The Jimmy Show

The Jimmy Show is a 2001 drama written and directed by Frank Whaley, based on the Off-Broadway play Veins and Thumbtacks by Jonathan Marc Sherman.^[1] The film stars Whaley, Carla Gugino, and Ethan Hawke.

Synopsis

The film centers on the life of Jimmy O'Brien (Frank Whaley), a warehouse clerk by day and a standup comedian by night. He lives with his wife (Carla Gugino), daughter, and a disabled grandmother. Jimmy's aspiration to succeed contrasts sharply with the numbness of his pothead friend Ray (Ethan Hawke), who is just trying to get by. When performing, Jimmy contradicts the role of a comedian and instead uses the stand-up form to relate the tragedies in his life, which causes indifferent to hostile reactions from the audience; however, he also provokes members of the audience. Eventually Jimmy is fired from his day job for stealing beer, which he abuses, and his wife leaves him. At the end of the film, Jimmy runs seemingly aimlessly in different directions in what appears to be him either on the verge of nervous breakdown or spiritual awakening.

Cast

• Frank Whaley as Jimmy O'Brien
• Carla Gugino as Annie
• Ethan Hawke as Ray
• Lynn Cohen as Ruth
• Jillian Stacom as Wendy
• Spelman M. Beaubrun as Claude
• Sheila Kay Davis as The social worker

Filming locations

• Staten Island - this being Whaley's second movie filmed here after his 1999 drama Joe the King.^[2]

References

External links

• The Jimmy Show at the Internet Movie Database
• The Jimmy Show at AllMovie