User:Mrs. Hastings/sandbox/Birthday Cake
| Birthday Cake | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Chad Dunbar |
| Written by | Chad Dunbar |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Dana Gonzales |
| Edited by | Mary Jo Markey |
| Music by | Ludwig Göransson |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Mubi |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 137 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $26 million |
| Box office | $15 million |
Birthday Cake is a 2022 American drama film directed, written, and produced by Chad Dunbar. It stars Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, and Storm Reid, with Laura Dern, Elisabeth Moss, Imani Hakim, Coco Jones, and Tyrel Jackson Williams in supporting roles. The plot follows a married couple going through the experience of raising a queer child.
The project was announced in December 2020, with the cast joining that month. Filming took place in Santa Barbara, California, between February and May of the following year. Released by Mubi, the film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 17, 2022, and began a limited theatrical release on November 19, followed by digital streaming on December 15.
Birthday Cake received critical acclaim, with particular praise for Dunbar's screenplay and direction, as well as the performances of Nyong'o, Reid, Dern, and Moss. For their performances, Nyong'o and Moss won the Academy Award, the Golden Globe, the BAFTA Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for best actress and best supporting actress, respectively, among other accolades.
Cast
[edit]- Lupita Nyong'o as Cassie Anderson, Henry's wife, a lawyer
- Michael B. Jordan as Henry Anderson, Cassie's husband, a businessman
- Storm Reid as Melody Anderson, Cassie and Henry's youngest daughter
- Laura Dern as Vanessa Putney, Cassie's long-time friend, an artist
- Elisabeth Moss as Cathy Barber, Melody's caring teacher
- Imani Hakim as Merrin Hughes, Melody's best friend and love interest
- Coco Jones as Nicole Anderson, Cassie and Henry's oldest daughter
- Tyrel Jackson Williams as Stephan Anderson, Cassie and Henry's middle son
- Tannishtha Chatterjee as Cassandra Irwin, Cassie's co-worker, a fellow lawyer
- Roshon Fegan as Jacob Clarkson, Nicole's boyfriend
- Alan Alda as John Fanshaw, the principal of Melody's school
- Kathryn Hahn as Lizbeth Conway, a television personality
Production
[edit]Development and writing
[edit]Casting and filming
[edit]Post-production
[edit]Ludwig Göransson composed the film score, while Mary Jo Markey was responsible for the editing.
Music
[edit]In May 2021, American singers Frank Ocean and Janelle Monáe were approached by Dunbar and Göransson to discuss a potential music collaboration between them. The following weeks, various recording sessions took place at the Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Ten tracks were crafted and recorded aimed by the research Göransson had done for the film's score. The song "Piece by Piece" was choosen to be released as a single and was issued on September 15, 2022. A follow-up single, "Kind to Let Go", performed by Miley Cyrus and Kali Uchis, was released on October 2. The soundtrack album, titled Birthday Cake: The Melodies, was released on October 11, 2022, through Interscope Records, whilst a soundtrack of Göransson's score was released on October 22.
Release
[edit]Reception
[edit]Accolades
[edit]| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Picture | Chad Dunbar and David Heyman | Nominated | |
| Best Director | Chad Dunbar | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress | Lupita Nyong'o | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Alan Alda | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Elisabeth Moss | Won | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Chad Dunbar | Won | ||
| Best Original Score | Ludwig Göransson | Won | ||
| Best Original Song | "Piece by Piece" | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography | Dana Gonzales | Won | ||
| Best Film Editing | Mary Jo Markey | Won |