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Escape at Dannemora

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Escape at Dannemora
GenreDrama
Thriller
Created byBrett Johnson
Michael Tolkin
Directed byBen Stiller
Starring
ComposerEdward Shearmur
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Ben Stiller
  • Brett Johnson
  • Michael Tolkin
  • Bryan Zuriff
  • Michael De Luca
  • Nicky Weinstock
  • Bill Carraro
CinematographyJessica Lee Gagné
Running time51–98 minutes
Production companiesMichael De Luca Productions
Red Hour Productions
Original release
NetworkShowtime
ReleaseNovember 18 (2018-11-18) –
December 30, 2018 (2018-12-30)

Escape at Dannemora is an American crime drama television limited series that premiered on Showtime on November 18, 2018. It is based on the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape. The seven-episode series was created and written by Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin and directed by Ben Stiller. It stars Benicio del Toro, Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano, Bonnie Hunt, Eric Lange, and David Morse.[1][2][3]

Plot

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The series is based on the true story of the 2015 Clinton Correctional Facility escape in upstate New York. The escape prompted a massive manhunt for the two convicted murderers, who were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.[1]

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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  • Jeremy Bobb as Dennis Lambert, a corrections officer and friend of Lyle[6]
  • Michael Beasley as Murder, an inmate who’s given Sweat’s job as shop supervisor upon his firing.
  • Joshua Rivera as Angel, a fellow inmate of Matt and Sweat's.
  • Carolyn Mignini as Ilene Mulvaney, Tilly’s supervisor who frequently butts heads with her
  • Gregory Dann as Albert Boyd, the fearsome and most loathed correctional officer at Clinton Correctional. Matt and Sweat made their escape on Boyd's shift.

Guest

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Production

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Principal production commenced in Upstate New York from August 2017 to March 2018.[1][8] For their roles, Patricia Arquette and Eric Lange each gained 40 pounds.[9] Episode 6, the flashback episode, was filmed on 16 mm, unlike the rest of the series. Episode 6 was also filmed last so that Lange and Arquette could safely shed the weight they'd gained. Stiller later decided to shut down production for a month out of concern that they would not have enough time. However, production was then further delayed three weeks to accommodate the birth of Lange's son.[10]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Part 1"Ben StillerBrett Johnson & Michael TolkinNovember 18, 2018 (2018-11-18)0.397[11]
2"Part 2"Ben StillerBrett Johnson & Michael TolkinNovember 25, 2018 (2018-11-25)0.487[12]
3"Part 3"Ben StillerJerry StahlDecember 2, 2018 (2018-12-02)0.559[13]
4"Part 4"Ben StillerBrett Johnson & Michael TolkinDecember 9, 2018 (2018-12-09)0.541[14]
5"Part 5"Ben StillerBrett Johnson & Michael TolkinDecember 16, 2018 (2018-12-16)0.664[15]
6"Part 6"Ben StillerBrett Johnson & Michael Tolkin & Jerry StahlDecember 23, 2018 (2018-12-23)0.586[16]
7"Part 7"Ben StillerBrett Johnson & Michael TolkinDecember 30, 2018 (2018-12-30)0.719[17]

Reception

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Critical response

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The series was met with acclaim upon its premiere. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 88% with an average rating of 7 out of 10, based on 60 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Escape at Dannemora's slow pace demands patience, but those willing to wait will be rewarded with a chilling mystery that provides the perfect showcase for its talented cast — especially a nearly unrecognizable and unbearably moving performance from Patricia Arquette."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 78 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

Response from Joyce Mitchell

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In a December 2018 interview at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Joyce Mitchell criticized some events portrayed in the miniseries. She claimed, "I never had sex with them", referring to Richard Matt and David Sweat. She also harshly criticized director Ben Stiller, calling him "a son-of-a-bitch liar just like the rest of the world. He doesn't care about the truth. All he cares about is making millions off me. He's an idiot."[20]

Awards and nominations

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Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Casting Society of America Limited Series Rachel Tenner, Nancy Mosser, Katie Shenot, Bess Fifer and Charlene Lee Nominated [21]
Critics' Choice Awards Best Movie/Miniseries Escape at Dannemora Nominated [22]
Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Paul Dano Nominated
Benicio del Toro Nominated
Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries Patricia Arquette Won[a]
Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Eric Lange Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Limited Series or Television Film Escape at Dannemora Nominated [23]
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film Patricia Arquette Won
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film Ben Stiller Won [24]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series Ben Stiller, Michael Tolkin, Brett Johnson, Michael De Luca, Bryan Zuriff, Nicholas Weinstock, William Carraro, Adam Brightman and Lisa M. Rowe Nominated [25][26]
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Benicio Del Toro Nominated
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Patricia Arquette Nominated
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Paul Dano Nominated
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie Ben Stiller Nominated
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin and Jerry Stahl (for "Part 6") Nominated
Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin (for "Part 7") Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series or Movie Rachel Tenner Nominated
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes David Robinson, Ann Bryant and Barbara Hause (for "Part 6") Nominated
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Edward Shearmur (for "Part 5") Nominated
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More) Mark Ricker, James Truesdale and Cherish M. Hale Nominated
Outstanding Special Visual Effects Steven Kirshoff, Joe Heffernan, John Bair, Djuna Wahlrab, Matthew Griffin, Shannen Walsh, Joseph Brigati, Vance Miller and Min Hwa Jung (for "Part 4") Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Limited Series Television Ben Stiller, Nicholas Weinstock, Michael De Luca, Bryan Zuriff, Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin, Bill Carraro, Adam Brightman and Lisa M. Rowe Nominated [27]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Patricia Arquette Won [28]
TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials Escape at Dannemora Nominated [29]
Individual Achievement in Drama Patricia Arquette Nominated
Notes
  1. ^ Arquette shared the award in a tie with Amy Adams for Sharp Objects.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (June 2, 2017). "Paul Dano Joins Benicio del Toro & Patricia Arquette As Ben Stiller's Prison Break Limited Series Gets Showtime Green Light". Deadline. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  2. ^ Pergament, Alan (September 20, 2018). "Dannemora prison break series coming soon". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  3. ^ Evans, Greg (August 6, 2018). "Showtime Sets Date For Ben Stiller Prison Drama 'Escape At Dannemora', Releases Trailer – TCA". Deadline. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Wagmeister, Elizabeth (June 2, 2017). "Ben Stiller's Prison Escape Series Starring Benicio del Toro, Patricia Arquette, Paul Dano Greenlit at Showtime". Variety. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  5. ^ Petski, Denise (September 13, 2017). "'Escape At Dannemora': Bonnie Hunt To Co-Star In Showtime Limited Series". Deadline. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  6. ^ Petski, Denise (August 17, 2017). "'Shut Eye' Casts Rowena King; Jeremy Bobb In 'Escape At Dannemora'". Deadline. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  7. ^ Otterson, Joe (November 15, 2017). "Michael Imperioli to Guest Star in Showtime's 'Escape at Dannemora' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  8. ^ McGovern, Joe (October 10, 2017). "Ben Stiller takes on true crime in Escape at Dannemora — first look". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  9. ^ Giannotta, Meghan (November 15, 2018). "'Escape at Dannemora' actor transformed to become prison break's 'victim'". AM New York. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  10. ^ Matthews, Liam (December 23, 2018). "Escape at Dannemora's Eric Lange Lost 35 Pounds for a Single Episode". TV Guide. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 20, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.18.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  12. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 28, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.25.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  13. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 4, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.2.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  14. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 11, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.9.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  15. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 18, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.16.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  16. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (December 27, 2018). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.23.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  17. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (January 2, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 12.30.2018". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  18. ^ "Escape at Dannemora (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  19. ^ "Escape at Dannemora reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  20. ^ Dorn, Sara (December 22, 2018). "Infamous 'Shawskank' prison seamstress: Showtime series is 'lies'". New York Post. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
  21. ^ Lewis, Hillary (September 24, 2019). "Artios Awards: 'Succession,' 'Pose,' 'Dead to Me' Among Casting Society TV, Theater Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  22. ^ Crist, Allison (January 13, 2019). "Critics' Choice Awards: 'Roma,' 'Americans,' 'Mrs. Maisel' Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  23. ^ Snierson, Dan (January 6, 2019). "Golden Globes 2019: See the full winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  24. ^ "DGA Awards: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  25. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (September 22, 2019). "Emmys 2019: Game of Thrones Ties Record and Leads TV Pack; Fleabag, Chernobyl and Mrs. Maisel Win Big". TVLine. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  26. ^ Hill, Libby (September 14, 2019). "Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors". IndieWire. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  27. ^ McNary, Dave (January 20, 2019). "PGA Awards: 'Green Book' Wins Top Feature Film Award". Variety. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  28. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (January 27, 2019). "SAG Awards: 'Black Panther' Nabs Top Film Prize; Rami Malek, Glenn Close Among Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  29. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 19, 2019). "'Pose,' 'Russian Doll,' HBO Lead 2019 TV Critic Awards Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
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