Suddenly realizing she must embark on a quest to repair that, Judy takes Allen on a cross-country trip to see Andrew and work things out. After they rope in their two unmarried daughters, the family is forced to come together, for better or worse.
Judy Wagner was born and raised in the Bronx. She studied writing and dance for three years at Bennington College in the 1950's. She returned to New York to complete her education at NYU, where she received a B.A. in English. After graduating, she continued to study dance at the Martha Graham studio while working as an assistant editor for several literary journals.
In 1957, she married Allen Wagner. Judy spent the 1960's raising her children, Maggie, Andrew and Emily. In 1974, Judy returned to fulltime work as an editor at The American Journal of Cardiology In 1979 she became the journal's Managing Editor and remained in that position for 23 years. In 2002 she returned, but continues to do freelance editing.
Allen Wagner was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He attended the University of Miami before leaving in 1952 to serve in the Air Force Intelligence Unit in Japan during the Korean War. He returned in 1954 to attend NYU and graduated with a degree in Finance. After many years as a specialist on the floor of the American Stock Exchange, he founded his own specialist firm (Heller, Hoffenberg, and Wagner). He left the Stock Exchange in 1984 and worked as a tax consultant for the IRS until retiring in 2001. Allen and Judy have been married for 46 years.
Maggie Wagner studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and has trained extensively at The Actors Studio in New York City. She received her SAG card in 1986 when she landed a role in the feature film "ANNA." Since then she has appeared in over twenty-five film projects including "WORKING GIRL," "ONE FINE DAY," "FOR THE BOYS," "THE DELL," "BLUE MOON" and "THE JAMES DEAN TNT BIOPIC." Her latest role was in the recently completed "THE A LIST." She will be appearing in Henry Jaglom's next feature "GOING SHOPPING." Maggie has also acted on the New York stage and in regional theatre.
Emily Wagner graduated from Vassar with a degree in Fine Art. After studying acting with Susan Batson, she moved to Los Angeles where she has played paramedic Doris Pickman on "ER" for the past ten years and has guest starred on "IN LIVING COLOR," "JACK AND JILL," "JUDGING AMY." She co-created, wrote, produced and starred in several short and feature films, some with her brother Andrew ("COUNTING," "SOUTH MAIN"), some with her longtime collaborator Julie Delpy ("BEFORE SUNSET") and some with both of them ("LOOKING FOR JIMMY," "CAREFUL") all of which went on to festival runs. She is also a DJ, a Yoga Booty instructor, and an emerging artist working on video, drawing, performance and sound design. in September 2003 Emily was nominated the United Diva of the Month by United Divas.
Judy Dixon was born in Los Angeles, and as a child and teenager worked as an actor and dancer, appearing in numerous television commercials, music videos and theatre. She studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and honed her improv skills at Second City.
In her early twenties, she moved to New York City where she studied with renowned acting coach Susan Batson, and took her first stab at stand-up. Judy has performed at numerous local NYC and LA comedy clubs including the Improv, Caroline's, New York Comedy Club, Luna Lounge and has opened for Jackie Mason and Joan Rivers. She has written and performed in plays Off-Off-Broadway, and co-founded a popular improv troupe, New Word Order, which performed to sold-out shows at college venues. Judy currently resides in Los Angeles, where she can be seen performing at local comedy clubs all throughout Southern California.
Billy Wirth most recently booked the lead role in the independent film, "THE DRONE VIRUS," for Little Studio Films and Pretty Dangerous Films. Past roles include a lost boy in Joel Schumacher's "THE LOST BOYS" and Drew Barrymore's abusive boyfriend opposite Whoopie Goldberg in Herb Ross's "BOYS ON THE SIDE." In television, he played one of the many love interests of Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones on "SEX AND THE CITY."
Billy has also worked with directors Abel Ferrara, Allison Anders, Frank Roddam, and Gary Marshall, and has co-starred alongside Sidney Portier, Bonnie Bedilia and Forrest Whitaker. He directed "MACARTHUR PARK," which premiered in the dramatic competition at Sundance in 2001. "MACARTHUR PARK" is being released through the Sundance Channel.
Director Andrew Wagner graduated from Brown University with degrees in Creative Writing and Psychology. He attended NYU's Graduate School for Film where his short, "THE HARDEST HIT," won the Francois de Menil Scholarship. He moved to Los Angeles to write "WACCABUC." a screenplay for United Artists, and director Mark Rydell.
Andrew then became a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute where he received a Masters in Fine Arts and his thesis film, "THE LAST DAYS OF HOPE AND TIME," won the Franklin J. Shaffner Fellowship for excellence in directing. Andrew then adapted "THE MAN WHO GAVE UP HIS NAME," a novella by Jim Harrison, author of Legends of the Fall, which he developed at the Sundance Writer's Lab.
Since then he has directed the independent shorts, "SOUTH MAIN" and "COUNTING," and was the cinematographer on Julie Delpy's film "LOOKING FOR JIMMY." He has also written "SPLITTING," "THE HALCOURT," "HUNTING THE VICIOUS," "SOUTHERN MAN," and most recently co-wrote "STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING," an adaptation of the Pen/Faulkner nominee novel of the same title which he will direct for InDigEnt this summer. "THE TALENT GIVEN US" won the 2004 Jury Prize at CineVegas.
THE TALENT GIVEN US opens in New York at:
ANGELIKA FILM CENTER
18 W HOUSTON ST
NEW YORK, NY 10012 212-995-2000
To accommodate our Q&A's, please note that a few screening times have changed.
"Talent" will screen each day at 11am, 1pm, 3:10pm, 5:20pm, 7:40pm, 10:10pm, and 12:25am on Friday and Saturday.
Q&A's will follow the 7:40pm & 10:10pm shows on Friday, June 17th & Saturday, June 18th, and following the 1pm & 3:10pm shows on Sunday, June 19th.
BUY TICKETS: www.angelikafilmcenter.com
In Los Angeles at:
JUNE 30, 2005
AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE
JULY 1, 2005
LAEMMLE SUNSET 5
