Causeway - What We Know So Far
Apple recently announced that five new original films, including "Causeway," will premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which runs from September 8-18. "Causeway" will debut on Saturday, September 10 at 2:30 p.m. at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and will have three more screenings at the festival — two on Sunday, September 11 and one on Thursday, September 15. The film will be distributed on Apple TV+ on November 10.
"Causeway" will be the feature directorial debut for Lila Neugebauer, a theater veteran who helmed the 2018-2019 Broadway production of "The Waverly Galleries," which earned a Tony nomination for Best Revival and a win for Ellen May as lead actress. She has also directed single episodes of three television series: "Room 104," "Maid," and "The Sex Lives of College Girls." The script for "Causeway" was penned by three writers also making their feature film debuts: New Orleans native Elizabeth Sanders and novelists Ottessa Moshfegh and Luke Goebel.
We already know who will star in Causeway
Jennifer Lawrence stars in "Causeway" as Lynsey, a soldier who returns from Afghanistan after being injured by an explosive; she also serves as a producer on the film. The title refers to the 24-mile-long bridge over Lake Pontchartrain that runs north out of New Orleans — Lynsey's hometown and the setting of the movie.
Brian Tyree Henry ("Atlanta," "Vice Principals") plays James, a mechanic who befriends the traumatized Lynsey after she returns to The Big Easy. Linda Emond, perhaps best known as Connie Clark in "Lodge 49" and Dr. Emily Sopher in "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," plays Lynsey's mother. Stephen McKinley Henderson, who has already brought to life four judges and three doctors in his long film and television career, will add a fourth medical degree to his acting resume as Dr. Lucas.
Jane Houdyshell, who plays Bunny Folger on "Only Murders in the Building," appears in "Causeway" as Sharon, and other familiar faces slated for smaller roles include Russell Harvard ("Fargo") and Jaylen Moore ("Six").
Some plot and theme details for Causeway have been made available
If you can't make it to the Toronto Film Festival, you'll have to wait until "Causeway" is released to Apple TV+ on November 10. According to the film's page on the official TIFF website, "'Causeway'" is a character study, a tale of friendship, and an intimate portrayal of a great American city." Lynsey comes home with the intention of overcoming her injuries and returning to combat, working as a pool cleaner while adjusting to civilian life. There she meets James, "with whom she forges a bond that shifts gradually from casual to something more complex."
The TIFF announcement stresses the importance of the New Orleans setting. "The film is also about what it means to share a homeplace ... [and will] render New Orleans a central character in this story of trust, tenderness, and letting the world into your heart."