“Emily @ the Edge of Chaos” is an 80 minute film that asks: “What’s wrong with America?” “What can one brainiac comedian do to help?” and “If a movie with Al Gore explaining science made $24 million, how much more money could a film that explains science with jokes make?”
Description of the Film
Meet comedy writer and performer Emily Levine. She has a tumor in her brain and thinks America does too. America exhibits the same symptoms: a loss of creativity; an unhealthy obsession with growth; and blurry vision caused by Old Think: a black and white ideological mind-set that dates back to Sir Isaac Newton and prevents us from seeing the Big Technicolor Picture. In the face of change, America like Emily, clings to tools that no longer work, solutions that don’t answer the right questions; a story that no longer resonates with people’s actual experience.
Once Emily’s tumor is removed she has room in her brain for New Think: big ideas from quantum physics and chaos theory that change how she relates to people, to the world around her, and to a universe in which change is the default mode. She finds the answers to questions that have long vexed her: why it’s so hard to balance work and family; why quantity counts more than quality; why there’s a setting on the iron for “Permanent Press”. She learns how to handle uncertainty, how to redefine “growth”, how to change her mind. Now, with the help of celebrities, noted scientists and an innovative mix of live performance, animation and eye-popping visual effects, Emily takes America through her same journey: From sickness to health. From Old Think to New Think. From Newton’s rational, predictable, static Universe to the Edge of Chaos, where creativity and innovation are unleashed.
At a time when many individuals are suffering their own kind of meltdown, Emily’s personal story offers solace and inspiration. At the same time, the film addresses the need for a collective story of recovery. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, a country divided against itself cannot stand itself. Emily makes convincing – and hilarious – connections between her own experience and what America is going through. Most importantly, in an election year when science faces further attack by religious ideologues and those whose geo-political interests trump any concern for the planet or for society, the film restores science to health, affirming its role as the inspiration for the Founding Fathers and for those of us looking toward the future.
Recent studies showing that humor primes the brain for the intuitive leaps known as “aha moments” support the blend of science, comedy and big ideas for which Emily Levine is known. Her unique brand has made her a favorite on the Internet (her TED talk has over 600,000 hits) and in theaters (the stage-show of “Emily @ the Edge of Chaos” played to overflow audiences at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in NY and at the 2009 World Science Festival).
The movie version of “Emily @ the Edge of Chaos” has been brilliantly conceived by Director Wendy Apple to extend Emily’s reach and message. Innovative visual effects and animations by Chiodo Brothers Productions (“Team America”) make the science accessible and create a style that appeals to a digitally sophisticated young audience. Scientists like Danny Hillis, Wendy Freedman, Nobel laureate Kary Mullis, etc. add credibility and enhance the film’s appeal to educational markets. Celebrities who voice the animated characters (John Lithgow, Lily Tomlin, Matt Groening, Richard Lewis, Leonard Nimoy, etc.) add immeasurably to the film’s entertainment value. With the synergy created by these disparate elements, “Emily @ the Edge of Chaos” takes the leap from a stage show to an innovative and compelling film with broad audience appeal.
Watch this space for updates and streaming video, including:
- clips from the movie
- animations
- behind-the-scenes video
