AAN Association of Alternative Newsmedia

Market Served: Metropolitan Area
Address: 16 W. Pine St., Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 377-0400

Film Explores Family Ties with an Exotic Twist

Orlando Weekly | March 26, 2007

One of two films in this year's Florida Film Festival with a Big Star song on the soundtrack, "Take Care" (from Third, if you care) complements The Elephant King's druggy, desperate tone, echoing the lives of the lovesick and loveless characters who inhabit the film. A nerdy, suicidal kid goes to Thailand to visit his depraved and thoroughly selfish brother to reconnect with him. The boys' mother (Ellen Burstyn) hopes he'll bring the wild child back from Thailand, as he's living there on university grant money for a completely imaginary research project, and the university is none too happy about it. The young kid falls hopelessly in love with the city of Chiang Mai and a local showgirl and can do little to help his brother, who's spiraling out of control. Director Seth Grossman (Shock Act) does a marvelous job at avoiding predictable directions, making The Elephant King a surprising and devastating film about family ties.

Tags: Seth Grossman, The Elephant King

Orlando Weekly

In America's theme-park Mecca, Orlando Weekly recently explored these themes: How a private group of developers pulled the strings that directed public land-use policies. How a millionaire time-share mogul made his money selling bogus promises. How an annual Gay Day...

More »

Contact for Reprint Rights