While it might’ve seemed that Warren Beatty has taken a page from Howard Hughes himself over the last fifteen years since his last big screen appearance, that’s not quite true. He’s simply decided to focus on his family, stay out of the spotlight, and somewhere along the way, write and direct a new film. “Rules Don’t Apply” marks Beatty’s return not just behind the camera, but in front of it too, and his legendary status has enabled him to round up a huge ensemble for the effort.
Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins lead the film, that also features Alec Baldwin, Annette Bening, Haley Bennett, Candice Bergen, Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Steve Coogan, Taissa Farmiga, Ed Harris, Megan Hilty, Oliver Platt and Martin Sheen, in the story of a young woman who comes to Hollywood to seek fortune and fame, and finds the eccentric Hughes instead. Here’s the official synopsis:
An aspiring young actress (Lily Collins) and her ambitious young driver (Alden Ehrenreich) struggle hopefully with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire (Warren Beatty), who they work for.
It’s Hollywood, 1958. Small town beauty queen and devout Baptist virgin Marla Mabrey (Collins), under contract to the infamous Howard Hughes (Beatty), arrives in Los Angeles. At the airport, she meets her driver Frank Forbes (Ehrenreich), who is engaged to be married to his 7th grade sweetheart and is a deeply religious Methodist. Their instant attraction not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes’ behavior intersects with Marla and Frank in very separate and unexpected ways, and as they are drawn deeper into his bizarre world, their values are challenged and their lives are changed.
“Rules Don’t Apply” will premiere at AFI Fest and open on November 23rd.
