PELHAM, NY — On Monday, June 20th at 7:30 p.m., The Picture House Regional Film Center (TPH) will present an advance screening of the new movie The Fundamentals of Caring with a post-film discussion and Q&A with director Rob Burnett. Burnett is a five-time Emmy winning executive producer of The David Letterman Show.
The Fundamentals of Caring tells the story of a writer (Paul Rudd) who retires after a personal tragedy and becomes a disabled teen’s (Craig Roberts) caregiver. When the two embark on an impromptu road trip, their ability to cope is tested as they start to understand the importance of hope and friendship. The film, based on Jonathan Evison’s 2013 novel, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving also co-stars Selena Gomez and was the 2016 Sundance Festival’s closing night film. It will be released on Netflix on June 24th.
After the film, The Picture House’s critic-in-residence, Marshall Fine will moderate the discussion and Q&A with director Rob Burnett, the director and writer of the film. Burnett is a five-time Emmy Award-winning executive producer of The Late Show with David Letterman. He was also president and chief executive officer of Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants Inc., where he oversaw both The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, as well as the development of Everybody Loves Raymond. Burnett began his career with David Letterman in 1985 as a 22-year-old intern. In 1988 he joined the show’s writing staff, and at 29 became its head writer. In 1996 he became the show executive producer. Joining forces with former Late Show head writer Jon Beckerman, Burnett has created two critically acclaimed series for network television. Ed aired on NBC from 2000-2004 and won Burnett and Beckerman a People’s Choice award and earned them an Emmy nomination for writing. The two teamed up again in 2006 to create the ABC half-hour, single-camera comedy, The Knights of Prosperity.
Burnett made his feature directorial debut on We Made This Movie in 2012, which he co-wrote with Beckerman. The movie follows the story of five high school seniors who set out to make a comedy movie, but accidentally make a drama about themselves. Burnett graduated in 1984 from Tufts University, where he majored in English and played varsity soccer. Burnett currently resides in Connecticut with his wife, Eunice, their daughters, Sydney and Lucy, and their son, Charlie.
Tickets to the special advance screening and discussion are $15/general admission, $10/students and seniors and FREE FOR MEMBERS and are available at www.thepicturehouse.org or at the box office, 175 Wolfs Lane, Pelham, NY 10803.