Not Just Any Flower (1988)
The narrative unfolds as a timid young man, Cal, arrives for a date at the penthouse of June whose house resembles a whimsical modern art installation almost like Pee-Wee's Playhouse. He offers her roses, only to have them immediately rejected. What follows is a series of absurd, slapstick-inspired events—breaking a decorative bust, accidentally putting a fish in the June’s drink—that culminate in Cal posing shirtless on her indoor “beach” set, sparking June's creative epiphany and leading her to photograph him for a Vogue ad campaign. This short film was created in 1987 under the mentorship of Martin Scorsese while Gruber was a student at Columbia Film School, and has since earned a place in exhibitions at New York’s MoMA, cementing its status as a noteworthy artistic work.
- Date of release
- 1988-01-15
- Runtime
- 10m
- Genres
- Comedy
- Director
- Terry DeRoy Gruber
Casting
- Matt Mitler — Cal
- Molly Kohler-Pei — June
- Mick Muldoon — Newsstand Operator
- Steve Bratman — Newsstand Patron
- Valerie Bouchy — Newsstand Patron
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