The nation’s headlines in the early months of 1973 told of Roe v. Wade, the occupation of Wounded Knee, a growing Watergate scandal, George Steinbrenner buying the Yankees, the official opening of the World Trade Center, POWs released from Vietnam and a growing fear of a gas shortage in the United States.
But the biggest story was about something that was happening on TV.
Two years after more than 300 hours of footage were shot over the course of seven months inside the Santa Barbara home of the Pat and William C. Loud and their five kids, an experimental documentary chronicling their daily lives unfolded over the course of 12 weeks on PBS. By time it was over, “An American Family” had captivated the country as it had divided it, the Louds were divorced and TV had changed forever.
It’s difficult to explain – and impossible to overstate — how daring the proposal...
But the biggest story was about something that was happening on TV.
Two years after more than 300 hours of footage were shot over the course of seven months inside the Santa Barbara home of the Pat and William C. Loud and their five kids, an experimental documentary chronicling their daily lives unfolded over the course of 12 weeks on PBS. By time it was over, “An American Family” had captivated the country as it had divided it, the Louds were divorced and TV had changed forever.
It’s difficult to explain – and impossible to overstate — how daring the proposal...
- 1/2/2023
- by Jim McKairnes
- The Wrap
When "Little Miss Sunshine" arrived on the scene in 2006, nabbing both Academy Awards and the hearts of American audiences, it captured an era of mid-aughts indie filmmaking that was defined by quirky comedic dysfunction. From "Garden State" and "Napoleon Dynamite" before it, to "Juno" and "500 Days of Summer" after, the road trip movie seems like the center point of a very specific movie trend.
Surprisingly, though, "Little Miss Sunshine" didn't mean to follow in the footsteps of the offbeat 2000s dramedy, but wanted to captured the essence of a different type of film that came decades earlier. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel around the time of the movie's release, co-director Jonathan Dayton says he and his wife Valerie Faris took inspiration from "An American Family," a 1973 PBS docuseries directed by Craig Gilbert that's widely credited with ushering in the advent of reality television. It's an odd comparison,...
Surprisingly, though, "Little Miss Sunshine" didn't mean to follow in the footsteps of the offbeat 2000s dramedy, but wanted to captured the essence of a different type of film that came decades earlier. In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel around the time of the movie's release, co-director Jonathan Dayton says he and his wife Valerie Faris took inspiration from "An American Family," a 1973 PBS docuseries directed by Craig Gilbert that's widely credited with ushering in the advent of reality television. It's an odd comparison,...
- 8/14/2022
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Pat Loud, America’s first reality TV star, passed away on January 10 at her home in Los Angeles at age 94. I knew Pat through her oldest son, Lance, and it was clear to me from the beginning of our decades-long friendship that she never fully recovered from the negative reaction to that first reality TV show, “An American Family,” which aired on public television in 1973.
Pat and her husband, Bill, gave permission to filmmaker Craig Gilbert to document their family of five children over several months at their Santa Barbara home. He filmed 300 hours, and cut it down to 12 episodes of one hour each.
When the series aired, it shocked for two reasons: Pat asked her husband for a divorce on grounds of infidelity, and their 20-year-old son Lance, living in Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel, made no effort to hide his homosexuality. It was the latter controversy that most rocked the family.
Pat and her husband, Bill, gave permission to filmmaker Craig Gilbert to document their family of five children over several months at their Santa Barbara home. He filmed 300 hours, and cut it down to 12 episodes of one hour each.
When the series aired, it shocked for two reasons: Pat asked her husband for a divorce on grounds of infidelity, and their 20-year-old son Lance, living in Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel, made no effort to hide his homosexuality. It was the latter controversy that most rocked the family.
- 1/12/2021
- by Robert Hofler
- The Wrap
Patricia Loud, best known as the matriarch from the PBS docuseries An American Family, died Sunday. She was 94. The news was confirmed by her family on their shared Facebook page.
“With inconsolable sorrow, we are sad to share the news with friends and family that on Sunday, January 10 at 1:55pm Pt, Pat Loud passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes,” the Loud family wrote. “She was snuggled up safe in her comfy home, attended by loving children Michele, Delilah, Kevin and Grant.”
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“With inconsolable sorrow, we are sad to share the news with friends and family that on Sunday, January 10 at 1:55pm Pt, Pat Loud passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes,” the Loud family wrote. “She was snuggled up safe in her comfy home, attended by loving children Michele, Delilah, Kevin and Grant.”
More from TVLineJohn Reilly, General Hospital and Passions Vet, Dead at 86Watch Alex Trebek's Final Jeopardy!
- 1/11/2021
- by Nick Caruso
- TVLine.com
Patricia Loud, the matriarch of the Loud family in the TV documentary An American Family died on Sunday from natural causes. She was 94.
The news of Loud’s death was confirmed on the official Loud Facebook page. “With inconsolable sorrow, we are sad to share the news with friends and family that on Sunday January 10 at 1:55pm Pt, Pat Loud passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes. She was snuggled up safe in her comfy home, attended by loving children Michele, Delilah, Kevin and Grant.”
Loud was born on October 4, 1926 in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated from Stanford University in 1948 where she studied World History and English Literature. Upon returning to her hometown she met William Loud and they would go on marry in Mexico City. Their first son, Alanson “Lance” Russell Loud was born in June 1951.
She and her family entered the spotlight as the subjects of...
The news of Loud’s death was confirmed on the official Loud Facebook page. “With inconsolable sorrow, we are sad to share the news with friends and family that on Sunday January 10 at 1:55pm Pt, Pat Loud passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes. She was snuggled up safe in her comfy home, attended by loving children Michele, Delilah, Kevin and Grant.”
Loud was born on October 4, 1926 in Eugene, Oregon. She graduated from Stanford University in 1948 where she studied World History and English Literature. Upon returning to her hometown she met William Loud and they would go on marry in Mexico City. Their first son, Alanson “Lance” Russell Loud was born in June 1951.
She and her family entered the spotlight as the subjects of...
- 1/11/2021
- by Erik Pedersen and Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Pat Loud, the matriarch of the show “An American Family,” which is considered the first reality series on American television, died Sunday. She was 94.
A representative for Loud confirmed her death to Variety, and the news was posted to the official Loud Family Facebook page.
“With inconsolable sorrow, we are sad to share the news with friends and family that on Sunday January 10 at 1:55pm Pt, Pat Loud passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes,” the Loud Family’s post reads. “She was snuggled up safe in her comfy home, attended by loving children Michele, Delilah, Kevin and Grant.”
Loud made history as part of “An American Family,” a 1973 PBS television documentary created by Craig Gilbert that is often cited as the first American reality series. The series followed Loud, her husband, Bill, and their five children as they went about their daily lives in Santa Barbara,...
A representative for Loud confirmed her death to Variety, and the news was posted to the official Loud Family Facebook page.
“With inconsolable sorrow, we are sad to share the news with friends and family that on Sunday January 10 at 1:55pm Pt, Pat Loud passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes,” the Loud Family’s post reads. “She was snuggled up safe in her comfy home, attended by loving children Michele, Delilah, Kevin and Grant.”
Loud made history as part of “An American Family,” a 1973 PBS television documentary created by Craig Gilbert that is often cited as the first American reality series. The series followed Loud, her husband, Bill, and their five children as they went about their daily lives in Santa Barbara,...
- 1/11/2021
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Many TV legends and contributors were included for the “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony for ABC. But producers are always forced to omit some of the 100+ insiders who died since the last ceremony. Who was left out of the group that was honored?
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
- 9/21/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on ABC, producers will have the always difficult task of assembling a memoriam segment. Even though the event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will be virtual, it’s a certainty they will include the popular “In Memoriam” on the show.
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
- 9/20/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Craig Gilbert, a documentarian whose candid and controversial 1973 PBS series An American Family would later be credited as a forerunner of reality TV (to his chagrin), died April 10 in New York City following a brief illness. He was 94.
The director’s death was announced on his official website and confirmed by friend John Mulholland, director of the 2013 documentary Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen, executive produced by Gilbert.
“Craig had been in good shape until late February,” Mulholland told Deadline, “when he started to fail. In early April, it became difficult for him to get out of bed.” Mulholland said Gilbert died in his sleep, with...
The director’s death was announced on his official website and confirmed by friend John Mulholland, director of the 2013 documentary Cooper & Hemingway: The True Gen, executive produced by Gilbert.
“Craig had been in good shape until late February,” Mulholland told Deadline, “when he started to fail. In early April, it became difficult for him to get out of bed.” Mulholland said Gilbert died in his sleep, with...
- 4/14/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gridiron Club & Foundation has canceled its annual white-tie dinner Saturday because of concerns over the coronavirus.
The dinner, sponsored by D.C.’s oldest journalism group, is a gathering of media and political elite that features satirical skits about Washington politics, performed by a mixture of TV reporters and anchors and print bureau chiefs.
“I’m sorry to have to announce that the Gridiron Club & Foundation is canceling its 135th anniversary dinner this coming Saturday (as well as all associated events and rehearsals),” the group’s president, Craig Gilbert of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wrote in a statement to members. “Given the concerns over the Coronavirus and advice from government officials about avoiding large gatherings, we feel it’s best not to put you or your guests at risk. We are taking this step based on expert advice as well as the feedback we are hearing from members and...
The dinner, sponsored by D.C.’s oldest journalism group, is a gathering of media and political elite that features satirical skits about Washington politics, performed by a mixture of TV reporters and anchors and print bureau chiefs.
“I’m sorry to have to announce that the Gridiron Club & Foundation is canceling its 135th anniversary dinner this coming Saturday (as well as all associated events and rehearsals),” the group’s president, Craig Gilbert of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, wrote in a statement to members. “Given the concerns over the Coronavirus and advice from government officials about avoiding large gatherings, we feel it’s best not to put you or your guests at risk. We are taking this step based on expert advice as well as the feedback we are hearing from members and...
- 3/10/2020
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
James Gandolfini, who died suddenly at 51 on Wednesday (June 19), will forever be remembered for playing Tony Soprano. And rightfully so -- together with writer David Chase, he created one of the deepest and most compelling characters in recent TV history.
Gandolfini also had a varied and often very interesting film and stage career. Pre-"Sopranos" he often played heavies, and even after his star turn on the show he remained a character actor at heart, but later in his career more leading roles came his way. Here's a look at some of his more memorable roles.
"True Romance": After a few small roles in movies and a supporting part in the 1992 Broadway revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" opposite Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange*, Gandolfini got his first breakout role in the Quentin Tarantino-written thriller. He played Virgil, a mob enforcer who makes a mild first impression (see...
Gandolfini also had a varied and often very interesting film and stage career. Pre-"Sopranos" he often played heavies, and even after his star turn on the show he remained a character actor at heart, but later in his career more leading roles came his way. Here's a look at some of his more memorable roles.
"True Romance": After a few small roles in movies and a supporting part in the 1992 Broadway revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" opposite Alec Baldwin and Jessica Lange*, Gandolfini got his first breakout role in the Quentin Tarantino-written thriller. He played Virgil, a mob enforcer who makes a mild first impression (see...
- 6/20/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Reality television is one of today’s most consumed forms of entertainment. One of the first forays into this genre was by PBS in 1973 with a show called An American Family. A small camera crew followed and documented the Loud family, a suburban middle-class family which seemed like the perfect average American family. PBS was hopeful audiences would tune in to see this revolutionary show and the rest is history. HBO Films released a TV movie called Cinema Verite, shedding light on the inner workings of the reality show’s production as well as its impact on pop culture.
Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini) is a TV producer who selects the Loud family as the first American family to be filmed and documented for mass audiences to see. The family consists of the patriarch Bill (Tim Robbins), matriarch Pat (Diane Lane) and five children. The film shows the progression of the...
Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini) is a TV producer who selects the Loud family as the first American family to be filmed and documented for mass audiences to see. The family consists of the patriarch Bill (Tim Robbins), matriarch Pat (Diane Lane) and five children. The film shows the progression of the...
- 5/12/2012
- by Randall Unger
- JustPressPlay.net
Chicago – HBO’s under-appreciated original movie recalls the moment when entertainment-seeking Americans averted their eyes from actors to their neighbors over the fence. Voyeurism had a new name, “cinema verite,” and one-time producer Craig Gilbert was determined to take it from art houses to small screens in homes across the country.
His target was the Loud family—a large and popular clan headed by the philandering Phil and the strong-willed Pat. Their son Lance was openly gay and his flamboyant exuberance was celebrated within the walls of his home but proved to alarm conservative viewers once it was broadcast on TV. The show resulted in the dissolution of Pat and Bill’s marriage, which was already ailing but wasn’t at all aided by Gilbert’s manipulative strategies to intensify their domestic conflict.
Blu-ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
The enormous timeliness of the subject matter makes “Cinema Verite” a fitting entry in HBO’s ever-impressive filmography.
His target was the Loud family—a large and popular clan headed by the philandering Phil and the strong-willed Pat. Their son Lance was openly gay and his flamboyant exuberance was celebrated within the walls of his home but proved to alarm conservative viewers once it was broadcast on TV. The show resulted in the dissolution of Pat and Bill’s marriage, which was already ailing but wasn’t at all aided by Gilbert’s manipulative strategies to intensify their domestic conflict.
Blu-ray Rating: 3.5/5.0
The enormous timeliness of the subject matter makes “Cinema Verite” a fitting entry in HBO’s ever-impressive filmography.
- 4/26/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
On April 7, Mike Wallace, the lion of the TV news magazine died. Wallace was more than a news man. He was a former actor and game show host who found a way to seamlessly blend news and entertainment into a combination that was far more than a sum of its parts. Wallace -- first on Night Beat, then on 60 Minutes -- didn't just investigate or report. He turned interviewing into a blood sport -- becoming both one of the most liked and feared men on television as a result. He brought the same intensity and enthusiasm to every interview -- be it entertainers, world leaders or criminals -- even once calling Ayatollah Khomeini a lunatic, to his face.
This got him into trouble at times -- settling a lawsuit with General Westmoreland; losing a battle with CBS over a tobacco industry whistleblower -- but it also made him something rare...
This got him into trouble at times -- settling a lawsuit with General Westmoreland; losing a battle with CBS over a tobacco industry whistleblower -- but it also made him something rare...
- 4/19/2012
- by Evan Shapiro
- Aol TV.
On April 7, Mike Wallace, the lion of the TV news magazine died. Wallace was more than a news man. He was a former actor and game show host who found a way to seamlessly blend news and entertainment into a combination that was far more than a sum of its parts. Wallace -- first on Night Beat, then on 60 Minutes -- didn't just investigate or report. He turned interviewing into a blood sport -- becoming both one of the most liked and feared men on television as a result. He brought the same intensity and enthusiasm to every interview -- be it entertainers, world leaders or criminals -- even once calling Ayatollah Khomeini a lunatic, to his face.
This got him into trouble at times -- settling a lawsuit with General Westmoreland; losing a battle with CBS over a tobacco industry whistleblower -- but it also made him something rare...
This got him into trouble at times -- settling a lawsuit with General Westmoreland; losing a battle with CBS over a tobacco industry whistleblower -- but it also made him something rare...
- 4/19/2012
- by Evan Shapiro
- Aol TV.
Whenever I Ta for the History of American Television course, we always screen episodes of producer Craig Gilbert's pathfinding series "An American Family" (1973). "An American Family" is notable for a barrage of reasons. First, it essentially gave birth to reality television programming. Gilbert's program focuses on the upper-middle class, Santa Barbara based Loud family and took a rumored 300 hours of footage that was cut down to 13 hours. The camera and sound technicians, Alan and Susan Raymond, lived with the family for months. Yet, "An American Family" is more than a beginning exercise in documentary meets reality television. The show focused on what was supposed to be a typical family and through Gilbert's editorial hand, slowly deconstructed the myth of the nuclear family. Through the show's 13 hours, we are witnesses to the slow and painful separation of the Loud parental unit, embodied by adulterous business man Bill and his repressed housewife Pat.
- 4/27/2011
- by Drew Morton
This evening at 92Y Tribeca, J Hoberman will be introducing a screening of Anthony Mann's Reign of Terror (1949, also known as The Black Book) and signing copies of his new book, An Army of Phantoms: American Movies and the Making of the Cold War. For Not Coming to a Theater Near You, Leo Goldsmith writes that "Hoberman's particular interest here is the cinema that captured and often prodded the pathologies of the day: reactionary exposés of the lurking Red Menace, crypto-socialist satires and sympathetic docudramas, and those scads of B-grade Cold War allegories presented in the genre guise of science fiction, the biblical epic, the western. With a cast of characters including G-men, fact-finders, space invaders, coonskin kids, Christian soldiers, and 'white negroes,' and with cameos from the likes of Ronald Reagan, Nick Ray, Orson Welles, and Joe McCarthy, it's a densely detailed, near-hallucinatory history, irradiated with Hoberman's inimitable,...
- 4/25/2011
- MUBI
Cinema Verite is the true story of the Loud family, America’s first reality TV family. In the 70s, documentary filmmaker Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini) and PBS embarked on the groundbreaking task of creating An American Family, a series that helped change the way Americans looked at themselves and their ideals. Pat Loud (Diane Lane) and Bill Loud (Tim Robbins) agreed to let Gilbert’s camera crew shoot their family and see hopefully show the world how a true family unit lives. Sadly, the “experiment” backfired on the Louds, showing off only the negative aspects of their relationships. The series was tragic in its innovation, drawing 10 million viewers to watch the series on PBS. Yet, it served as the basis for warped reality TV shows today like Jersey Shore and The Real World.
Cinema Verite brings to life what happened behind the camera. Off camera moments are mixed in with...
Cinema Verite brings to life what happened behind the camera. Off camera moments are mixed in with...
- 4/25/2011
- by Bags
- BuzzFocus.com
Husband and Wife Directing Duo Also Give Details On Upcoming 'Imogene' Comedy With Kristen Wiig In 1971, PBS and documentarian Craig Gilbert inadvertently birthed reality television thirty years before the culture was ready for it with the 12-episode-long documentary series, "An American Family." Culled down from 300 hours of footage, "An American Family" chronicled the experiences of the Louds, a relatively normal, nuclear family in Santa Barbara, California. Making TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time list in 2002, the show was groundbreaking for peeling back the layers of privacy in a way now prevalent and accepted on…...
- 4/23/2011
- The Playlist
"An American Family" is a 1973 documentary filmed for PBS that followed the Loud family for seven months of their lives, showcasing a real American family living in Southern California, instead of the idealized "Brady Bunch" and "Patridge Family" units seen on TV at the time. It was named one of TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time in 2002.
"Cinema Verite" is a new movie from HBO that chronicles the making of "An American Family." Diane Lane and Tim Robbins star as the Loud family parents and James Gandolfini is Craig Gilbert, the documentary filmmaker who was often at odds with his crew over what was appropriate to shoot.
The title of the HBO movie literally means "truthful cinema" and is a style of documentary filmmaking that is known for taking a provocative stance toward its subjects. It combines naturalistic techniques with editing and camerawork, staged set-ups and using the camera to provoke the subjects.
"Cinema Verite" is a new movie from HBO that chronicles the making of "An American Family." Diane Lane and Tim Robbins star as the Loud family parents and James Gandolfini is Craig Gilbert, the documentary filmmaker who was often at odds with his crew over what was appropriate to shoot.
The title of the HBO movie literally means "truthful cinema" and is a style of documentary filmmaking that is known for taking a provocative stance toward its subjects. It combines naturalistic techniques with editing and camerawork, staged set-ups and using the camera to provoke the subjects.
- 4/23/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
"Cinema Verite" premieres Saturday night (April 23) on HBO. It chronicles the seven-month process back in 1973 when documentary filmmaker Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini) filmed the Loud family for the PBS documentary "An American Family."
Diane Lane stars as Pat Loud, the family matriarch who agreed to let her family be filmed despite the fact that her marriage was not rock solid. It was what the filmmakers wanted - to show a real family and not the "Brady Bunch"/"Partridge Family" ideals that were the popular TV families of the day. But the American TV audience was not prepared for such a hard look at real life.
"No one was prepared for the backlash that resulted. The family was, in essence, stoned in the town square, burned in effigy," says Lane. "They were a tool in a machine that didn't know what to do with them, and the public and press were...
Diane Lane stars as Pat Loud, the family matriarch who agreed to let her family be filmed despite the fact that her marriage was not rock solid. It was what the filmmakers wanted - to show a real family and not the "Brady Bunch"/"Partridge Family" ideals that were the popular TV families of the day. But the American TV audience was not prepared for such a hard look at real life.
"No one was prepared for the backlash that resulted. The family was, in essence, stoned in the town square, burned in effigy," says Lane. "They were a tool in a machine that didn't know what to do with them, and the public and press were...
- 4/23/2011
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Summary: The true story of America's first reality TV family should have been a documentary, despite the level of talent involved.
In 1973, a documentary filmmaker named Craig Gilbert convinced the Loud family of Santa Barbara, California to participate in a little project for PBS. A film crew would move in with them for several months, recording their every moment, and the footage would be edited into a twelve-part series entitled An American Family. By participating, the Louds would become what we later deemed America's first reality TV family. Cinema Verite, which premieres on HBO tomorrow night, is a dramatic behind-the-scenes recreation of this process, which utilizes occasional actual footage from the program along with reimagined scenes featuring actors playing the Louds. What I can't figure out is why.
Screen Frontpage
read more...
In 1973, a documentary filmmaker named Craig Gilbert convinced the Loud family of Santa Barbara, California to participate in a little project for PBS. A film crew would move in with them for several months, recording their every moment, and the footage would be edited into a twelve-part series entitled An American Family. By participating, the Louds would become what we later deemed America's first reality TV family. Cinema Verite, which premieres on HBO tomorrow night, is a dramatic behind-the-scenes recreation of this process, which utilizes occasional actual footage from the program along with reimagined scenes featuring actors playing the Louds. What I can't figure out is why.
Screen Frontpage
read more...
- 4/23/2011
- by Benny Gammerman
- Filmology
Chicago – How did we get here? How did the reality TV craze start? Some would have you believe that it is a modern trend and its popularity in the ’00s and ’10s has certainly been striking, but it’s much older than that. In 1973, when a film crew showed up at the Loud family household to shoot the 12-part series “An American Family,” which has been credited as being the start of the trend, do you think they envisioned a future that contained “Real Housewives of Orange County”?
TV Rating: 3.5/5.0
HBO’s “Cinema Verite” chronicles the making of the PBS documentary series and the impact it had on the Loud family. It’s led by Pat (Diane Lane) and Bill Loud (Tim Robbins), who struggled with marital issues including the specter of a looming divorce while the cameras rolled. Bill obnoxiously acted up in front of the camera and baited...
TV Rating: 3.5/5.0
HBO’s “Cinema Verite” chronicles the making of the PBS documentary series and the impact it had on the Loud family. It’s led by Pat (Diane Lane) and Bill Loud (Tim Robbins), who struggled with marital issues including the specter of a looming divorce while the cameras rolled. Bill obnoxiously acted up in front of the camera and baited...
- 4/23/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Filed under: Reality-Free, Features, Celebrity Interviews
Even though she plays one of the first big reality stars in her new HBO movie, 'Cinema Verite.' Diane Lane is not a big fan of reality TV.
"I've seen probably one episode of maybe five different shows, and that's about it," she told me last week. "I don't even watch 'American Idol' or 'Dancing With the Stars.' I just... I'm not American... I don't know what my problem is."
In 'Verite,' Lane plays Pat Loud, whose family was depicted in the landmark 1973 PBS documentary 'An American Family' The movie is told from Pat's perspective, how she deals with her philandering husband Bill (Tim Robbins) while not-so-subtly being influenced by the miniseries' producer Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini). Meanwhile, the seemingly All-American family from Santa Barbara has to deal with their son Lance (Thomas Dekker) coming out of the closet...
Even though she plays one of the first big reality stars in her new HBO movie, 'Cinema Verite.' Diane Lane is not a big fan of reality TV.
"I've seen probably one episode of maybe five different shows, and that's about it," she told me last week. "I don't even watch 'American Idol' or 'Dancing With the Stars.' I just... I'm not American... I don't know what my problem is."
In 'Verite,' Lane plays Pat Loud, whose family was depicted in the landmark 1973 PBS documentary 'An American Family' The movie is told from Pat's perspective, how she deals with her philandering husband Bill (Tim Robbins) while not-so-subtly being influenced by the miniseries' producer Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini). Meanwhile, the seemingly All-American family from Santa Barbara has to deal with their son Lance (Thomas Dekker) coming out of the closet...
- 4/22/2011
- by Joel Keller
- Aol TV.
Diane Lane was eight when An American Family first aired on PBS in 1973. She remembers people talking about the twelve-part reality show, the first ever. Ten million people watched it. The Loud family would never be the same. Nor would American television. But the show did more than break the rules. Back then Svengali producer Craig Gilbert could lure an attractive Santa Barbara family like the Louds into putting themselves in front of the cameras--wielded by the husband and wife team of Alan and Susan Raymond, who became Oscar-winning documentarians--for seven months without guile. They had no idea how their messy lives would be edited and manipulated into a juicy narrative, one that was eventually dissected and roundly criticized by the American public. "They ...
- 4/20/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Typical biopics, even good ones, end by flashing images of the real people who have been turned into fiction on screen; Cinema Verite dares to reverse that ploy. From the start and scattered throughout we glimpse Bill and Pat Loud and their five children as they appeared on An American Family, the jaw-dropping documentary that created reality TV. In HBO’s colorful film about the making of the series, Diane Lane is Pat, Tim Robbins is Bill and James Gandolfini is producer and instigator Craig Gilbert, a man who has no idea what long-term mischief he is about to set in…...
- 4/20/2011
- James on ScreenS
Patrick Warburton has joined Ted, the Seth MacFarlane comedy about a man whose Teddy Bear comes to life, but grows up to be an obnoxious slacker. Warburton is going to play Guy, “the sexually confused co-worker of John (Mark Wahlberg) at the Enterprise Rent-a-Car front office.” This probably isn’t going to end well for us.
Facebook has apologized for censoring the photograph of the gay kiss, and says it never should have happened.
Most of the cast of Happy Days is suing CBS for not paying them for use of their likenesses on merchandise. CBS admits that “funds are owed.” Amusingly, the most successful stars from the show like Henry Winkler and Ron Howard have been paid on time. As for Scott Baio, they don’t use his likeness for anything, so they’re good there.
You already read our review of Cinema Verite, but the New Yorker talks to 85-year-old Craig Gilbert,...
Facebook has apologized for censoring the photograph of the gay kiss, and says it never should have happened.
Most of the cast of Happy Days is suing CBS for not paying them for use of their likenesses on merchandise. CBS admits that “funds are owed.” Amusingly, the most successful stars from the show like Henry Winkler and Ron Howard have been paid on time. As for Scott Baio, they don’t use his likeness for anything, so they’re good there.
You already read our review of Cinema Verite, but the New Yorker talks to 85-year-old Craig Gilbert,...
- 4/20/2011
- by Ed Kennedy
- The Backlot
James Gandolfini, Diane Lane, and Tim Robbins
Psychologists have long known that the mere act of observing someone changes that person's behavior. They call it the Hawthorne Effect.
In 1971, a visionary documentarian named Craig Gilbert had the crazy idea to film an actual family in their home over many days and turn the resulting "story" into a TV series, An American Family, that aired in twelve parts on PBS in 1973.
It was the invention of "reality" television, and it was a sensation at the time, and a huge controversy, in part because the family's oldest son Lance was gay (but also because the marriage between Pat and Bill Loud slowly, but dramatically unraveled on screen).
The documentary about this one particular family turned out to be a nexus of a number of important social forces all simmering just under the surface of the time: the rise of feminism and gay liberation,...
Psychologists have long known that the mere act of observing someone changes that person's behavior. They call it the Hawthorne Effect.
In 1971, a visionary documentarian named Craig Gilbert had the crazy idea to film an actual family in their home over many days and turn the resulting "story" into a TV series, An American Family, that aired in twelve parts on PBS in 1973.
It was the invention of "reality" television, and it was a sensation at the time, and a huge controversy, in part because the family's oldest son Lance was gay (but also because the marriage between Pat and Bill Loud slowly, but dramatically unraveled on screen).
The documentary about this one particular family turned out to be a nexus of a number of important social forces all simmering just under the surface of the time: the rise of feminism and gay liberation,...
- 4/19/2011
- by Brent Hartinger
- The Backlot
[1] These days, reality television may be considered by some to be a blight on our cultural landscape, but there was a time when it offered a more honest counterpoint to the idealized families being portrayed on American sitcoms. Back in the early '70s, filmmaker Craig Gilbert conceived of a documentary series about a California household as a response to shows like The Brady Bunch. The show, "An American Family," was considered groundbreaking at the time, and is now thought of as one of the earliest examples of reality television. HBO Films' Cinema Verite, directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor), tells the story of the making of "An American Family." James Gandolfini stars as Gilbert, while Diane Lane and Tim Robbins play the parents of the Loud family. We've featured spots for the movie here [2] before [3], and a new trailer has just been released. Check it out after the jump.
- 4/11/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
Long before The Real World, Survivor or Jersey Shore, producer Craig Gilbert created An American Family. The PBS documentary special that aired in 1973 was unlike anything ever put on television. It chronicled the real life, daily struggles of the Louds, a seemingly perfect California family who were not only catapulted to fame by the film, but helped usher in a whole new genre: reality television. Cinema Verite is an HBO Original Film that tells the behind the scenes story of this groundbreaking piece of popular culture, starring James Gandolfini [1] as producer Craig Gilbert along with Diane Lane and Tim Robbins and Mrs. and Mrs. Loud, the main subjects of the film. Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor), Cinema Verite premieres on HBO April 23. We recently highlighted [2] a first glimpse at the film but you can check out the full trailer after the jump. Here's a brief...
- 3/23/2011
- by Germain Lussier
- Slash Film
Way before Kim Kardashian and her family make the definition of reality TV blurry, America has tried out the approach on an ordinary family in early 1970s. HBO drops the first trailer to "Cinema Verite", a TV movie which tells the behind-the-scenes story of the groundbreaking documentary "An American Family".
It chronicles the lives of the Louds and catapulted the Santa Barbara family to notoriety while creating a new television genre: the reality TV series. It put the Louds in the spotlight as the parents (Diane Lane, Tim Robbins) struggled with their marriage while raising their children. In particular, Pat was criticized for her support of her openly gay son Lance (Thomas Dekker) at a time when homosexuality was rarely represented on television.
"Cinema Verite" gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the original PBS series was created by filmmaker Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini). While he aimed to have an impact on culture,...
It chronicles the lives of the Louds and catapulted the Santa Barbara family to notoriety while creating a new television genre: the reality TV series. It put the Louds in the spotlight as the parents (Diane Lane, Tim Robbins) struggled with their marriage while raising their children. In particular, Pat was criticized for her support of her openly gay son Lance (Thomas Dekker) at a time when homosexuality was rarely represented on television.
"Cinema Verite" gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the original PBS series was created by filmmaker Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini). While he aimed to have an impact on culture,...
- 3/23/2011
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
HBO has released the first trailer for its upcoming original movie Cinema Verite, and to describe it requires some thorny meta untangling: It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, which chronicled the painful dissolution of a family in Santa Barbara, California. The series by Oscar-winning doc filmmakers Alan and Susan Raymond centered on couple Pat Loud (Diane Lane) and Bill Loud (Tim Robbins), who split up during the filming, and their children, the eldest of whom, son Lance, became TV’s first openly gay character.
Cinema Verite stars Diane Lane and Tim Robbins as Pat and Bill, Thomas Dekker as son Lance, and James Gandolfini as producer Craig Gilbert. It was directed by husband and wife team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor, Wanderlust), and written by David Seltzer (1976′s The Omen).
Official synopsis:
An American Family was...
Cinema Verite stars Diane Lane and Tim Robbins as Pat and Bill, Thomas Dekker as son Lance, and James Gandolfini as producer Craig Gilbert. It was directed by husband and wife team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor, Wanderlust), and written by David Seltzer (1976′s The Omen).
Official synopsis:
An American Family was...
- 2/16/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
[1] Reality stars are a dime a dozen these days, but HBO Films' Cinema Verite takes us back to a time when that wasn't the case. The film dramatizes the behind-the-scenes action surrounding PBS' 1973 documentary series An American Family, which HBO's marketing team is referring to the first reality show. The series followed a Santa Barbara family called the Louds as parents Pat and Bill filed for divorce. Cinema Verite stars Diane Lane and Tim Robbins as Pat and Bill, Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as son Lance, and James Gandolfini as producer Craig Gilbert. It was directed by husband and wife team Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor, Wanderlust), and written by David Seltzer (1976's The Omen). Pretty good pedigree, right? Watch the trailer and read the official synopsis after the jump. I've been curious about this project since the cast was first announced [2], and...
- 2/16/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
In a few months, HBO will once again fictionalize the creation of a famous work of nonfiction, although this time it's the reality series that started it all: An American Family. The Sopranos' James Gandolfini stars as Craig Gilbert, the producer who followed the Loud family for the 1973 PBS series, while Pat and Bill Loud are played by Diane Lane and Tim Robbins, while Thomas Dekker plays their gay son Lance Loud. Robbins and...
- 1/9/2011
- by Andy Dehnart
- Reality Blurred
"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" star Thomas Dekker has joined Tim Robbins, Diane Lane and James Gandolfini in the cast of HBO's movie "Cinema Verite."
The film will tell the story of PBS' 1970s documentary series "An American Family," which chronicled the Loud family of Santa Barbara, Calif., as it went through the breakup of a marriage and other issues.
Robbins and Lane are playing parents Bill and Pat Loud, and Dekker will play their son Lance, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lance Loud came out as gay at the end of the series, shocking audiences at the time. Gandolfini is playing the show's producer, Craig Gilbert.
Dekker's casting as Lance Loud is somewhat interesting considering his exit from "Heroes" in 2007. On the NBC show he played Claire's (Hayden Panettiere) friend Zach, who was widely assumed to be gay until the network said otherwise. When Dekker left the show for "Sarah Connor,...
The film will tell the story of PBS' 1970s documentary series "An American Family," which chronicled the Loud family of Santa Barbara, Calif., as it went through the breakup of a marriage and other issues.
Robbins and Lane are playing parents Bill and Pat Loud, and Dekker will play their son Lance, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lance Loud came out as gay at the end of the series, shocking audiences at the time. Gandolfini is playing the show's producer, Craig Gilbert.
Dekker's casting as Lance Loud is somewhat interesting considering his exit from "Heroes" in 2007. On the NBC show he played Claire's (Hayden Panettiere) friend Zach, who was widely assumed to be gay until the network said otherwise. When Dekker left the show for "Sarah Connor,...
- 6/18/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Thomas Dekker ("Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," "A Nightmare on Elm Street") has joined the cast of "Cinema Verite" for HBO Films reports Reuters.
The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking 1973 PBS documentary "An American Family", considered amongst the very first productions to document a real-life family dealing with such problems as divorce and sexual identity.
Tim Robbins and Diane Lane star as the parents Bill and Pat Loud while Dekker will portray their son Lance who came out as a gay man and fell under much scrutiny. James Gandolfini will portray documentary producer Craig Gilbert.
Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini are directing and shooting kicks off this summer in Los Angeles.
The film takes a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking 1973 PBS documentary "An American Family", considered amongst the very first productions to document a real-life family dealing with such problems as divorce and sexual identity.
Tim Robbins and Diane Lane star as the parents Bill and Pat Loud while Dekker will portray their son Lance who came out as a gay man and fell under much scrutiny. James Gandolfini will portray documentary producer Craig Gilbert.
Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini are directing and shooting kicks off this summer in Los Angeles.
- 6/17/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Eddie Cibrian's ex-wife isn't the only one who's bidding him adios.
"CSI: Miami" is reportedly done with the Jesse Cardoza character now that Delko (Adam Rodriguez) will be returning, says E! Online.
Spoiler alert! If you don't want even a hint of how Cardoza will be taking leave, stop reading now.
We and Horatio Caine have warned you *puts on sunglasses*
Supposedly, Cardoza's character will be killed off, never to return. There aren't any other details, but perhaps a jealous wife is involved?
In other TV news:
- FX has waxed on about the box office champ "The Karate Kid," nabbing the TV rights to the summer flick, reports Deadline. The network has also snapped up "The A-Team," "Date Night" and "The Tooth Fairy."
- Over at The Hollywood Reporter, we hear that "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" star Thomas Dekker will join "Cinema Verite," an HBO film. The...
"CSI: Miami" is reportedly done with the Jesse Cardoza character now that Delko (Adam Rodriguez) will be returning, says E! Online.
Spoiler alert! If you don't want even a hint of how Cardoza will be taking leave, stop reading now.
We and Horatio Caine have warned you *puts on sunglasses*
Supposedly, Cardoza's character will be killed off, never to return. There aren't any other details, but perhaps a jealous wife is involved?
In other TV news:
- FX has waxed on about the box office champ "The Karate Kid," nabbing the TV rights to the summer flick, reports Deadline. The network has also snapped up "The A-Team," "Date Night" and "The Tooth Fairy."
- Over at The Hollywood Reporter, we hear that "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" star Thomas Dekker will join "Cinema Verite," an HBO film. The...
- 6/17/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
James Gandolfini, who's developing a series project at HBO, is also starring in a movie for the cable channel.
The "Sopranos" star and Oscar winner Tim Robbins have joined Diane Lane in the cast of "Cinema Verite," and HBO Films production about the making of the PBS series "An American Family" in 1973.
Gandolfini will play Craig Gilbert, "An American Family's" producer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lane and Robbins are set to play Pat and Bill Loud, the parents of the family who were the subjects of the landmark series, which set the template for much of the current era's reality TV.
Gandolfini is also executive producing an adaptation of the French-Canadian series "Taxi-022" for HBO and considering starring in it.
- NBC is still the leader in network evening news, but ABC and Diane Sawyer made it a pretty close race last week.
ABC's "World News" averaged 7 million viewers per night last week,...
The "Sopranos" star and Oscar winner Tim Robbins have joined Diane Lane in the cast of "Cinema Verite," and HBO Films production about the making of the PBS series "An American Family" in 1973.
Gandolfini will play Craig Gilbert, "An American Family's" producer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lane and Robbins are set to play Pat and Bill Loud, the parents of the family who were the subjects of the landmark series, which set the template for much of the current era's reality TV.
Gandolfini is also executive producing an adaptation of the French-Canadian series "Taxi-022" for HBO and considering starring in it.
- NBC is still the leader in network evening news, but ABC and Diane Sawyer made it a pretty close race last week.
ABC's "World News" averaged 7 million viewers per night last week,...
- 5/13/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
What is it with HBO and dramatic recreations of classic documentaries? Last year there was Grey Gardens, and now the network is lining up Cinema Verite, which will be a dramatized behind the scenes take on the 1973 PBS doc An American Family. The original series was a big deal; it frankly portrayed family troubles for the first time on television, and one of the family sons was the first openly gay character/personality on American television. Cinema Verite is written by David Seltzer, with Tim Robbins and Diane Lane set to play parents Bill and Pat Loud; James Gandolfini will play An American Family producer Craig Gilbert. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (American Splendor) are directing, which automatically makes the endeavor a bit more interesting. [THR] After the break, Toni Collette will work again with her Muriel's Wedding director, and Horrible Bosses gets some good talent. Toni Collette worked under director P.
- 5/13/2010
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini are joining Diane Lane in HBO Films' "Cinema Verite." The project is slated to go in to production this summer in Los Angeles.
Written by David Seltzer, the film is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking documentary "An American Family." When it premiered on PBS in 1973, it was the first of its kind to show a real-life family dealing with problems including struggles divorce and sexual identity.
Robbins and Lane will play parents Bill and Pat Loud, respectively, and Gandolfini will portray documentary producer Craig Gilbert.
Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini are directing. Executive producers are Gavin Polone and Zanne Devine.
Tim Robbins, repped by UTA, is shooting "Green Lantern."
Gandolfini, repped by CAA, has several upcoming features including "Welcome to the Rileys," opposite Kristen Stewart; "The Last Kiddie Ride," with Famke Janssen; and "Mint Julep."...
Written by David Seltzer, the film is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the groundbreaking documentary "An American Family." When it premiered on PBS in 1973, it was the first of its kind to show a real-life family dealing with problems including struggles divorce and sexual identity.
Robbins and Lane will play parents Bill and Pat Loud, respectively, and Gandolfini will portray documentary producer Craig Gilbert.
Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini are directing. Executive producers are Gavin Polone and Zanne Devine.
Tim Robbins, repped by UTA, is shooting "Green Lantern."
Gandolfini, repped by CAA, has several upcoming features including "Welcome to the Rileys," opposite Kristen Stewart; "The Last Kiddie Ride," with Famke Janssen; and "Mint Julep."...
- 5/12/2010
- by By Zorianna Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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