Don's Plum

Don's Plum is a 2001 low-budget black and white indie film drama directed by R. D. Robb, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Kevin Connolly.[1] The drama was filmed in 1995–1996, and written by Robb with Bethany Ashton, Tawd Beckman, David Stutman and Dale Wheatley. The film takes place over the course of one night in which a group of young adults discuss life while eating at a diner.

Don's Plum
Directed byR. D. Robb
Produced byDavid Stutman
Dale Wheatley
Written byBethany Ashton
Tawd Beckman
R.D. Robb
David Stutman
Dale Wheatley
StarringLeonardo DiCaprio
Tobey Maguire
Kevin Connolly
Scott Bloom
Jenny Lewis
Amber Benson
Heather McComb
Meadow Sisto
Marissa Ribisi
Nikki Cox
Music byBlake Sennett
CinematographySteve Adcock
Brian Bellamy
Edited byPaul Heiman
Nabil Mehchi
Production
company
Trust Film Sales
Zentropa Entertainment
Distributed byPolo Pictures Entertainment
Release date
Berlin International Film Festival
February 10, 2001 (2001-02-10)
Denmark
August 24, 2001
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
Denmark
Sweden
LanguageEnglish
Box office€6,297

DiCaprio and Maguire were paid $575 per day to appear in the film. They later sued to stop the movie from being released. As of 2019, the film is still blocked from release in the U.S. and Canada.[2]

Blake Sennett of Rilo Kiley provided the soundtrack for the film. His bandmate Jenny Lewis has a role as Sara.

It is the second film on-screen collaboration between Maguire and DiCaprio, the first film This Boy's Life, released in 1993, and the third film The Great Gatsby, released in 2013.

Plot

Don's Plum is centered around a friend group of young twenty year olds who meet at a restaurant called "Don's Plum" every Saturday night. The 4 male friends usually each bring a girl with them to all hang out. Drama ensues, including verbal and physical altercations between the friends and other members in the restaurant. There is very little concrete plot, with more of a "friends hanging out" movie.

Lawsuits

On April 1, 1998, producer David Stutman filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, case no. B C1894C0,[2] against Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire for Declaratory Relief, Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage, Breach of Contract, Slander of Title, and Injunctive Relief. It was later agreed between DiCaprio, Maguire, Stutman, Wheatley and Jerry Meadors that the film would only be released outside the U.S. and Canada. The lawsuit also required that some scenes had to be trimmed or removed.[3]

Free streaming

In September 2014, Dale Wheatley published an open letter to DiCaprio on the website freedonsplum.com, giving his take on the history of the film and the ensuing legal issues.[4] Wheatley also uploaded the film to the website so that it could be streamed for free.[1] It was removed in January 2016 after a third-party notification by DiCaprio and Maguire claiming infringement.[5] Wheatley made the following statement to Fox News: "It saddens me deeply that in 2016 we witness the senseless oppression of film and art by one of America's most beloved actors". "While the world celebrates — and certainly Americans celebrate — his great achievements in cinema, he chooses to use an iron fist to suppress the work of many other artists including him in a film made 20 years ago."[6] The film can be watched on YouTube.[7]

Reception

It premiered on February 10, 2001, in Berlin. Time Out New York writer Mike D'Angelo called it, "the best film [I saw] in Berlin".[8] Variety Magazine called it an "unpleasant and tedious ensemble."[9]

References
  1. Lyne, Charlie (2016-01-02). "Don's Plum: the film Leonardo DiCaprio would rather forget". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  2. "Producer: DiCaprio Capsized My Film". The Smoking Gun. 1998-06-22. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  3. christophernguyen726 (2019-03-13). "Don's Plum: DVD Vs. Workprint". Bootleg Comparisons. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  4. Dale, Wheatley (2014-09-05). "Don's Plum". Letter to Leonardo DiCaprio. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  5. "Video unavailable". Vimeo. 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  6. Falzone, Diana (2016-01-28). "Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire have film 'Don's Plum' removed from streaming site". Fox News. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
  7. Don's Plum, retrieved 2019-10-16
  8. "Berlin 2011". Panix. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  9. Cockrell, Eddie (2001-02-12). "Review: 'Don's Plum'". Variety. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
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