Girlfriends (1978 film)

Last updated

Girlfriends
Girlfriends film poster.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Claudia Weill
Screenplay byVicki Polon
Story by
  • Claudia Weill
  • Vicki Polon
Produced byClaudia Weill
Starring
Cinematography Fred Murphy
Edited bySuzanne Pettit
Music by Michael Small
Production
company
Cyclops Films
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • August 11, 1978 (1978-08-11)(New York City)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$500,000 [1]

Girlfriends is a 1978 American comedy drama film produced and directed by Claudia Weill and written by Vicki Polon. The film stars Melanie Mayron as Susan Weinblatt, a Jewish photographer who experiences loneliness once her roommate Anne (Anita Skinner) moves out of their apartment in New York City. It was the first American independent film to be funded with grants, but private investors helped complete the film. [2]

Contents

Although the film began shooting in November 1975, [2] it took almost three years to complete because the initial budget of $80,000 ran out. [3] After the film was picked up for distribution by Warner Bros., it was released on August 11, 1978.

In 2019, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [4] [5] [6]

Plot

Photographer Susan Weinblatt supports herself by shooting baby pictures, weddings, and bar mitzvahs while she aims for an exhibit of her work in a gallery. She shares an apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side with her best friend, Anne Munroe, an aspiring writer.

After selling three of her pictures to a magazine, Susan thinks she has left the world of portraits and wedding photography behind her. However, her life begins to fall apart when Anne moves out and marries her boyfriend, Martin, and she struggles to sell her photographs.

Susan develops a crush on Rabbi Gold, who works at the bar mitzvahs and weddings she photographs. The two kiss, but before they start an affair, she accidentally meets his wife and son, which puts a damper on their relationship.

After scamming her way into a meeting with a gallery owner, Susan is recommended to another gallerist, and she is able to get her own show. She also gets a boyfriend, Eric, whom she met at a house party. She later fights with Anne as the latter is jealous of her independence while Susan resents Anne's marriage and child. Later, she fights with Eric over her insistence on maintaining her own apartment instead of moving in with him.

At her gallery show, all of Susan's friends and family come to support her except for Anne, who Martin tells her has gone to the countryside alone in order to work. Susan goes to the countryside, and Anne apologizes for not attending her show and reveals that she had an abortion that morning, not wanting more children. The two drink tequila shots and play games, but are interrupted by Martin's arrival.

Cast

Production

The film started as a 30-minute film funded by a grant from the American Film Institute, but upon completion, Weill realized that she wanted to explore what would happen next in the story. That short film eventually became the first seven minutes of the feature film. [7] Original funding for the feature film came from National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts, totaling $80,000. Principal photography was effectively six and a half weeks, but those days were stretched over the span of a year because the production kept running out of money. When the grant money ran out, Weill had to seek private investors to help complete the film. Once the film was finished, she took the film to Hollywood studios, and she sold it to Warner Brothers for world distribution. They also signed a contract with Weill to direct two more features. [2]

Release

Girlfriends premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, as well as screening at Cannes and other festivals. [2] It opened in New York City on August 11, 1978. [8] The film was re-released in select theaters in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2021, by Park Circus. [9]

Reception and legacy

Girlfriends received positive notices from critics. A review in Variety wrote, "This is a warm, emotional and at times wise picture about friendship, a film deserving of a wide audience. It's documentary filmmaker Claudia Weill's first feature, although there's no reason to apologetically pigeonhole this movie as a 'promising first feature.' It's the work of a technically skilled and assured director." [10] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3 stars out of 4 and called it "a nice little picture" that "plays out its drama in an episodic, European style – small vignettes leading forward in time." [11] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times described it as "a candid, intelligent, informed, affectionate, deeply affecting and wryly funny examination of the lives of young career women in Manhattan now." [12] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote that the film "suffers from such a threadbare screenplay and tentative personality that one can't help marveling at its shlumpy appeal." [13] Geoff Brown of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote, "The clarity of Weill's focus, along with the witty script and keen performances, keeps Girlfriends for the most part likeably spry and intelligent." [14]

Stanley Kubrick brought up the film in 1980 when being interviewed by Vicente Molina Foix at Kubrick's house: [15]

Foix: Are you interested in the new paths or trends within current Hollywood production being tried by people like Coppola, Schrader, Spielberg, Scorsese or DePalma?

Kubrick: "I think one of the most interesting Hollywood films, well not Hollywood – American films – that I've seen in a long time is Claudia Weill's Girlfriends. That film, I thought, was one of the very rare American films that I would compare with the serious, intelligent, sensitive writing and filmmaking that you find in the best directors in Europe. It wasn't a success, I don't know why; it should have been. Certainly I thought it was a wonderful film. It seemed to make no compromise to the inner truth of the story, you know, the theme and everything else...

The great problem is that the films cost so much now; in America it's almost impossible to make a good film – which means you have to spend a certain amount of time on it, and have good technicians and good actors – that aren't very, very expensive. This film that Claudia Weill did, I think she did on an amateur basis; she shot it for about a year, two or three days a week. Of course she had a great advantage, because she had all the time she needed to think about it, to see what she had done. I thought she made the film extremely well."

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Intelligently written and beautifully acted, Girlfriends captures the rhythms of female friendship – and late '70s New York – with a deftly assured hand." [16]

Accolades

AwardYearCategoryRecipientResultRef.
Locarno Film Festival 1978Bronze LeopardMelanie MayronWon
National Board of Review Awards Top Ten Films Girlfriends9th Place
Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice AwardClaudia WeillWon
Utah-USFilm Festival Grand Jury Prize Dramatic Claudia WeillWon
British Academy Film Awards 1979 Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Melanie MayronNominated
David di Donatello Special DavidClaudia WeillWon
Golden Globe Awards New Star of the Year – Actress Anita SkinnerNominated

Home media

Girlfriends was released on DVD in the United States (Region 1) on May 28, 2010, as part of the Warner Archive Collection. [25]

In August 2020, it was announced that the film would be made available for the first time on Blu-ray via The Criterion Collection, which was released November 10, 2020. The set contains a new 4K restoration, as well as new special features, including cast and crew interviews, two short films: Joyce at 34 and Commuters, theatrical trailer, and essays by critic Molly Haskell and scholar Carol Gilligan. [26] [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Douglas</span> American actor (1916–2020)

Kirk Douglas was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Douglas soon developed into a leading box-office star throughout the 1950s, known for serious dramas, including westerns and war films. During his career, he appeared in more than 90 films and was known for his explosive acting style. He was named by the American Film Institute the 17th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema.

<i>Five Easy Pieces</i> 1970 US drama film by Bob Rafelson

Five Easy Pieces is a 1970 American road drama film directed by Bob Rafelson, written by Rafelson and Carole Eastman, and starring Jack Nicholson, Karen Black, Susan Anspach, Lois Smith, and Ralph Waite. The film tells the story of surly oil rig worker Bobby Dupea (Nicholson), whose rootless blue-collar existence belies his privileged youth as a piano prodigy. When Bobby learns that his father is dying, he travels to his family home in Washington to visit him, taking along his uncouth girlfriend (Black).

<i>Tootsie</i> 1982 film directed by Sydney Pollack

Tootsie is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy film directed by Sydney Pollack from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal and a story by Gelbart and Don McGuire. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, and Charles Durning. In the film, Michael Dorsey (Hoffman), a talented actor with a reputation for being professionally difficult, runs into romantic trouble after adopting a female persona to land a job.

<i>Thelma & Louise</i> 1991 film by Ridley Scott

Thelma & Louise is a 1991 American crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri. The film stars Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis as Louise and Thelma, two friends who embark on a road trip that ends up in unforeseen circumstances. The supporting cast includes Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Christopher McDonald, and Brad Pitt. Filming took place in California and Utah from June to August 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Cardinale</span> Italian actress (born 1938)

Claude Joséphine Rose CardinaleCavaliere di Gran Croce dell'OMRI, known as Claudia Cardinale, is a Tunisian-Italian actress.

<i>The Killing</i> (film) 1956 film by Stanley Kubrick

The Killing is a 1956 American film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and produced by James B. Harris. It was written by Kubrick and Jim Thompson and based on Lionel White's novel Clean Break. It stars Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, and Vince Edwards, and features Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr., Jay C. Flippen and Timothy Carey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Mazursky</span> American director, screenwriter, and actor (1930-2014)

Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), An Unmarried Woman (1978), Harry and Tonto (1974), and Enemies, A Love Story (1989). He is also known for directing such films as Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Moon over Parador (1988), and Scenes from a Mall (1991).

<i>The Baby-Sitters Club</i> (film) 1995 film by Melanie Mayron

The Baby-Sitters Club is a 1995 American comedy-drama film directed by Melanie Mayron, in her feature film directorial debut. It is based on Ann M. Martin's novel series of the same name and is about one summer in the girls' lives in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. The film was shot in the California cities of Los Angeles, Altadena, and Santa Clarita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelley Duvall</span> American actress and producer (1949–2024)

Shelley Alexis Duvall was an American actress and producer. Known for her collaborations with Robert Altman and for playing eccentric characters, she won a Cannes Film Festival Award and was nominated for a British Academy Film Award and two Emmy Awards. Four of her films are preserved in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

<i>The Servant</i> (1963 film) 1963 British drama film by Joseph Losey

The Servant is a 1963 British drama film directed by Joseph Losey. It was written by Harold Pinter, who adapted Robin Maugham's 1948 novella. The Servant stars Dirk Bogarde, Sarah Miles, Wendy Craig and James Fox.

<i>Killers Kiss</i> 1955 film by Stanley Kubrick

Killer's Kiss is a 1955 American independently produced crime film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Kubrick and Howard Sackler. It is the second feature film directed by Kubrick, following his 1953 debut feature, Fear and Desire. The film stars Jamie Smith, Irene Kane, and Frank Silvera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melanie Mayron</span> American actress and director

Melanie Joy Mayron is an American actress and director of film and television. Mayron is best known for her role as photographer Melissa Steadman on the ABC drama thirtysomething for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1989, and was nominated for same award in 1990 and 1991. In 2018, the Santa Fe Film Festival honored Mayron for her outstanding contributions to film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Weill</span> American film director

Claudia Weill is an American film director best known for her film Girlfriends (1978), starring Melanie Mayron, Christopher Guest, Bob Balaban and Eli Wallach, made independently and sold to Warner Brothers after multiple awards at Cannes, Filmex and Sundance. Girlfriends would be one of 82 films made by a female director to compete at Cannes. In 2019, Girlfriends was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

<i>The Times of Harvey Milk</i> 1984 American film

The Times of Harvey Milk is a 1984 American documentary film that premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and then on November 1, 1984, at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. The film was directed by Rob Epstein, produced by Richard Schmiechen, and narrated by Harvey Fierstein, with an original score by Mark Isham.

<i>Valley of the Dolls</i> (film) 1967 film by Mark Robson

Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film directed by Mark Robson and produced by David Weisbart, based on Jacqueline Susann's 1966 novel. The film stars Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, and Sharon Tate as three young women who become friends as they struggle to forge careers in the entertainment industry. As their careers take different paths, all three descend into barbiturate addiction. Susan Hayward, Paul Burke, and Lee Grant co-star.

<i>Lonesome</i> (1928 film) 1928 film

Lonesome is a 1928 American sound part-talkie comedy drama film directed by Paul Fejös, and starring Barbara Kent and Glenn Tryon. Although containing a few sequences with audible dialog, the majority of the film had a synchronized musical score with sound effects with English intertitles. The film was released in both sound-on-disc and sound-on-film formats. Its plot follows two working-class residents of New York City over a 24-hour-period, during which they have a chance meeting at Coney Island during the Independence Day weekend and swiftly fall in love with one another. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

<i>Pariah</i> (2011 film) Film by Dee Rees

Pariah is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Dee Rees. It tells the story of Alike, a 17-year-old Black teenager embracing her identity as a lesbian. It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was awarded the Excellence in Cinematography Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Toronto International Film Festival</span>

The 3rd Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 14 and September 21, 1978. It showcased 85 films, the lowest number of films in the festival's history. In Praise of Older Women directed by George Kaczender was selected as the opening film. When the Ontario Film Review Board objected to a 40-second scene between Marilyn Lightstone and Tom Berenger, co-producer of the film Robert Lantos cut the scene for the theatrical run. Despite that, some of the TIFF staff managed to smuggle original uncut version of the film and run it into the theatre. The news was well publicised, increasing interest in the film, in turn boosting ticket sales. Difficulties arose when audiences waiting outside the theatre noticed that each ticket admitted two person thus causing anger in the crowd. The audience who were not able to get seats during the first screening were invited to a later screening. The People's Choice Award was introduced this year, which is given to a feature film chosen by a vote of the festival audience.

<i>Cha Cha Real Smooth</i> 2022 American film by Cooper Raiff

Cha Cha Real Smooth is a 2022 American romantic comedy drama film written, produced, and directed by Cooper Raiff. The plot centers on a 22-year-old college graduate (Raiff) who starts making money as a party starter while he also strikes up a relationship with a 32-year-old mother. The cast also includes Raúl Castillo, Odeya Rush, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Brad Garrett, and Leslie Mann.

References

  1. ↑ Klemesrud, Judy (August 4, 1978). "'Girlfriends' Director on Female Friendship". The New York Times . p. A12. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Starr, Cecile (August 6, 1978). "Claudia Weill: From Shoestring to Studio". The New York Times. p. D11. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  3. ↑ Sweeney, R. Emmet (March 7, 2017). "Best Friends Forever: Girlfriends (1978)". Streamline . Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
  4. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (December 11, 2019). "National Film Registry Adds 'Purple Rain', 'Clerks', 'Gaslight' & More; 'Boys Don't Cry' One Of Record 7 Pics From Female Helmers". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Women Rule 2019 National Film Registry". Library of Congress. July 30, 2020 [December 11, 2019]. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ Myers, Victoria (May 30, 2018). "Claudia Weill on Directing Theatre, Film, and Television". The Interval. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Girlfriends (1978)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved May 5, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Girlfriends to return to cinemas in a new restoration". Park Circus. June 18, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Film Reviews: Girlfriends". Variety . May 10, 1978. p. 23. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  11. ↑ Siskel, Gene (September 29, 1978). "'Girl Friends' story told with affection". Chicago Tribune . Section 3, p. 3. ISSN   1085-6706.
  12. ↑ Champlin, Charles (August 20, 1978). "'Girl Friends': On 'Rocky's' Road". Los Angeles Times . Calendar, p. 1. ISSN   0458-3035.
  13. ↑ Arnold, Gary (September 27, 1978). "Shlumpy Appeal of 'Girl Friends'". The Washington Post . p. B10. ISSN   0190-8286.
  14. ↑ Brown, Geoff (September 1978). "Girlfriends". The Monthly Film Bulletin . Vol. 45, no. 536. p. 175. ISSN   0027-0407.
  15. ↑ Castle, Alison; Kubrick, Stanley (2005). The Stanley Kubrick Archives. Cologne: Taschen. p. 460. ISBN   978-3-8228-2284-5.
  16. ↑ "Girlfriends". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  17. ↑ "1978 – 31st Locarno Film Festival". Locarno Film Festival . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  18. ↑ "1978 Award Winners". National Board of Review . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Awards Archive". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 27, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  20. ↑ Hicks, Chris (January 28, 2000). "Sundance's spirit found in 'Whole Shootin' Match'". Deseret News . Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  21. ↑ Hicks, Chris (January 29, 2015). "Chris Hicks: Sundance Film Festival's roots go back more than 30 years". Deseret News . Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Film in 1979". BAFTA Awards . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Motore di ricerca" (in Italian). David di Donatello . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Girl Friends". Golden Globe Awards . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Girlfriends DVD". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Criterion Announces November Titles". Blu-ray.com. August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Girlfriends (1978)". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
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.