updated release and theater info

Here is some more specific information for this coming weekend:

OPENS THIS FRIDAY MARCH 16 at:

DC: AMC Georgetown 14; Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema

Boston: AMC Loews Harvard Square; Coolidge Corner Theater

Philadelphia: Ritz Five; Ritz 16 in Voorhees NJ

Chicago: Century Centre Cinema; Century Cine Arts in Evanston

So Cal: AMC Century City 15; Regal UTC in Irvine; Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena; Pacific Galleria Stadium in Sherman Oaks

Bay Area: Century CineArts @ Santana Row in San Jose; Century CineArts @ Palo Alto; Regal Stonestown in SF; Landmark Albany Cinema; Century CineArts @ Pleasant Hill; Rafael Film Center in San Rafael; Rialto Cinemas Lakeside in Santa Rosa

Denver: Landmark Esquire

Seattle: AMC Uptown; Landmark Guild 45th

Vancouver: Park Theatre

NY: AMC Empire 25 in Manhattan; Kew Gardens Cinemas in Queens; BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn; Clearview Bronxville; Cinema Arts in Huntington; Malverne Cinemas; Avon Theatre in Stamford

Toronto: AMC Kennedy Commons in Scarborough; Empire Studio 10 in Mississauga

 

The film opens on Friday, March 23 in Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis, Montreal, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, and St. Louis.

Comments

[Rob]

How about Winnipeg Kal? Wondering when the movie will finally get here...!

[Sierra]

"The film opens on Friday, March 23 in Dallas, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Miami, MINNEAPOLIS, Montreal, Oakland, Phoenix, San Diego, and St. Louis."

Yay! Finally, I will get to see it! I can't wait. I talked to some buddies in NY and they LOVED IT! I suppose I can patiently wait one more week...

(...good thing I DIDN'T download it...)

-Sierra

[Daisey]

AWESOME! I'm so psyched it's coming out in more places.

I'm so glad for you!

[Sur Sha]

Kal,

First - fantastic job in Namesake. Bro - you've come a long way since 'wax it, wax it!'! (Mind you - that scene is still 'tops' for juvenile comedy)

Second - awesome film (Namesake) - kudos to your director - this film is as good, if not better than MONSOON WEDDING (also a fine film)

Third - we can now see you doing more and more of these dramatic, insightful type of roles - use the force and keep going!

Fourth - as funny as it is that you're being a total Desi and panning out 'local listings' for this film - one day you'll remember doing this just as you remember that girl back in college who ..uhh..ahem... never mind!

Keep it real, keep it cool and keep it Kal - you're headed the right way!

ps - If you're ever desperate for a Lassi or Paan in Toronto - please send me an email.

Cheers,

-S

[A commenter]

I saw the film last night and enjoyed. Tabu's performance was superb.

I found your little KKK joke particularly ironic, since your character had a picture of Bose on his bulletin board.

Ethnic solidarity for you, diversity for us whites eh?

[Eugenia]

Any word on Austin, TX yet? :)

[Roger]

I love Kal and Nair's work on Monsoon Wedding and Mississippi Masala, so it disheartens me to say that after nearly a year of anticipation, I saw The Namesake this afternoon and was mostly disappointed by it.

The novel's accomplishment was to portray the minutiae of every day life for a couple of Indian immigrants and their first-generation American children. It was no masterpiece of incorporating academic theory into literature, nor was its technique very innovative; it was just a wonderfully detailed book.

The film borrows the novel's sharp, unexpected jumps in time (a decade ahead in one case) but seldom invests scenes with any of the specificity that the novel did. Every episode is very broadly drawn, In America-style, and worse yet no one scene seems more substantive or significant than any of the others. Ashima and Ashoke have to go against tradition by giving their newborn baby a name without the grandmother's consent. End scene. Next. Gogol's classmates are harassing him about his name. End scene. Next. Gogol's white girlfriend is being obnoxious to his very traditional parents. End scene. Next. It's a very thin plot, as though they writer had in mind one of those episodic "scenarios" typical of the silent era. And much of it just didn't ring true for me - i.e., Gogol enduring harassment over his name in high school and at swanky New York parties as though he had been outed as a Communist in the 50's, his habit of tuning out his parents by turning up the heavy metal music and playing air guitar, multiple scenes in which characters run along the beach or meadow shouting some variation on "I'm freeeee" or "I want to be freeee" .... just... ugh. The writing and direction here were really lame. Even the obligatory crack about a unisex name and the possibility of its 'namesake' being gay is included; the screenwriter works only with the cliches of culture clash rather than the nuances of Indian culture between 1977 and 2007 in relation to American culture. There is a street protest (or parade?) at the beginning of the film that suggests an opportunity for some political commentary but... nah. Broad strokes only here.

*sigh* A wasted opportunity. Monsoon Weeding remains Mira Nair's magnum opus (and it even it includes the obligatory, aimless gay jokes). I understand that Indo-American cinema is still in its infancy, in a way, and I don't expect every movie to reinvent the wheel. However, I don't think doling out cliched melodrama is a good way to tell your prospective audience that you, as an Indo-American filmmaker, have something important to say.

On a positive note:
I did like Tabu's performance as Ashima (the mother) in the film, and Kal Penn is very smart and attractive.

[Krishna]

Hi Kal,

I like ur action. I have watched all of ur movies. Why u guys r releasing only in some cities. I am from Columbia, SC. Can't wait to see ur movie Namesake. I read the book...couldn't put it down. Completed reading the whole book in two days. Please release the movie in columba, SC.

Thanks and Good Luck.

[ritodhi chakraborty]

hey kal,

funny story , but true. my name is ritodhi chakraborty , bengali inside out. I came to the Us in 2002 to get my college degree. Been here every since - now the funny part , my pet name is - Gorky (named after Maxim Gorky - russian angst poet) since my "good name" is hard to pronounce most people call me "gorky" now - its a weird kinda reality, where slowly ive become ritodhi gorky chakraborty - but, thats where it is.

just thought nikhil gogol ganguli would like to know about a fellow namesake.

nice movie though....i loved the running in calcutta scene.

[Madhur]

FINALLY coming to Montreal!! I've been waiting for this movie for a long time. Can't wait to see it!

[Criselle]

OMGOSH! I live in southern SOUTHERN san diego. and La Jolla is still pretty far from me! but i'm like DYING to see this movie! can't they release it in the Chula Vista area of San Diego?! PLEAAASE?!?!?!

[Daisey]

Went to AMC yesterday to see the movie. All the shows were sold out!

And the performances made me cry in a way I haven't cried in a while. Great, great job. All of you did such a wonderful job in telling such a universal experience. All of the audience members were sniffling and crying in a lot of the scenes, especially when Ashoke passed.

This has been the best art that I've seen in a while...thank you so much for committing to this character!

Can't wait to see more of your work. Once again, thank you. I woke up this morning still haunted by some of the scenes in this movie. I haven't felt this affected in such a long time.

[Namicha]

FINALLY, I watched it!
ufffffffff, what a beautiful movie. Brilliant! I laughed, I cried my eyes out and I connected. Hats off to all of you.

[chris]

the movie is also showing at the varsity on bloor in toronto.

[Ravi]

Hey Kal,
Do not ignore London mate.... any Idea when and where The Namesake will be premiered in LOndon?

[ac]

when will the film be released in indianapolis?

[Pravin]

Kal, i ve been watching your career since Van Wilder....and was overjoyed at the DVD sucess of H&K...if any guy(indian or not) deserves the plaudits....its you....all the best with your career

[Tanya Rahman]

Hey, I was wondering if the movie will come to Birmingham, Alabama some time soon? I'm dying to watch it! Thanks!

P.s. Kal Penn, you're amazing.

[Vaishali Soni]

Hi Kalpen,

I am such a big fan of the book and the author and have watched the trailer at least 50 times already. I hope it evenutally releases here in Florida and a nation wide release as well. Can't wait to see you in this movie and your future projects Kalpen and I believe no one else could fit in this role except you. You are Gogol in my eyes.

[meenaxi]

WHEN is The Namesake releasing in India??? We've watched too many onterviews on tv... we wanna watch the movie now!

[meenaxi]

typo... I mean interviews

[Sharjeel Uqaili]

Awesome! Been waiting for this one for some time now. Will go check it out at the empire theatres in mississauga (would have loved to see it on a Famous Players screen though)

[PghFan]

Get this to Pittsburgh fast!

[Julie]

When is it coming to Atlanta? My friends and I would really like to see it!

[Dahlia]

Montreal March 23, yessssss! I am so seeing this movie, will let everyone know about it! I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie, I may no be indian, but asians share a similar plight of keeping with traditions and adapting to North American culture.