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My Tale of Two Cities: A Funny and Heartfelt Comeback Story That Proves Its Never Too Late to Come Back!

By
Jonathan
on October 10, 2009 9:02 PM |

"A delightful, quirky, heartwarming film that is as funny as it is revealing..."
-- Don Roy King, director, "Saturday Night Live"

"My Tale of Two Cities" is a story that is both personal and universal. As cities like Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, and others are reinventing themselves in a changing economy, natives of these cities are reconsidering what it means to call them home. Carl Kurlander has produced a movie that is timely, moving, and - above all - entertaining. You can't get an entire city into therapy - but this film is the next best thing - a funny self-help guide for cities looking at their future."

Mitch Teich, Executive Producer, "Lake Effect", Milwaukee Public Radio

"If you believe in miraculous comebacks, you've got to catch this film."
-- Franco Harris, Hall of Fame Steeler

A limited number of DVDS are available on ShopWQED or by calling 800-274-1307.

THE TRAILER:

THE MOVIE:

With the recent G-20 Summit casting its light on the story of Pittsburgh as a model for post-industrial rebirth, a small, but heartfelt and hopeful movie, My Tale of Two Cities is picking up some grassroots support at screenings across this country. The film tells the tale not only of Pittsburgh's inspiring comeback, but of a personal journey to which many can relate about coming home and learning from and moving on from our pasts.

The film, which has received national attention in the Washington Post, USA Today, and on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, addresses themes that many cities and people are experiencing these days --- from why we chose to live where we do, to how both people and communities going through tough times can redefine who they are. My Tale of Two Cities is told through the eyes of screenwriter (St. Elmo's Fire) and TV writer/producer (Saved By The Bell) Carl Kurlander, who found himself on The Oprah Winfrey Show, for leaving Hollywood to move back to his hometown of Pittsburgh. But soon after Carl and his wife Natalie told Oprah how happy they were raising their daughter in what is quite literally Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Pittsburgh loses its favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, and the city itself goes bankrupt.

On an almost Don Quixote quest to help his hometown, Kurlander-- armed with a cranky cameraman, funded by his dermatologist, and often battling his wife, who longs to return to the sunny West Coast--asks his neighbors, from the famous (Steeler legend Franco Harris, Teresa Heinz Kerry) to the not-so-famous (his old gym teacher and the girl who inspired St. Elmo's Fire) how this once great industrial giant, which built America with its steel, conquered polio and invented everything from aluminum to the Big Mac, can reinvent itself for a new age.

Like Pittsburgh, Kurlander struggles with self-image issues that give the film a charming, self-deprecating humor: Carl's reunites with a girl who beat him up from his childhood; catches a catfish from Pittsburgh's once polluted rivers with his brother (which leads to a visit to famed coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht's morgue to see if they will live); and offers to buy cheese for Teresa Heinz Kerry at a downtown shop only to watch her accumulate a very sizable basket of cheese that threatens to break the film's budget.

But along the way, there is some true wisdom dispensed by the neighbors: Ms. Heinz Kerry quotes her late husband John Heinz about how "sometimes our biggest problems become our biggest opportunities;" Carl's old gym teacher talks about how both people and cities too often try to hold on too long to their old glory days; and Andy Warhol's nephew, Marty Warhola, who owns a scrap yard blocks from the Warhol Museum, speculates about what Uncle Andy would have become if he had stayed in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

Some of the most touching moments come from Fred Rogers' wife Joanne and his longtime delivery man Mr. McFeely who remind us that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood really still exists. But as Pittsburgh and Kurlander's stories become increasingly entwined, it is an honest, raw scene with Carl's mother who had dramatically left Pittsburgh during his childhood, that leads to the film's catharsis--pointing out that sometimes to move on with our futures, both communities and people have to let go of their pasts, and learn to believe in themselves.

This hopeful, timely, and surprisingly feel-good film has delighted audiences everywhere, having premiered at the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, opened the Three Rivers Film Festival, sold out 1300 seats at The Byham Theater (where it received a standing ovation), and played at Tribeca Cinemas in New York, AFI Silver Theater in the D.C. area, the Annual MENSA convention, the International Downtown Association's 55th Annual Convention in Milwaukee, and various theaters across Western Pennsylvania. It has recently been picked up by Panorama Entertainment and hopes to be coming to a theater near you soon.
.
To arrange a screening in your neighborhood or for your organization, please contact Stephanie at mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD:

Please join this FACEBOOK GROUP for "My Tale of Two Cities" to help us spread the word about the movie. And tell your friends and family about it.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW ON "LAKE EFFECT" on MILWAUKEE PUBLIC RADIO ABOUT "My Tale of Two Cities" and rust belt cities reinventing themselves by clicking here.

The Washington Post mentions "My Tale of Two Cities" in its article on "Pittsburgh Shows How Rust Belt Can Be Polished Up" Also, read this Newsweek article: "Pittsburgh shows other countries visiting it for the G20 how postindustrial America can still bounce back."
DVD:

Visit the NEW Pittsburgh Comeback Story Blog.

DVD:

DVDS of "My Tale of Two Cities" DVD are also available online at www.filmbaby.com and at Joseph Beth Booksellers on the South Side, Borders in East Liberty/Shadyside, The Pleasant Present in Squirrel Hill, Kards Unlimited in Shadyside, Dreaming Ant DVD in Bloomfield, The Heinz History Center, HeidiOptics in Downtown Pittsburgh, the Sewickley Public Library, and online at the PG Store.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

"Whether you're a boomerang, comeback kid, recent transplant, or dyed-in-the-wool Burgher, you won't want to miss "My Tale of Two Cities," the much-buzzed about new film by St. Elmo's Fire screenwriter Carl Kurlander, which proves once and for all, that yes, you can go home again. With 1,300 people packing the film's sold-out debut (and delivering a standing ovation!),... ("My Tale of Two Cities" is)... a sort of collective cinematic homecoming for Pittsburghers everywhere... the film stars beloved local icons like Franco Harris and Mr. McFeely, and traces the city's storied role in building America's steel, conquering polio, and inventing everything from aluminum to the Big Mac. A classic comeback tale for a town in transition, the film follows the witty and charming Kurlander as he tosses a football with Franco Harris, shops with Teresa Heinz Kerry, has breakfast with Paul O' Neill, and ponders the time honored question: Can you go home again? Dubbed a "funny valentine to Pittsburgh,"... you know you'll cry black and gold tears as Pittsburghers from Times Square to Beverly Hills to Point State Park sing in unison to the city's anthem, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Pop City Media.

-- Jennifer Baron, Pop City Media

Read the full article here: Love Letter to the Burgh and check out the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and USA Today articles on "My Tale Of Two Cities" in our NEWS SECTION.

Talk about a "comeback story." Despite the economic headlines, there are over 20,000 jobs listed in the Pittsburgh region at www.imaginemynewjob.com

RECENT PIECES ON NPR, CNN, THE AP, AND THE NEW YORK TIMES ABOUT THE PITTSBURGH COMEBACK STORY AS A MODEL FOR THE NATION:

Wall Street Journal

Pittsburgh Scores the G20 Summit

NPR: "Factory and auto towns shift gears"

AP: "Despite recession, Pittsburgh on a building boom"

Randi Kaye of Anderson 360 on CNN: "Can Pittsburgh Save Detroit?

New York Times: The Greening of Pittsburgh

THE SOUNDTRACK:

The "My Tale of Two Cities" SOUNDTRACK FEATURING SOME OF PITTSBURGH'S FINEST MUSICIANS, INCLUDING DONORA'S GREAT COVER OF FRED ROGERS' "IT'S SUCH A GOOD FEELING" IS AVAILABLE NOW AT CD BABY. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SOME SAMPLES.

THANKS:

We hope you enjoy this film that proves "it's never too late to come back" and that the whole world really is "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

My Tale Of Two Cities DVD On Sale Now! The Perfect Pittsburgh Gift For The Holidays

By
Jonathan
on December 9, 2008 6:20 AM | | Comments (0)

Buy Now By Clicking Here or call WQED at 1-800-274-1307.

If you need to overnight the film for the holidays, you may want to visit this site also.

You can also find this "funny and heartfelt valentine to Pittsburgh"
at A Pleasant Present in Squirrel Hill, Kards Unlimited in Shadyside, or The Heinz History Center.

"My Tale Of Two Cities" will also be playing at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont December 19th to December 23rd at 5 pm. For directions, go to: www.theoakstheater.com. These screenings will benefit Steeltown's Youth and Media Initiative with the Holy Family Institute (see www.steeltown.org and www.hfi-pgh.org).

There will also be a special Christmas Eve screening of "My Tale of Two Cities" with a Chinese Meal at Rodef Shalom Temple. It is open to the public and begins at 6:30. For information, please email Leslie Garrison at garrison@rodefshalom.org or CLICK Here.

Click Here to see the Youtube trailer for the movie.


Whether you're a boomerang, comeback kid, recent transplant, or dyed-in-the-wool Burgher, you won't want to miss "My Tale of Two Cities," the much-buzzed about new film by St. Elmo's Fire screenwriter and Steeltown Entertainment Project co-founder Carl Kurlander, which proves once and for all, that yes, you can go home again. With 1,300 people packing the film's sold-out debut (and delivering a standing ovation!),... ("My Tale of Two Cities" is)... a sort of collective cinematic homecoming for Pittsburghers everywhere... the film stars beloved local icons like Franco Harris and Mr. McFeely, and traces the city's storied role in building America's steel, conquering polio, and inventing everything from aluminum to the Big Mac. A classic comeback tale for a town in transition, the film follows the witty and charming Kurlander as he tosses a football with Franco Harris, shops with Teresa Heinz Kerry, has breakfast with Paul O' Neill, and ponders the time honored question: Can you go home again? Dubbed a "funny valentine to Pittsburgh,"... you know you'll cry black and gold tears as Pittsburghers from Times Square to Beverly Hills to Point State Park sing in unison to the city's anthem, "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"-- Pop City Media

Read the article: Love Letter to the Burgh: still time to catch My Tale of Two Cities on the big screen and check out the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and USA Today articles on "My Tale Of Two Cities".

We thank you and hope you enjoy this film that proves "it's never too late to come back" and that the whole world really is "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

If you would like to arrange for a screening of "My Tale of Two Cities" in your neighborhood (regionally or at venues around the country), please contact mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com.

My Tale Of Two Cities playing at Penn Hills Cinemas

By
Jonathan
on December 1, 2008 8:36 AM | | Comments (0)

Due to popular demand, "My Tale of Two Cities" will play at the Penn Hills Cinemas starting Monday, December 1, running through Saturday, December 6, at 7:15 p.m. On Monday Dec. 1st, filmmaker Carl Kurlander will be there to introduce the film and discuss it afterwards.

Penn Hills Cinemas is in the Penn Hills Shopping Center. From the East End, go one past the first Monroeville exit to the "Penn Hills" exit, get off and turn right. Phone 412.243.1831 They are closed on Wednesday Dec. 3rd. Tickets are just $5.00. Please help us spread the word.

On November 28, Pittsburghers everywhere were invited to a special red carpet screening of "My Tale of Two Cities", a funny and heartfelt valentine to Pittsburgh. A sold out Byham Theater audience of 1250 people laughed, cried and gave a standing ovation to this "comeback story" about coming home and one of America's great cities reinventing itself for a new age.

If you are unable to see it in a theater, a limited number of DVDS of "My Tale of Two Cities" are available for the holidays at http://www.wqed.org/genl/shop/history.shtml#tale or by calling 1-800-274-1307. The film is also at Kards Unlimited on Walnut Street in Shadyside.

If you would like to arrange for a screening of "My Tale of Two Cities" in your neighborhood (regionally or at venues around the country), please contact mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com.

New article: Love Letter to the Burgh: still time to catch My Tale of Two Cities on the big screen

Check out the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and USA Today articles on "My Tale Of Two Cities".

We thank you and hope you enjoy this film that proves "it's never too late to come back" and that the whole world really is "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

To find out more about Steeltown's Youth and Media Initiative being done in association with the Holy Family Institute which the Nov. 28th Byham screening benefited, please go to www.steeltown.org and www.hfi-pgh.org.

November 28th Red-Carpet Screening of "My Tale of Two Cities" at The Byham Theater

By
Kris
on November 26, 2008 12:31 AM | | Comments (0)

Check out the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and USA Today articles on “My Tale Of Two Cities”.

On November 28, Pittsburghers everywhere were invited to a special red carpet screening of “My Tale of Two Cities”, a funny and heartfelt valentine to Pittsburgh, about coming home and one of America’s great cities reinventing itself for a new age. We are touched and humbled by the overwhelming response which SOLD OUT The Byham Theater.

If you were unable to get tickets to see the movie, a limited number of DVDS of “My Tale of Two Cities” are available at http://www.wqed.org/genl/shop/history.shtml#tale or by calling 1-800-274-1307.

If you would like to arrange for a screening of “My Tale of Two Cities” in your neighborhood (regionally or at venues around the country), please contact mytaleoftwocities@gmail.com.

We thank you and hope you enjoy this film that proves “it’s never too late to come back” and that the whole world really is “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

To find out more about Steeltown’s Youth and Media Initiative being done in association with the Holy Family Institute which the Nov. 28th Byham screening benefitted, please go to www.steeltown.org and www.hfi-pgh.org.

Please click below to view the trailer.

bottleshock.jpg

It can also be viewed on Youtube.com at the following url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Uwu-rNSmI

Schedule of Events for 'Homecoming Screening November 28th at Byham Theater.

By
Kris
on October 2, 2008 8:24 PM | | Comments (0)

On November 28th at The Byham Theater, as part of “Pittsburgh’s Homecoming Weekend” celebrating the city’s 250th birthday, Pittsburghers everywhere are invited for a special Thanksgiving weekend red-carpet screening of “My Tale of Two Cities”, a funny and poignant “comeback” story about coming home and one of America’s great cities reinventing itself for a new age. Join Mister Rogers Neighborhood’s Mr. McFeely, Franco Harris and other members of the cast, as we blow out the candles for Pittsburgh’s 250th birthday and sing the city’s unofficial theme song “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

5:30-6:30 Fifth Avenue Place. VIP “Cast” Reception where some of the cast members will be on hand and special out-takes from the movie will be screened.

7:00 p.m. Screening at The Byham.

9:00 p.m. Fifth Avenue Place. Pittsburgh Homecoming Party. Celebrate coming home with traditional Pittsburgh cuisine and music by Donora and former Rusted Root band member Jim Dispirito, Carol Lee Espy and Friends.

The evening will benefit the “Youth and Media Program” of Steeltown Entertainment Project and Holy Family Institute which has been restoring hope and transforming the lives of young people in the Pittsburgh region for over one hundred years.

For more information on the event please email homecoming@steeltown.org or visit www.steeltown.org.

Pittsburgh Homecoming Screening of MTOTC Set For November 28th!

By
Jonathan
on August 26, 2008 3:03 PM | | Comments (0)

On November 28th at The Byham Theater, as part of "Pittsburgh's Homecoming Weekend" celebrating the city's 250th birthday, Pittsburghers everywhere are invited to come home for a special Thanksgiving weekend red-carpet screening of "My Tale of Two Cities", a poignant and funny bent valentine to our city about "coming home" and Pittsburgh reinventing itself for a new age.

Continue reading Pittsburgh Homecoming Screening of MTOTC Set For November 28th!.

Special "Pittsburgh Homecoming" screening of "My Tale of Two Cities" at the Byham Theater November 28th

By
Jonathan
on August 3, 2008 7:32 PM | | Comments (0)

On November 28th at The Byham Theater, as part of "Pittsburgh's Homecoming Weekend" celebrating the city's 250th birthday, there will be a special red-carpet screening of "My Tale of Two Cities." Pittsburghers everywhere are invited to come home for this special Thanksgiving weekend event and join Mr. McFeely and the cast in singing "Won't You Be My Neighhbor?". Email homecoming@steeltown.org for information on tickets to the event.

"My Tale of Two Cities" screens for "Neighbors" in California

By
Jonathan
on April 20, 2008 10:04 AM | | Comments (0)

It might sound crazy to try to lure folks to Wine Country with Iron City Beer, Isaly's Chipped Ham, and a movie about Pittsburgh, but "My Tale of Two Cities" got some serious festival buzz to the point that the Sonoma Index Tribune wrote: "Although it is the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, Pittsburgh garnered a lot of attention this weekend. Filmmaker Carl Kurlander's documentary, "My Tale of Two Cities," looks at the metamorphosis Pittsburgh underwent from the city he remembered as a boy to the city he returned to 30 years later..." For more information, please go to our "Discuss" section...

Continue reading "My Tale of Two Cities" screens for "Neighbors" in California.
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