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Daniel Barnz‘s new film, Cake, features Jennifer Aniston and Sam Worthington as a friend and husband, respectively, of a woman (Anna Kendrick) whose decision to commit suicide haunts each of them and brings them together.
They come together in part through this particular scene, a clip of which The Hollywood Reporter is exclusively debuting.
The drama — a possible Oscar vehicle for Aniston who, sans makeup (except for facial scars), portrays a woman who survives a car crash that leaves her in chronic pain — had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where it received a standing ovation. It will have an awards-qualifying run next month and will then expand into more theaters in January.
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Read more Jennifer Aniston Reveals Rewards of Starring in ‘Cake’ and Executive Producing It, Too
In addition to Aniston, Worthington and Kendrick, the film also stars Chris Messina, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Mamie Gummer and notorious scene-stealer Adriana Barraza — a best supporting actress Oscar nominee for 2006’s Babel who could land back in that category this year. The film also features the last performance of character actress Misty Upham, who was found dead last month.
But it is Aniston whose performance has generated the most buzz, with some suggesting that she could emerge from this year’s unusually thin best actress field to land an Oscar nomination. Though best known for her work as Rachel on TV’s Friends, she has also done fine work in films big (Along Came Polly, The Break-Up, We’re the Millers) and small (Office Space, The Good Girl, Management).
Cake appears to represent her best shot yet at landing a nom. (Presumably for this reason, she has retained the services of one of the top Oscar consultants, Lisa Taback.)
Cake will be the first film ever released by Cinelou Releasing, the new distribution arm of the production company that made the film, Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon‘s Cinelou Films.
Twitter: @ScottFeinberg
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