'Ode to Joy': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything else you need to know about the rom-com starring Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman (‘Sherlock’) is returning to the big screen with his own particular brand of dark humor in the fascinating rom-com ‘Ode to Joy’. The R-rated movie has already been screened at multiple film festivals and won awards. ‘Ode to Joy’ follows the charming yet heartbreaking story of a man whose illness causes him to pass out every time he experiences happiness.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming film:
Release date
‘Ode to Joy’ will arrive in theaters on August 9, 2019.
Plot
Based on a true story originally featured on ‘This American Life’, ‘Ode to Joy’ chronicles the life of Charlie (Martin Freeman), who suffers from cataplexy - a form of narcolepsy that causes him to suddenly suffer bouts of paralysis whenever he experiences strong emotions, particularly joy. Over time, he develops a range of tricks and techniques to prevent himself from experiencing too much pleasure and happiness. But when he meets the lovely Francesca (Morena Baccarin), he can’t help but fall for her, literally.
Cast
Martin Freeman
Freeman has made quite a name for himself in recent years, having appeared in multiple popular franchise films including ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘Black Panther’. With ‘Ode to Joy’, Freeman marks his return to the romantic comedy genre, his most famous previous work in the genre being the extremely successful 2003 movie ‘Love Actually’. The English actor plays Brooklyn librarian Charlie, the unfortunate lead of ‘Ode to Joy’ who must struggle to not find happiness.
Morena Baccarin
The ‘Firefly’ star plays the beautiful and spontaneous Francesca, an amazing woman who unfortunately has a history of falling in love with the wrong person. She has worked extensively on television and film. Her previous work includes appearances in ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’, ‘Gotham’ and ‘The Mentalist’ as well as her lead role in the ‘Deadpool’ movies as Vanessa.
Baccarin and Freeman are joined by Jake Lacy as Charlie's brother Cooper, Melissa Rauch as Bethany, and Shannon Woodward as Liza, along with Ellis Rubin, Jane Curtin, Adam Shapiro, Jackie Seiden, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Jason Altman, Alex Perez, and Tyler Bourke.
Director
Jason Winer
The American director is best known for having worked on the hit sitcom ‘Modern Family. He has won multiple awards for his directorial work and is also a producer, writer, actor, and comedian. The 46-year-old made his debut as a motion picture director with 2011’s ‘Arthur’.
‘Ode to Joy’ was written by Max Werner ('Red Oaks').
Trailer
‘Ode to Joy’ promises plenty of dark humor in its trailer with scenes of Freeman collapsing at unfortunate moments. It introduces the sad state of Charlie’s life in a way that makes it so funny it’s even more heartbreaking than it would have been if it showed them in a dramatic light. Seeing Charlie offer his brother up in his place as Francesca’s boyfriend will undoubtedly go down as one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of 2019. Love lost might be better than love not found but Charlie has the truly terrible fate of finding love and not being able to take it, lest he lose his senses in a very literal sense.
If you’re excited about this movie, you’ll also love these:
‘Love Actually’
‘About Time’
‘The Big Sick’
‘Love, Simon’