Trailer for Crippling Sundance Drama 'James White' Starring Christopher Abbott and Cynthia Nixon

While it's not totally correct to say that James White emerged out of nowhere at this past Sundance, the film wasn't expected to be the award-winner it turned out to be. First-time director Josh Mond had been a producer on Martha Marcy May Marlene, a film that included talents such as Elizabeth Olsen, Brady Corbet, and filmmakers Antonio Campos and Sean Durkin, so perhaps there should have been more attention paid to James White, after all.  Either way, the film is gearing up to hit TIFF before opening in theaters, and now the first trailer for the gritty drama has been released.

Starring Christopher Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Ron Livingston, and Mackenzie Leigh, the film centers on a self-destructive New Yorker who must set his all of that aside to help take care of his ailing mother. Here's the official synopsis:

MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE producer Josh Mond, JAMES WHITE, which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2014 where it was the winner of the "Best of Next" Audience Award, is a confident and closely observed debut that explores loss and the deep relationship between a mother and son. Abbott’s strong central performance is aided by a stellar supporting cast featuring Cynthia Nixon (“Sex and the City”), Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi ("Comedy Bang! Bang!"), and Ron Livingston (DRINKING BUDDIES). Shot on location in New York City with an intimate visual style, JAMES WHITE follows its lead into deep, affecting places while still maintaining its fragile humanity.

My review out of Park City noted the lead performances most, saying "the crippling honesty in Nixon and Abbott's performances reveal a deep humanity through all of the sadness." This is a tough film but one worth checking out. James White opens on November 13th.