Join us for a one-night-only screening of the new heartwarming indie dark(ish) comedy Merry Good Enough at the Tusten Theatre on Saturday, November 11th at 7 PM. Just in time for the holiday season, the film follows the story of a dysfunctional family whose mother disappears on Christmas Eve, leading one daughter, Lucy, on an extraordinary journey to reunite her family.
BIG EDDY SELECT SCREENINGS offer local audiences more opportunities to screen impactful and independent films throughout the year. In true Big Eddy Film Festival fashion, we are offering an exclusive talkback after the screening with the film’s stars and local faces, Raye Levine and Sawyer Spielberg, as well as writer and directors Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy. Moderated by our very own Greg Triggs, this talkback will really put the FUN in dysfunctional family drama.
ABOUT THE FILM
Merry Good Enough is a dark comedy about a family whose mom disappears on Christmas Eve and the lengths one daughter must go to bring her family back together again. At once funny, intense, and hopeful, the film is led by the indelible Raye Levine and Joel Murray. Featuring a stand-out ensemble cast that includes Susan Gallagher, Comfort Clinton, Sawyer Spielberg, Daniel Desmarais, Neil Casey, Sophie von Haselberg, Margaret Curry, Kevin O. Peterson, and Marcia DeBonis, Merry Good Enough was filmed in the Boston area in the winter of 2022.
RAYE LEVINE as Lucy Raulie
Raye Levine is a New York based actor. Selected film credits: A View of the World from 5th Ave, Pink Flags, Follow the Roses, The Great Pretender. Selected theatre credits: Guild Halls production of Extinction, Leviticus at EST & Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and more.
JOEL MURRAY as George Raulie
Joel is a versatile writer-director-actor. The youngest of the nine Murrays, Joel is a veteran of over 250 sitcom episodes. He has been a series regular on the comedies Grand, Pacific Station, Love and War, Dharma and Greg and Still Standing among others. On the dramatic side, Joel played Freddy Rumsen on AMC’s Mad Men as well as Eddie Jackson on Showtime’s Shameless. Joel has been in numerous films including One Crazy Summer, Scrooged, Long Gone, The Artist, Hatchet, and Lay the Favorite.
COMFORT CLINTON as Cynthia Raulie
Comfort is a New York based actor who has held principal roles in many independent films including “Good Bones”, “Either Side of Midnight” and “Paint”- currently available to stream online. She has guest starred on “Law & Order: SVU”, and made appearances on HBO’s ‘The White House Plumbers’ “and “The Good Fight” on CBS. She recurred on “Elementary” on CBS and on Hulu’s ‘Up Here’. She is very happy to be a part of Showtime’s “Billions”, where she has portrayed the character of Taiga for multiple seasons.
SAWYER SPIELBERG as Sam McGrath
Sawyer is a New York-based actor and has starred in the independent features: Honeydew, Christmas Eve In Miller’s Point, and The Martyr of Gowanus. He will soon be seen in a recurring role on Apple TV+’s upcoming series, Masters of the Air.
SUSAN GALLAGHER as Carol Raulie
Susan is best known, but unrecognizable, in the role of sassy Homeless Lynn in Netflix’s hit series, Cobra Kai. You can look for Susan this Fall opposite Pierce Brosnon and the late great James Caan in Phillip Noyce’s film, Fast Charlie and in the pilot for Pickleball is Life: Dill With It!, opposite Catherine Curtain. As a producer, she formed Her Little Red Productions in 2014 and has produced several short films and documentaries.
DANIEL DESMARAIS as Tim Raulie
Daniel Desmarais hails from Wilmette, IL, home to greats like Christie Hefner, H.H. Holmes, and Joel Murray. On stage, he recently appeared in MR. BURNS…A POST ELECTRIC PLAY at Theater Wit in Chicago. Other Chicago credits include HIT THE WALL (Steppenwolf Theatre), THIS BITTER EARTH (About Face Theatre), and CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Drury Lane). He has worked with Victory Gardens, Goodman, Jackalope, Oracle, The Music Theatre Company, and Actors Theatre of Louisville and Williamstown Theatre Festival. This is his feature debut.
DIRECTORS
CAROLINE KEENE (writer/co-director)
Caroline Keene is a writer and director from Marion, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of UT Austin’s MFA in Screenwriting program. This is her first feature.
DAN KENNEDY (co-director/producer)
Dan Kennedy is a director, cinematographer and producer with a rich narrative filmmaking background. The last feature he shot, Honeydew, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Dan and Caroline have been collaborating together since 2017.
TICKETS & LOCATION
Tickets: $10 / $8 for DVAA Members
Did you know? DVAA Members get a 20% discount on their ticket? Join today and save!
Tickets may be purchased by calling (845) 252-7576 or online at delawarevalleyartsalliance.org.
ABOUT THE BIG EDDY FILM FESTIVAL
Emerging from the picturesque wilds of Sullivan County – the Big Eddy Film Festival (BEFF) is a cinematic celebration of counter-current narratives. Produced by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance each fall, this immersive festival sparks new cultural possibilities at the juncture of film, art, and rural imagination.
ABOUT DVAA
DVAA is a creative home in the Upper Delaware Valley and Sullivan Catskills Region. We give artists platforms to share their voices in our galleries, on our stages, or at our festivals, including Riverfest in July and the Big Eddy Film Festival held every September. DVAA funds Sullivan County creatives and cultural organizations through our role as the county’s Arts Council. We are committed to nurturing the arts community, fostering growth, and cultivating a vibrant regional artistic landscape.
SUPPORT
DVAA’s programs are made possible thanks in part to the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency with support from the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; the Sullivan County Legislature; the Nancy Stevenson Memorial Fund; the Fair Games Fund; the Heartland Embers Fund, our Business Sponsors; DVAA members; and individuals like you.
