|
Hats
Off, a feature-length documentary, profiles the beauty and
eccentricities of an extraordinary woman, 93-year-old actress Mimi
Weddell.
With
the style and grace of Katharine Hepburn, the smoky wit and wisdom
of Dorothy Parker, and her own personal philosophy, "rise above
it," Mimi is truly an iconic American original, rising above
the mundane and difficult confines of her own daily life to reach
for the stars and fulfill her dreams.
Hats
Off captures the essence of this most unusual woman, named
at age 90 by New York Magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful
People in New York," whose full-time acting career began at
age 65 upon the passing of her husband, and whose daily routine
mocks the traditional image of old age. From grueling 14-hour days
at cattle call auditions to her weekly gymnastics and dance workouts,
Mimi Weddell exudes a 'can-do, will-do' attitude in the face of
life's trials and tribulations, and moves through her challenges
with grace, encouraging us all to be more than we are.
Shot
over the course of 10 years, by critically-acclaimed, award-winning
director Jyll Johnstone, (Martha & Ethel, Throwing Curves) Hats
Off covers a time span when most seniors are planning their
funerals and estate bequests. Instead, Hats Off follows
the breathtaking pace of Weddell, a bohemian free spirit now forced
to share her east side Manhattan apartment with her two more traditionally-minded
grown children and a grandchild. Like most families, their relationship
is complex, and the mother-daughter/mother-son dynamic adds a fascinating
layer of depth to an already compelling and entertaining film.
When
her beloved husband Dick dies, "leaving nothing behind but
bills, poor man," Mimi does what she has to do to stay afloat,
even attending an audition on the way to his memorial and landing
the lead role in the cult film Dracula's Last Rites,
which marks the beginning of her career. Since that time, 25 years
ago, Mimi has been seen in print ads for companies Louis Vuitton,
Burberry, Juicy Couture, and Nike, to name
a few; in photo spreads for Vanity Fair and Vogue;
on TV series including Sex and the City and
Law and Order; and in feature films such as: Across
the Universe, Hitch, and The Purple
Rose of Cairo.
But
Weddell isn't a star. She never wanted to be. She just wants to
work.
An
examination of family relationships, love, and ultimately the dreams
which drive us, Hats Off is a compelling and entertaining
documentary that inspires, and urges us to celebrate the underdog,
and the Mimi in us all.
Hats
Off is a Canobie Films Production starring Mimi Weddell.
Directed by Jyll Johnstone and produced by Jyll Johnstone &
Michael Arlen Davis. Co-starring Sarah Dillon, Kit Dillon, Tom Weddell,
and Anna Weddell, Hats Off running time is 84 minutes.
|