Ridgefield Playhouse Film Society's Director's Cut Film Series Presents THE HUMBLING

The Ridgefield Playhouse Film Society's Director's Cut Film Series presents The Humbling, a dark, dramatic comedy lm directed by Barry Levinson and based on the 2009 novel, The Humbling written by Philip Roth. The film stars Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin and Kyra Sedgwick.

Simon Axler (Al Pacino) is an aging actor who suffers from bouts of dementia. He is institutionalized after an incident during a Broadway play, then returns home, where he contemplates suicide.

When he embarks upon an affair with a friend's amoral daughter, his world starts to fall apart. It ends on stage. Even Simon Axler's audience and fellow actors are unsure what's real and what's not.

After reading and connecting with Philip Roth's book, Al Pacino decided to option it and asked Levinson to direct. Barry Levinson decided to make the movie as
a dark, dramatic comedy.

Levinson also cited that comedy seemed to him inherent in the piece. Both Pacino and Levinson deny that Simon Axler's character is autobiographical to Pacino who says he relates to the material because "It's in, as they say, my wheelhouse."

After the film, Barry Levinson will answer questions at the Q&A hosted by Ira Joe Fisher, EMMY award winning TV journalist.