Ewan McGregor makes his directorial debut with American Pastoral, based on Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel. McGregor (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Beginners) also stars in the movie as Seymour “Swede” Levov, a once legendary high school athlete who is now a successful businessman married to Dawn, a former beauty queen (played by Jennifer Connolly). The film tracks the family over several decades and looks at how their idyllic (on-the-surface at least) existence is shattered by the social and political turmoil of the 1970s. Dakota Fanning plays the part of the Swede’s revolutionary daughter, Merry. Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black), and David Strathairn (Lincoln, Good Night, and Good Luck) are also in the film.
At the screening were many from the film including McGregor, Dakota Fanning, Uzo Aduba, Valorie Curry, Peter Riegert, producer Gary Lucchesi, and screenwriter John Romano. Joining them were Kristen Stewart, Emily Mortimer & Alessandro Nivola, Paul Haggis, Megan Boone, Helena Christensen, Russell Simmons, Anson Mount, Alex Wolff, Terry George, Tony Shalhoub & Brooke Adams, Loan Chabanol, Brandon Victor Dixon, Casey LaBow, Krystal Joy Brown, Blaine Trump, Sandra Brant, Fern Mallis, Robert Verdi, Dale Moss, Tabitha Simmons, Alexandra Agoston, Spencer List, Ian Mellencamp, Genevieve Bahrenburg, Kiera Chaplin, Daniel Benedict, Ashley Haas, Tali Lennox, Antoine Verglas, Jazmin Grimaldi, Emily Althaus, Nicole Beatty, Rosal Colon, Francesca Curran, Nick Dillenburg, Arianda Fernandez, Annie Golden, Vicky Jeudy, Kelly Karbacz, Gerrard Lobo, Olivia Luccardi, Adrienne C. Moore, Emma Myles, John Palladino, Jolene Purdy, Nick Sandow, Tamara Torres, Lin Tucci, Miriam Morales, Shannon Esper, Amanda Stephen, and Cinema Society founder Andrew Saffir.
The after-party was held at American Cut, where Qui tequila cocktails, named Pastoral Punch and Swede’s Nightcap (named for the lead protagonist in the film), were served.