Synopsis
The beautiful Sara Matty and her husband Ben are fishermen on Block Island. One night while pulling lobster traps from the sea, Sara’s spotlight temporarily flickers on and off. A passing boat, taking this as a signal, throws a buoy off its side and speeds away into the darkness. Ben retrieves the buoy to discover a half-million dollars inside. Sara wants to leave her miserable life as the fisherman’s wife behind her and escape the island with the money. The next day, Terry Quinlan arrives, claiming the half million dollars belongs to him. Sara hides the money, and postpones her plans to kill Ben with poison in his favorite champagne, in order to deal with the mysterious Quinlan. Quinlan forces Ben and Sara out on their boat for a “fishing trip.” Quinlan fakes a boating accident and kills Ben, with Sara’s help. Within this web of deception, the rightful owners of the cash come after their fortune. Sara must do anything possible to escape the authorities, get rid of her suspicious lover, and avoid her vindictive stepdaughter all in order to keep her loot. When everyone underestimates her commitment to get off her island prison, Sara is the last one standing as she attempts to flee the island in an airplane. Sitting on the plane, Sara realizes her stepdaughter has followed her. With her single piece of luggage and a bottle of her husband’s favorite champagne, Sara sits along side of her stepdaughter and proposes a toast.
Cast & Crew
CAST:
- Sara: Paige Turco
- Don: John Haymes
- Newton: Kim Katherine Kendall
- Ben: John Mese
- Quinlan: Christopher Lawford
- Kenny: Jason Robards III
- Maggie: Beth Dixon Baxter
- Robert: Christopher Shannon
- Rory: Brian Sanborn
- Tim: Dave Pesta
- Melvin: Ralph Carter
- Stu: Shaun Leland
- Mrs. Carson: Eileen Fitzpatric
- Mr. Carson: Peter McGee
- Sam: John A. MacKay
Filmmakers:
- Director: Bret Stern
- Producer: Victoria Lang
- Executive Producer: Pier Paolo Piccoli
- Co-Executive Producers: Raymond Liesegang, Peter Fitzpatrick
- Screenplay: Steve Arthur, Bret Stern
- Casting Director: Adrienne Stern
- Director of Photography: Steve Arthur
- Music: Daniel Gold
- Editors: Seth Stein, Bret Stern
- Line Producer: John Ramsay
- 1st Assistant Director: Lon Ross
- 2nd Assistant Director: Jean Mack
- Production Design: Basia Grocholski
- Costume Design: Denise Boineau
- Hair and Make-up: Hildie Ginsberg
- Location Sound: Fred Edwards
- Steadicam Operator: David Rosenfeld
- Assistant Camera: Seth Stein
- 2nd Assistant Camera: Scott Rosenstein
- Property Master: Olga Krigman
- Boom Operator: Roberta Bouchard
- Script Supervisor / Continuity: Josh Glyn
- Gaffer: Dave Pesta
- Grip: Will Marinelle
- Production Manager: John Ramsay
- Aerial Coordinator: Ralph Petruzzo
- Pilots: Ralph Petruzzo, Douglas Low, Ronald Jackson
- Catering: John Steed, Scott Phillips, Ray Eldrige
- Post Production Supervisor: Siobhan Gervasi
- Production Assistants: Alexander Elias, Dominic Zampella
- Wardrobe Assistant: Lisa Vetere
- Producer’s Representative: Dolphin Entertainment
- Associate Producer: Jim Pepe
- Legal: Nina J. Reznick, Esq.
- Public Relations: Keith Sherman & Associates
- Still Photographer: Lisa P. Silberman
- Travel Agent: Royal Costa Tours
- Accounting: Howard Lisch
- Payroll Service Media Services
- Insurance DeWitt Stern Group
- Payroll Accounting Pat Porter
- Mixer James Labinski
- Poster Design Alissa J. Robinson
- Uniform Consultant George P. Sabine IV
- Medical Consultant Dr. Marc Lorinsky
- Location Housing Sargent’s Rentals Airplane Rental Richmore Aviation Ace Aviation
- Production Interns Lisa Savioli Justin Spitzer
“We Came So Close To Love”
Words and Music by Regine Urbach and David Freidman
Performed by: Lisa Stevens
Wardrobe Provided by:
- Antique Boutique
- Access Code
- Weiss & Mahooney
- Urban Outfitters
- UFO
- The Island Fishing Gear Store
- Maine
- Resist Clothing
Products Provided by:
- Aseptic Packaging Council
- Bigelow Tea
- Cannon Office Products
- Cello Brand Cheeses
- Earth Grains
- Glenfiddich Scotch
- Goya Foods
- Granny Goose Foods
- Heineken USA
- Land O Lakes International
- Redken
- San Pellegrino
Special Thanks:
The Maine Film Office, The Honorable Angus S. King, The Town of Stonington, Maine, McGee’s Restaurant, Maggie’s Clam Digger Restaurant, The Goose Cove Lodge, Bernie Adler, Esq., Richard Greenberg, Esq.C.L., Haskell & Son Electric, Penobscot Bay Provisions, Burnt Cove Market, Arno Betts Fish, Peter Brewer / Coastline Transport, Ellsworth Building Supply, Ikon Office Solutions, Taylor Rentals, Robert Smith, Marshall Cohen, Beth Herbst, Jennifer Robinson, Sally Beck, Luke Littell, Jack & Winifred Lang, Tony Baarda, Barbara Steel, Brian Lang, Renee Frasca, Bobby Brewer, Bret Coleman, Marlee & Daniel Sanborn, Ron & Pat Gross, Hillary Richard, Peggy Zambruski, Andrew Mack, Alexandra Mack, Scott Mack, Mike Kinney, Giorgio Perino, “Gazpacho Guy”, The Screen Actors’ Guild
Film Makers
Bret Stern Director/Screenwriter
Bret Stern, an established Director and Director of Photography for national commercials including Turner Broadcasting, AT&T, and MCI, displays a distinct visceral style in his feature film directorial debut PERFECT LIES. He smoothly blends film noir action with the story’s character-driven elements. In an added twist, Stern also serves as the cinematographer for PERFECT LIES. Stern is currently developing THE BERT STERN STORY, about the life of his enigmatic and controversial father who revolutionized advertising photography and celebrity portraiture in the 1950s and 60s. He is also scripting a science fiction drama. Most recently, Stern authored the book How To Shoot a Feature Film and Not Go To Jail, currently being edited by Independent Film & Video Magazine editor Dana Harris.
Steve Arthur Screenwriter
PERFECT LIES is Steve Arthur’s debut film as a screenwriter. He is now completing the new dramatic thriller, OFF RAMP. A successful freelance writer, Arthur specializes in film criticism, and has most recently been published in The Film Quarterly and Columbia Review. He is currently working on a film review catalogue for Dell Publishing.
Victoria Lang Producer
For her work as a Producer on the popular nationally syndicated television show “LIVE WITH REGIS &: KATHIE LEE,” Victoria Lang has received three Emmy Award nominations. She then went on to Create and Executive Produce “HAVEN,” a syndicated weekly half-hour sponsored program on home decorating starring Joy (Mrs. Regis) Philbin, which is now enjoying a successful seventh season. Ms. Lang co-produced and wrote the highly prosperous 1994 and 1995 Pledge Specials for PBS: “GUY LOMBARDO: THE SWEETEST MUSIC THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN” and “GLENN MILLER’S GREATEST HITS,” starring Kathie Lee Gifford.
For A&:E, she produced the star-studded, top rated network special “ROSEMARY CLOONEY’S DEMI-CENTENNIAL: A Girl Singer’s Golden Anniversary,” starring Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Joanne Woodward, Barry Manilow, Diane Sawyer, Bob Hope and George Clooney. Ms. Lang served as Senior Vice President and Director of the Broadcast Department at the Rowland Company, a division of Saatchi and Saatchi. There, she worked within the company to develop innovative broadcasting concepts such as sponsored entertainment, educational programming and infomercials. Additionally at Rowland, she supervised network and local placement activity, satellite and video news release production and distribution.
Ms. Lang has worked with Lorimar/Warner Brothers Television, Saban Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting, and Stephen J. Cannell Productions on program development, served as Production Executive for Elizabeth Taylor/Zev Bufman Productions, Media Coordinator for American Cinema Releasing, and Talent Coordinator for Guber-Gross Productions, producing stage shows with the brightest names in the music and comedy arenas. In 1993 she formed the Lang Entertainment Group, Inc. to develop and produce television and home video entertainment. In 1995 Ms.
Lang joined with Pier P. Piccoli to form PLus Films, Inc., an independent film production company focusing on commercial features. In addition, they created PLus Media, Inc. to develop and produce lifestyle programming for national and local television. Ms. Lang is a member of New York Women in Film and Television, the Independent Feature Project, the British Academy of Film & Television, the National Association of Television Programming Executives, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the International Radio and Television Society, the Drama Desk Association, Who’s Who in Entertainment, Who’s Who in American Professionals and Who’s Who in American Women, and has served as a judge for the Long Island Film Festival, the Emmy Awards, the FilmMakers.com screenwriting competition and the International Film and Television Festival of New York.
She attended Emerson College and is a summa cum laude graduate of Long Island University. Pier Paolo Piccoli Producer Piccoli’s first venture into filmmaking was with film school chum, Matthew Harrison. He served as Associate Producer on the highly acclaimed film RHYTHM THIEF. In 1995 he formed Piccoli & Piccoli Productions, Inc. to develop, produce and distribute feature films, television and home video projects. Its mandate included the establishment of an entertainment product library. In 1995 he merged the company with Victoria Lang to form PLus Films, Inc. (now Lang Entertainment Group). Pier P. Piccoli brings an unusual blend of creativity and business savvy to the motion picture industry. His TV marketing and production company specializes in lifestyle programming for local and network television. Piccoli & Piccoli Media Marketing Enterprises was one of the first promotional TV packaging companies to use satellite technology. Piccoli earned a doctorate in Business & Marketing from the University of Genoa, Italy and attended film school at New York University.
