Made in U.S.A. (1987 film)

Last updated
Made in U.S.A.
Directed byKen Friedman
Written by
Screenplay byZbigniew Kempinski
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyCurtis Clark
Edited byCurtiss Clayton
Production
companies
Distributed by Tri-Star Pictures
Release dates
  • March 11, 1988 (1988-03-11)(United States)
Running time
82 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Made in U.S.A. is a 1987 American crime drama / black comedy film directed by Ken Friedman, jokingly nicknamed "Friedkin" by the actors he followed due to the resemblance, from a screenplay by Zbigniew Kempinski.

Contents

Plot

The film stars Adrian Pasdar and Chris Penn as two young men who decide to leave behind their working-class lives in the coal-mining country of Pennsylvania and travel to California. Along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker (Lori Singer) and embark on a crime spree.

Cast

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features several songs by the American band Sonic Youth, who in 1995 released an album (also titled Made in USA ) of all the songs they had recorded for the film.

Versions of the film released by rival creators

The release of the film was delayed because of a dispute over artistic control between Friedman and John Daly of Hemdale Films. Friedman first showed his version, without the permission of Hemdale, who held the copyright, at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival. Daly released the studio's version to video in 1989. [1]

Trademark dispute over the film's title

The film was originally entitled USA Today, but the publishers of the USA Today newspaper, Gannett Company sued the film's producers, Hemdale Film Corporation, for the use of the name for one of the company's features. As a condition of the settlement, Hemdale decided to rename the title to Made in U.S.A., according to documents filed in federal court. [2]

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References

  1. Hornaday, Ann (February–March 1989). "Movies You'll Never See". Mother Jones Magazine . 14 (1): 53–54. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  2. "Gannett, Hemdale Settle Suit Over 'USA Today'". Variety . 1986-11-26. p. 4.