Author: TitaniumGold
Mr Serling
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Peter Morgan; Based on the biography “Serling: The Rise and Twilight of TV's Last Angry Man” by Gordon F. Sandler
Cinematography by: Bruno Delbonnel
Production Design by: Robert Gould
Costume Design by: Arianne Phillips
Editing by: Tariq Anwar
Original Score by: Howard Shore
Cast:
Ty Burrell - Rod Serling
Amy Adams - Carol Serling
Benedict Cumberbatch - Charles Beaumont
Patrick Wilson - Richard Matheson
Abigail Breslin - Jodi Serling
Elle Fanning - Anne Serling
Tagline: A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of his imagination.
Plot:
It's 1946. Rod Serling (Burrell) leaves hospital following military service in the pacific, with only medals and a bad knee to show for it. He goes to college to study PE, but switches his major to literature. Sharp, smooth and athletic; Rod attracts much female attention and develops the reputation of a ladies' man. It's this reputation that puts off a beautiful fellow student, Carol Kramer (Adams) when he asks her out, but eventually gives in. They quickly fall in love.
Within the next few years, the pair marry (Rod tests dangerous parachutes to get enough money for a wedding) and graduate college. It is on their honeymoon she discovers that he has frequent night terrors regarding his time fighting in the Pacific. She confronts him about them, suggesting that he talks to someone about it. He shrugs it off, deciding to bury himself in his work instead.
Rod begins his writing career on the bottom rung of the radio industry. With much effort spent writing, his career doesn't take off due to strict regulations on new writers on the radio and so with Carol's encouragement tries out the exciting new medium of television. He gets an array of boring jobs on TV stations, before much to (a heavily pregnant) Carol's dismay, he quits his job to become a fulltime freelance writer. After and in between the birth of their two daughters (Fanning and Breslin) Carol works to financially support the struggling family.
Rod finds himself battling TV executives who disagree with his often high-concept teleplays; they tell him to redo the ideas and tone down the strong liberal morals and the critiques of conservatism he expresses through his writings. In desperation he considers doing so, but Carol; herself, like Rod, a vehement liberal; demands that he sticks to his guns, even at the risk of financial ruin.
Eventually he gets a few unedited teleplays on air. The critical and audience response is strong and he ends up winning Emmys. But he has bigger plans. He plans to launch his own science-fiction show which he himself would have complete creative control. He enlists the help of two fellow writers with similar political sensibilities; the sensible and adored science-fiction writer Richard Matheson (Wilson) and young eccentric Charles Beaumont (Cumberbatch). Rod as usual struggles to pitch his show but after several shouting confrontations with TV executives, he gets his show on the air. Thus “The Twilight Zone” was born.
The show becomes a massive hit that wins Serling even more Emmys. In addition his hosting and narrations for the show make him a household name. The success is dizzying and the Serlings become very wealthy.
But by the time the third series airs, Carol notices a difference in her husband. His almost singlehanded running of the show (scripting 92 of the 156 episodes) is very stressful, which leads to writer’s block, which causes him to become anxious and depressed. Carol is concerned and demands that he get help and rest, but he refuses.
When the episode length for the fourth season is doubled, Rod finds himself under more pressure. His night terrors get worse; he often wakes both himself and Carol in the middle of the night crying and shaking uncontrollably. His anxiety becomes so severe that he finds himself near tears when filming the opening narrations for the series.
This pattern of mental illness in Rod carries on until a distraught Carol breaks down into tears and pleads with him to relax; when he tells her he can’t because of his work commitments; she gets furious, giving him the ultimatum that he take his foot off the pedal and rest with his family or she’ll divorce him and take the kids. He accepts it and takes a break.
For the fifth and final season he gives himself less creative control and contributes fewer scripts. The show isn’t renewed, but Serling is relieved as he is able to pursue a part-time career in lecturing and also spend more time with Carol and his daughters.
Time goes by and the Serlings are happy. The only major sadness in Rod’s life at this point comes when Charles Beaumont is dying of brain cancer; Rod goes to meet his dear colleague and is distraught with how the illness has aged him. Charles thanks Rod for giving him the opportunity that he did, and that he had now left his own children in a far more secure environment than the one his own abusive parents brought him up in. Charles dies soon after and both Rod and Carol are distraught.
Years pass again and Rod is happy lecturing. That is until he has a heart attack. Carol and their girls are hysterical and think they’re going to lose him but he pulls through. A few days later he and Carol are sitting by their pool, he thanks her for all the support that she gave him over the years when he was struggling and all the joy she’d given him, and that he could never leave her, because he could never love anything else (besides his daughters) as much as he had her. Carol blushes, but tells him that she loves him too and that deciding to go on that date with him all those years ago was the best decision she ever made. They embrace.
Later that day he has another heart attack and dies on the operating table. A hysterical Carol sobs against the window of the operating theatre.
Fast forward to after the funeral; Carol goes into the living room; exhausted and bleary eyed; and collapses on the couch. Suddenly a re-run of “The Twilight Zone” comes on; as she sees her husband on the screen she starts crying again, this time in joy. She says “So you actually could never leave me.” to herself and laughs; knowing that his writing legacy would never die.
Fades to black. These words come on the screen. “Rod Serling’s name has gone down into legend. He is regarded even today as one of the godfather’s of science fiction. Carol Serling never remarried. Their love lived on.”
Award’s Campaign:
Ron Howard’s major break as a child star was on “The Twilight Zone”, so it’s no surprise the determination he showed to bring its creator to the big screen; as shown by the superb quality of the end project. Morgan’s script is an emotional odyssey charting the life and career of Rod and the relationships he has with his wife, children and collaborators; the dialogue is raw yet precise, the characters are rich and every single scene delivers with an expert pacing. The film will be enjoyed by regular movie goer and Serling fans alike.
As the titular character, Ty Burrell proves that he is more than just a funny man by expertly assimilating into Rod Serling, mimicking the iconic voice and mannerisms to an uncanny degree with ease, and the honesty and heart that prevents it becoming a caricature. He excels at playing every facet of Rod Serling; the showman, the writer, the boss, the friend, the husband and the father; but what is most surprising, is his handling of Rod’s night terrors and anxiety attacks; not laughing them down, but showing them in all their brutality, tears and all.
Amy Adams is sublime as Serling’s wife (who ironically wears the trousers in their relationship), the tough firecracker liberal. Her chemistry with Burrell is excellent and very human. She excels as the emotional core of the film, her escalating concern for her husband being the driving force behind this. She will have you crying with her when Rod’s dies, and have you cheering when she delivers a hefty monologue pleading with him not to give up his ideals to succeed quicker. But hardly a shrinking violet, the scenes in which she argues with Burrell are her highlights. As soon as she explodes; displaying a sharp physicality which Adams hasn’t shown much before; you can’t help but think “Oscar nomination?”
Similarly, Benedict Cumberbatch shines in his brief role as Charles Beaumont, the eccentric science fiction author who eventually dies of cancer. He attacks the part, imbuing Charles with a dazed, daydreaming exterior, from which shoots out an omniscient wisdom. His deadpan jokes and wicked smile make you adore him instantly, and his final scenes; in which he is a husk of former self, he cries and despairs about never seeing his children grow up, then gaining acceptance, with a pride, face just happy that he has loved them for as long as he has and provided them with opportunities he has never had.
“Mr Serling” is a warm and affectionate thank you card from Ron Howard to Rod Serling, that doesn’t skip over any of the dark or ugly details. It is boosted by a superb script and a brilliant cast and crew. Rod Serling would be very proud indeed.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director – Ron Howard
Best Actor – Ty Burrell
Best Actress – Amy Adams
Best Supporting Actor – Benedict Cumberbatch
Best Adapted Screenplay
Mr Serling
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Peter Morgan; Based on the biography “Serling: The Rise and Twilight of TV's Last Angry Man” by Gordon F. Sandler
Cinematography by: Bruno Delbonnel
Production Design by: Robert Gould
Costume Design by: Arianne Phillips
Editing by: Tariq Anwar
Original Score by: Howard Shore
Cast:
Ty Burrell - Rod Serling
Amy Adams - Carol Serling
Benedict Cumberbatch - Charles Beaumont
Patrick Wilson - Richard Matheson
Abigail Breslin - Jodi Serling
Elle Fanning - Anne Serling
Tagline: A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of his imagination.
Plot:
It's 1946. Rod Serling (Burrell) leaves hospital following military service in the pacific, with only medals and a bad knee to show for it. He goes to college to study PE, but switches his major to literature. Sharp, smooth and athletic; Rod attracts much female attention and develops the reputation of a ladies' man. It's this reputation that puts off a beautiful fellow student, Carol Kramer (Adams) when he asks her out, but eventually gives in. They quickly fall in love.
Within the next few years, the pair marry (Rod tests dangerous parachutes to get enough money for a wedding) and graduate college. It is on their honeymoon she discovers that he has frequent night terrors regarding his time fighting in the Pacific. She confronts him about them, suggesting that he talks to someone about it. He shrugs it off, deciding to bury himself in his work instead.
Rod begins his writing career on the bottom rung of the radio industry. With much effort spent writing, his career doesn't take off due to strict regulations on new writers on the radio and so with Carol's encouragement tries out the exciting new medium of television. He gets an array of boring jobs on TV stations, before much to (a heavily pregnant) Carol's dismay, he quits his job to become a fulltime freelance writer. After and in between the birth of their two daughters (Fanning and Breslin) Carol works to financially support the struggling family.
Rod finds himself battling TV executives who disagree with his often high-concept teleplays; they tell him to redo the ideas and tone down the strong liberal morals and the critiques of conservatism he expresses through his writings. In desperation he considers doing so, but Carol; herself, like Rod, a vehement liberal; demands that he sticks to his guns, even at the risk of financial ruin.
Eventually he gets a few unedited teleplays on air. The critical and audience response is strong and he ends up winning Emmys. But he has bigger plans. He plans to launch his own science-fiction show which he himself would have complete creative control. He enlists the help of two fellow writers with similar political sensibilities; the sensible and adored science-fiction writer Richard Matheson (Wilson) and young eccentric Charles Beaumont (Cumberbatch). Rod as usual struggles to pitch his show but after several shouting confrontations with TV executives, he gets his show on the air. Thus “The Twilight Zone” was born.
The show becomes a massive hit that wins Serling even more Emmys. In addition his hosting and narrations for the show make him a household name. The success is dizzying and the Serlings become very wealthy.
But by the time the third series airs, Carol notices a difference in her husband. His almost singlehanded running of the show (scripting 92 of the 156 episodes) is very stressful, which leads to writer’s block, which causes him to become anxious and depressed. Carol is concerned and demands that he get help and rest, but he refuses.
When the episode length for the fourth season is doubled, Rod finds himself under more pressure. His night terrors get worse; he often wakes both himself and Carol in the middle of the night crying and shaking uncontrollably. His anxiety becomes so severe that he finds himself near tears when filming the opening narrations for the series.
This pattern of mental illness in Rod carries on until a distraught Carol breaks down into tears and pleads with him to relax; when he tells her he can’t because of his work commitments; she gets furious, giving him the ultimatum that he take his foot off the pedal and rest with his family or she’ll divorce him and take the kids. He accepts it and takes a break.
For the fifth and final season he gives himself less creative control and contributes fewer scripts. The show isn’t renewed, but Serling is relieved as he is able to pursue a part-time career in lecturing and also spend more time with Carol and his daughters.
Time goes by and the Serlings are happy. The only major sadness in Rod’s life at this point comes when Charles Beaumont is dying of brain cancer; Rod goes to meet his dear colleague and is distraught with how the illness has aged him. Charles thanks Rod for giving him the opportunity that he did, and that he had now left his own children in a far more secure environment than the one his own abusive parents brought him up in. Charles dies soon after and both Rod and Carol are distraught.
Years pass again and Rod is happy lecturing. That is until he has a heart attack. Carol and their girls are hysterical and think they’re going to lose him but he pulls through. A few days later he and Carol are sitting by their pool, he thanks her for all the support that she gave him over the years when he was struggling and all the joy she’d given him, and that he could never leave her, because he could never love anything else (besides his daughters) as much as he had her. Carol blushes, but tells him that she loves him too and that deciding to go on that date with him all those years ago was the best decision she ever made. They embrace.
Later that day he has another heart attack and dies on the operating table. A hysterical Carol sobs against the window of the operating theatre.
Fast forward to after the funeral; Carol goes into the living room; exhausted and bleary eyed; and collapses on the couch. Suddenly a re-run of “The Twilight Zone” comes on; as she sees her husband on the screen she starts crying again, this time in joy. She says “So you actually could never leave me.” to herself and laughs; knowing that his writing legacy would never die.
Fades to black. These words come on the screen. “Rod Serling’s name has gone down into legend. He is regarded even today as one of the godfather’s of science fiction. Carol Serling never remarried. Their love lived on.”
Award’s Campaign:
Ron Howard’s major break as a child star was on “The Twilight Zone”, so it’s no surprise the determination he showed to bring its creator to the big screen; as shown by the superb quality of the end project. Morgan’s script is an emotional odyssey charting the life and career of Rod and the relationships he has with his wife, children and collaborators; the dialogue is raw yet precise, the characters are rich and every single scene delivers with an expert pacing. The film will be enjoyed by regular movie goer and Serling fans alike.
As the titular character, Ty Burrell proves that he is more than just a funny man by expertly assimilating into Rod Serling, mimicking the iconic voice and mannerisms to an uncanny degree with ease, and the honesty and heart that prevents it becoming a caricature. He excels at playing every facet of Rod Serling; the showman, the writer, the boss, the friend, the husband and the father; but what is most surprising, is his handling of Rod’s night terrors and anxiety attacks; not laughing them down, but showing them in all their brutality, tears and all.
Amy Adams is sublime as Serling’s wife (who ironically wears the trousers in their relationship), the tough firecracker liberal. Her chemistry with Burrell is excellent and very human. She excels as the emotional core of the film, her escalating concern for her husband being the driving force behind this. She will have you crying with her when Rod’s dies, and have you cheering when she delivers a hefty monologue pleading with him not to give up his ideals to succeed quicker. But hardly a shrinking violet, the scenes in which she argues with Burrell are her highlights. As soon as she explodes; displaying a sharp physicality which Adams hasn’t shown much before; you can’t help but think “Oscar nomination?”
Similarly, Benedict Cumberbatch shines in his brief role as Charles Beaumont, the eccentric science fiction author who eventually dies of cancer. He attacks the part, imbuing Charles with a dazed, daydreaming exterior, from which shoots out an omniscient wisdom. His deadpan jokes and wicked smile make you adore him instantly, and his final scenes; in which he is a husk of former self, he cries and despairs about never seeing his children grow up, then gaining acceptance, with a pride, face just happy that he has loved them for as long as he has and provided them with opportunities he has never had.
“Mr Serling” is a warm and affectionate thank you card from Ron Howard to Rod Serling, that doesn’t skip over any of the dark or ugly details. It is boosted by a superb script and a brilliant cast and crew. Rod Serling would be very proud indeed.
FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director – Ron Howard
Best Actor – Ty Burrell
Best Actress – Amy Adams
Best Supporting Actor – Benedict Cumberbatch
Best Adapted Screenplay