Men Don't Leave

Last updated
Men Don't Leave
Men Don't Leave (film poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Paul Brickman
Written by Barbara Benedek
Paul Brickman
Produced by Jon Avnet
Starring
Cinematography Bruce Surtees
Edited by Richard Chew
Music by Thomas Newman
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • February 2, 1990 (1990-02-02)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million
Box office$6 million [1]

Men Don't Leave is a 1990 American comedy-drama film starring Jessica Lange as a housewife who, after the death of her husband, moves with her two sons to Baltimore. Chris O'Donnell, Arliss Howard, Joan Cusack, Charlie Korsmo and Kathy Bates also co-star in this film. The film, directed by Paul Brickman and co-written with Barbara Benedek, is a remake of the French film La Vie Continue . The original music score was composed by Thomas Newman. Warner Brothers released the film on DVD for the first time on September 15, 2009, as part of the "Warner Archive Collection".

Contents

Plot

Weighed down by her late contractor husband's debts in Bingham, Maryland, widowed mother Beth Macauley is compelled to sell her house and move to a less costly locale. She relocates to Baltimore with her sons Chris and Matt and takes a job at a gourmet food store managed by Lisa Coleman. 16 year-old Chris (Chris O'Donnell) turns angry and aggressive while 7 year-old Matt (Charlie Korsmo) hides his deep sense of loss under a steely exterior. Beth is drawn into a relationship with Charles Simon, a musician who builds her self-esteem. However, after losing her job, she plunges into a five-day depression during which she refuses to leave her bedroom.

Beth is a vulnerable, easily discouraged person who cannot seem to get a grip on her circumstances. Chris falls in love with Jody, an older radiographer who lives in the same building , Shortly after Chris turns 17 He announces he's moving in with Jody. Matt falls under the influence of a schoolmate who breaks into houses and steals VCRs. His dream is to get enough money to buy back their suburban house. Beth and her sons eventually pull themselves together, and realize that to abandon each other is not the answer. Beth tells her sons, "Heartbreak is life educating us," and the lessons turn out to be worth learning.

Cast

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews. It has a score of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes based on eighteen reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. [2] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. [3]

Shelia Benson of the Los Angeles Times praised the film as "a tender, beautifully acted, diabolically droll film on the subject of love, loss and the sheer blissful unpredictability of life." [4]

Roger Ebert said that the film "is the story of how a warm and believable suburban wife and mother becomes a widow who is trapped in a series of Hollywood improbabilities. The movie opens with enormous appeal and then spends its last hour chipping away at the sympathy it has earned. By the end, when some scenes are from the cliche factory and others seem to be missing altogether, I felt a great disappointment: The story started out too strongly to end as such a mess." [5]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times recalled that "among the film's more memorable moments is the scene in which Beth, having collapsed into such depression that she sits in a littered apartment eating cold spaghetti out of a can, is serenaded by her musician friend to the tune of Bella Notte, the Italian restaurant song from Lady and the Tramp. Bruce Surtees's cinematography gives the film a warm, vibrant look that's particularly flattering to its star. The editing is so abrupt in spots that it suggests there may have been more to Men Don't Leave at some earlier stage." [6]

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said that "Brickman has made an imperfect movie but not an impersonal one. Combining humor and heartbreak with rare grace, Men Don’t Leave means to get under your skin and does." [7]

Lange's performance was praised by critics.

Box office

The film was unsuccessful at the box office, grossing just over $6 million in the US on a $7 million budget.

Related Research Articles

<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>Cant Hardly Wait</i> 1998 American film

Can't Hardly Wait is a 1998 American teen romantic comedy film written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. It stars an ensemble cast including Ethan Embry, Charlie Korsmo, Lauren Ambrose, Peter Facinelli, Seth Green, and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and is notable for a number of "before-they-were-famous" appearances by teen stars. The story takes place at a high school graduation party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris O'Donnell</span> American actor (born 1970)

Christopher Eugene O'Donnell is an American actor who performs in film and television.

<i>Another Stakeout</i> 1993 film by John Badham

Another Stakeout is a 1993 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by John Badham and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Emilio Estevez, and Rosie O'Donnell. It is a sequel to the 1987 film, Stakeout. Unlike its predecessor, the film was neither a critical nor a commercial success.

<i>Sweet Dreams</i> (1985 film) 1985 film by Karel Reisz

Sweet Dreams is a 1985 American biographical film which tells the story of country music singer Patsy Cline.

<i>Music Box</i> (film) 1989 film by Costa-Gavras

Music Box is a 1989 film by Costa-Gavras that tells the story of a Hungarian-American immigrant who is accused of having been a war criminal. The plot revolves around his daughter, an attorney, who defends him, and her struggle to uncover the truth.

<i>Blue Sky</i> (1994 film) 1994 American film

Blue Sky is a 1994 American drama film directed by Tony Richardson and written by Rama Stagner, Arlene Sarner and Jerry Leichtling. The film stars Jessica Lange and Tommy Lee Jones in lead roles, alongside Powers Boothe, Carrie Snodgress, Amy Locane, Chris O'Donnell and Mitchell Ryan in supporting roles. It tells the story of a military officer 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, and it marks the final film of director Tony Richardson, who died on November 14, 1991.

<i>The Journey of Natty Gann</i> 1985 film by Jeremy Kagan

The Journey of Natty Gann is a 1985 American adventure film directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Buena Vista Distribution. The film introduced Meredith Salenger and also starred John Cusack, Lainie Kazan and Ray Wise.

<i>Dont Come Knocking</i> 2005 film by Wim Wenders

Don't Come Knocking is a 2005 American western film directed by Wim Wenders, and written by Wenders and Sam Shepard. They had previously collaborated on the film Paris, Texas (1984). It was submitted at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Mad Love</i> (1995 film) 1995 American film

Mad Love is a 1995 American teen romantic drama film directed by Antonia Bird and starring Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell. It was written by Paula Milne. The original music score is composed by Andy Roberts.

<i>A Thousand Acres</i> (film) 1997 American film

A Thousand Acres is a 1997 American drama film directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Lange, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Robards.

<i>Fried Green Tomatoes</i> 1991 film by Jon Avnet

Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Jon Avnet and based on Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Written by Flagg and Carol Sobieski, and starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker and Cicely Tyson, the film tells the story of a middle-aged housewife who, unhappy with her life, befriends an elderly lady in a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know.

<i>Heartbreak Hotel</i> (film) 1988 film by Chris Columbus

Heartbreak Hotel is a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by Chris Columbus, and stars David Keith and Tuesday Weld. Set in 1972, the story deals with one of the many "legends" involving Elvis Presley (Keith) about his fictional kidnapping, and his subsequent redemption from decadence.

<i>Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain</i> 1995 American film

Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain is a 1995 American adventure film directed by Kevin James Dobson, and starring Christina Ricci, Anna Chlumsky, Polly Draper, Brian Kerwin, Diana Scarwid, and David Keith. Set in 1980 in the Pacific Northwest, it follows two teenage girls who, inspired by a local legend, attempt to recover a fortune of gold inside a mountain.

<i>Twelve</i> (2010 film) 2010 film

Twelve is a 2010 teen crime drama film directed by Joel Schumacher from a screenplay by Jordan Melamed, based on Nick McDonell's 2002 novel of the same name. The film follows a young drug dealer whose luxurious lifestyle falls apart after his cousin is murdered and his best friend is arrested for the crime. It stars Chace Crawford, Rory Culkin, Curtis Jackson, Emily Meade, and Emma Roberts.

<i>Tamara Drewe</i> (film) 2010 British romantic comedy film by Stephen Frears

Tamara Drewe is a 2010 British romantic comedy film directed by Stephen Frears. The screenplay was written by Moira Buffini, based on the newspaper comic strip of the same name written by Posy Simmonds. The comic strip which serves as source material was a modern reworking of Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel Far from the Madding Crowd.

<i>In Secret</i> (film) 2013 American film

In Secret is a 2013 American erotic thriller romance film written and directed by Charlie Stratton. Based on Émile Zola's classic 1867 novel Thérèse Raquin and the 2009 stage play by the same name penned by Neal Bell, the film stars Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Felton, Oscar Isaac and Jessica Lange. It was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. The film received a regional release on February 21, 2014.

<i>The Prince</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Brian A. Miller

The Prince is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by Brian A. Miller. It stars Jason Patric, Bruce Willis, John Cusack, and Rain. The film received a VOD and theatrical release by Lionsgate on August 22, 2014.

<i>Chained for Life</i> (2019 film) 2019 American film

Chained for Life is a 2019 American drama film written and directed by Aaron Schimberg.

References

  1. ↑ Men Don't Leave at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ "Men Don't Leave (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Home". CinemaScore. Retrieved 2022-09-25.
  4. ↑ "MOVIE REVIEWS : Women Alone . . . Except for the Children : Drama: 'Men Don't Leave' tells of love, loss and life's blissful unpredictability". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  5. ↑ "Men Don't Leave". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  6. ↑ "Review/Film;Jessica Lange As a Widow Waking Up To Problems". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  7. ↑ "Men Don't Leave". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2012-06-10.
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.