After screening at both Sundance and South by Southwest, this weekend sees Don Jon hitting theaters. It is a well-crafted and confident debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt who stars, directs, and writes. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Tony Danza; it follows a man and his addictions as they bleed into various parts of his life, revealing the various ways objectification stunts our relationships. Here are 10 things you may not have known about the film that made waves at festivals and is now unleashed on theaters nationwide.
- The original title for the film was Don Jon’s Addiction, but was later changed to simply Don Jon because the latter was short, sweet, and punchy. It also took less emphasis off of pornography which although acts as the main symbolic crux of the film, is not the sole focus.
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt not only stars but makes his written and directorial debut. Wearing many different hats for the film gave him different perspectives on the filmmaking process.
- After getting Final Cut Pro for his 21st birthday, Gordon Levitt made tons of shorts which helped familiarize him with aspects of the filmmaking process beyond acting. Editing and sound mixing in particular play a vital role in the film.
- A strong supporting cast knocks it out of the park. From Scarlett Johansson’s turn as a bombastic Jersey girl, to Brie Larson, to Tony Danza’s great turn as patriarch.
- Artists from Gordon-Levitt’s creative crowd source community, HitRecord, contributed to the film. Although HitRecord was not a large part of the filmmaking process, Gordon-Levitt hopes to one day make a film purely from Hitrecord.
- The script adheres closely to the final cut of the film, with most changes arising from a strong cast further adding to what was on paper.
- Autobiographical only in the sense of how objectification plays so deeply in our lives. And how media perception shapes how we view life and love.
- Nathan Johnson, who also worked on Looper and Brick, did the music. Typically, a film’s edit is locked and then given to the composer to fit music to the cut. However, Gordon-Levitt was emphatic about not locking picture and having the film shaped by music and sound editing.
- An Angels in the Outfield reunion with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tony Danza.
- In theaters now!