Blue Sky (1994 film)

Last updated

Blue Sky
Blue Sky film.JPG
Theatrical poster
Directed by Kemari Ruza
Screenplay by
  • Rama Laurie Stagner
  • Arlene Sarner
  • Jerry Leichtling
Story byRama Laurie Stagner
Produced by Robert H. Solo
Starring
CinematographySteve Yaconelli
Edited byRobert K. Lambert
Music by Jack Nitzsche
Production
companies
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Distributed byOrion Pictures
Release date
  • September 28, 1994 (1994-09-28)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3.4 million (domestic) [1]

Blue Sky is a 1994 American comedy drama film directed by Kemari Ruza and written by Rama Stagner, Arlene Sarner, and Jerry Leichtling. The film stars Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones, alongside Powers Boothe, Carrie Snodgress, Amy Locane, Chris O'Donnell, and Mitchell Ryan in supporting roles. It tells the story of a military officer (Jones) who uncovers a nuclear cover-up while grappling with his wife's (Lange) erratic behavior, leading to a tense clash between duty and family. The film's score was composed by Jack Nitzsche. 'Blue Sky was Richardson's final film as director; as he died on November 14, 1991.

Contents

Blue Sky is based on the relationship between Rama Stagner-Blum's parents, Clyde and Gloria Lee Moore-Stagner, during the 1960s when her father was serving in the army. The couple later divorced, and Gloria remarried before her death in 1982. [2]

Blue Sky was released on September 16, 1994 to generally positive reviews from critics, with Lange's performance receiving critical acclaim. However, the film emerged as a commercial disappointment at the box office, grossing $3.4 million worldwide against a budget of $23 million.

Blue Sky won Lange the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. She became the second actress, after Meryl Streep, to win the Academy Award for Best Actress after previously receiving the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (for Tootsie (1982)), an achievement that was not repeated until nearly 20 years later by Cate Blanchett.

Plot

In 1962, Major Hank Marshall (Jones) and his wife, Carly (Lange), face marital difficulties due to the pressures of Hank's military career and Carly's mental health issues. Hank is a nuclear engineer who favors underground nuclear testing, an initiative code-named "Blue Sky," rather than above-ground, open-air detonations. Carly, a free spirit who appears to be mentally unbalanced, struggles with domestic monotony and her advancing age, causing tension within their family. Their move from Hawaii to a remote base in Alabama exacerbates Carly's erratic behavior and unsettles their eldest daughter, Alex Marshall (Locane).

The day after their arrival, Hank meets with base commander Colonel Vince Johnson (Boothe), who dismisses Hank's underground testing proposal despite strong scientific evidence. Meanwhile, Vince's wife, Vera Johnson (Snodgress), extends an invitation to Carly for a social event hosted by the base officers' wives. At the party, Carly becomes intoxicated and performs an exotic dance, prompting Vera to persuade Vince to address Carly's behavior, though Vince plans to remove Hank from the equation first.

Alex begins a relationship with Vince's son, Glenn (O'Donnell). On their first date, they find what Alex believes to be a dud grenade, which detonates and reveals their relationship, adding to Vince's motivation to remove Hank. Carly is invited by the officers' wives to participate in a dance recital and dedicates herself to rehearsing. Hank is then sent to the Nevada Test Site to oversee the initial underground test under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jennings (McClendon).

During the test, Hank observes two cowboys in the testing area and requests that Robert abort the test, but Robert refuses, disregarding the cowboys' safety and sending Hank back to Alabama. While Hank is away, Alex and Glenn discover that Vince has orchestrated Hank's removal to pursue an affair with Carly.

Hank learns of the affair during the dance recital and reacts violently, leading to Carly being pushed out of a window and hospitalized. Hank is subsequently arrested, and Vince presents Carly with a choice: to either have Hank court-martialed or commit him to a psychiatric facility. Hank expresses a preference for court-martialing to publicize the incident with the cowboys but realizes he has been set up by Vince. Before he can act on this realization, MPs (Military police) transport him to the hospital, where he is heavily sedated.

Suspecting foul play, Carly investigates Hank's documents and discovers the report on the cowboys. She drives cross-country with her daughters and finds the cowboys suffering from radiation sickness then urges them to expose their story. When they refuse, Carly steals a horse and enters the test site to reenact their experience, attracting media attention. As a result, Robert is forced to release both Carly and Hank.

Carly returns home to find Hank waiting for her, having resigned from his position, and that Vince has been relieved of his duties. Hank announces a new job opportunity in the private sector in California, and the family moves happily to start anew.

Cast

Production

Blue Sky was filmed from May 30 to August 28, 1990. [3] However, due to the bankruptcy of Orion Pictures, the film's release was delayed until 1994.

It also marks the final film of director Tony Richardson, who died on November 14, 1991, prior to the film's release. [4]

Reception

Critical Response

Jessica Lange's performance in the film received critical acclaim and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress Jessica Lange 2012.jpg
Jessica Lange's performance in the film received critical acclaim and earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress

Blue Sky received generally positive reviews from critics, with Lange's performance receiving critical acclaim. The film holds an 80% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 25 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. [5]

The New Yorker praised Lange, describing her role as "a stunning performance—perhaps the best of [her] remarkable career,"[ citation needed ] while Entertainment Weekly described her performance as "a fierce, brave, sexually-charged performance, one of the most convincing portrayals I've seen of someone whose behavior flirts with craziness without quite crossing into it." [6] The Los Angeles Times also lauded her work, calling it "striking" and noting that "Lange's acting in Blue Sky leaves you awestruck. It's a great performance — probably her best." [7] Variety highlighted Lange's "full-blown star turn" as Carly Marshall, observing that "Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe are about the only other actresses one can imagine pulling off such a role as well as Lange has... [She] has the showy role, with almost unlimited opportunities to emote and strut her stuff, which she does magnificently and with total abandon." [8] The Washington Post described her portrayal as "a plush, platinum star turn," noting, "She is what Carly imagines she might have become if only she hadn't been a military wife: mostly Monroe with a soupçon of Bardot." [9] The New York Times echoed these sentiments, stating, "It is a lavish role for Ms. Lange, and she brings to it fierce emotions and tact. [It] echoes [her] dazzling role in Frances (1982)," [10] while the New York Daily News observed, "Lange smolders, storms, rages and whimpers through Blue Sky, acting with every muscle in her body."[ citation needed ]

Awards and nominations

AwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Academy Awards Best Actress Jessica Lange Won [11]
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress Nominated [12]
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Won [13]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress Won [14]
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress 3rd Place [15]
Sant Jordi Awards Best Foreign ActressWon
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Nominated [16]
Young Artist Awards Best Performance by a Youth Actress Co-Starring in a Motion PictureAnna KlempNominated [17]
Amy Locane Nominated

Year-end lists

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meg Ryan</span> American actress (born 1961)

Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra, known professionally as Meg Ryan, is an American actress. Known for her leading roles as quirky, charismatic women since the late 1980s, Ryan is particularly recognized for her work in romantic comedies, a genre she dominated during the 1980s and 1990s. Dubbed "America's Sweetheart" by the media, she became one of Hollywood's most bankable stars of the latter decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Lange</span> American actress (born 1949)

Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress. Known for her roles on stage and screen she has received numerous accolades and is one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. Lange has received two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for a BAFTA Award and a Olivier Award.

<i>Pretty Woman</i> 1990 film by Garry Marshall

Pretty Woman is a 1990 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall, from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. The film stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and features Héctor Elizondo, Ralph Bellamy, Laura San Giacomo, and Jason Alexander in supporting roles. The film's story centers on Hollywood escort Vivian Ward and wealthy businessman Edward Lewis. Vivian is hired to be Edward's escort for several business and social functions, and their relationship develops during her week-long stay with him. The film's title Pretty Woman is based on the 1964 song "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison. The original screenplay was titled "3,000," and was written by then-struggling screenwriter J. F. Lawton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Forbes</span> American actress (born 1965)

Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo is an American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films. She is a Saturn Award winner with three nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renée Zellweger</span> American actress (born 1969)

Renée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress. The recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards, she was one of the world's highest-paid actresses by 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Snodgress</span> American actress (1945–2004)

Caroline Louise Snodgress was an American actress. She is best remembered for her role in the film Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award as well as winning two Golden Globes and two Laurel Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debra Winger</span> American actress (born 1955)

Debra Lynn Winger is an American actress. She starred in the films An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Terms of Endearment (1983), and Shadowlands (1993), each of which earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Winger won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress for Terms of Endearment, and the Tokyo International Film Festival Award for Best Actress for A Dangerous Woman (1993).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie-Anne Moss</span> Canadian actress (born 1967)

Carrie-Anne Moss is a Canadian actress. After early roles on television, she rose to international prominence for her role of Trinity in The Matrix series (1999–present). She has starred in Memento (2000), for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, Red Planet (2000), Chocolat (2000), Fido (2006), Snow Cake (2006), for which she won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Disturbia (2007), Unthinkable (2010), Silent Hill: Revelation (2012), and Pompeii (2014). She also portrayed Jeri Hogarth in several television series produced by Marvel Television for Netflix, most notably Jessica Jones (2015–2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Jason Leigh</span> American actress (born 1962)

Jennifer Jason Leigh is an American actress. She began her career on television during the 1970s before making her film breakthrough in the teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). She received critical praise for her performances in Last Exit to Brooklyn (1989), Miami Blues (1990), Backdraft (1991), Single White Female (1992), and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Marshall</span> American actress, director, and producer (1943–2018)

Carole Penny Marshall was an American actress, film director, and producer. She is best known for her role as Laverne DeFazio on the television sitcom Laverne & Shirley (1976–1983), receiving three nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her portrayal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powers Boothe</span> American actor (1948–2017)

Powers Allen Boothe was an American actor known for his commanding character actor roles on film and television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<i>Monsters Ball</i> 2001 film by Marc Forster

Monster's Ball is a 2001 American romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, produced by Lee Daniels and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos, who also appeared in the film. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Heath Ledger, Halle Berry, and Peter Boyle, with Sean Combs, Mos Def, and Coronji Calhoun in supporting roles.

<i>Marvins Room</i> (film) 1996 American drama film

Marvin's Room is a 1996 American drama film directed by Jerry Zaks. The script was written by John Guare and based on the play of the same name by Scott McPherson, who died in 1992. McPherson had completed a screenplay for a film version before he died; however, Guare was hired to update it when the film eventually started production years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">67th Academy Awards</span> Award ceremony for films of 1994

The 67th Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) took place on March 27, 1995, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards in 23 categories honoring the films released in 1994. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Gilbert Cates and directed by Jeff Margolis. Comedian David Letterman hosted the show for the first time. Three weeks earlier in a ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on March 4, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Jamie Lee Curtis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Quinlan</span> American actress (born 1954)

Kathleen Denise Quinlan is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her Golden Globe-nominated performance in the 1977 film of the novel I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, and her Golden Globe and Academy Award-nominated role in the 1995 film Apollo 13, along with many roles in other feature films, television movies and series, in a career spanning almost five decades.

Amy Rose Locane is an American actress known for her role in John Waters' 1990 musical comedy Cry-Baby. In 1992, Locane portrayed Sandy Harling in the first season of the prime time soap opera Melrose Place. She appeared in the 1992 film School Ties alongside Matt Damon and Brendan Fraser, as the object of their affections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Dern</span> American actress (born 1967)

Laura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress, who is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lin Shaye</span> American actress (born 1943)

Lin Shaye is an American actress. In a career spanning over fifty years, Shaye has appeared in more than a hundred feature films. She is regarded as a scream queen due to her roles in various horror productions, which include the films Alone in the Dark (1982), A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Critters (1986) and its sequel Critters 2: The Main Course (1988), Amityville: A New Generation (1993), Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994), Dead End (2003), 2001 Maniacs (2005) and its sequel 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (2010), Ouija (2014) and its prequel Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016), Tales of Halloween (2015), Abattoir (2016), The Final Wish (2018), Room for Rent (2019), The Grudge (2020), and the Insidious film series (2010–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoon Jeong-hee</span> South Korean actress (1944–2023)

Yoon Jeong-hee was a South Korean actress and beauty pageant titleholder who competed at Miss Korea 1964. She debuted in 1967 in Theatre of Youth. She appeared in about 330 films, and her better known works are New Place (1979), Woman in Crisis (1987) and Manmubang (1994). Her last performance was in 2010, in director Lee Chang-dong's film Poetry, for which she won 7 best actress awards including Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Actress at 4th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the Grand Bell Award at 47th Grand Bell Awards, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award at 2011 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.

References

  1. ↑ Blue Sky at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ A life magnified Archived October 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved July 30, 2015
  3. ↑ shotonwhat:Blue Sky (1994) Retrieved April 4, 2017
  4. ↑ Hattenstone, Simon (June 13, 2016). "Vanessa Redgrave on why she was ready to die: 'Trying to live was getting too tiring'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Blue Sky (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 28, 2020.
  6. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (September 30, 1994). "Blue Sky". Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  7. ↑ Rainer, Peter (September 21, 1994). "Jessica Lange's striking performance in "Blue Sky" is belatedly released. How come this superb actress isn't working more?". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (September 12, 1994). "Blue Sky". Variety . Variety Media. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  9. ↑ Kempley, Rita (September 16, 1994). "'Blue Sky'". The Washington Post . Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  10. ↑ James, Caryn (September 16, 1994). "FILM REVIEW; An Army Family as Strong as Its Weakest Link". The New York Times . Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  11. ↑ "The 67th Academy Awards (1995) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AMPAS. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association . January 2013. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Blue Sky – Golden Globes". HFPA . Archived from the original on September 11, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  14. ↑ "The Annual 20th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association . Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics . December 19, 2009. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  16. ↑ "The 1st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards . Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
  17. ↑ "16th Annual Youth In Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2011.
  18. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (December 25, 1994). "1994: YEAR IN REVIEW : No Weddings, No Lions, No Gumps". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  19. ↑ Elliott, David (December 25, 1994). "On the big screen, color it a satisfying time". The San Diego Union-Tribune (1, 2 ed.). p. E=8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.