Avenue Entertainment Group Commences Production on "Letters From a Wayward Son" Film to Star Harry Connick, Jr. and Pete Postlethwaite

Business Wire, Oct 15, 1998

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 1998--Avenue Entertainment Group Inc, (AMEX: PIX) reported that it will begin production on October 26th on LETTERS FROM A WAYWARD SON starring Harry Connick, Jr., Pete Postlethwaite and Patricia Clarkson.

"We are very excited about this project and what it means for the Company," said Cary Brokaw, President and CEO of Avenue Entertainment Group and the film's Producer.

Randall Harris will direct the film based on his original screenplay. Michael Hammer and Steve Tisch are the Executive Producers, Harmon Kaslow is the Co-Executive Producer and Rachel Frazin and Tom Luse are Co-Producers.

Set during the depression era, LETTERS FROM A WAYWARD SON concerns the story of a southern man, Jesse Banks Rhodes (Connick), trying to pick up the pieces of his life after being wrongly imprisoned for eleven years. When his money runs out, he finds work digging a ditch with three black men and rents a shed from a farmer, Ben Alexander (Postlethwaite). He is befriended by Ben's daughter Wesley (Clarkson), who has been rendered physically and emotionally fragile by scarlet fever. As Jesse struggles to regain his dignity he is haunted by his past and the "convict" stigma. A murder triggers the town's emotions and Jesse has to escape to prove his innocence before he is captured by a vengeful lynch mob.

"Randall Harris has written a brilliant and powerful screenplay and we have assembled the perfect cast to realize this moving and timeless story," says Brokaw.

LETTERS FROM A WAYWARD SON will film near Atlanta, Georgia and production is expected to wrap mid-December. The film is a Cary Brokaw/Avenue Pictures Production in association with Macabee Films. International rights will be licensed by Arthur Kananack & Associates which is currently licensing such titles as LOOKING FOR AN ECHO, RICKY 6 and SPECIAL DELIVERY. This film's domestic distribution has yet to be determined.

In addition to his exceptional career as a composer, musician and recording artist, Harrry Connick, Jr. has appeared in HOPE FLOATS, INDEPENDENCE DAY, COPY CAT, LITTLE MAN TATE and MEMPHIS BELLE. Connick's latest album from Columbia Records, To See You, is devoted entirely to love songs, his homage to passions of the heart. A Grammy winner for best jazz vocal performance, Connick has recorded a number of multi-platinum albums and has contributed to the score of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.

Pete Postlethwaite recently starred in AMISTAD, and LOST WORLD. A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, his other credits include BRASSED OFF, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER and LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Patricia Clarkson is currently filming THE GREEN MILE directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tom Hanks. She recently completed DANCING ABOUT ARCHITECTURE with Sean Connery and Vanilla Fog. She was featured in Jumanji and THE UNTOUCHABLES.

Director and screenwriter Randall Harris makes his feature debut with LETTERS FROM A WAYWARD SON. He has also written the original screenplay SOLID GLASS MARTINI, also optioned by Avenue Pictures.

Producer Cary Brokaw is President and CEO of Avenue Entertainment Group Inc. which encompasses Avenue Pictures and Avenue Pictures Television. Brokaw and Avenue have produced the Academy Award winning RESTORATION, as well as Robert Altman's SHORTCUTS and THE PLAYER, the latter being nominated for five Academy Awards (R) including best picture. Brokaw and Avenue also produced such features as FINDING GRACELAND starring Harvey Keitel, Bridget Fonda and Johnathan Schaech, DRUGSTORE COWBOY, AFTER DARK MY SWEET, THE OBJECT OF BEAUTY and AMERICAN HEART.

Executive Producer Steve Tisch produces the Academy Award winning FORREST GUMP. Tisch has also produced such features as THE POSTMAN and Executive Produced such features as THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, CORRINA, CORRINA and the upcoming AMERICAN HISTORY X starring Ed Norton, LOOKING FOR AN ECHO and LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS.