Sundancing
Reunion by the sea
Thirteen members of the Class of 1965 gathered in Kennebunkport, Maine, last September for their second “Reunion by the Sea.” Maureen Gray and her son Rob hosted the group at their summer homes in
Eric Hollenbeck ’05 is getting to be a regular at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.
He was among the executive producers of Compliance , a controversial drama about a prank caller who convinces a fast-food restaurant manager to interrogate an employee. It premiered in 2012 in Sundance’s NEXT division, a noncompetitive showcase for new voices in American cinema. Mark Cuban’s Magnolia Pictures purchased it and released it in theaters last summer. Compliance is now playing on VOD (video on demand) and is out on DVD. This year, Hollenbeck was one of the producers of The Kings of Summer (previously titled Toy’s House ) , one of 16 flms competing in the U.S. dramatic division. “We without question had one of the hits at Sundance,” Hollenbeck says. “People loved the flm, fnding it both hilarious and moving, and it’s routinely cited as one of the top flms of the festival.” The Kings of Summer is the story of three unhappy teenage boys who fee to the wilderness to build a makeshift house and live of the land as masters of their own destiny – or at least that’s the plan. It stars Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Oferman, Megan Mullally and Alison Brie. A few days after the Jan. 19 premiere, CBS Films acquired domestic rights to the flm. Scott Shooman of CBS said, “While comparisons to movies like Stand By Me and The Goonies are inevitable, we found Toy’s House to be a fresh, funny and heartwarming story that is a loving throwback for a new generation.” Since leaving Mercyhurst, Hollenbeck has worked for numerous production companies and studios, including Walt Disney Pictures, Focus Features, Paramount Pictures, The Weinstein Company and Universal Pictures. His credits include Gus Van Sant/Matt Damon’s flm Promiseland , Tom Cruise’s Jack Reacher , The Avengers , George Clooney’s Ides of March , J.J. Abrams/Spielberg’s Super 8 and Showtime’s breakout hit series Homeland . In spring 2010, he founded his own company, Breakfast Films, to develop, finance and feature flms.
Cape Porpoise. Barb Brairton of Erie brought along Mercyhurst University “Laker Spirit” t-shirts for the whole group.
Attending were Kathie Mahaney Baumeister , Maureen Aleci Gray , Anne Ledoux Erwin , Bonnie Morris Gerace , Peggy Hock Heetmann , Claire Cronin Palmisano , Barbara Kramer Brozich , Barbara Brairton , Mary Ann Sabolsky Sieczka , Ginny Gorsak DeGironimo , Carol Klein , Janis Bodnar Hall and Susan Smith Beidler .
Why Breakfast Films? “It is said that break- fast is the most important meal of the day. But simply put, breakfast is just awesome. Who doesn’t like pancakes, bacon, and eggs? If you don’t like pancakes then surely you like wafes, French toast or bagels. Maybe oatmeal or cereal is your style? So many choices… “We would like to think that the best flms started with a great breakfast. Hence, Break- fast Films was born to produce a variety of features flms, because life is about choices.
“What are you having for breakfast?”
Hollenbeck divides his time between Cleveland and Los Angeles. He and his wife, Anne, welcomed their frst son, Jude Thomas, on Dec. 23, 2012.
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