SFFilm to honor Theron at Castro
Some real-life Hollywood glamour is coming to San Francisco: SFFilm announced on Thursday, March 1, that Charlize Theron will be honored at the upcoming SFFilm festival. She will receive a special tribute and be interviewed on stage, prior to a screening of her latest film, “Tully,” directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody.
The festival festivities will begin at 7:30 p.m. April 8 at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre.
Theron collaborated with Reitman and Cody in a previous film, “Young Adult” (2011), one of her lesser-known efforts, but one of the best films she has ever made. It starred Theron as a self-important and somewhat delusional writer, who returns to her small town and slips into a friendship with a depressed guy (Patton Oswalt) who’s as miserable as she is. The movie called for superb character work from
Theron, and she was nominated for a Golden Globe.
In “Tully,” she plays a woman who is burned out on motherhood and finds some kind of rejuvenation when she hires a nanny (Mackenzie Davis). It sounds like another story from Cody that’s built around a life-changing two-person encounter and that deals with the traps and responsibilities of adulthood.
Theron, 42, has been a major presence in films for two decades. She found her first important role in “The Devil’s Advocate,” and as is often the case with some of the best screen talents, it suddenly seemed as if she’d always been there. Many strong films soon followed: “The Cider House Rules,” “Reindeer Games,” “Sweet November” and “The Italian Job.”
After establishing herself as a glamorous Hollywood star, she transformed herself into something hideous, playing a serial killer in “Monster” (2003), for which she won the Academy Award for best actress. She was nominated for a second Oscar two years later for “North Country” (2005).
In the years since, she has appeared in crime movies (“Atomic Blonde”) and has starred in dystopian action movies (“Mad Max: Fury Road”). She played Ravenna in the “Huntsman” series. She is often seen, averaging more than one film a year, and she is always good, but she rarely finds scripts that capitalize on her humor. “Young Adult” was a big exception, so her getting back with Reitman and Cody is good news for everybody.
The festival runs April 4-10. Details to come soon.