Somewhere Other Than The Night

We are definitely keeping an eye out for 'Somewhere Other Than the Night' now that it approaches a release date this season in the next coming weeks. Like said in the recent CMP blog posting, it tells the story of a darker side of stardom; a talented teen girl who both loves and hates the art of singing. Her family thrust her into the spotlight and ride the curtails of her success.

Did you notice: Somewhere Other Than the Night is the name of a song by legendary country singer Garth Brooks? The song has very slight references, but is not completely connected to the film. Lyrics like 'she needs to hear I love you' in the chorus are really the only thing you can relate to the film.

The film sets Josh Collins back to his older roots. You may have noticed with a few recent drama releases that the dramas Josh Collins produced were different in tone than what we've seen of his. Critics once cited him for being TOO dramatically intense, but as he progressed, he found that balance between not overdoing it and not underdoing it.

Perla Haney Jardine takes on the leading role in this film, and if you know Collins, you know he strives to bring out the best in his young actors. Screenwriters often seek him in helping them find a kid or teen who isn't as big as Dakota, Abigail or Chloe. Perla will be making her CMP debut: we hope you've seen the clips he posted on the forums promoting Perla's acting chops and screen tests. She graces the screen with such maturity and innocence, the perfect mix for the character she portrays in the film. Sofia Coppolla also strives to get the best out of her female performances as well. There were a few suggestions, but it was her who was the final choice.

This may not be the final time we'll see Perla in a Collins film. He is considering a Collins 'young actor/actress' reunion, but that's just rumors!

If you've ever seen Kill Bill Volume 2, you've seen Perla in her debut role. Can you believe that very cute kid would grow up to be as pretty as the above picture?


And lastly as we look forward to Perla being inducted into Collins' roster of young actresses we finish this post with a look at our 6 favorite young actress performances in a Collins film:

6:
AnnaSophia Robb in Paternal Nightmare
This may not have been the most critically acclaimed film ever, but

you can not deny that AnnaSophia was the one to watch for in the film. She was a kind-hearted voice of reason in a rather hectic situation; her mother slept with two best friends and wasn't sure who the biological father of AnnaSophia was. The dad she thought was her dad for 12 years never really had time for her, but the other possible dad was an eccentric screw up who managed to bond with her throughout the film. She would go on to star in the superhero series: Silver Sable.

5:
Dakota Fanning in Prison Letters

Hollywood's young girl-next-door who could do nothing wrong played a role she is not used to, and that's what garnered a lot of attention, including a GMA nod. She played here the sister of Abigail Breslin(not to be confused with their previous encounter in Fantastic Mansion) but the difference there is, in Prison Letters, they played sisters who just never could see eye to eye. She bullied Abigail, did the kinds of things you wouldn't want to know as a parent. The girl you learned to love in I Am Sam became the one to hate, and it was her portrayal that made it that way. Dakota is still a powerhouse in CMP and a well liked member of the Grand Island family.


4.
Ivana Baquero: Blink

She joined the club of one of the few actors/actresses under 18 to win a GMA for her performance in Blink. Ivana portrayed the best friend of murdered girl, Dakota Fanning. She would go on to perform her own investigation into the death of her friend while assessing her life, death and the afterlife. Her facial expressions alone in the film were the talk of the town. Unfortunately, she too has gone under the GMA curse: her only other acting work in CMP has been 'United I Stand,' a very underwhelming film.






3.
Chloe Moretz in Fictitious Images

Even before her fame took off in both CMP and Hollywood, Josh Collins recognized Chloe's irresistible charm and talent. A fan of hers from the beginning of her career, Josh knew she would have to be one of his go-to kids for roles. Fictitious Images has been her most challenging in CMP, playing a child whose mother had put the thought of her father molesting her into her head with stories of accusations of abuse, thus breaking up a daughter's relationship with her father. Things get even more complicated when mother, Naomi Watts' own father steps into the picture. Turns out he too had been accused of molesting Naomi, thankfully it was all fabrications brought on by Naomi's disturbingly sick mother. The theory in the film was how easy a parent or loved one can put stories and lies into a child and stand by them so much that it will make even that child start to believe the stories. Chloe has had a tremendous career in CMP since the film, and including Collins' films starring in the drama: Velcro and the satire comedy Salintology.


2.
Elle Fanning The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
Another actress whose blossomed both in Hollywood and the CMP studio, and another actress Josh has been following the career of since her debut. Elle Fanning plays here the lead role: a lone 9 year old girl lost in the woods in this adaptation of the Stephen King book. She was wrongfully denied a nod at a GMA, but you can't nominate them all. She carried the entire film like Tom Hanks in Castaway. A scary film, we all had that moment as children when we were deathly scared of something: whether we were lost in the woods or not. Elle fought to survive, looked death in the face and under that strive to survive lied a scared little girl as she struggled to keep her sanity in tact. There was something about her performance that just made the whole movie that much more watchable!


1.
Abigail Breslin Fireflies in the Jelly-Jars
If you know Collins, you know he is a fan of Miss Breslin. She has starred the most in his films and has maintained a consistent career in both CMP and Hollywood. Fireflies marks her GMA winning performance. Before Fireflies, she had multiple opportunities to show off her acting chops: Hollyweird, Dare to be Perfect, but it was Fireflies that finally got naysayers to shut up. In the film, she portrays a girl just existing in a life controlled by her iron-fisted father, yearning to break free from him. She finds solace in music, writing and art, attempts to take care of a sick dog, falls in what she thinks is love all while being left with the burden of abandonment from her mother. No kid should have to feel like her role did, but she played it with flying colors. She will always have a home in CMP!