"Shortcomings" is the debut film of Randall Park, based on a screenplay by famous graphic artist Adrian Tomine, Sacramento native who lived in Berkeley through his early career. Tomine did many New Yorker covers and before that, drew a lot of comics for Optic Nerve. Most of his novels were set in the East Bay.
Berkeleyside on Shortcommings:
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/08/15/shortcomings-adrian-tomine-randall-park-homemade-cafe-original-pollos-berkeley-marina?fbclid=IwAR04BdsamCH5LUoi1Um-865vht3YrzpFv7qpBFOqqyqnqILe1rppvCCG0Sc
Haven't seen the movie yet, it looks like a cross between "Ghost World" and an Asian "Sideways".
Berkeleyside on Shortcommings:
https://www.berkeleyside.org/2023/08/15/shortcomings-adrian-tomine-randall-park-homemade-cafe-original-pollos-berkeley-marina?fbclid=IwAR04BdsamCH5LUoi1Um-865vht3YrzpFv7qpBFOqqyqnqILe1rppvCCG0Sc
Quote:
The witty comedy, which began showing in theaters this month, marks Fresh Off the Boat actor Randall Park's directorial debut. Shortcomings is an adaptation of Adrian Tomine's 2007 comic of the same name, which he worked on during his time in Berkeley.
Tomine, who wrote the screenplay and helped with location scouting, insisted on shooting in real-life Berkeley.
(Ben Tanaka (Justin Min) tells Miko Hayashi (Ally Maki) what he thinks of New York City while standing outside Amoeba Records in Berkeley. Credit: Sony Pictures Classics)
While the production team ultimately wasn't able to film in all of the Berkeley institutions mentioned in the original comic when they visited in August 2022, Homemade Cafe, Original Pollo, Amoeba Records on Telegraph, the Ohlone Greenway, Pegasus Books' Downtown Berkeley location and Csar Chvez Park all make appearances in the movie.
The last showing of Shortcomings at the Rialto Elmwood (Berkeley's last remaining commercial movie theater, also struggling) is on Thursday, Aug. 17.
Haven't seen the movie yet, it looks like a cross between "Ghost World" and an Asian "Sideways".
