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Top 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2011: Jim Field Smith’s Butter

We’re big on this top BlackList screenplay (# 3 in 2008) and think this might turn out to be a Best in Show type of movie-going experience as it is heavy on the obsessive compulsive competitive folks we sometimes find in middle America. Strong ensemble cast could make these nutty characters a joy to watch, and could pan out to translate well on film depending all on the overall tone.

Eric Lavallée

Published on January 14, 2011

#39. Butter

Director: Jim Field Smith
Writer(s): Jason Micallef
Producers: Michael De Luca, Jennifer Garner, Juliana Janes and Alissa Phillips
Distributor: The Weinstein Co.

The Gist: Set in a small Midwest town, this follows a young orphan who named Destiny, after being adopted by a Midwestern family, discovers she has an uncanny talent for butter-carving. She eventually finds herself up against the ambitious wife (Garner) of the retired reigning champion in a town’s annual butter-sculpting contest...(more)

Cast: Rob Corddry, Jennifer Garner, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Hugh Jackman, Alicia Silverstone, Olivia Wilde and Yara Shahidi.

List Worthy Reasons…: We’re big on this top BlackList screenplay (# 3 in 2008) and think this might turn out to be a Best in Show type of movie-going experience as it is heavy on the obsessive compulsive competitive folks we sometimes find in middle America. Strong ensemble cast could make these nutty characters a joy to watch, and could pan out to translate well on film depending all on the overall tone.

Release Date/Status?: The film is complete – Weinsteins will weigh their options. Summer release would be fitting.

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Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).