This So-Called Disaster: Sam Shepard Directs the Late Henry Moss (2003)

90% of critics liked it
(29 reviews)
53% of users liked it
(811 ratings)

In 2000, director Michael Almereyda brought his film crew to San Francisco to document the rehearsal process for the Magic Theater's production of Sam Shepard's play The Late Henry Moss, as directed by the playwright himself. The resulting film, This So-Called Disaster, is partly a study of the… More In 2000, director Michael Almereyda brought his film crew to San Francisco to document the rehearsal process for the Magic Theater's production of Sam Shepard's play The Late Henry Moss, as directed by the playwright himself. The resulting film, This So-Called Disaster, is partly a study of the magic of theater, as well as a study of the fascinating Shepard, who is nearly universally considered one of the most influential American dramatists of the past century. Shepard and Almereyda's first collaboration came via the former's adaptation of Hamlet, in which Shepard played the part of the Ghost of Hamlet's father. Shepard, in turn, invited Almereyda to film the rehearsal process for his latest play, The Late Henry Moss, a 16-year labor of love for Shepard that relates a fictional recounting of the playwright's own relationship with his late father. Following the cast -- which includes such luminaries as Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Cheech Marin, and Woody Harrelson -- and the crew until the production's opening night, Almereyda observes the minutiae involved in leading up to the first curtain, as well as some private moments with Shepard as he recounts some of his personal history as related to The Late Henry Moss. This So-Called Disaster was included in the programs for the 2003 Rotterdam International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Michael Almereyda
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Apr 21, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Dec 14, 2004
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Ty Burr, Boston Globe
One of the finer peeks into the creative process of staging a play.
Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times
In its vision of the push-and-pull of rehearsal and the revelation of how a play comes to breathing, snorting life onstage, Almereyda's video brings us close to the act of creation.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
Theater lovers are likely to find the film interesting even when it zigs and zags.
David Edelstein, Slate
It's fun to see actors doing what they do and to see them through the eyes of a director.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
An unbridled orgy of uninhibited Stanislavsky.
Scott Foundas, Variety
Not as insightful as Topsy-Turvy or Vanya on 42nd Street about the process of putting on a show, it's nonetheless a fascinating meeting of the minds.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
Will appeal mostly to those who love theater and relish the opportunity to see a production being built, scene by scene.
David Noh, Film Journal International
Consistently engrossing, with nary a dull moment, and very enlightening on what is popularly called "the actor's process."
, E! Online
A fractured but compelling piece of reality theater.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
Lets us hang out with, and really meet for the first time, artists we thought we already knew.
Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly
In the end, what takes shape is not just a significant unraveling of Shepard's taciturn mystique, but a potent sense of the pain and rigor of revealing oneself through art.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Ultimately, you leave This So-Called Disaster with renewed respect for Shepard, who comes off as a kind of quiet hero: a man of words, confronting his past with little fuss, and from it creating a legacy.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
As a portrait of a collaborative artist at work, the film is an invaluable document, not to be missed by anyone with more than a passing interest in theater.
Jurgen Fauth, About.com
One of the most pleasurable documentaries in recent memory.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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[font=Century Gothic]"This So-Called Disaster" is a documentary directed by Michael Almereyda about the 2000 San Francisco production of Sam Shepard's play,"The Late Henry Moss", which was inspired by his father's life. Shepard directed Sean Penn, Nick… More
[font=Century Gothic]"This So-Called Disaster" is a documentary directed by Michael Almereyda about the 2000 San Francisco production of Sam Shepard's play,"The Late Henry Moss", which was inspired by his father's life. Shepard directed Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Woody Harrelson, James Gannon, Cheech Marin and Sheila Tousey(what a cast!) in the play. The documentary shows the rehearsal process and sheds a good deal of light on how the actors created their performances for the stage. We also get to see how a play is directed. There are thoughts here on what it means to be a father and what it means to be a son, too.[/font]