Awards/Reviews

AWARDS

OFFICIAL SELECTION – SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2010

FOUNDER’S PRIZE: BEST FICTION FILM – TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL 2010

FILMADELPHIA AWARD – BEST FILM MADE IN PA – PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL 2010

STANDOUT FILM AWARD – HELLS HALF MILE FILM FESTIVAL 2010

REVIEWS

NEW YORK OBSERVER (Rex Reed)

“…it is a rare treat to see a sweet, low-budget film about real people that is as ingratiating as Lebanon, Pa. The star is Josh Hopkins, a personable, enormously gifted actor with keen intuition and intelligent timing… Lebanon, Pa. has been directed, written and edited by triple-threat newcomer Ben Hickernell… the power of Mr. Hickernell the director makes us care… I cannot praise Mr. Hopkins enough. Movie-star handsome, but accessible, reacting to every emotional twist with layers of irritation, curiosity and warmth… Why isn’t he bigger than George Clooney? …vastly superior to most of the Hollywood dreck we’ve been getting lately, Lebanon, Pa. is a thoughtful and perceptive film well worth recommending.”

NEW YORK TIMES (Stephen Holden)

“ Lebanon, Pa. retells the old story of the city mouse and the country mouse while meticulously applying it to America’s simmering culture wars… Rachel Kitson, who plays CJ, the mouthy, forthright teenager at the center of the storm, illuminates a movie that is otherwise so studiously balanced an examination of teenage pregnancy that it deserves a medal for evenhandedness… a tidy little indie with steady acting… the performances of Ms. Kitson and Ms. Hurt give it spritzes of energy… it is the latest in a line of small perfect performances in which Ms. Hurt brings a whole complicated person to life.”

HUFFINGTON POST (Stewart Nusbaumer 10/14/10 – PFF)

“Ben Hickernell…has created a superb bittersweet drama that’s low key until it works itself up into a real tornado. He has courageously taken on the cultural divide and the political war in America, and smartly by exposing the human story behind the political headlines. While entertaining us, Hickernell has given us much to think about.”

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER – 3 out of 4 stars (Carrie Rickey 10/15/10 – PFF)

“A poignant portrait of an unlikely friendship and a pungent contrast of urban clamor and small-town murmur… Without taking sides in the city-vs.-country debate, Hickernell elicits sympathetic performances from both of his leads, particularly newcomer Kitson, who is a performer of subtlety and intelligence.”

FILM THREAT – 4 out of 5 stars (Mark Bell 10/15/10 – PFF)

“An exceptional film… engaging and poignant… a beautiful film with powerful characters and a story you can really connect with… This is the complexity of life; these things actually happen.”

INDIEWIRE (Daniel Walber)

“…adds some genuine humanity to an embattled political issue… it’s more than a little refreshing to see the issue of teen pregnancy tackled in a fiction film without the need for campy humor or eccentric dialogue.”

CINEMATICAL (Eugene Novikov 3/17/10 – SXSW)

“The first thing you’ll notice about Lebanon, Pa. is how freaking gorgeous it is… one of the more engaging films at this year’s festival… Kitson is outstanding… The story resolves in a way that’s low-key, convincing, and hits all the right emotional notes. It’s the best part of an intriguing, beautiful film by a promising young director.”

LOST IN REVIEWS (Ryan Davis 3/19/10 – SXSW)

“I traveled to SXSW seeking a film that would truly move me… nothing really fit the bill… until I took the journey to Lebanon, Pa… the film is so touching it transcends moral beliefs and gives the audience that direct connection most films are lacking… all of the actors give a tremendous performance, but Rachel Kitson outshines them all in her first film. Her performance as CJ is honest and emotionally overwhelming… Josh Hopkins’ emotional range is outstanding… Hickernell is a true talent and should have no problems finding his place in the world of film… I can’t express enough how much I love this film, the real emotion of the film can only be felt by seeing its beauty. It would be a cinematic tragedy if it was not picked up for some form of distribution. It stays with you and becomes part of your inner core…”

AUSTIN STATESMAN (Joe Gross 3/14/10 – SXSW)

“Lebanon, Pa. is the anti-Juno. Where Juno glided along with a host of Hollywood talent and a twee self-satisfaction, Lebanon, Pa. boasts three name actors and a host of unknowns examining a teen pregnancy through a very different cultural lens… Peakes (during a brief q and a) noted that if people took the time to examine many sides of various important life decisions rather than rushing into a decision, the world might be a slightly better place. Amen.”

MICHAEL MOORE – Oscar-winning documentarian (Quoted on Film Gecko Blog 7/26/10 – TCFF)

“One of the best American indies of the year. It’s a real crime that Lebanon, Pa. doesn’t have a distributor yet. It is very layered, it’s a great story, and any mainstream audience would love it. And yet, there are some plot-twists in the film that you haven’t seen in an American feature film… It’s not an experimental film, it’s not a politically charged film or whatever; it’s a nice story, but within the story, he does a couple of subversive things that you just sit there and you go wow … wow, I haven’t seen that in a film, that’s something. So good on him.”

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY – B (Matt Prigge 10/13/10 – PFF)

” …limns our culture clash without pandering to either side…”

PHILADELPHIA CITYPAPER – (Gary Kramer 10/14/10 – PFF)

“Hickernell… elicits warm performances from his three leads, and exhibits an eye for composition, and ear for dialogue and a nice sense for the rythm of life…”

PAJIBA (Brian Prisco 3/18/10 – SXSW)

“Ben Hickernell does an admirable job respecting both sides of the Christian argument and getting some powerful performances out of his actors… a bittersweet dramedy that admirably captures the feel of my hometown… Josh Hopkins is incredibly charming… Ian Merrill Peakes is so, so, so smashing as Andy… But I save my shiniest praise for young Rachel Kitson… I can’t think of an actress working today who could have pulled off the same faithful innocence without falling into pious or pissed. It’s the first what I hope are many stellar performances from this young ingénue.”

FILM GECKO (Jane Boursaw 8/8/10 – TCFF)

“The story deals with some pretty heavy issues… but it’s also very funny. I come from that same small town here in Michigan… and I identified with so much of the story… Hickernell doesn’t shy away from asking the hard questions… But that’s ok… the movie has a universal appeal. Life is hard, but you can find small connections and joys that help you get through the tough times… I highly recommend it… The more play this film gets, the better.”

COLLEGE MOVIE REVIEW (Lauren Carlson 3/10 – SXSW)

“Lebanon, Pa. is director Ben Hickernells’ baby. He has spent the last few years writing, directing, co-producing and putting just about everything he had into this, his first feature-length film, and I think it’s safe to say that the old adage still stands: hard work pays off… The emotions were raw, forcing you to feel for each of the characters as they try to reconcile their life decisions with the culture and people around them… Rachel Kitson’s portrayal… is so honest and, at times, heart wrenching… It is definitely a low-budget film, but the quality of the performances and the writing overshadow any lack of production… definitely a gem of a film that should be checked out.”