Mitchell Lichtenstein, Happy Tears

For Happy Tears, Mitchell Lichtenstein follows his mischievously literal 2007 debut Teeth with a comedy drama of two sisters, played by Parker Posey and Demi Moore, tending to their aging father (Rip Torn), his crack-addicted girlfriend (Ellen Barkin) and, in Posey's case, a husband (Christian Camargo) who must tend to his famous artist father's considerable estate. Lichtenstein discusses what it's like directing two leads from such different cinematic backgrounds--one very indie and the other very Hollywood. He also addresses the screenplay's shifting tones, the film's ingenious special effects and what world premiering this film at last year's Berlin Film Festival felt like (28 minutes).

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