Jon Stojan
Photo courtesy of Sophia Bennett
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 his upcoming thriller. He plays a 911 operator frantically trying to save a wounded hiker (newcomer Annie 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.
Writer, producer, and co-star Annie Malee says she wanted to create a role showcasing the strong but soft duality of this 911 operator role.
“Richard brings many layers to all of his characters”, Malee said. “But when I was writing this role, I was especially excited to explore the more tender, empathetic, protective parts of this performance. I can’t wait for audiences to see it.”