About Last Night (1986 film)

Last updated

About Last Night
About last night poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Edward Zwick
Screenplay by
Based on Sexual Perversity in Chicago
by David Mamet
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAndrew Dintenfass
Edited by Harry Keramidas
Music by Miles Goodman
Production
company
Delphi V Productions
Distributed by TriStar Pictures
Release date
  • July 4, 1986 (1986-07-04)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.5 million [1]
Box office$38.7 million [2]

About Last Night (stylized as "About Last Night...") is a 1986 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Rob Lowe and Demi Moore [3] as Chicago yuppies Danny Martin and Debbie Sullivan, who enter a committed relationship for the first time. Along with featuring James Belushi as Danny's friend and colleague Bernie Litko, the film also marks the screen debuts of Elizabeth Perkins and Catherine Keener. The screenplay by Tim Kazurinsky and Denise DeClue is based on the 1974 David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago . [4] The film was both critically and commercially successful, and was remade with a predominantly Black cast in 2014. [5]

Contents

Plot

In Chicago, Daniel "Dan" Martin and Bernard "Bernie" Litko, two friends and colleagues in their twenties, discuss their sexual escapades. Later, their recreational softball team, sponsored by local bar Mother's, plays against a local advertising agency in Grant Park and wins. Attending this game with her girlfriends is Deborah "Debbie" Sullivan, who works at the advertising company and is having an affair with her boss, Steve Carlson.

Debbie catches Dan's eye and they flirt at the beer keg. She and her friends, Joan and Pat, decide to attend the game's afterparty at Mother's, where Debbie again runs into Dan, with whom Pat flirts and to whom Joan takes an immediate dislike. They wind up back at Dan's apartment and have sex, after which Debbie hastily leaves.

The next day, Dan calls Debbie at work "about last night", and asks her out on a second date, which she accepts. Afterwards, they again end up in bed together and spend the following day exploring the city, where Dan reveals to Debbie that his dream is to quit his job at a restaurant supply company and open his own restaurant. They begin dating more seriously and move in together, heavily disappointing Joan and Bernie, who dislike each other as well.

As neither has ever been in a serious relationship before, they attempt to navigate cohabitation without much support from their friends. They experience much throughout their relationship: Dan being contacted by a former lover who is married with children, Debbie's boss Steve having difficulty accepting the end of their affair, Joan softening when she begins dating her new boyfriend Gary, a pregnancy scare, and Dan clashing with his boss, who orders him to stop providing supplies to the Swallow, an antiquated diner owned by his client-turned-friend Gus, due to late payments.

Despite having told each other the "L word", Debbie and Dan's relationship becomes strained. It reaches a boiling point at a New Year's Eve party at Mother's, where Debbie witnesses a drunken Pat making advances towards Dan, and Joan discovers her boyfriend is married and returning to his wife. Joan tearfully asks Debbie to take her home, to which she agrees, despite Dan's drunken objections. Upon Debbie's return home, Dan expresses his unhappiness and ends their relationship. Debbie immediately moves out of their apartment and back in with Joan. Debbie and Dan both date other people, but he begins to regret their breakup.

Some time later, Dan calls Debbie at work asking for another chance, but she rebuffs him and hangs up on him. When they run into each other at a St. Patrick's Day celebration at Mother's, Dan tells Debbie he made a mistake and still loves her; she insists she has moved on and their relationship is over.

Hoping to move on with his life, Dan partners with Gus to revitalize the Swallow into an old-school diner, achieving his dream. That summer, at another softball game, Dan and Bernie see Debbie riding her bicycle through the park with Joan, who encourages her to talk to Dan. She approaches him and they both express regret at how their relationship turned out. As Debbie begins to turn away, Dan asks her out again and suggests they go to a great new place, but she suggests with a smile that they just go to "some old joint", signifying that she is aware of his new restaurant. As she rides away on her bicycle, Bernie convinces Dan to run after her, and the camera pans out to see Dan and Debbie passing through the park, hinting at their renewed relationship.

Cast

Production

At one point, Bill Murray and Nick Nolte were attached to appear in the film as the lead and supporting role respectively.
A “disastrous meeting” between them caused both of them to turn down the film. [6]

Reception

Box office

The film was a box office success, grossing $38,702,310 domestically. [2] It was the 26th highest-grossing film of 1986 in the United States, [7] and the 10th highest-grossing R-rated film of 1986. [8]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 65% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "About Last Night will perturb fans of the original stage play by sanding down its pricklier edges, but an amiable cast and sexual frankness make this a pleasantly grounded romantic comedy." [9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 70 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F. [11]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 4 out of 4 stars, writing in his review that "About Last Night . . . is one of the rarest of recent American movies, because it deals fearlessly with real people, instead of with special effects." [12] The lead performances were especially praised, with Ebert writing, "Lowe and Moore, members of Hollywood's 'Brat Pack,' are survivors of last summer's awful movie about yuppie singles, St. Elmo's Fire . This is the movie St. Elmo's Fire should have been. Last summer's movie made them look stupid and shallow. About Last Night . . . gives them the best acting opportunities either one has ever had, and they make the most of them." [12] Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times called it "[t]ender, marvelously well played (by almost everyone) and thoroughly engaging. When it comes to the current sexual skirmishes between men and women, screenwriters Tim Kazurinsky and Denise DeClue [...] know every inch of enemy territory and take no prisoners." [13] Vincent Canby of The New York Times gave it a mixed review, calling it "an occasionally bright, knowing look at the same singles scene that's been explored no less effectively by a number of other, very similar movies". [14]

Soundtrack

About Last Night: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
various artists
Released1986 (1986)
Length46:03
Label EMI America
Producer

The film's soundtrack album was released on EMI America Records. The album includes music by Sheena Easton, Michael Henderson, John Oates, Jermaine Jackson, John Waite, Paul Davis, and Bob Seger. [15]

Track listing [16]
No.TitleMusicLength
1."So Far, So Good" Sheena Easton 4:04
2."(She's the) Shape of Things to Come" John Oates 3:40
3."Natural Love"Sheena Easton3:51
4."Words Into Action" Jermaine Jackson 4:56
5."Step by Step" JD Souther 4:27
6."Living Inside My Heart" Bob Seger 3:28
7."Trials of the Heart" Nancy Shanks 4:28
8."'Til You Love Somebody" Michael Henderson 4:00
9."If We Can Get Through the Night" Paul Davis 4:27
10."True Love" The Del-Lords 3:47
11."If Anybody Had a Heart" John Waite 4:34

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andie MacDowell</span> American actress and model (born 1958)

Rosalie Anderson MacDowell is an American actress and former fashion model. MacDowell is known for her starring film roles in romantic comedies and dramas. She has modeled for Calvin Klein and has been a spokeswoman for L'Oréal since 1986.

<i>Peggy Sue Got Married</i> 1986 film by Francis Ford Coppola

Peggy Sue Got Married is a 1986 American fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola starring Kathleen Turner as a woman on the verge of a divorce, who finds herself transported back to the days of her senior year in high school in 1960. The film was written by husband-and-wife team Jerry Leichtling and Arlene Sarner.

<i>Addams Family Values</i> 1993 film by Barry Sonnenfeld

Addams Family Values is a 1993 American supernatural black comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Paul Rudnick, based on the characters created by Charles Addams. It is the sequel to The Addams Family (1991). The film features almost all the main cast members from the original film, including Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, Carel Struycken, Jimmy Workman, and Christopher Hart. Joan Cusack, Carol Kane, and David Krumholtz joined the cast for this film.

<i>Playing by Heart</i> 1998 film by Willard Carroll

Playing by Heart is a 1998 American comedy-drama film which tells the story of several seemingly unconnected characters. It was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival. It stars Gillian Anderson, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Connery, Anthony Edwards, Angelina Jolie, Jay Mohr, Ryan Phillippe, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Jon Stewart and Madeleine Stowe. Playing by Heart is an ensemble work that explores the path of love in its characters’ lives.

<i>Cocoon: The Return</i> 1988 film by Daniel Petrie

Cocoon: The Return is a 1988 American science fiction comedy-drama film directed by Daniel Petrie and written by Stephen McPherson. The film serves as the sequel to the 1985 film Cocoon. All of the starring actors from the first film reprised their roles in this film, although Brian Dennehy only appears in one scene at the end of the film. Unlike its predecessor, the film was neither a commercial nor a critical success.

<i>Hero</i> (1992 film) 1992 film directed by Stephen Frears

Hero is a 1992 American comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears. It was written by David Webb Peoples, from a story written by Peoples, Laura Ziskin and Alvin Sargent, and stars Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy García and Joan Cusack. Following the critically acclaimed The Grifters (1990), it was the second American feature film by British filmmaker Frears.

<i>Weekend at Bernies</i> 1989 comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff

Weekend at Bernie's is a 1989 American black comedy film directed by Ted Kotcheff, written by Robert Klane, and starring Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Terry Kiser. It tells the story of two young insurance corporation employees who discover that their boss Bernie is dead after arriving at his house in The Hamptons. While attempting to convince people that Bernie is still alive until they can leave to prevent them from being falsely suspected for causing his death, they discover that Bernie had in fact ordered their killing to cover up his embezzlement. Weekend at Bernie's grossed $30 million on a $15 million budget.

<i>Heaven & Earth</i> (1993 film) 1993 film directed by Oliver Stone

Heaven & Earth is a 1993 American biographical war drama film written and directed by Oliver Stone, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Haing S. Ngor, Joan Chen, and Hiep Thi Le. It is the third and final film in Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, following Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989).

Sexual Perversity in Chicago is a play written by David Mamet that examines the sex lives of two men and two women in the 1970s. The play is filled with profanity and regional jargon that reflects the working-class language of Chicago. The characters' relationships come to be hindered by the caustic nature of their words, as much of the dialogue includes insults and arguments. The play presents "intimate relationships [as] minefields of buried fears and misunderstandings."

<i>Personal Best</i> (film) 1982 American drama film by Robert Towne

Personal Best is a 1982 American drama film written, produced and directed by Robert Towne. It stars Mariel Hemingway and real-life track star Patrice Donnelly, along with Scott Glenn as the coach. The film is about the lesbian relationship between two track-and-field teammates whose relationship might interfere with their performance.

<i>Irreconcilable Differences</i> 1984 film by Charles Shyer

Irreconcilable Differences is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were nominated for Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Wildcats</i> (film) 1986 film by Michael Ritchie

Wildcats is a 1986 American sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Goldie Hawn, James Keach and Swoosie Kurtz. It is the film debut of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.

<i>Knocked Up</i> 2007 romantic comedy film by Judd Apatow

Knocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy film written, produced and directed by Judd Apatow, and starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann. It follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between a slacker and a recently promoted media personality that results in an unintended pregnancy.

<i>Mother</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

Mother is a 1996 American comedy-drama film directed by Albert Brooks, co-written by Brooks with Monica Johnson, and starring Brooks and Debbie Reynolds as son and mother.

<i>Neighbors</i> (1981 film) 1981 American black comedy film by John G. Avildsen

Neighbors is a 1981 American black comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Berger. It was released through Columbia Pictures, was directed by John G. Avildsen, and starred John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cathy Moriarty, and Kathryn Walker. The film takes liberties with Berger's story and features a more upbeat ending. The screenplay of the film is officially credited to Larry Gelbart, although it was extensively rewritten to Gelbart's public disapproval. Released two and a half months before Belushi's death, the film marks his last film performance.

<i>True Confessions</i> (film) 1981 crime film directed by Ulu Grosbard

True Confessions is a 1981 American neo-noir crime drama film directed by Ulu Grosbard and starring Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall as the brothers Spellacy, a priest and police detective. Produced by Chartoff-Winkler Productions, it is adapted from the novel of the same name by John Gregory Dunne, loosely based on the Black Dahlia murder case of 1947. Dunne wrote the screenplay with his wife, novelist Joan Didion. The film was released on September 25, 1981, receiving generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Postcards from the Edge</i> (film) 1990 film by Mike Nichols

Postcards from the Edge is a 1990 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Carrie Fisher is based on her 1987 semi-autobiographical novel of the same title. The film stars Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid.

<i>Heart Beat</i> (film) 1980 film by John Byrum

Heart Beat is a 1980 American romantic drama film written and directed by John Byrum, based on the autobiography by Carolyn Cassady. The film is about seminal figures in the Beat Generation. The character of Ira, played by Ray Sharkey, is based on Allen Ginsberg. The film stars Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, and John Heard.

<i>Crazy, Stupid, Love</i> 2011 film by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa

Crazy, Stupid, Love. is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, written by Dan Fogelman and starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon. It follows a series of interconnected love stories centered around Cal Weaver (Carell), a recently separated man who learns how to be more romantic and charm women.

<i>About Last Night</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

About Last Night is a 2014 American romantic comedy film starring Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall and Joy Bryant. It is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name; both films are based on the 1974 David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago. The remake, featuring a predominantly Black cast, is directed by Steve Pink and written by Leslye Headland. It tells the story of Danny (Ealy) and Debbie (Bryant), and Bernie (Hart) and Joan (Hall), two couples who test how their relationships work in the real world.

References

  1. "About Last Night... (1986)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films .
  2. 1 2 "About Last Night... (1986)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  3. "About Last Night (1986)". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  4. "The Roy Faires Collection – Interview with Edward Zwick (1986)". Texas Archive of the Moving Image . Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  5. "About Last Night (2014)". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  6. Yahr, Emily (September 16, 2015). "Bill Murray has missed out on a lot of big movies — here's every strange reason why". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  7. "Domestic Box Office for 1986". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  8. "1986 Yearly Box Office for R Rated Movies". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  9. "About Last Night". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 27, 2024.
  10. "About Last Night... Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  11. "About Last Night (1986) A−". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  12. 1 2 Ebert, Roger (July 1, 1986). "About Last Night... movie review (1986)". Chicago Sun-Times via RogerEbert.com.
  13. Benson, Sheila (July 1, 1986). "Movie Review : 'About Last Night': Some Hilarity And Insights" . Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 4, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  14. Canby, Vincent (July 1, 1986). "Film: Mamet Adaptation, 'About Last Night...'". The New York Times . Retrieved August 19, 2012.
  15. About Last Night (Original Soundtrack) | AllMusic
  16. Various Artist: About Last Night..Soundtrack Album