Sundance 2011: First Look At SALVATION BOULEVARD

 

Here is the first look at Salvation Boulevard from writer/director George Ratliff which will premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Boulevard is an adaptation of the Larry Beinhart novel of the same name which is about a mysterious murder that takes place in the backdrop of religious fanatacism.  The film has a bunch of Oscar nominees/winners in a cast that includes, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Marisa Tomei, Ed Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jim Gaffigan.

Official Synopsis from Sundance:

Reverend Dan is a charismatic preacher who has captivated a city with his charm. Ex-deadhead and recovering hippie Carl is one of the loyal sheep in his flock. When an antique firearms accident does in an atheistic novelist and Dan’s controversial antagonist, Carl is called into service in the most unconventional way. The megachurch is cast into shadow, and a hellish storm begins brewing that could jeopardize its entire existence. The road to hell—in this case, Salvation Boulevard—is paved with good intentions—gone hysterically wrong.

This material is perfectly suited for George Ratliff, who directed the award-winning documentary Hell House and the 2007 Sundance Film Festival hit Joshua. Down to every detail, you feel you are in capable hands. In a situation ripe with possibilities, the gloriously talented cast push their performances to the limit, spiraling this film toward instant cult-comedy status. In Salvation Boulevard,Ratliff peels back the onion to take a satirical look at Christian fanaticism—one guilty pleasure at a time.

 The film is about an atheist professor who is mysteriously murdered and the Muslim student who is arrested for it. Carl Venderveer (Kinnear), a recovering alcoholic, and born again Christian, is assigned to investigate the murder charge against the student. Venderveer is pressured from both his church led by Reverend Dan (Brosnan) and his wife which causes him to investigate deeper into what is actually going on.