Cake, starring Jennifer Aniston. Official Movie Site.

Cake. Jennifer Aniston, Adrianna Barraza, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, with Anna Kendrick and Sam Worthington

Rated R for language, substance abuse and brief sexuality

Official Selection: Toronto International Film Festival.

Videos

Story

Claire Bennett (Jennifer Aniston) is in pain. Her physical pain is evident in the scars that line her body and the way she carries herself, wincing with each tentative step. She’s no good at hiding her emotional pain either. Blunt to the point of searing insult, Claire’s anger seethes out of her with nearly every interaction. She has driven away her husband, her friends — even her chronic-pain support group has kicked her out.

The only one left in Claire’s otherwise solitary existence is her housekeeper-cum-caretaker, Silvana (Academy Award nominee Adriana Barraza), who barely tolerates her boss’ need for liquor and prescription pills. But the suicide of Nina (Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick), one of Claire’s fellow chronic-pain group members, prompts another fixation. In pursuing questions about the death of a woman she barely knew, Claire explores the boundaries between life and death, abandonment and heartbreak, danger and salvation. As she inserts herself into the lives of Nina’s husband (Sam Worthington) and the son Nina left behind, Claire just might find salvation.

Photos

Cast

JENNIFER ANISTON (Claire Bennett)

Jennifer Aniston is a Golden Globe- and Emmy Award-winning actress, thanks to 10 seasons playing Rachel Green on the classic television comedy FRIENDS. The role earned her five Emmy nominations, two SAG Award nominations and two Golden Globe nominations.

During hiatus from FRIENDS, Aniston pursued a film career, landing roles in THEN THERE WAS YOU, PICTURE PERFECT, DREAMS FOR AN INSOMNIAC, SHE’S THE ONE, ROCK STAR, THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION (her first of many films with Paul Rudd) and BRUCE ALMIGHTY. One of Aniston’s most critically acclaimed roles was 2002’s THE GOOD GIRL, for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. With the end of FRIENDS in 2004, the San Fernando Valley native devoted herself full-time to her movie career, receiving critical praise for playing a depressed housekeeper in director Nicole Holofcener’s FRIENDS WITH MONEY. Adept at both indie films and studio features, Aniston has starred in such box office hits as THE BREAK-UP, MARLEY AND ME, HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, HORRIBLE BOSSES and WE’RE THE MILLERS. She was most recently seen in LIFE OF CRIME. Upcoming: HORRIBLE BOSSES 2, in November, and SHE’S FUNNY THAT WAY, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, next year. Aniston made her directorial debut with the short, ROOM 10. She recently directed one of the Project Five short films, exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives. She is also a producer on CALL ME CRAZY, a Project Five film premiering on Lifetime in April.

ADRIANA BARRAZA (Silvana)

Adriana Barraza is best known for her work in the movies AMORES PERROS and BABEL, the latter of which earned her nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Online Film Critics Award and a Chicago Film Critics Circle Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.

She won in this category at the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards. She is the third Mexican actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, in a year when ten fellow Mexicans were also nominated. She is also a professional acting coach with her own acting school in Miami, Florida. Barraza directed LOCURA DE AMOR (in which she also starred), NUNCA TE OLVIDARE and EL MANANTIAL, among others. Barraza’s additional credits include HENRY POOLE IS HERE, DRAG ME TO HELL, THOR, THE 33 and FROM PRADA TO NADA as well as the television series THE STRAIN and NARCOS.

ANNA KENDRICK (Nina)

Anna Kendrick is a triple threat whose impressive range has been showcased in movies and on Broadway. Kendrick began her career at 12 years old, playing Dinah Lord in the 1997 Broadway musical production of HIGH SOCIETY, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She made her feature film debut in director Todd Graff’s CAMP, a favorite at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

In 2010, Kendrick starred opposite George Clooney in UP IN THE AIR, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild awards. Kendrick’s other credits include the hit comedy-musical PITCH PERFECT, DRINKING BUDDIES, 50/50, END OF WATCH and ROCKET SCIENCE. Kendrick was also in the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA franchise, including NEW MOON, ECLIPSE, and BREAKING DAWN PART 1. She can currently be seen in HAPPY CHRISTMAS. She will next be seen as Cinderella in Walt Disney Pictures’ film adaptation of the musical INTO THE WOODS. She has two films debuting at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival: THE LAST FIVE YEARS and CAKE. Upcoming: DIGGING FOR FIRE, THE HOLLARS, PITCH PERFECT 2, MR. RIGHT.

SAM WORTHINGTON (Roy)

Sam Worthington has worked extensively in Australian film and television, earning an Australian Film Institute Award in 2004 for “Best Actor in a Leading Role” for SOMERSAULT. Soon after, James Cameron selected him to star in AVATAR, which went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time.

Additional film credits include: CLASH OF THE TITANS, WRATH OF THE TITANS, MAN ON A LEDGE, THE DEBT and TERMINATOR SALVATION. Worthington has three films premiering at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival: THE KEEPING ROOM, with Brit Marling and Hailee Steinfeld, the Australian family drama PAPER PLANES, and CAKE. He just completed shooting the Australian period miniseries DEADLINE GALLIPOLI, which he produced with his company Full Clip Productions. Worthington is scheduled to shoot the AVATAR sequels in 2015.

FELICITY HUFFMAN (Annette)

Felicity Huffman earned a Golden Globe Award, an Independent Spirit Award, and nominations for an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in TRANSAMERICA, in 2006. She also picked up honors from the National Board of Review, the Tribeca Film Festival, the San Diego Film Festival, the Aspen Film Festival, the Florida International Film Festival and the Palm Springs Film Festival. Huffman has been honored with an Emmy and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. The cast of that long-running ABC series won the 2004 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe for Best Television Series-Comedy or Musical.

Huffman will return to ABC in early 2015, starring in the series AMERICAN CRIME, a gritty drama told from the point of view of the victims. Huffman will be seen later this year in William H. Macy’s directorial debut RUDDERLESS, which had its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Most recently, she was in TRUST ME, directed by Clark Gregg.

In 2012, Huffman launched the website WhatTheFlicka.com, a “virtual kitchen counter” for moms and women, which has more than 100 contributors. In 2008, Huffman was seen in CAKE director Daniel Barnz’s PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND. Other films include: GEORGIA RULE, CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRANKS, RAISING HELEN. On the small screen, Huffman has starred in such television movies as REVERSIBLE ERRORS, OUT OF ORDER, PATH TO WAR, THE HEART DEPARTMENT and the critically acclaimed DOOR TO DOOR, starring William H. Macy. Other television credits include CHICAGO HOPE, X-FILES, LAW AND ORDER and series regular status on such shows as SPORTS NIGHT, EARLY EDITION, JULES and THE GOLDEN YEARS.

A founding member of the Atlantic Theater Company, she has appeared off-Broadway in such plays as DANGEROUS CORNER, SHAKER HEIGHTS and THE JOY OF DEFINITELY GOING SOMEWHERE. Other stage credits include David Mamet’s plays SPEED THE PLOW and CRYPTOGRAM; the latter of which earned her an OBIE Award. Huffman resides in Los Angeles with her husband, William H. Macy.

MAMIE GUMMER (Bonnie)

Mamie Gummer graduated from Northwestern University and also studied theater at the British Academy of Dramatic Arts. She subsequently made her New York stage debut in 2005, starring in the Roundabout Theatre production of MR. MARMALADE, for which she earned a Theatre World Award.

Other Off-Broadway credits include: Theresa Rebeck’s THE WATER’S EDGE (Second Stage Theatre - Lucille Lortel Award nomination); Lillian Hellman’s THE AUTUMN GARDEN (Williamstown Theatre Festival) and UNCLE VANYA (dir. Austin Pendleton, Classic Stage Company - Lucille Lortel Award nomination). Her Broadway debut was in Christopher Hampton’s LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES (dir. Rufus Norris). She received great acclaim for her performance in THE SCHOOL FOR LIES (Classic Stage Company).

Ms. Gummer has previously appeared on-screen in TAKING WOODSTOCK, Lasse Hallström’s THE HOAX, EVENING; STOP LOSS; LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND, from a screenplay by Tennessee Williams; and in Will Frears’ COACH. Recent film credits include THE LIGHTKEEPERS and Jeff Lipsky’s TWELVE THIRTY. On TV, Ms. Gummer has been seen in Tom Hooper’s Emmy Award-winning miniseries JOHN ADAMS, THE GOOD WIFE (CBS), OFF THE MAP (ABC) and CBS/CW’s EMILY OWENS M.D. This Fall she shot David Milch’s pilot, THE MONEY for HBO, and recently wrapped James Ponsoldt’s indie THE END OF THE TOUR opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel.

WILLIAM H. MACY (Leonard)

William H. Macy is one of the stars of the Showtime series, SHAMELESS, which will air its fifth season in 2015. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the movie FARGO. Macy has won two Emmys, for writing and starring in the TV-movie DOOR TO DOOR, and has been nominated seven other times. He’s also a three-time Golden Globe nominee.

Macy is perhaps best known for his work in independent films, including THE SESSIONS, TRUST ME, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, PSYCHO and THE COOLER. But he is equally at home in studio movies, such as AIR FORCE ONE, JURASSIC PARK III, MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS, SEABISCUIT, MARMADUKE and WILD HOGS. Television: OUT OF ORDER, ER, SPORTS NIGHT, and THE LIONHEARTS, and then there is his extensive work on stage, which includes Broadway revivals of SPEED-THE-PLOW and OUR TOWN. He has been a director in residence at The Atlantic Theater Company in New York.

Macy is preparing to release his feature directorial debut, RUDDERLESS, a musical drama starring Billy Crudup as a grieving father who starts an indie folk-rock band. Also upcoming, Macy will star in DIAL A PRAYER, STEALING CARS and BLOOD FATHER. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Felicity Huffman.

Filmmakers

DANIEL BARNZ (Director)

Barnz discovered Patrick Tobin’s screenplay, CAKE, while judging Cinestory, a screenwriting competition that Barnz himself had won years earlier. He and husband and producing partner, Ben Barnz worked with Tobin to produce the final script.

Previously, Barnz directed and co-wrote WON’T BACK DOWN for Twentieth Century Fox. The film stars Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Holly Hunter, and follows two determined mothers as they set out to transform their children’s failing inner city school. Barnz’s feature directorial debut, the award-winning PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND, starring Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson and Elle Fanning, premiered in competition at Sundance 2008, and was released nationally in 2009. Barnz then went on to adapt and direct BEASTLY, which was released in 2011 and starred Alex Pettyfer in his breakout role. In 2007, Barnz was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film and in 2008, one of Variety’s Top Ten Directors to Watch. He began his movie career by writing screenplays, including SUGARLAND for Jodie Foster, UNDER AND ALONE for Mel Gibson and ROGUE for Leonardo DiCaprio. Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, Barnz received a BA from Yale University and an MFA from University of Southern California.

PATRICK TOBIN (Writer)

After graduating from the USC film school, Patrick Tobin’s feature script NO EASY WAY was executive produced by Oscar-winning editor Marcia Lucas. Starring Khandi Alexander and directed by Jeffrey Fine, the film premiered at SXSW.

Patrick’s many published works include the essay 14 1/2 THINGS, a finalist for a Canadian National Magazine Award, and the short story CAKE, which appeared in Dave Eggers’ BEST AMERICAN NONREQUIRED READING. His short story THAT KIND OF NONSENSE received a special mention in the 2004 Pushcart Prize, widely considered to be one of the best literary anthologies in the country. PASSAGE, originally published in The Literary Review, was included in the Ohio University Press anthology NEW STORIES FROM THE SOUTHWEST.

Last year the script adapted from CAKE won Showtime’s Tony Cox Screenplay Competition and the CineStory Screenwriting Fellowship, and was included in the 2013 Black List. CAKE, directed by Daniel Barnz and starring Jennifer Aniston, premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.

Patrick was born and raised in Montana until the age of thirteen, when his family moved to Maui. He currently lives in Long Beach, California.

RACHEL MORRISON (Director of Photography)

Director of photography Rachel Morrison works at the forefront of cinema, channeling the core emotion of each story she shoots into arresting imagery. Her work has a haunting quality and beautiful elegance.

Morrison’s latest films, DOPE for director Rick Famuyiwa, and the Nina Simone documentary WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?, will premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Her previous Sundance premieres include: LITTLE ACCIDENTS; the 2013 Sundance breakout FRUITVALE STATION; and SOUND OF MY VOICE.

CAKE, which Morrison lensed for director Daniel Barnz, premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. The film stars stars Jennifer Aniston, Anna Kendrick and Sam Worthington and will open nationwide on January 23, 2015.

Her feature credits also include: ANY DAY NOW, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the coveted Audience Award; THE HARVEST, a thriller starring Michael Shannon; and SOME GIRL(S), directed by Daisy von Mayer and starring Emily Watson, Zoe Kazan, Kristin Bell, Mia Maestro, Jennifer Morrison and Adam Brody.

COURTNEY SOLOMON (Producer)

Courtney Solomon was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He started his first production company in 1995 called Sweetpea Entertainment. In 2000 Sweetpea released DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, which Courtney produced and directed. Then in 2005, Hong Kong-based business magnate, Allan Zeman, and Courtney founded the production company, After Dark Films. The company’s first release, AN AMERICAN HAUNTING, starring Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, Courtney wrote and directed. He directed Ethan Hawke and Selena Gomez in GETAWAY and produced CAPTIVITY starring Elisha Cuthbert.

After a thriving career in the film business having made over 50 films, Courtney’s most recent venture and main focus at this time is his new production company, Cinelou Films, which he founded with partner, Mark Canton. They completed their first film just last year (2014) titled CAKE starring Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick and Sam Worthington. The film had its world premiere in Toronto at The 2014 Toronto Film Festival. The dark comedy has received an immense amount of attention including a SAG and Golden Globe nomination for Ms. Aniston.

Courtney is currently in production on his most recent film, COOK, directed by Bruce Beresford (DRIVING MISS DAISY) and starring Eddie Murphy, Britt Robertson and Natasha McElhone.

KRISTIN HAHN (Producer)

Kristin Hahn co-directed, wrote and produced the documentary feature, ANTHEM, a “time-capsule“ exploration of American identity at the turn of the century, which won the Fipresci International Critics Jury Prize and was released theatrically by Zeitgeist Films followed by a run on HBO/Cinemax. She also co-wrote the companion book, Anthem: An American Road Story, published by HarperCollins.

Kristin’s second book for HarperCollins, In Search of Grace, is a layperson’s guide to comparative religion. Following its publication, Hahn formed Plan B Entertainment with Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, where she originated and supervised a large slate of films, including A MIGHTY HEART, THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE and the Academy Award-winning THE DEPARTED, for which Hahn served as Executive Producer. Aniston and Hahn subsequently formed Echo Films, through which they executive produced THE SWITCH, starring Aniston and Jason Bateman. They then created the television franchise, FIVE, an anthology of five short films designed to bring awareness to a topic of social import. The latest installment, CALL ME CRAZY, explores the subject of mental illness. Hahn recently penned and sold the feature spec script, IN THE FLESH, to Lionsgate, which she is producing with TEMPLE HILL ENTERTAINMENT. She produced TUMBLEDOWN, currently in post.

MARK CANTON (Producer)

With more than 300 movies under his belt, Mark Canton has been a senior studio executive and a movie and television producer. Among his most notable recent films are the box office mega-hit 300, its companion 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE, THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES and IMMORTALS.

CAKE is the first project being produced under a new venture between Cinelou Films DHJ and China’s Shenghua Entertainment. Shooting in September is LAST WITCH HUNTER, starring Vin Diesel for Summit/Lionsgate. Now in post-production is THE PYRAMID, a horror film that Gregory Levasseur directed for Fox International Productions. Also in post-production: OUTCAST, an adventure-drama directed by Nick Powell and starring Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christiansen. In the television arena, Canton is Executive Producer on Starz’s POWER, which is starting to shoot its second season in New York. Canton joined Warner Bros. as Vice President of Production, rising to Senior Vice President and President of Worldwide Theatrical Production. During his tenure at the studio, he was instrumental in creating the notable BATMAN, LETHAL WEAPON and NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION franchises. His creative influence brought some of the studio’s most successful films to the screen, including TIM BURTON’S PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, BATMAN, BEETLEJUICE, the Academy Award winning DRIVING MISS DAISY and Martin Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS. Canton also put into production such hits as ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, PURPLE RAIN, ABOVE THE LAW, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, THE MISSION, and PRESUMED INNOCENT, among others.

He departed Warner Bros. to join Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Columbia Pictures as Chairman. In the ensuing years, he rose to Chairman of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Companies, with responsibility for Columbia Pictures, Triumph Films, Sony Pictures Classics SPE’s international theatrical operations and Columbia TriStar’s strategic motion picture alliances. During his tenure, the studio released a wide range of critically acclaimed hits, among them: A FEW GOOD MEN, GROUNDHOG DAY, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA, BAD BOYS, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, LEGENDS OF THE FALL, THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, LITTLE WOMEN, THE REMAINS OF THE DAY and THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT. Following Sony, Canton returned to Warner Bros. to create his own production entity, The Canton Company, which yielded JACK FROST, GET CARTER and RED PLANET. In early 2002 he joined Artists Production Group as a partner, Chairman and CEO and in December 2003, he launched Atmosphere Entertainment MM – an entrepreneurial venture to develop, produce and finance theatrical motion pictures and television programming. A native of New York, Canton is a UCLA graduate (magna cum laude) and a member of UCLA’s National Honor Society for American Studies.

BEN BARNZ (Producer)

An independent film producer, Barnz frequently collaborates with his husband, filmmaker Daniel Barnz, with whom he formed We’re Not Brothers Productions. When Daniel introduced him to Patrick Tobin’s script, CAKE, Ben optioned it. With Tobin, they developed the screenplay, packaged the project, secured financing and made the film, all in a period of 13 months.

After working as a casting director for many years, Ben produced Daniel’s first film, the critically acclaimed PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND, starring Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson and Elle Fanning, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was released nationally in 2009. He is currently writing a memoir about adoption (the couple have two children). A native New Yorker, he attended Hampshire College.

STEPHANIE CALEB (Co-Producer)

As Executive Vice President, Production and Marketing, Stephanie Caleb oversees all aspects of production, acquisitions, marketing, distribution and publicity. Most recently, Stephanie co-produced and oversaw marketing and publicity for the Screen Actors Guild, Broadcast Film Critics Association and Golden Globe nominated film, CAKE (Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Felicity Huffman, William H. Macy, Anna Kendrick and Sam Worthington) and is currently co-producing the highly anticipated upcoming film, COOK (Eddie Murphy, Brit Robertson, Natascha McElhone).

Previously, Stephanie produced a total of 22 films distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment, Warner Bros. Studios, Anchor Bay and more including GETAWAY, starring Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez and Jon Voigt and Michael Douglas’s thriller BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT. She also self financed and produced the Indy Film PLASTIC JESUS starring Mackenzie Foy, Hilarie Burton, and Paul Schneider, directed by Sundance “Best of Next” Director Erica Dunton.

Ms. Caleb assisted CEOs Mark Canton and Courtney Solomon in launching the newly formed Cinelou Releasing in 2014. The Studio will release its first film, CAKE, nationwide on January 23rd, 2015.