Story perspectives

A24’s “Tony” biopic spotlights young Bourdain’s 1975 summer

8/14/2026

Summary

Bourdain’s Summer

A24 releases biopic “Tony” depicting 1975 Provincetown summer when 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain worked as a dishwasher.
Director Matt Johnson chose the summer as a rite of passage and avoided myth-making.
Critics note the film sidelines the immigrant kitchen staff Bourdain praised.
Screenwriters Lou Howe and Todd Bartels added fictional bartender Sal, played by Leo Woodall, to illustrate the double-edged nature of drug-filled camaraderie.

Summary

McCarrol Scores Bourdain

Jay McCarrol’s minimalist piano-and-accordion score offers the only glimpse into young Bourdain’s inner world, which Johnson says is vital because Bourdain rarely verbalizes his feelings.
He replaced Nirvanna’s bombastic sound with restrained motifs that mirror Bourdain’s uncertainty.
Production moved from Toronto’s Zapruder Films to a regulated Massachusetts set with tighter union rules.
McCarrol will executive-produce and score Johnson’s next film about a Vice Canada editor’s drug-smuggling plot.

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Bourdain’s Summer

A24 releases biopic “Tony” depicting 1975 Provincetown summer when 19-year-old Anthony Bourdain worked as a dishwasher.
Director Matt Johnson chose the summer as a rite of passage and avoided myth-making.
Critics note the film sidelines the immigrant kitchen staff Bourdain praised.
Screenwriters Lou Howe and Todd Bartels added fictional bartender Sal, played by Leo Woodall, to illustrate the double-edged nature of drug-filled camaraderie.

1 / 2