A life and a psychological state so complex, that if John Wojtowicz’s entire life were put into film, Dog Day Afternoon would account for about 5 minutes worth. The more they plunged into their subject matter, the more helmers Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren’s found that the the likeable smuck’s lifestory is just as sprawled out as Dicaprio’s Frank Abagnale character in Catch Me if You Can. Today, THR reports that Drafthouse & Cinedigm have teamed on the TIFF-preemed The Dog. A release is being circled for next summer.
Gist: This chronicles the true story of John Wojtowicz, who robbed a bank in 1972 to finance his male lover’s sex-reassignment surgery. Wojtowicz, working with two other men, held Chase Manhattan bank employees hostage for 14 hours. In 1975, Al Pacino would play a fictionalized version of Wojtowicz in Sidney Lumet’s Academy Award-winning film.
Worth Noting: Dog Day Afternoon won the Academy Award for Writing – Original Screenplay.
Do We Care?: You’ll be surprised by the wealth of archival material that supplements, contradicts and supports the zaniness of Wojtowicz – who in talking heads mode is presented as both nonsensical and alluring because of what I would call his unique brand of charisma. A must for fans of Lumet film.
