In “Night Club,” three USC students (Zachary Abel, Bryan Williams and Ahney Her) take jobs working the night shift in a retirement home run by a stickler for rules and “state law” (Natasha Lyonne) only to be eventually encouraged by one of the residents (Ernest Borgnine) to start an illegal nightclub for the senior citizens who live there.
In addition to Rance Howard, Clint Howard and Mickey Rooney, “Night Club” features Sally Kellerman in the role of Dorothy, a woman battling Alzheimer's disease. Kellerman, who is most famous for originating the character of Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan in Robert Altman's MASH, attended the film's world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival.
“I wasn't sure if I was ever going to act again,” says Kellerman, noting that she has been putting all of her attention and energy into her singer career as of late. “I was just loving the music. And then I get this call and I thought, 'Maybe I need to keep my hand in acting.'”
When the actress heard that the role was that of an Alzheimer's patient, she immediately jumped on-board. Still, Kellerman admits that she had second thoughts down the road, feeling not only the pressure of giving a solid performance in general but also the pressure of doing justice to such a serious topic.
Meanwhile, director Sam Borowski admits that a comedy about Alzheimer's may at first appear to be somewhat of an awkward choice – especially since he himself has a mother who is currently battling the disease. However, the filmmaker says that his art helps him deal with such tragedies.
“I feel lucky to be a part of this project,” Borowski says. “It means a great deal to me, especially with what my mom Joan is going through right now. Honestly, I think this movie saved me in many ways. I don't think it fits into the cookie-cutter formula of movies. It's like real life. Real life is not always easy.”
Moreover, Borowski acknowledges his good fortunate of landing Kellerman in the flick. He says that the actress very well could be nominated for an Academy Award again for her portrayal of Dorothy and that the character will without a doubt speak to and touch the hearts of countless people.
“She ad-libbed a few things that were really wonderful key contributions to the film,” the director explains. “You know how they say some person is the comedy relief? Well, Sally is the drama relief. She comes in very heavy-hearted after the funny moments. You almost feel guilty for having just laughed.”
And Borowski, who during the end-credits dedicates “Night Club” to his mother Joan, adds that he does not see Kellerman throwing in the towel anytime soon. If there is one thing the director hopes people will take away from his film it is Kellerman's natural knack for acting.
Listen to Joseph J. Airdo's “Movie Maverick” segment every Friday morning during “The Daily Blender with Jeffry O'Brien,” 6-9 a.m. weekdays on NBC 1260 AM and 96.1 FM.
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