Sleeping with the Fishes
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| Sleeping with the Fishes | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nicole Gomez Fisher |
| Written by | Nicole Gomez Fisher |
| Produced by | Courtney Andrialis Matt Ott Nicole Gomez Fisher |
| Starring | Priscilla Lopez Gina Rodriguez Ana Ortiz |
| Cinematography | Raoul Germain |
| Edited by | Carlos Berrios |
| Music by | Max Sitka |
| Distributed by | Breaking Glass Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 95 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Sleeping with the Fishes is a 2013 romantic comedy[2] film written and directed by Nicole Gomez Fisher. It stars Gina Rodriguez, Ana Ortiz and Priscilla Lopez. The film is loosely based on Fisher’s upbringing as part of a Jewish Latino household.[3] The film premiered on June 1, 2013 at the Brooklyn Film Festival, where it won the award for Best New Director. It was later picked up by Broken Glass Pictures, who gave the film a limited release on January 3, 2014.
Plot[edit]
Alexis "Lexi" Fish lives in Los Angeles and works as a mascot and occasional phone sex operator, struggling to get by after the death of her husband. After an estranged aunt dies, she returns to New York to attend her funeral. While there, she butts heads with her overly critical mother, Estella. Meanwhile, her well-meaning older sister Kayla arranges a last-minute job for Lexi to plan the Bat Mitzvah party for the daughter of one of their acquaintances, Mrs. Wasserstein.
Lexi also encounters the handsome Dominic, who runs a club and has a young son. She reveals to him that while she and her husband were high school sweethearts with outwardly successful lives, he repeatedly cheated on her during their marriage and left her with debt after his death.
Despite her initial reluctance to plan the Bat Mitzvah party, Lexi is eventually able to throw it together, confronting the overbearing Mrs. Wasserstein in the process and also gaining the courage to reveal her husband's flaws to her mother.
Cast[edit]
- Gina Rodriguez as Alexis Fish
- Ana Ortiz as Kayla Fish
- Steven Strait as Dominic Sebastiani
- Priscilla Lopez as Estella Fish
- Melissa Navia as Casey
- Taylor Black as Summer (as Taylor Gildersleeve)
- Michael Sirow as Daniel
- Orfeh as Mrs. Wasserstein
- Tibor Feldman as Dr. Leonard Fish
Production[edit]
Director Nicole Gomez Fisher was originally reluctant to direct but came on board after being unable to find anyone else to direct her script.[4]
Gina Rodriguez was offered the lead role after Fisher saw her in Filly Brown.[5][6]
Reception[edit]
Richard Propes of The Independent Critic wrote, "The film's greatest value may very well be the remarkable chemistry displayed between Rodriguez and Ortiz, whose performances are so radiating of that sibling sensibility that it's hard not to wonder if they really are siblings. Rodriguez adds the film's emotional resonance, while Ortiz gives the film a delightful spark and energy - together they are an absolute delight."[7][8]
Awards and nominations[edit]
The film was nominated for five Imagen Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress and Supporting Actress for Gina Rodriguez, Ana Ortiz and Priscilla Lopez.[9] Fisher won the award for Best New Director at the Brooklyn Film Festival.[10][7]
References[edit]
- ^ "Sleeping with the Fishes". Brooklyn Film Festival. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "Gina Rodriguez Goes From Hip Hop Artist To Lovestruck Latina". HuffPost. October 16, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Esquivel, Fernando (October 10, 2013). "Talking 'Sleeping with the Fishes' with Director Nicole Gomez Fisher and Gina Rodriguez". Latino Review. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ Saito, Stephen (October 11, 2013). "Interview: Nicole Gomez Fisher on Finding Her Way With "Sleeping With the Fishes"". The Moveable Fest. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ Brady, Erin (May 31, 2013). "Gina Rodriguez Goes Fishing". Interview. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ "Gina Rodriguez Lands Lead Role in Indie Pic 'Sleeping With the Fishes' (Exclusive)". Yahoo Entertainment. July 25, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Propes, Richard. "Sleeping with the Fishes". The Independent Critic. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ^ "Sleeping with the Fishes The SLIFF 2013 Review". We Are Movie Geeks. November 23, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
- ^ "Nominees for the 29th Annual Imagen Awards Announced". Imagen Awards. Archived from the original on June 24, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
- ^ Raynor, Madeline (June 11, 2013). "'Without Shepherds,' 'Somewhere Slow,' 'Furever,' 'Cut to Black,'and 'Sleeping With the Fishes' Win Big at the 2013 Brooklyn Film Festival". IndieWire. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
