Dogfight (film)

Last updated

Dogfight
Dogfight (film).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Nancy Savoca
Written byBob Comfort
Produced by Richard Guay
Peter Newman
Starring
CinematographyBobby Bukowski
Edited by John Tintori
Music by Sarah Class
Mason Daring
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • October 4, 1991 (1991-10-04)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$394,631 [1]

Dogfight is a 1991 period coming-of-age drama film set in San Francisco, California, during the 1960s and directed by Nancy Savoca. [2] The film explores the love between an 18-year-old Marine, Lance Corporal Eddie Birdlace (River Phoenix), on his way to Vietnam, and a young woman, Rose Fenny (Lili Taylor). [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

The film begins on November 21, 1963, the day before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Lance Corporal Birdlace and three of his Marine buddies have arrived in San Francisco for a twenty-four hour leave before shipping off to Okinawa, and are planning on attending a "dogfight" later that evening, a party at which Marines compete to bring the ugliest date, unbeknownst to the girls. They separate to look for dates. After a few women reject his advances, Birdlace ducks into a coffee shop, where he encounters Rose, a waitress, on her break, practicing on her guitar. She is not particularly ugly, but rather plain, shy and awkward. Birdlace attempts to charm her, complimenting her on her guitar playing, and invites her to a party. She is suspicious of his motives, but decides to accept his invitation.

While walking to the bar where the dogfight is to be held, Birdlace begins to have second thoughts about playing such a cruel trick on Rose after realizing she's not ugly enough to compete, and attempts to talk her out of going in. However, when they encounter one of Birdlace's buddies and his date in front of the bar, he has no choice but to proceed inside with Rose. Birdlace proceeds to get drunk, presumably feeling guilty. Shortly after, Rose convinces Birdlace to dance with her, though at first he resists because he knows the dance floor is where the dates will be judged. The alcohol and dancing eventually make Rose feel dizzy, and she rushes off to be sick in the rest room. Marcie, the date brought by Birdlace's friend Berzin, is declared the winner. In the ladies' room, it is revealed that Marcie is actually a prostitute whom Berzin has hired, in violation of the rules of the dogfight, cluing Rose in to the true nature of the party. Rose is devastated and tears into Birdlace, then storms off. Birdlace immediately regrets having treated Rose so cruelly, and chases after her. He convinces her to let him buy her dinner in an attempt to make it up to her.

After dinner, the two walk to a club where Rose hopes to perform soon, and then to an arcade. Birdlace is surprised to find himself enjoying spending time with Rose, so much so that he forgets that he was to have met up with his three buddies at a tattoo parlor to get matching tattoos to solidify their friendship. Rose tells Birdlace about her dream of becoming a folk singer, and he reveals to her that he will be shipping off to Okinawa the following day, and from there on to "a little country called Vietnam," he hopes. She offers to write to him, and asks if he will write back. Birdlace walks Rose home, and they share an awkward moment on her doorstep before she hesitantly invites him in. They attempt to talk, but end up having a self-conscious yet tender sexual encounter.

As he is leaving at dawn, Rose gives him her address and asks him to write. Birdlace meets up with his buddies as they board their bus. Birdlace makes up a story about not showing up because he spent the night with the beautiful wife of an officer. Berzin later shares with Birdlace that he saw him with Rose; Birdlace counters that he is aware that Berzin's date, Marcie, was actually a prostitute. They agree to keep one another's secrets, as Birdlace tears up Rose's address and throws it out the window of the bus.

The next day, Rose weeps and watches coverage of President Kennedy's assassination on TV with her mother. Later, in 1966, Birdlace and his three friends have been deployed to Chu Lai, South Vietnam. While playing cards, they are suddenly hit with a mortar, and chaos ensues; Birdlace is wounded in the leg, and Berzin and Oakie drag him away and tell him that Benjamin is dead, before another mortar round hits.

A year later, Birdlace gets off a Greyhound bus in San Francisco. Discharged from the Marines, he now walks with a limp, and it is suggested that his three friends were all killed in combat. He is taken aback by how much things have changed since he was last there, with hippies and flower children everywhere. He walks to the neighborhood where Rose's coffee shop is, and goes to a bar across the street to have a drink. The bartender tells him that Rose's mother has turned the coffee shop over to Rose. Birdlace makes his way across the street and into the coffee shop. Rose, not having heard from him in three years, is surprised to see him, and can only say "hi". She goes over to him, and they embrace.

Cast

Release

The premiere of Dogfight was a screening at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado on August 30, 1991 with a New York premiere on September 13, 1991. It also had an opening in Los Angeles on September 27, 1991. It was released in the United States on October 4, 1991, by Warner Bros. [5]

Home media

Dogfight was released by Criterion on Blu-ray in the United States on April 30, 2024 and in the UK on May 6, 2024. [6] Previously it had been released on DVD. The Blu-ray release includes interviews with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor, a trailer and an audio commentary with Savoca and producer Richard Guay. [7]

Reception

The film received praise from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 83% approval rating based on 24 reviews. [8] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "'Dogfight' is two characters in search of a film. And very fine characters they happen to be, as winsome a pair of young people as anyone would ever want to meet. Which makes it all the more a wonder that their on-screen adventures can’t seem to go anywhere at all." [9] Roger Ebert remarked that the film "isn't a love story so much as a story about how a young woman helps a confused teenage boy to discover his own better nature. The fact that his discoveries take place on the night before he ships out to fight the war in Vietnam only makes the story more poignant." [10]

In a mixed review, Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said that "Dogfight doesn’t sum up an era; it merely romanticizes it. What could have been an incisive movie about alienation deteriorates into a conventional romance." [11] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that "Dogfight... seems to have no clear idea of what these ordinary people are really like. The film wants to be honest (and in its cruelties, it is), but the operative sensibility is that of a sitcom world. The characters aren't necessarily idealized, but they are flat and uninteresting. The material is lugubrious. The only seemingly spontaneous moment comes at the very end, which is too late." [12] Dustin Putman referred to the film as "a virtually unknown gem" and "one of the sweetest, most touching romances of the decade." [13]

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack featured a number of prominent 1960s artists, including Muddy Waters, The Weavers, Van Morrison, Elizabeth Cotten, Pete Seeger and Malvina Reynolds. [14]

Musical adaptation

In June 2012, Second Stage Theatre debuted the musical adaptation. [15] The show, which features music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a book by Peter Duchan, was directed by Joe Mantello and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. It starred Lindsay Mendez as Rose and Derek Klena as Eddie. The cast also included Nick Blaemire, Annaleigh Ashford, Steven Booth, Becca Ayers, Adam Halpin, Dierdre Friel, F. Michael Haynie, James Moye and Josh Segarra. David Zinn designed sets and costumes and Paul Gallo designed the lights. The production opened on July 16, 2012, after previews from June 27, and concluded its limited run on August 19. The show received rave reviews for its young writers and for leading lady Lindsay Mendez's tour de force performance. [16]

Dogfight earned two 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Choreographer (Christopher Gattelli). [17] It was nominated for five 2013 Outer Critics Circle Awards: Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical, Outstanding New Score (Broadway or Off-Broadway), Outstanding Book of a Musical (Broadway or Off-Broadway), Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Lindsay Mendez), and Outstanding Lighting Design (Paul Gallo). [18] The show was also nominated for two 2013 Drama League Awards for Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical and Distinguished Performance (Lindsay Mendez), [19] as well as the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Lindsay Mendez). [20]

The original cast recording was released on April 30, 2013. [21]

In August 2014, the musical had its European premiere at the Southwark Playhouse in London, directed by Matt Ryan.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Crystal</span> American actor, comedian and filmmaker (born 1948)

William Edward Crystal is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is known as a standup comedian and for his film and stage roles. Crystal has received numerous accolades, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award as well as nominations for three Grammy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2007, the Critics' Choice Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandy Patinkin</span> American actor and singer (born 1952)

Mandel "Mandy" Bruce Patinkin is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film. As a critically acclaimed Broadway performer he has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Patinkin's leading roles on stage and screen have received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for seven Drama Desk Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

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

Lili Anne Taylor is an American actress. She came to prominence with supporting parts in the films Mystic Pizza (1988) and Say Anything... (1989), before establishing herself as one of the key figures of 1990s independent cinema through starring roles in Bright Angel (1990), Dogfight (1991), Household Saints, Short Cuts, The Addiction (1995), I Shot Andy Warhol, Girls Town, Pecker (1998), and A Slipping-Down Life (1999). Taylor is the recipient of four Independent Spirit nominations, winning once in the category of Best Supporting Female. Her other accolades include one Golden Globe Award and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Orbach</span> American actor and singer (1935–2004)

Jerome Bernard Orbach was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last bona fide leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a "versatile stage and film actor". Over his career he received a Tony Award and Screen Actors Guild Award as well as nominations for three Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.

<i>City of Angels</i> (musical) Musical comedy

City of Angels is a satirical musical comedy with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by David Zippel, and a book by Larry Gelbart. The show takes a critical look at Hollywood through the eyes of Stine, a successful writer who is adapting his latest novel into a film. The musical explores two parallel storylines: one following Stine's struggles to adapt his novel, and the other taking place within the world of the film he's creating. The musical also serves an ode to the classic film noir genre of the 1940s.

<i>Altar Boyz</i> Musical comedy by Adler and Walker

Altar Boyz is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker and a book by Kevin Del Aguila. Centering on a fictitious Christian boy band from Ohio, the show satirizes, among other things, the phenomenon of boy bands and the popularity of Christian-themed music in contemporary American culture. It began an Off Broadway run on March 1, 2005, and closed on January 10, 2010, after sixteen previews and 2,032 regular performances, making it the 9th longest-running Off-Broadway musical of all time.

<i>Pure Country</i> 1992 film by Christopher Cain

Pure Country is a 1992 American drama musical western film directed by Christopher Cain and starring George Strait in his acting debut, with Lesley Ann Warren, Isabel Glasser and Kyle Chandler. The film, while profitable with box office receipts of over $15 million against a $10 million budget, fell far short of its expectations. The soundtrack was a critical success and, to date, is Strait's best selling album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pablo Schreiber</span> Canadian-American actor

Pablo Tell Schreiber is a Canadian-American actor. He is best known for his stage work and for portraying Nick Sobotka on The Wire, William Lewis on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2013–2014), Mad Sweeney on the Starz series American Gods (2017–2020), and as George "Pornstache" Mendez on Orange Is the New Black (2013–2017), for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He stars as Master Chief in the Paramount+ live-action series Halo (2022–2024) which is based on the franchise of the same name.

<i>Merrily We Roll Along</i> (musical) 1981 musical by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth

Merrily We Roll Along is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by George Furth. It is based on the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart.

Graciela Daniele is an Argentine-American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director.

Nancy Laura Savoca is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Paul</span> American composer and lyricist

Justin Paul is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing songs for films such as La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017), and the stage musical Dear Evan Hansen, all of which he co-wrote with his songwriting partner, Benj Pasek. With Pasek, Paul became the 20th/21st person to win the EGOT, an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benj Pasek</span> American composer and lyricist

Benj Pasek is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing songs for films such as La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017), and the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen, all of which he co-wrote with his songwriting partner, Justin Paul. With Paul, Pasek became the 20th/21st person to win the EGOT, an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

Kyle Dean Massey is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his leading roles in the Broadway musicals Wicked – for which he has played Fiyero on-and-off from 2007 to 2019 – Next to Normal, and Pippin. He played the recurring role of openly gay country music songwriter Kevin Bicks on the ABC/CMT musical drama series Nashville (2015–2018).

<i>Elf</i> (musical) Musical composed by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin

Elf is a musical based on the 2003 motion picture, with a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The book is adapted by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan from the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Segarra</span> American actor (born 1986)

Josh Segarra is an American actor. He is known for his roles on the television series The Electric Company, Sirens, and Arrow as well as for originating the role of Emilio Estefan in the musical On Your Feet!. His other television credits include Chicago P.D., The Other Two, AJ and the Queen, Orange Is the New Black, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, while his other theatrical credits include the musicals Lysistrata Jones and Dogfight, and the slasher horror film Scream VI.

Peter Duchan is an American playwright and screenwriter, best known for the film Breaking Upwards and the musical Dogfight. He was also personal assistant to actor-director-producer Bob Balaban. He graduated from Northwestern University, where he participated in the Creative Writing for Media Program.

<i>Dogfight</i> (musical) 2012 musical by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Dogfight is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Peter Duchan. It is based on the 1991 film of the same name. The musical premiered off-Broadway at the Second Stage Theatre in 2012, and in August 2014, the musical had its European premiere at the Southwark Playhouse in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay Mendez</span> American actress and singer

Lindsay Michelle Mendez is an American actress and singer, best known for her work in American musical theatre. She won the 2018 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in a Broadway revival of Carousel. Her other credits on Broadway include Elphaba in Wicked, Godspell, and Jan in Grease. Mendez starred alongside Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe in the first Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along, which opened to critical acclaim on Broadway in October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derek Klena</span> American actor and singer

Derek Anthony Klena is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his work on Broadway, including originating the roles of Nick Healy in Jagged Little Pill (2019–2021), Dmitry in Anastasia (2017–2018), and Michael in The Bridges of Madison County (2014). His breakthrough was in the original Off-Broadway production of Pasek & Paul's stage adaptation of Dogfight, and he played Fiyero in the 10th anniversary company of Wicked on Broadway. Klena most recently portrayed Christian in the Broadway company of Moulin Rouge! replacing Aaron Tveit in the role on and off from 2022 to 2024. He has made appearances on several television series such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Code, and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.

References

  1. ↑ "Dogfight (1991)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  2. ↑ Willman, Chris (October 1, 1993). "It Was a Real 'Dogfight' to Get Nancy Savoca's Vision on Screen : Movies". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  3. ↑ Johnson, J. Paul (July 19, 2021). "Not that Kind of Dogfight: A Different Kind of War Story". Film Obsessive. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Dogfight". Turner Classic Movie Database . Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Dogfight". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Dogfight (1991)". Criterion. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Dogfight (1991)". Criterion. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Dogfight". Rotten Tomatoes . Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  9. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (September 23, 1991). "MOVIE REVIEW : A Split Personality in 'Dogfight'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  10. ↑ Ebert, Roger (October 4, 1991). "Dogfight". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on May 20, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2012– via RogerEbert.com.
  11. ↑ Travers, Peter (November 4, 1991). "Dogfight | Movie Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  12. ↑ Canby, Vincent (September 13, 1991). "Movie Review - Dogfight - Review/Film; Extracting Love from a Cruel Joke". The New York Times . Archived from the original on September 13, 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  13. ↑ Putman, Dustin (October 8, 1998). "Dogfight (1991)". TheMovieBoy. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Dogfight Original Soundtrack". AllMusic . Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  15. ↑ Jones, Kenneth (July 16, 2012). ""Dogfight", New Musical About Cruelty and Hope, Opens in NYC; Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena Star". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Review Roundup: Second Stage's DOGFIGHT". broadwayworld.com. July 17, 2012. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  17. ↑ "The Piano Lesson, The Whale & Dogfight Honored at 2013 Lucille Lortel Awards". Broadway.com. May 6, 2013. Archived from the original on May 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 22, 2013). "Outer Critics Circle Nominees Announced; Pippin Earns 11 Nominations". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013.
  19. ↑ Cox, Gordon (April 23, 2013). "Drama League Spreads the Wealth With 2013 Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on August 27, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  20. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 29, 2013). "Nominations Announced for 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards; Giant and Hands on a Hardbody Lead the Pack". Playbill . Archived from the original on May 1, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Dogfight Original Cast Recording". Amazon. 2013. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
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.