O
Short description
O is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare's Othello set at the elite Palmetto Grove Academy, a private school in South Carolina. Odin James, the only Black student there, is a star basketball player with a promising future, admired by his coach and involved with Desi Brable, the dean's daughter. Hugo Goulding, the coach's son and Odin's friend, resents the attention and trust his father gives Odin. Driven by jealousy, Hugo sets a plan in motion to make Odin doubt Desi, triggering a chain of events that turns violent. The film was directed by Tim Blake Nelson and written by Brad Kaaya.
The cast includes Mekhi Phifer as Odin, Josh Hartnett as Hugo, Martin Sheen as Coach Duke Goulding, Julia Stiles as Desi, Andrew Keegan as Michael Cassio and Rain Phoenix as Emily. It runs 95 minutes and was released on August 31, 2001. It is the first film in the chronological list of Nelson's directing credits, ahead of The Grey Zone, Leaves of Grass, Anesthesia and The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, and it is the only Shakespeare adaptation among them. Its worldwide box office take was about 16 million dollars, a modest return for a wide release.
On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.4 from 689 votes, while on TMDB it has a 5.9 from 314 votes. The film critics' rating stands at 6.1 from 124 reviews, placing it close to the lower audience score and below the higher IMDb figure.
What's left behind the scenes
- Production of the film was completed in 1999. However, due to the initial release date coinciding with the tragic events at Columbine High School, it was postponed.
- Students from a school in San Anselmo participated in the voice acting for the film. They created the crowd noise for the basketball game scenes, the party fight, and the shootout in the women's dormitory.
- Natasha Lyonne and Mena Suvari were considered for the role of Daisy. Ultimately, the role went to Julia Stiles.
- The film's director, Tim Blake Nelson, edited the film at night and filmed with the Coen brothers during the day on «O Brother, Where Art Thou?».
- Julia Stiles and Andrew Keegan, who starred in this film, had previously appeared in another modern adaptation of Shakespeare's play, "10 Things I Hate About You".
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
