Synopsis: On September 11, 2001, David Jennings lost his parents. There was no warning, no planning, not even a real will. David is left to sort through the aftermath with his siblings, Jon and Emily . None of the three could have ever fathomed the pain they feel, and none of them are quite sure of what to do. When the unthinkable happens, the mind goes blank. David, an ordinary kid, tries his best to hold his brother and sister together, but he does so without any help. Jon refuses to go to school, watching TV all day on the couch. Emily runs off with her worthless boyfriend, stealing the insurance checks to pay for her new drug habit. David is left alone, trying desperately to deal with his own pain and mend the shattered remains of his family. Through it all, David does the only thing he knows how to do--just keep going.

Cast:
Joseph Mazzello .... David Jennings
Rachael Leigh Cook .... Emily
Nick Heyman .... Jon
Daniel Gillies .... Jimmy
David Strathairn .... Mr. Jennings
Gewn Van Dam .... Barbara
Michael Hobert .... Mike
Aram Stevens .... Young David
Alex Martinez .... Young Jon

Notes:
• Matters of Life and Death was written, directed, and stars Joseph Mazzello. Joe and David have worked together before in The River Wild, Simon Birch, and the independent feature The Sensation of Sight. They had just completed The Sensation of Sight when Joe personally asked David to appear in his film.
• David's role is a cameo.
• The film had its world premiere at the Method Fest on March 30, 2007.

Critical Praise & Commentary:
(Joseph Mazzello On David:)
• "The good news, however, is that David Strathairn, star of Good Night, and Good Luck and more importantly to my fans, my father in The River Wild and Simon Birch, has agreed to act in my film. Having David in my movie is an amazing, amazing thing. Not only is he the early pick to win the Best Actor Oscar for Good Night, and Good Luck, he is also one of the best actors in this business. He's certainly one of the best people. I love working with him, and I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have such a talent in my movie." - Joseph Mazzello, director/writer/co-star

Related Links:
http:// Official USA Site
http:// Kevin Blumenfeld Site (composer)