Design by: Emma Fairley
Cinematography by: John Bailey
Film Editing by: Carol Littleton, Suzanne Spangler
Costume Design by: Christopher Lawrence
Set Decoration by: Emma Fairley
Music by: Michael Penn
MPAA Rating: R for language, drug use and nudity.
Distributed by: Fine Line Features
Release Date: June 8, 2001
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