"Lonesome Jim," an independent feature directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Liv Tyler ("The Lord of the Rings" films) and Casey Affleck ("American Pie 2"), starts pre-production in the northern Indiana city of Goshen on Monday.

The low-budget movie, a comedy-drama about a dysfunctional family, was written by James C. Strouse, formerly of Goshen and now a New York fiction writer.

"Lonesome Jim" is described as a man (Affleck) who returns to his Indiana hometown after failing on his own in New York. While living with his parents, he's faced with "crippling family obligations."

Because a winter setting is required for the film, shooting is expected to begin the second week of March and conclude by the first week in April.

Buscemi, currently seen in "Big Fish" and as a semi-regular on "The Sopranos" on HBO, is producing with Manhattan-based Plum Pictures.

posted by sasha @ 12:19 AM