Brad Pitt joins star-studded cast for ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ virtual live table read
(Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for SBIFF)
Oscar winner Brad Pitt and Jimmy Kimmel will join the previously announced Jennifer Aniston, Dane Cook, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf, Matthew McConaughey, and Julia Roberts for an unrehearsed, anything-goes table read of the seminal 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which just celebrated the 38th Anniversary of its August 13, 1982 release. Sean Penn, who played the surfer stoner Spicoli in the original film, is also set for the table read.
The date for Dane Cook Presents Feelin’ A-Live, a virtual live table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, also gets a new date and will now stream on Friday, August 21, 2020 at 8PM ET/5PM PT as to not conflict with the final night of the Democratic National Convention.
Of the date change, Feelin’ A-Live presenter Dane Cook said: “Upon realizing Feelin’ A-Live was programmed opposite the DNC’s final night, we felt it was best to let the convention have its own evening, and then we’ll have ours. Luckily, we were able to shift around some schedules—and add some stellar new cast members—so we’re thrilled to now get to kick off your weekend with a Friday night broadcast.”
Feelin’ A-Live is a fundraiser for two vital organizations: the emergency relief nonprofit CORE, the humanitarian organization co-founded bySean Penn and CEO Ann Lee, currently on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 providing testing and relief services in the United States; and the REFORM Alliance, which is focused on passing laws to reform the criminal justice system and protecting the incarcerated population from the spread of COVID-19.
The virtual event will now take place on Friday, August 21 at 8PM ET/5PM PT on Facebook Live and TikTokvia CORE’s official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CoreResponse) and TikTok handle(tiktok.com/@coreresponse). It will also stream via LiveXLive (www.livexlive.com). The livestreams will feature a ‘Donate’ button onscreen with all proceeds benefiting CORE as well as REFORM Alliance.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High director Amy Heckerling and screenwriter Cameron Crowe will make a special introduction before handing things over to the cast. Viewers will need to tune-in live to find out which roles each actor will be playing.
In a previous statement, Fast Times director Amy Heckerling said: “I’m honored that so many talented, wonderful people are willing to get together to celebrate our movie, and to create their own special version of it. And I’m a huge fan of Sean. He has such a big heart and I fully support CORE and all of his causes.”
Screenwriter Cameron Crowe added: “Sean brought magic to us on day one, and he is still bringing that magic to the world. We are so excited to be a part of this 2020 take on Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Thank you to this cast, and to Sean, for always honoring the best things in life, love and creativity. It is, as a great man once said, totally awesome.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, CORE has been a national leader in the COVID-19 response to provide free testing and support services for high-risk individuals and vulnerable communities. The organization has administered more than one million tests across dozens of test sites across the nation, with a focus on serving low-income groups, communities of color, first responders and essential workers. In addition to testing, CORE is committed to implementing a multipronged, holistic approach inclusive of streamlined testing with timely results; comprehensive and effective contact tracing programs; and supported quarantine and isolation services that provide shelter, food and wage replacement. CORE is committed to supporting local governance with a community-centric approach and has applied this model to emergency relief efforts in Haiti, The Bahamas and the United States.
The mission of the REFORM Alliance is to reduce the number of people who are unjustly under the control of the criminal justice system – starting with probation and parole – and move at least one million people out of the system by the end of 2023. The organization was created to advocate for probation and parole reforms that make communities safer, enable people to realize their true potential and save taxpayers money. As COVID-19 ravages prisons across the country, REFORM has taken additional action, partnering with Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey’s #startsmall initiative, Madonna’s Ray of Light Foundation, apparel company Pair of Thieves, New York Times-bestselling author Shaka Senghor, The Bail Project, The Dosberg Fund, Operation LIPSTICK and #cut50 to distribute over 10 million masks and PPE to prisons across all 50 states to safeguard incarcerated individuals and correctional facility staff from the virus.
Feelin’ A-Live, a virtual live table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is executive produced by Dane Cook and Ivan Dudynsky and presented in association with Deviants Media Inc. and JWP, and sponsored by SnackPop.com.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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