Peter and Vandy

Plot

Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. Set in Manhattan, the story shifts back and forth in time, juxtaposing Peter and Vandy's romantic beginnings with the twisted, manipulative, regular couple they become.

Cast

Release

The film selected and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2009. It opened on a limited release basis in the United States in October of the same year. It has been screened at various film festivals, including: the São Paulo International Film Festival, the Gen Art Film Festival, the AFI Dallas Film Festival, the Waterfront Film Festival, the Provincetown International Film Festival and the Tallgrass Film Festival.

A DVD of the film was released on February 9, 2010, in Region 1.

Critical response

When the film was released, The New York Times film critic Jeannette Catsoulis, discussed the theme of the film, and wrote a mixed review:

Lovely to look at (Frank G. DeMarco's photography gives even the chilly New York City exteriors a romantic sheen) and beautifully acted, Peter and Vandy is often charming but also strenuous. The nonlinear structure (reminiscent of the recent (500) Days of Summer) and unrevealing dialogue too often hold us at arm's length, a puzzle to be solved without sufficient clues. When, briefly, the film opens up to embrace a second bickering couple (elegantly played by Tracie Thoms and Jesse L. Martin), the rush of energy is palpable: here at last are people willing to communicate in clear, declarative sentences...Enriched by a soundtrack heavy with New York-based talent like the National and Animal Collective, Peter and Vandy is more a designer frame for actors than nourishing entertainment.

Film critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat of the web based Spirituality & Practice, liked the film, writing,

Writer and director Jay DiPietro has adapted this enticing romantic story from his 2002 play. Using the now familiar techniques of nonlinear storytelling, jump cuts, and masterful editing, the filmmaker challenges us to understand and appreciate that intimate relationships stand or fall on the basis of how couples handle trifles and everyday routines.

Metromix film critic Geoff Berkshire also liked the film and gave the film a positive review, writing,

DiPietro's simple story flirts with indie-filmmaking-by-the-numbers but still manages a refreshingly clear-eyed look at relationships. It's closer (if not quite close enough) to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind than to any number of dreary Hollywood factory rom-coms. The non-linear approach relies on both subtle and obvious visual clues to keep the audience properly oriented, and enhances the narrative without the self-conscious raison d'etre gimmickry of Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience. DiPietro's dialogue is sharp and Ritter and Weixler credibly flesh out characters who aren't always likeable, they're just two regular people trying their best at love.

Yet, critic Todd McCarthy of Variety magazine panned the film when it opened in at the Sundance Film Festival, calling the film,

A time-jumbling love story about a couple who never inspire rooting interest, Peter and Vandy is an aggravating romance that runs only 78 minutes but ends not a moment too soon...Some of the linear deck-shuffling creates small frissons, but there's no underlying tension or subtext to shore up the banal talk. The accompanying songs are innocuous.

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 63% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on nineteen reviews."

Awards

Nominated

Track listing