Sundance. The Good Life.

"The Good Life is an impressive debut from former pro skateboarder turned writer/director Steve Berra," writes Bryan Whitefield at ScreenGrab. "Based loosely on some of his own experiences growing up and set during a Nebraska winter, the film is a somber story that maintains an undercurrent of hope even as life for its main character, Jason (Mark Webber), gets darker and darker." Even so, "For the most part, given its Sundance-friendly subject matter, the writing avoids easy cliché."

John Horn recently profiled Berra for the Los Angeles Times:

Updated through 1/29.

Like mastering a kick-flip backside tail-slide or any of his other shin-shattering skating tricks, Berra's transition from friendless teen to gregarious filmmaker required relentless dedication amid repeated failure. His film's journey to Park City, Utah, also makes for a quintessential Sundance story: Determined storyteller perseveres for a decade; gung-ho producer cobbles together a motley crew of investors; intensely personal film beats out more than 3,000 other submissions for a spot in the nation's top showcase for indie cinema.

And indieWIRE interviews Berra.

Update, 1/24: Bryan Whitefield talks with Berra, Webber and Zooey Deschanel.

Update, 1/25: Cinematical has a video interview with Chris Klein and Patrick Fugit.

Update, 1/29: A "sweet and engaging film that has 'Sundance' written all over it," writes Tom Hall. "Chris Klein's performance as a psychopathic failure is spot-on and provides The Good Life with a dangerous sense of unpredictability."

Coverage of the coverage: The Park City Index.

Posted by dwhudson at January 23, 2007 9:14 AM