Online Contest To Give First Name To Bloom in "The Brothers Bloom"

Blooming Brody! -- Online contest to give a first name to Adrien Brody's character "Bloom" in "The Brothers Bloom"

by Dan Bloom

HOLLYWOOD (RUSHPRNEWS)09/22/2008- -- Psst! Want to enter a contest to give Adrien Brody's con man character "Bloom" in the "The Brothers Bloom" a first name? Read on.

For some odd reason which only the director Rian Johnson knows, since he wrote the screenplay, Brody's character does not sport a first name! For the entire movie. Not once is he addressed by his first name. He is just "Bloom".

However, his brother in the movie, played by Mark Ruffalo, does have a first name -- Stephen -- so he is "Stephen Bloom" in the credits.
Brody is just "Bloom."

And that's kosher. Many characters in many movies do not have first names, so one cannot fault director Rian Johnson for not giving Brody's character a first name. He probably had a reason for doing it, and as the screenwriter, he has every right to call his characters what he wants.

Even Brody doesn't have the answer. However, in a recent interview with Jenni Miller of Premiere magazine, he did offer a possible explanation. When Miller asked him if maybe his name was meant to be was a verb -- as in "to bloom" -- he replied: "That's probably a good question for [Rian Johnson], but maybe it's true, too. Because I'm [only] referred to as 'Bloom', which would mean, what, my [name is] 'Bloom Bloom'? Bloom is blooming. It's a verb."

So an online naming contest is born. Movie fans around the world may nominate a good and fitting first name for Brody's character. If you've seen the movie at film festivals or private screenings, and even if you have not seen the movie but hope to see it when it is released in late December, feel free to nominate a first name for Brody's "Bloom".

Of course, this is just a contest, for fun, and the name won't ever enter into the movie dialog -- the film is already in the can and winning rave reviews from those who have seen it -- so this contest has no connection at all with the studio that is distributing the movie, Summit Entertainment, nor with director Johnson or his fine cast.

By the way, did you know the original title for the movie was "Penelope"? True story. There is a Penelope in the movie, played by the drop-dead gorgeous Rachel Weisz. Johnson later changed the title to "The Brothers Bloom". Go figure.

So, dear readers -- and Adrien, if you are reading this, you can join in on the fun, too -- Brody's character needs a first name. So give him one.

The winner of the "Give Adrien Brody's Character 'Bloom' a First Name Contest" might receive an invitation to attend the premiere in either Los Angeles or New York. Imagine yourself walking down the red carpet! It could happen.

To nominate a good first name for Brody's character in the movie, send in your nominations by email to
firstnameforbloom@gmail.com before December 15.

You might want to read this earlier RushPRnews story for a little backgound:
http://www.rushprnews.com/2008/09/18/bloomsday-has-arrivedwithbloombrothers

Ready? Send in your nominations by email, ASAP, and most of all, have fun. By the way, again please note, this contest is not in any way connected with the studio that produced the movie or the distributors or the director or the actors or the PR people plugging the movie. The contest is a completely independent overture to give Adrien Brody's character "Bloom" a first name. In the spirit of fun! In the spirit of enjoy!

About the author: Dan Bloom is a Rush PR News columnist and a freelance writer from Boston and has worked in media, public relations and education in several countries. This contest is his own idea.
Write to him at: danbloom@RushPRnews.com