4th(2002)
Margarita Happy Hour
Ilya Chaiken
- USA
- 2001
- 98min
- 35mm
- color
SYNOPSIS
Margarita Happy Hour is a film about motherhood, but sets up unique and new ideas, far from the dominant descriptions and statements about motherhood. Margarita Happy Hour explores the relationship between motherhood and underground art or rock music in New York-boisterous rock music, tattoos, drugs, performance, drink and long boots. Is it indeed possible to reconcile motherhood and bohemian circumstances?
Zelda, a single mother, is a wannabe artist, but in reality is a freelance illustrator who earns a living by illustrating a big busty woman for a porno magazine. Max, her boyfriend, is kindhearted but drunken day after day and won’t take responsibility for bringing up children. Zelda and other young and poor women meet at a Mexican restaurant, in the late afternoon hours of half price drink specials, and jabber uninhibitedly about life, libido and lactation.
Margarita Happy Hour is based on the real story of director Chaiken, who is also a single mother and has been living in Brooklyn, New York. It gives a graphic and realistic description of the underground culture in New York, and a humorous, cool and ironic glimpse at Zelda’s entrapment. Margarita Happy Hour became the center of attention, along with Memento, at Sundance Film Festival. (Kwon Eun-sun)
Zelda, a single mother, is a wannabe artist, but in reality is a freelance illustrator who earns a living by illustrating a big busty woman for a porno magazine. Max, her boyfriend, is kindhearted but drunken day after day and won’t take responsibility for bringing up children. Zelda and other young and poor women meet at a Mexican restaurant, in the late afternoon hours of half price drink specials, and jabber uninhibitedly about life, libido and lactation.
Margarita Happy Hour is based on the real story of director Chaiken, who is also a single mother and has been living in Brooklyn, New York. It gives a graphic and realistic description of the underground culture in New York, and a humorous, cool and ironic glimpse at Zelda’s entrapment. Margarita Happy Hour became the center of attention, along with Memento, at Sundance Film Festival. (Kwon Eun-sun)
PROGRAM NOTE
Margarita Happy Hour is a film about motherhood, but sets up unique and new ideas, far from the dominant descriptions and statements about motherhood. Margarita Happy Hour explores the relationship between motherhood and underground art or rock music in New York-boisterous rock music, tattoos, drugs, performance, drink and long boots. Is it indeed possible to reconcile motherhood and bohemian circumstances?
Zelda, a single mother, is a wannabe artist, but in reality is a freelance illustrator who earns a living by illustrating a big busty woman for a porno magazine. Max, her boyfriend, is kindhearted but drunken day after day and won’t take responsibility for bringing up children. Zelda and other young and poor women meet at a Mexican restaurant, in the late afternoon hours of half price drink specials, and jabber uninhibitedly about life, libido and lactation.
Margarita Happy Hour is based on the real story of director Chaiken, who is also a single mother and has been living in Brooklyn, New York. It gives a graphic and realistic description of the underground culture in New York, and a humorous, cool and ironic glimpse at Zelda’s entrapment. Margarita Happy Hour became the center of attention, along with Memento, at Sundance Film Festival. (Kwon Eun-sun)
Zelda, a single mother, is a wannabe artist, but in reality is a freelance illustrator who earns a living by illustrating a big busty woman for a porno magazine. Max, her boyfriend, is kindhearted but drunken day after day and won’t take responsibility for bringing up children. Zelda and other young and poor women meet at a Mexican restaurant, in the late afternoon hours of half price drink specials, and jabber uninhibitedly about life, libido and lactation.
Margarita Happy Hour is based on the real story of director Chaiken, who is also a single mother and has been living in Brooklyn, New York. It gives a graphic and realistic description of the underground culture in New York, and a humorous, cool and ironic glimpse at Zelda’s entrapment. Margarita Happy Hour became the center of attention, along with Memento, at Sundance Film Festival. (Kwon Eun-sun)
Director
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Ilya ChaikenIlya Chaiken
Ilya Chaiken, a graduate of the SUNY Purchase Film Program, whose first short film, The Actress has been shown extensively at film festivals across the US and Europe and received national acclaim when it was broadcast on PBS. Chaiken was awarded a grant from the Princess Grace Foundation for Young Filmmakers and with the funds produced her second short Match Flick, which has also screened at many festivals. Margarita Happy Hour is her first feature film.
Credit
- ProducerMichael Ellenbogen, Susan Leber
- Cast Eleanor Hutchins, Larry Fessenden, Holly Ramos
- Screenwriter Ilya Chaiken
- Cinematography Gordon Chou
- Editor Ilya Chaiken, Meg Reticker
- Music Max Lichtenstein
- Sound Stephen Altobello
