Shiva Baby
Day three of the outdoors segment of Indie Memphis hits a weather-related snag. Memphis director Anwar Jamison’s feature Coming to Africa and the Hometowner Music Video Showcase, scheduled to roll on the riverfront tonight, have been postponed due to a forecast of rain. The film and video block have been rescheduled for Wednesday, October 28 at the Malco Summer Drive-In. The film will still premiere online tonight. You can read my interview with Jamison about his bi-continental film in last week’s Memphis Flyer cover feature on the festival.
The drive-in program for tonight is rain or shine. It kicks off with Shiva Baby, director Emma Seligman’s comedy about a struggling college student named Danielle (Rachel Sennott) who takes on a phone sex side hustle with sugar daddy Max (Danny Deferrari) to help make ends meet. But when he unexpectedly shows up at a family shiva with his wife Kim (Dianna Agron) and their colicky baby, her life is about to get a whole lot more complicated.
Indie Memphis 2020: A Rain Delay, Laura Dern, and Shiva Baby
The second show at the drive-in is a retro screening of Smooth Talk. Based on a Joyce Carole Oates short story, it features a killer early performance by Laura Dern as Connie, a teenager being stalked by sexual predator Arnold, played by the great Treat Williams. Look for a rare acting appearance by The Band’s legendary drummer Levon Helm. The classic indie pic won the Jury Award at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival.
Indie Memphis 2020: A Rain Delay, Laura Dern, and Shiva Baby (2)
Indie Memphis continues through Thursday, October 29. For full information on the online and in-person offerings, visit the Indie Memphis website.