Jonathan Baker, a visionary hotelier, writer, producer, and director, talked about his full-length feature Movie, “Fate,” to be released in February 2025. The suspenseful, supernatural romance movie stars Faye Dunaway, Harvey Keitel, and Andrew McCarthy. He was very forthcoming in an interview with Hamptons.com. Mr. Baker also wrote and directed this film, which he describes as a vision for a movie he knew was channeled through him and had to do someday.
Dunaway collaborated with Baker on his debut feature as a director, “Inconceivable,” a 2017 thriller starring Gina Gershon, Nicky Whelan, and Nicolas Cage. His other credits include “Survive the Night” and “Force of Nature,” as well as “American Traitor: The Story of Axis Sally,” as a Producer.
The interview took place on a hot day in the beautiful garden dining area of the Maidstone Hotel. It started with Mr. Baker emphasizing filmmaking at the Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton: “…comes with a long Hollywood pedigree.” He discussed iconic Maidstone Hollywood past and present, saying, “The stars come out when I am in town (EH),” and that every actor “I have had in any of my films have stayed at the hotel. (Such as) Nicolas Cage. Harvey Keitel, Faye Dunaway, Bruce Willis, Al Pacino, and Mel Gibson.”
Although he lives in Los Angeles, Baker spends his summers either at the Maidstone or on his yacht in Sag Harbor, saying, “Half my time is here (at Maidstone) and half my time is on the boat,” with occasional sojourns to places like, “Newport, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.” He is an avid tennis player, and when in town, plays daily at the East Hampton Indoor Tennis facility.
While discussing his movie “Fate,” Mr. Baker said, “Dick Van Patton has a lot to do with the movie. How? When I was seven years old, I saw a movie called ‘Soil and Green.’ It was a true story; Dick Van Patton welcomes Edward G. Robinson into this room in the round with classical music going, and he wheels him in. The movie is about people dying. That movie affected me so much. I never forgot about it.” Then, 25 years later, after a situation of grief when his dog had to be put down, Baker experienced what he calls “The incubation for this beautiful sixty-year love story (Movie “Fate”) that I made with all these stars. Without giving away the ending, (it) is very poignant and unique.”
He believes, “The opposite of addiction is connection. Storytelling makes that connection happen. Making movies makes that connection happen.” Mr. Baker believes it is essential that people recognize that they need to go back into the theater and see movies—to see them the way the director has intended. He believes movies are intended to be paid for and watched on a big screen with popcorn and soda, then talked about afterward.
There is also another film, a documentary, called “Standing on the Shoulders of Fate, Jonathan Baker.” It will possibly premiere during the 2024 Hamptons Film Festival; Baker says, “…perhaps alongside the hotel in fall… The documentary is very exciting as it explains who I am and why I do what I do.” Baker believes the definition of vision comes from the choices you see him make in the documentary. So that, when you see the film, you get a place of ownership because you’ve witnessed the journey.
It is also interesting that Mr. Baker and one of his daughters will appear in the film. Another daughter composed a song that will run at the end of the film. Family is important to Baker, who was born in NYC, went to NYU and USC, and whose mother was an actor.
