See also The Life of Riley (disambiguation).
The Life of Reilly is a 2006 American film adaptation of actor Charles Nelson Reilly's one-man play "Save It For the Stage: The Life of Reilly". Written by Reilly and Paul Linke, and directed by Frank L. Anderson and Barry Poltermann, the film is an edited version of Reilly's much longer stage show, filmed live before audiences at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, California in October 2004. The final film is compiled from Reilly's final two performances, interspersed with clips, images and music.
The Life of Reilly premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2006 to positive reviews and proceeded to play for over a year on the festival circuit, including the Seattle International Film Festival and Newfest. A limited theatrical release began in November 2007.Synopsis
The film begins with Reilly recounting his childhood and his parents in New York City and Connecticut. We meet his family—an institutionalized father, a racist, baseball bat-wielding mother, and a lobotomized aunt, amongst others. "Eugene O’Neill would never get near this family," Reilly declares.
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