Written in partnership with Electrify
Photo courtesy of Malee Movies
Oscar winner and screen legend Richard Dreyfuss has crafted a half century career playing stubborn hustlers and arrogant dreamers. He has even brought a chilling, calculated stillness to his portrayals of real-life figures like Bernie Madoff and Dick Cheney.
And while he scraped off a layer of his trademark sarcasm for roles in films like “Always” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus”, Dreyfuss explores an even deeper level of tenderness in Annie Malee’s upcoming thriller “Abandonment”. He plays a 911 operator frantically trying to save a wounded hiker (Malee) on the Appalachian Trail. But Dreyfuss’ character is also nursing a very raw emotional wound himself, which casts a heart-wrenching shadow over the pulse-pounding rescue mission.
“Abandonment” writer, producer, and co-star Annie Malee says she was thrilled to create a role showcasing the strong but soft duality of a Richard Dreyfuss performance.
“Richard brings so many layers to all of his characters”, Malee said. “He’s a screenwriter’s dream. But when I was writing this role—specifically for Richard—I was especially excited to explore the more tender, empathetic, protective parts of his portrayal. I can’t wait for audiences to see his performance.”
Malee has been a fan of Dreyfuss since she was a tiny child and saw “Mr. Holland’s Opus”. “Being able to have one of my childhood acting heroes say my lines, from my very first script, and act opposite him, in my very first role, was literally a childhood dream come true,” says Malee. Annie Malee also produced the film under her new shingle Malee Movies.
Abandonment hits theatres this fall.
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