Convinced that a series of coincidences involving a doorman hold some secret to life's largest riddles, Albert Markovski (JASON SCHWARTZMAN) seeks the help of a detective agency unlike any other. . . which leads him down a path that questions the essence of existence itself.
In an attempt to ferret out the meaning of these flukes, he consults Bernard and Vivian Jaffe (DUSTIN HOFFMAN, LILY TOMLIN), AKA the Existential Detectives, a pair of married metaphysicians who fearlessly investigate the mysteries at the core of their clients' secret innermost lives.
LILY TOMLIN (Vivian)
Lily Tomlin has received numerous awards including six Emmys, a Tony for her one-woman Broadway show "Appearing Nitely," a second Tony as Best Actress, a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics' Circle Award for her one-woman performance in Jane Wagner's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," a CableAce Award for Executive Producing the film adaptation of THE SEARCH, a Grammy® for her comedy album, "This Is a Recording," as well as nominations for her subsequent albums "Modern Scream, And That's the Truth" and "On Stage," and two Peabody Awards--the first for the ABC television special "Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel" and the second for narrating and executive producing the HBO film, "THE CELLULOID CLOSET."
Tomlin made her feature film debut in Robert Altman's "NASHVILLE" for which she received an Academy Award nomination and was voted Best Supporting Actress by the New York Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics.
Tomlin's other feature film credits include Robert Benton's "THE LATE SHOW," "MOMENT BY MOMENT," "9 TO 5," "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WOMAN," "ALL OF ME," "BIG BUSINESS" and "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES."
Tomlin also starred in the film adaptation of "THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE," Woody Allen's "SHADOWS AND FOG" and Robert Altman's "SHORT CUTS."
She previously worked with David O. Russell in "FLIRTING WITH DISASTER." Additional film credits include "GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER," "KRIPPENDORF'S TRIBE" and the Franco Zeffirelli film "TEA WITH MUSSOLINI." She most recently starred with Bruce Willis in "THE KID" and appeared in a cameo role in "ORANGE COUNTY."
Tomlin made her television debut in 1966, and in 1969 joined the cast of the top-rated "Laugh-In" immediately rising to national prominence. When "Laugh-In" left the air, Lily went on to co-write with Jane Wagner and star in six comedy television specials, for which she won three Emmy Awards and a Writers Guild of America Award. Tomlin also starred in the HBO special "And the Band Played On" and played the boss for two years on the popular series "Murphy Brown."
She is also heard as the voice of the science teacher Ms. Frizzle on the popular children's animated series "The Magic School Bus," for which she was awarded an Emmy, and has a recurring role on the hit series "The West Wing." She was the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington DC.
DAVID O. RUSSELL (Director/Producer/Writer)
David O. Russell's first feature, SPANKING THE MONKEY, premiered at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award. The film also earned Russell Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay.
1996 saw the release of Russell's acclaimed comedy FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, which appeared on more than 30 critics' Top Ten lists and garnered Independent Spirit Award nominations for Russell for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
THREE KINGS was named to more than 100 critics' Top Ten lists when it was released in 1999. Amongst the many accolades received, the Boston Critics Association awarded the film Best Feature and Russell Best Director. Russell was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay. THREE KINGS is scheduled to be re-released theatrically and on DVD in October with a short documentary featuring war veterans as they return home.
In 2002, Russell was the first director honored by The New York Museum of Modern Art's series "Works in Progress" which focuses on a new generation of filmmakers, and has since honored Alexander Payne and Sofia Coppola.
