The Kristen Stewart vehicle Welcome to the Rileys has been picked up for distribution in the United States, Mike Fleming reports at Deadline.com. Written by Ken Hixon, directed by Jake Scott, and co-starring The Sopranos' James Gandolfini and Academy Award nominee Melissa Leo (Frozen River), Welcome to the Rileys was shown at Sundance where the performances were received warmly — the film itself less so. Stewart, in particular, caused a sensation of sorts because the sweet, lovestruck Bella of the Twilight Saga movies plays the role of a pole dancer-cum-sex worker who spits out one hair-raising expletive after another.
With no distributor in sight at Sundance, Kristen Stewart fans decided to take matters in their own hands by bombarding potential Welcome to the Rileys buyers with e-mails requesting the film's release. Whether or not that worked, I don't know, but Apparition and Sony Worldwide have acquired it for a reported seven figures. A fall release is planned.
In the film, Gandolfini plays a man whose teenage daughter has died. On a business trip to New Orleans, he meets a young, foul-mouthed pole dancer (that's Stewart) whom he decides to rescue from a fate worse than death. Melissa Leo is his bereaved wife.
After calling Welcome to the Rileys "a fascinatingly uneven movie," Film School Rejects' Neil Miller adds that "Kristen Stewart is at her bravest. … Stewart plays through all of these layers incredibly well. She’s sexy, tortured and frightened. At some points, all at once. This isn’t her character from Twilight. It is a far more mature role, and one that is a polar opposite to Bella."
Roger Ebert, for his part, calls Welcome to the Rileys "an unlikely melodrama," while adding that "Gandolfini, Stewart and Leo inhabit it with persuasive performances."
Welcome to the Rileys (Argonaut / Scott Free)
I completely agree with c.Lynne. Speaking as a fan of Kristen Stewart from BEFORE her Twilight days, Kristen is a very dynamic and versatile actress that dedicates herself to the character. I just saw The Runaways today, and it she blew me away. I especially enjoyed her in the movie Speak, and am patiently awaiting her future releases.
eu sou do brasil e gostaria de falar q kristen e uma atriz maravilhosa q eu estou acompanhando cada passo dela no filme de eclipse.
amo ela de paixao e gostaria de saber se ela esta pensando em casar com o autor robert petterson??
amo muito vc kristen
e.j. choke on it when you eat your words
We all know what brought for distribution means.It means that it be in and out of the theaters in one week and then you will find it on your local walmart video stand for $6.99.It not being picked up at sundance basically says that this movie is no good.Diehards and robsten fans,why don't you come to reality kristen can't act.When all those directors say she is hard working and fun to be around(like saying she has a great personality about a unattractinve girl) they were just trying to be nice and that is all they could think of.
"lovestruck Bella of the Twilight Saga movies plays the role of a pole dancer-cum-sex worker who spits out one hair-raising expletive after another."
Great description. Surprised you threw in the "c" word.