The Movie House in Millerton hosted a special screening of “The Millers in Marriage,” a film written and directed by Edward Burns. Burns and fellow actors Gretchen Mol, Campbell Scott, Benjamin Bratt and Brian d’Arcy James were in attendance and participated in a question-and-answer panel after the screening. The panel was moderated by Mol’s husband, filmmaker Kip Williams. Audience members got to ask questions of the veteran actors of stage, film, and television.
The film centers around the three Miller siblings; played by Gretchen Mol as Eve, a former “indie rock” singer and song writer; Edward Burns as Andy, a painter; and Juliana Margulies, as Maggie, a writer. All three are over fifty, with the sisters facing empty nests after their children are grown. All three have problems in their marriages and are dealing with the death of their mother the year before.
Kip Williams opened the question-and-answer period by saying to Burns “I can’t think of another film about this moment in life. It’s an original window. Thank you for that.”
Burns said he chose that subject matter for that reason. “There are no films about us,” referring to people of “generation X” now being over fifty. “I am invisible now,” he said. “Our stories have no value now.” It was important to him to make a movie about this stage of life.
Ed Burns, Gretchen Mol, and Benjamin Bratt on the red carpet at The Millerton Movie House on Dec. 21. They were there for a special screening of “Millers in Marriage” which Burns wrote, directed and acted in. All three costarred in the film. Robin Roraback
Mol’s character, Eve, was just becoming successful when she got pregnant and gave up her career to marry her manager and raise their children. Now, she wonders if it is too late to start her career again. When a writer for a magazine — played by Benjamin Bratt — contacts her and reminds her of her past, his character acts as a catalyst for her to begin to think again about her music and her life.
Mol said when she read the script it was like “a conversation I’ve been having with my friends.” She loved about her character that “she changed. She’s still on the journey.”
Kip Williams commented to Mol, “When I look into the eye of the character, I don’t recognize you at all,” describing how completely she had been able to assume her role.
Campbell Scott plays Nick, husband of Margulies’ character. Scott said that as an actor, his challenge in the film was “How unattractive can we make this guy? How whiney? And still keep him human?” Nick is a writer struggling with writer’s block while his wife, also a writer, is finishing another book.
Bratt said of Campbell’s performance, that it was “nuanced” and left him “wondering how he does what he does.” He admitted, “I have a desperately bad actor crush on Campbell Scott.”
Brian d’Arcy James’ character, Dennis, is a caretaker who comes into play when the siblings go to the country for the weekend. The panel said of his character, “He’s an outlier, he lacks some moral structure. He opens things up and creates a problem.”
Moderator Williams commented that the themes of aging, parental death, and surviving as artists were “delicately worked.”
Audience members remarked that the film was “So much fun to watch, great actors.” “Well crafted, melancholy.” “I wanted it to keep going.”
Romane Recalde speaking about her new business at Gather.
“We had all this land for the first time,” said Recalde, who started with a vegetable garden. “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but I did some research and found information about planting flowers to bring in pollinators. When I saw flowers bloom in my garden I was like, ‘Oh my God! This is what a flower is supposed to look like,’ laughed Recalde. “I became obsessed, and I knew the next year I wanted a flower farm.” In the spring, she began planting. “I signed up for the farmer’s market in Millerton and I didn’t even know if I would have flowers to sell. But I did! I figured it out.”
Romane Recalde and Jason Klein at GatherNatalia Zukerman
Recalde’s trajectory from hobbyist to business owner has come with its fair share of challenges, not least of which is the perishable nature of flowers. “Winter is definitely harder,” said Recalde, explaining how she imports flowers during the colder months while also nurturing seeds in a neighbor’s greenhouse. Despite these hurdles, the most rewarding part for her has been seeing the impact her flowers have on people. “It’s amazing to hear people say, ‘You don’t know how much this meant to me,’” she said, reflecting on the joy of seeing her arrangements in clients’ homes and weddings.
Klein, a board member of the Wassaic Project, co-founder of software development company ListenFirst, and a self-professed connector of creative minds, underscored the value of these conversations. “People here are doing such interesting things,” he said. “It’s a little funky because it’s in the middle of the day, so it definitely appeals to folks with weird schedules — usually people who are business owners or self-employed.” He’s hosted about five of these Gather sessions which have grown in attendance; this month’s event was sold out. “It’s a nice way to put a spotlight on something that’s exciting that might be hidden away,” he said, noting how the Gather series has allowed him to bring together a range of people — from business owners like Will Schenk, owner of the Cornwall Market who’s starting a chocolate business, to local political figures like Justin Potter.
Questions from attendees included how to juggle time and schedules as a business owner and how to deal with the seemingly shifting world of marketing and self-promotion. “Word of mouth has been amazing,” Recalde said as she shared that it’s been the community’s enthusiasm that has helped her new business take off. “Honestly, everybody has been so supportive and helpful,” she added, citing both Instagram and local chatter as key drivers in her success.
During the event, Eliot Wadsworth from White Flower Farm spoke briefly about continuing his family’s legacy, a perfect complement to the conversation about sustainability and the challenges of building a business in a small town.
Lauren Kemner, Troutbeck’s culture and commerce manager, said, “We love inviting people to Troutbeck, letting folks know that we’re open to the public. This program is such a great way to build community.”
The collected works include the photographs of Arhtur Hillman, Bruce Panock and Mad Rose’s gallery director Michael Lavin Flower; drawings and mixed media works of Karen Dolmanisth and Emily Rutgers Fuller; and Kim Saul’s kitchen cabinet shadow-box scultpures.
Brenda Butler, right, and Ilene Spiewak admired Karen Dolmanisth's pieces at Mad Rose Gallery for the opening reception of "Assembled" on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the gallery on Main Street in downtown Millerton.Nathan Miller
The works share a common transience despite their many differences. Arthur Hillman’s large-scale photographic prints feature otherwise still flower beds streaked by camera movement. Kim Saul’s colorful kitchen cabinets evoke mystical alchemy, the art of change whose practitioners sought to transform lead into gold. Michael Flowers’s collaged panoramas present fragmented, overlapping landscapes featuring conflicting winds and double images.
All the works featured in the exhibition are for sale. Mad Rose Gallery is open for visitors Thursday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.
