Beloved actor Tom Skerritt, known for M.A.S.H., Top Gun, Steel Magnolias and one of my favorites A River Runs Through It, gets a long-overdue leading role in S.J. Chiro’s adaptation of David Guterson’s best selling-novel, East of the Mountains. Find it in theaters and on VOD September 24.
Directed by S.J. Chiro
Written by Thane Swigart
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Mira Sorvino, Annie Gonzalez, Wally Dalton
“Skerritt delivers a performance that belies a soufulness and reservoir of talent.” – Eric Altoff, Screen Comment
“From Alien to MASH to Contact to Harold and Maude to Top Gun, Tom Skerritt has impressed […] as one of Hollywood’s preeminent character actors.” – Jordan Raup, The Film Stage
“[Tom] Skerritt… is in fine form.” – Stephen Saito, The Moveable Fest
“Skerritt is magnificent in the lead role.” – Nathaniel Muir, AIPT
Synopsis: After decades of playing memorable supporting characters, beloved actor Tom Skeritt plays his first leading film role as Ben Givens, a retired heart surgeon and recent widower who learns he has terminal cancer. Determined to navigate his final days on his own terms, he shares the news with no one—not even his daughter (Mira Sorvino)—instead, traveling back to his boyhood home in Eastern Washington with only his dog in tow. But the journey does not go as planned; the familiar landscape triggers memories and a connection with a kind stranger (Annie Gonzalez) inspires new insight. Based on David Guterson’s best-selling novel and unfolding against the scenic vistas of the Columbia Basin, this compelling character study offers a long-overdue showcase for one of cinema’s greatest treasures.
About Tom Skerritt: For over fifty years, Tom Skerritt has been captivating audiences worldwide. The acclaimed actor has left an indelible mark on the medium, having crafted some of film and television’s most memorable characters. Skerritt is known for iconic roles in films like M.A.S.H., Turning Point, Up In Smoke, The Dead Zone, Top Gun, Steel Magnolias, A River Runs Through It, Singles, The Rookie, Contact, Smoke Signals, and, of course, Ridley Scott’s Alien, which made its world premiere at the 4th annual Seattle International Film Festival in 1979. For his work in the 1993 -97 CBS series “Picket Fences,” he was recognized with the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.