criterionforum.org

Celebrated playwright Kenneth Lonergan first brought his rich, humanist vision to the screen with this soulful look at the complexities of a sibling relationship whose roots are as knotted as they are deep. Years after Sammy (Laura Linney) and her younger brother, Terry (Mark Ruffalo), lost their parents in a car crash, small-town single mother Sammy is plunged into another crisis when the troubled, adrift Terry comes home for what turns out to be an extended stay—one that could either bring them closer together or tear them apart. With infinite grace and his peerless ear for dialogue, Lonergan offers something all too rare on-screen: beautifully flawed human beings whose journeys offer achingly relatable insight into what changes when you grow up—and what doesn’t.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES
New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Kenneth Lonergan, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
Audio commentary featuring Lonergan
New interviews with Lonergan and actors Matthew Broderick, Laura Linney, and Mark Ruffalo
Trailer
English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
PLUS: An essay by playwright Rebecca Gilman and the script of the original one-act play

New cover by Eric Skillman

Am so there for this.

Guess the script isn't too long? They include it to bump up the fold-out to a booklet. I'm all for it.

They should get Seth MacFarlane to write an essay for the booklet about how Laura Linney is a Big Loser Actress and how Kenneth Lonergan should have cast Monica Bellucci instead.

Incredible news. I kept waiting for this to come from someone, guess Criterion had prob been squatting on it. But they released it, so all is well!

FWIW, Lonergan, Jon Tenney, Matthew Broderick and producer Jeffrey Sharp will be at the Paris Theater in NYC on Sunday night to discuss this film following a 35mm screening.

I'm very happy that they interviewed the three principal actors. actor interviews are always lovely gets for me (I wish I cared about King Lear cause I'd love to see that Molly Ringwald interview) and I feel like there hasn't been enough of those lately. Matthew Broderick didn't even contribute to the Election edition!

it heartened me that so many people on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, and elsewhere saw this edition and immediately started asking for Margaret. the demand is there!

But (obviously) the main difference is that Margaret is Disney-controlled.

andyli wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 3:46 pm But (obviously) the main difference is that Margaret is Disney-controlled.

very much true, but Criterion has pulled off All of Us Strangers, so never say never

Small correction for Chris and his site review: Criterion didn’t use the original negative for the new 4K master but instead an interpositive.

Yep, missed that mistake. Thanks for pointing it out, and I'll correct it first chance I get.

ryannichols7 wrote: Thu Apr 17, 2025 2:39 pm I'm very happy that they interviewed the three principal actors. actor interviews are always lovely gets for me (I wish I cared about King Lear cause I'd love to see that Molly Ringwald interview) and I feel like there hasn't been enough of those lately. Matthew Broderick didn't even contribute to the Election edition!

Chris gets into it in his review, but these interviews are a joy. Linney says at a late point, on bonding with her collaborators and their different personalities and approaches, "This is why artists love doing what they do." That love of the work and their craft and each other is evident throughout, and because it's a group of people who radiate intelligence and are given to articulate reflection, it never approaches a tongue bath. Everyone finds the same winning balance between honesty and performance they do in the film, but as themselves, and I could've watched another hour of it.

If you like these kind of extras, I strongly recommend checking out Criterion’s release of A Master Builder