This So Called Disaster

In 2000 at San Francisco’s Magic Theater, The Late Henry Moss, a play by Sam Shepard, opened to a wide-eyed audience as Sean Penn and Nick Nolte played two estranged brothers reunited in New Mexico due to the tragic death of their alcoholic father. Now, film director Michael Almeneyda has created a telling docudrama through a collage of cast interviews and the final three weeks of rehearsals for an inside look at Shepard’s personal life and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his semi-autobiographical play. Filmgoers will witness actors working towards bringing life and meaning to their printed scripts, as well as learn about Shepard’s checkered past of deceit, loss and confusion. Although this film causes stifling yawns because of its snail-paced storytelling, the insight into the terse and stand-offish world of the Hollywood actors is worth the price of admission.