Four Friends (1981 film)
Four Friends | |
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![]() Original poster | |
Directed by | Arthur Penn |
Written by | Steve Tesich |
Produced by | Michael Tolan Gene Lasko Julia Miles Arthur Penn |
Starring | Craig Wasson Jodi Thelen Michael Huddleston Jim Metzler |
Cinematography | Ghislain Cloquet |
Edited by | Marc Laub Barry Malkin |
Music by | Elizabeth Swados |
Distributed by | Filmways Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 114 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $10 million[1] |
Four Friends is a 1981 American
Plot synopsis
The titular quartet are
The film is a series of vignettes whose primary focus is on Danilo: his conflicts with his father, his struggles with his heritage, his courtship and thwarted marriage to
Cast
- Craig Wasson as Danilo Prozor
- Jodi Thelen as Georgia Miles
- Michael Huddleston as David
- Jim Metzler as Tom
- Miklos Simon as Mr. Prozor
- Elizabeth Lawrence as Mrs. Prozor
- Julia Murray as Adrienne Carnahan
- Reed Birney as Louie
- James Leo Herlihy as Mr. Carnahan
- Lois Smith as Mrs. Carnahan
- Glenne Headly as Lola
Production notes
The film was shot on location in East Chicago, Hammond, and Whiting in Indiana; Chicago and Elgin in Illinois; Philadelphia; and on the campus of Northwestern University.
The soundtrack includes "
However, the main musical theme of the film, a melody from
Reception
In his review in The New York Times, Vincent Canby called it "the best film yet made about the sixties" and added, "It has the quality of legend, a fable remembered . . . [It] is one of Mr. Penn's most deeply felt achievements, ranking alongside Bonnie and Clyde, Alice's Restaurant, and Little Big Man. For Mr. Tesich, it is another original work by one of our best young screenwriters."[2]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described it as "a very good movie" and commented, "The wonder is not that Four Friends covers so much ground, but that it makes many of its scenes so memorable that we learn more even about the supporting characters than we expect to."[3]
TV Guide rates the film three out of a possible four stars, saying it "attempts to cover so much ground that at times the film becomes frustratingly muddled", and adding, "Though [it] runs out of gas toward the end, it's filmed with obvious love for the characters and features outstanding performances from the underrated Wasson, Thelen and Simon. Well worth seeing."[4]
Channel 4 calls it a "stodgy, sentimental brew" and "a well-meaning film that doesn't really amount to much in the long run."[6]
The film was a commercial failure and Penn did not make another film for four years.[7]
DVD
Four Friends was brought to DVD by MGM Home Video on August 23, 2005 in widescreen and Dolby stereo.
References
- ^ Baron, Martin (24 June 1980). "Wall Street Wary of Filmways' Foray Into Big-Budget Pictures". Los Angeles Times. p. e1.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (December 11, 1981). "Four Friends (1981)". The New York Times.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (1 January 1981). "Four Friends". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
- ^ TV Guide review
- ^ Time Out New York review
- ^ Channel 4 review
- ^ "Penn Goes Commercial But Still Keeps Personal Edge On 'Target'". Variety. November 13, 1985. p. 7.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
External links
- Four Friends at IMDb
- Four Friends at Rotten Tomatoes