Lindsay Lanzillotta’s debut feature also stars Ruby McGurrin, Lauren MacRae, Mary Walsh and Jack Innanen.
John Reynolds, Abby Elliott, and Simmons star in Lindsay Lanzillotta’s coming-of-age comedy/drama and feature directorial debut, J.K. Purgatory. St. Ruby McGurrin, Lauren MacRae, Mary Walsh, Jack Innanen, Julianne Arrieta, Marcus Ngo, and Gemma Rosaria Rae are all from John’s, Newfoundland. According to the producers’ synopsis, “Set in the early 1980s, the film follows thirteen-year-old Beatrice Gravel (McGurrin), whose comfortable world—family, school, and church—fractures when her mother (Elliott) moves out to “self actualize,” leaving Beatrice and her sister (MacRae) with their devastated father (Reynolds).” When Beatrice is unable to achieve her goals, she is forced to make a decision about her identity and intensifies her efforts to “fix” her family by confronting bullies, severing friendships,
Simmons plays Beatrice’s confidante, Father Malone; Innanen portrays her school’s vice principal and her mother’s new love interest, while Walsh portrays a teacher, and Arrieta is the PTA president.
Lanzillotta directed Purgatory from a screenplay by Christine Speer and, in a statement, said of the film, “Beatrice Gravel is just so much fun. At my core, I’m still that teenage girl watching my parents’ divorce, and when I read Christine’s heartfelt and funny take on Beatrice’s experience, it felt brutally honest, real, and oddly comforting. I’ve always loved films that can entertain a wide audience while taking on hard subjects with heart and humor, and that’s what pulled me back to the ’80s to tell this story as a first-time director.”
Lanzillotta, Simone Kirlew, Aldo Lanzillotta, Deniz Gumustas, Mark O’Neill, and Gus Murray are the producers of Purgatory. William Patterson, Tai Truesdall, Ryan Horton, and Elliott all share the title of executive producer.
Elliott is represented by Paradigm Talent Agency and OPE Partners, while McGurrin is represented by The Characters Talent Agency. Simmons is represented by the Gersh Agency, while Reynolds is represented by CAA and Entertainment 360.
