On June 24, the DGA Chicago Coordinating Committee hosted a special screening of Director John McNaughton’s psychological horror thriller The Harvest at the Showplace Icon Theater in Chicago, followed by a Q&A and reception.
McNaughton's film tells the story of a couple (Samantha Morton and Michael Shannon) who try to keep their bedridden, home-schooled son Andy (Charlie Tahan) in a secluded environment in upstate New York in hopes that he will recover from his illness. This carefully plotted existence is challenged when a recently transplanted young girl named Maryann (Natasha Calis) strikes up a friendship with Andy after moving into the neighborhood. As the teens grow closer, the tight-knit world his over-protective mother has created begins to unravel and she is willing to resort to extreme measures in order to do what she feels is best for her son. The Harvest was nominated for the “Audience Choice Award” at the 2013 Chicago International Film Festival.
Following introductions and a few comments about the work of the Chicago Coordinating Committee by Co-Chair Jef Kos, McNaughton spoke about the making of The Harvest in a conversation moderated by Director Joe Chappelle (Chicago Fire).
In addition to The Harvest, McNaughton’s work includes the feature films Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Mad Dog & Glory and Wild Things; the documentaries Condo Painting and Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll; the movies for television Lansky, Expert Witness and Girls in Prison; the pilot for the series Push, Nevada; and episodes of the series Without a Trace, Masters of Horror and Homicide: Life on the Streets. The current Co-Chair of the Chicago Coordinating Committee, McNaughton has been a member of the DGA since 1991.
About the Committee:
The Chicago Coordinating Committee was formed in the mid-1960s to coordinate Guild activities in the Midwestern Area.