Moment by Moment

Last updated
Moment by Moment
Moment by Moment.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jane Wagner
Screenplay byJane Wagner
Produced by Robert Stigwood
Starring Lily Tomlin
John Travolta
Cinematography Phillip Lathrop
Edited byLa Reine Johnston
Music by Lee Holdridge
Production
company
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • December 22, 1978 (1978-12-22)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million
Box office$10,963,824 [1]

Moment by Moment is a 1978 American romantic drama film written and directed by Jane Wagner and starring Lily Tomlin and John Travolta. It was produced by Robert Stigwood and released by Universal Pictures on December 22, 1978.

Contents

The film was shot in Malibu, California from April to July 1978 and also marked the end of Travolta's three-film contract with Stigwood following Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978).

Synopsis

Trisha Rawlings is a wealthy middle-aged Beverly Hills socialite suffering from loneliness following a separation from her philandering husband Stu. At a pharmacy, she meets Vick "Strip" Harrison, a suave young drifter whom she had briefly met in the recent past when he worked as a car valet. He becomes infatuated with her, follows her to her Malibu beach house, hangs around despite her cold demeanor and offers her pills in an attempt to woo her.

Trisha is initially annoyed by Strip's flirtation but eventually reciprocates his affections, although not to the same degree. They have lunch, officially beginning their rocky relationship. She enjoys spending time with him, but the age and class differences make her feel ashamed.

When they attend a photography exhibition together, they run into Stu, which makes the situation uncomfortable. After they return home, they argue over their relationship. Strip leaves, but Trisha tracks him down and they reconcile.

Cast

Novelization

A paperback novelization of the screenplay was written by Darcy O'Brien and published by Ballantine Books in January 1979 as a promotional tie-in. [2]

Production

John Travolta and Lily Tomlin were both at the height of their careers when they were cast. Universal Pictures purchased the film rights from producer Robert Stigwood for $8 million, believing the star power of both leads would draw audiences. [3] The film was the first directed by Jane Wagner, Tomlin's writer and collaborator, and later wife. [3] However, during production Universal raised concerns about Wagner and hired Saturday Night Fever director of photography Ralf D. Bode to assist with direction, although he is credited in the film as a technical advisor. [3] Stigwood attempted to have Wagner fired but met resistance from Travolta and Tomlin. [3]

During production, a Los Angeles magazine reported, "The chemistry between Tomlin and Travolta began to rival that between Menachem Begin and Yassar Arafat." A crew staff was also quoted saying: "Two weeks into the shooting on location in Malibu, there was nobody on the set that didn't know we were in the middle of a turkey. It was like being on the voyage of the damned." Two years after its release, Lily Tomlin said of the experience: "John and I were totally unprepared. We thought it was a sweet, small, lightly funny movie. We were not prepared for what others thought. It's the one thing that all performers live in fear of—total failure. And when it happens and you survive, I think you're probably in a much better place. It's made me less cautious. It made me place more importance on the experience of working with other artists than on the reaction of critics or the public." [4]

Years later, Wagner said of the experience: "It isn’t enough to know the aesthetics of movie-making. You have to know the mechanics, too. I didn’t. I couldn’t handle the crew. I had to cut 30 pages out of the script. When Lily chose to play the character depressed, I went with her, even though playing depression is not interesting. Panic began to set in when I saw the rushes at night and knew they were not good, but that I’d have to go on with the next day’s shooting anyway. I felt increasingly helpless. I’m not good at dealing with people. I’m much too subjective. I’m always surprised when writers become good directors." [5]

Soundtrack

Moment by Moment:
The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
various artists
ReleasedJanuary 1979
Recorded1978
Genre Pop, easy listening
Length43:15
Label RSO Records
Producer Bill Oakes (Music Supervisor)
Singles from Moment by Moment
  1. "Moment by Moment"
    Released: December 1978

Moment by Moment: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture was released on vinyl, cassette tape and 8-track tape by RSO Records in January 1979. Despite the film's poor reputation, its title song was a modest hit for singer Yvonne Elliman.

Side 1:

  1. "Moment by Moment" (Yvonne Elliman) – 3:15
  2. "The Lady Wants To Know" (Michael Franks) – 4:32
  3. "Everybody Needs Love" (Stephen Bishop) – 3:40
  4. "Moment by Moment Theme (Reprise – Instrumental)" (Lee Holdridge) – 1:07
  5. "You Know I Love You" (Charles Lloyd) – 3:25
  6. "Sometimes When We Touch" (Dan Hill) – 4:03

Side 2:

  1. "Moment by Moment (Main Theme – Instrumental)" (Lee Holdridge) – 2:57
  2. "For You and I" (10cc) – 5:20
  3. "Hollywood Boulevard (Instrumental)" (Ray Parker Jr.) – 3:34
  4. "Your Heart Never Lies" (Charles Lloyd) – 5:07
  5. "Moment by Moment ("On the Beach" – Instrumental)" (Lee Holdridge & John Klemmer) – 2:15
  6. "Moment by Moment (Reprise) Film Version" (Yvonne Elliman) – 4:00

Charts

Album

TitleChart (1979)Peak
position
"Moment by Moment"US Billboard 200 Bubbling Under [6] 202

Single

TitleChart (1978–79)Peak
position
"Moment by Moment"US Billboard Hot 100 [7] 59
US Billboard Adult Contemporary [8] 32

Critical response

Moment by Moment was widely panned by critics and moviegoers. [9]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: "It's very difficult to understand what Miss Tomlin and Jane Wagner, who wrote and directed the film, wanted to do in 'Moment by Moment.' As romantic drama it's pretty tepid. That the two stars look enough alike to be brother and sister is no help, and though Miss Wagner's camera comes in for some tactful close-ups of flesh in the love scenes, they are singularly unerotic. One has the impression that these two lovers would prefer to be doing something else." [10]

Variety wrote that the film "has to rate as one of the major disappointments of 1978. What seemed like inspired casting on paper, the teaming of John Travolta and Lily Tomlin, fails badly in execution." [11]

Gene Siskel awarded the film 1.5 stars out of 4 and called it "a thoroughly awkward, frequently laughable love story that Travolta would do well not to defend, but to simply forget and move on to his next project. Chalk it up to working with the wrong people at the wrong time." [12] Roger Ebert said on their TV show that the movie wasn't just bad—it was a "disaster."

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote: "The circumscribed nature of Jane Wagner's screenplay and the hazy nature of her direction tend to divorce the film from any semblance of reality, both social and erotic. For all practical purposes 'Moment by Moment' is a two-character idyll, concentrated at a location—the heroine's Malibu Colony beachhouse—that seems imaginary." [13]

Gilbert Adair of The Monthly Film Bulletin stated: "Critics are fond of attributing a film's badness to some hypothetical computer; this truly terrible movie might have been made by HAL in his most maudlin 'Bicycle-built-for-two' mood, as the plugs were being pulled out." [14]

Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times was more positive in his review: "There have been many complaints that there is a lack of chemistry between the stars and that their dialogue is banal in the utmost ... Yet for those of us who respond to the intense concern Wagner projects for Tomlin and Travolta, there actually is chemistry between them and what they have to say to each other sounds lifelike rather than merely trite. At any rate, Tomlin and Travolta clearly have trusted in Wagner completely, giving themselves entirely to their roles, with Tomlin underplaying to Travolta's engaging projection of vulnerability." [15]

Moment by Moment holds a 22% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews. [16]

Legacy

The film has found popularity with some for its camp value, and the producers of Mystery Science Theater 3000 unsuccessfully attempted to obtain the rights to broadcast and mock the film on their show. [17]

Release

Kino Lorber released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on August 24, 2021. The release includes an audio commentary, radio spots and a theatrical trailer. [18]

Related Research Articles

<i>Saturday Night Fever</i> 1977 American dance drama film by John Badham

Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 American dance drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian-American man who spends his weekends dancing and drinking at a local discothèque while dealing with social tensions and disillusionment in his working class ethnic neighborhood in Brooklyn. The story is based on "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night", a mostly fictional 1976 article by music writer Nik Cohn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Tomlin</span> American actress (born 1939)

Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. Tomlin started her career in stand-up comedy and sketch comedy before transitioning her career to acting onstage and on-screen. In a career spanning over fifty years, Tomlin has received numerous accolades, including seven Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. She was also awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2014 and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2017.

<i>Saturday Night Fever</i> (soundtrack) 1977 soundtrack album by the Bee Gees and various artists

Saturday Night Fever is the soundtrack album from the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever starring John Travolta. The soundtrack was released on November 15, 1977 by RSO Records. Prior to the release of Thriller by Michael Jackson, Saturday Night Fever was the best-selling album in music history, and still ranks among the best-selling soundtrack albums worldwide, with sales figures of over 40 million copies.

<i>Grease</i> (film) 1978 musical romantic comedy film by Randal Kleiser

Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser from a screenplay by Bronté Woodard and an adaptation by co-producer Allan Carr, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson, who develop an attraction for each other during a summer romance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yvonne Elliman</span> Hawaiian singer, songwriter, and actress

Yvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who performed for four years in the first cast of the stage musical Jesus Christ Superstar. She scored a number of hits in the 1970s and achieved a US #1 hit with "If I Can't Have You". The song also reached #9 on the Adult Contemporary chart and number 4 in the UK Chart. Her cover of Barbara Lewis's "Hello Stranger" went to #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and "Love Me" was #5; at the time she had 3 top 10 singles. After a long hiatus in the 1980s and 1990s, during which time she left music to be with her family, she made a comeback album as a singer-songwriter in 2004.

<i>9 to 5</i> (film) 1980 American comedy film directed by Colin Higgins

9 to 5 is a 1980 American comedy film directed by Colin Higgins, who wrote the screenplay with Patricia Resnick. It stars Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as three working women who live out their fantasies of getting even with and overthrowing the company's autocratic, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" boss, played by Dabney Coleman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Stigwood</span> Australian music and film producer (1934–2016)

Robert Colin Stigwood was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer and impresario, best known for managing Cream, Andy Gibb and the Bee Gees, theatrical productions like Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, and film productions including the successful Grease and Saturday Night Fever. On his death, one obituary judged that he had been for a time the most powerful tycoon in the entertainment industry: "Stigwood owned the record label that issued his artists’ albums and film soundtracks, and he also controlled publishing rights – not since Hollywood's golden days had so much power and wealth been concentrated in the hands of one mogul."

<i>American Gigolo</i> 1980 crime drama film by Paul Schrader

American Gigolo is a 1980 American neo-noir crime drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader, and starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton. It tells the story of a high-priced escort in Los Angeles (Gere) who becomes romantically involved with a prominent politician's wife (Hutton), while simultaneously becoming the prime suspect in a murder case.

<i>Blue in the Face</i> 1995 film by Paul Auster, Wayne Wang

Blue in the Face is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster. It stars Harvey Keitel leading an ensemble cast, including Giancarlo Esposito, Roseanne Barr, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, Victor Argo, Mira Sorvino, Lou Reed, Keith David, Jim Jarmusch, Jared Harris, RuPaul, and Madonna.

RSO Records was a record label formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood and record executive Al Coury in 1973. The letters "RSO" stood for the Robert Stigwood Organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Wagner</span> American writer, director and producer (born 1935)

Jane Wagner is an American writer, director and producer. She is Lily Tomlin's comedy writer, collaborator, and wife.

<i>Staying Alive</i> (1983 film) 1983 film by Sylvester Stallone

Staying Alive is a 1983 American dance drama film and the sequel to Saturday Night Fever (1977). The film was directed by Sylvester Stallone, who co-produced and co-wrote the film with original Fever producer Robert Stigwood, and writer Norman Wexler. Staying Alive stars John Travolta, reprising his Saturday Night Fever role as Tony Manero, with Cynthia Rhodes, Finola Hughes, Joyce Hyser, Julie Bovasso, Viktor Manoel and Kevyn Morrow.

<i>Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band</i> (film) 1978 film by Michael Schultz

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a 1978 American jukebox musical comedy film directed by Michael Schultz, written by Henry Edwards and starring an ensemble cast led by Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees. Depicting the loosely constructed story of a band as they wrangle with the music industry and battle evil forces bent on stealing their instruments and corrupting their hometown of Heartland, the film is presented in a form similar to that of a rock opera, with the songs providing "dialogue" to carry the story. George Burns has most of the spoken lines that act to clarify the plot and provide further narration but there are a few other lines throughout the movie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Night Fever</span> 1978 single by the Bee Gees

"Night Fever" is a song written and performed by the Bee Gees. It first appeared on the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever on RSO Records. Producer Robert Stigwood wanted to call the film Saturday Night, but singer Robin Gibb expressed hesitation at the title. Stigwood liked the title Night Fever but was wary of marketing a movie with that name. The song bounded up the Billboard charts while the Bee Gees’ two previous hits from Saturday Night Fever soundtrack were still in the top ten. The record debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at #76, then leaped up 44 positions to #32. It then moved: 32–17–8–5–2–1. It remained at #1 for eight weeks, and ultimately spent 13 weeks in the top 10. For the first five weeks that "Night Fever" was at #1, "Stayin' Alive" was at #2. Also, for one week in March, Bee Gees related songs held five of the top positions on the Hot 100 chart, and four of the top five positions, with "Night Fever" at the top of the list. The B-side of "Night Fever" was a live version of "Down the Road" taken from the Bee Gees 1977 album, Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live.

<i>The Incredible Shrinking Woman</i> 1981 film

The Incredible Shrinking Woman is a 1981 American science-fiction comedy film directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Jane Wagner and starring Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, John Glover, and Elizabeth Wilson. This film parodies the 1957 science-fiction film The Incredible Shrinking Man, and credited as based on Richard Matheson's 1956 novel, The Shrinking Man. The original music score was composed by Suzanne Ciani.

"If I Can't Have You" is a disco song written by the Bee Gees in 1977. The song initially appeared on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack in a version by Yvonne Elliman, released in November 1977. The Bee Gees' own version appeared a month later as the B-side of "Stayin' Alive".

<i>Tinsel</i> (novel)

Tinsel is a 1979 novel written by William Goldman. It was the third of a four-book deal he had with Delacorte Press after Marathon Man and Magic. He called it "my Hollywood novel."

<i>Grace and Frankie</i> American comedy television series (2015–2022)

Grace and Frankie is an American comedy television series created by Marta Kauffman and Howard J. Morris for Netflix. The series stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as the eponymous Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein, two aging women who form an unlikely friendship after their husbands reveal they are in love with each other and plan to get married. Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, Brooklyn Decker, Ethan Embry, June Diane Raphael, and Baron Vaughn co-star in supporting roles.

"Moment by Moment" is the title theme song to the 1978 Universal Pictures film Moment by Moment starring Lily Tomlin and John Travolta. It is written by Lee Holdridge and Molly-Ann Leikin and performed by American singer Yvonne Elliman. The song is featured twice on the film's soundtrack album, as the first track and reprised as the final track, including three instrumental versions.

References

  1. ↑ "Moment by Moment". Box Office Mojo.
  2. ↑ "Moment by Moment" novel by Darcy O'Brien (Ballantine Books, 1979), retrieved June 20, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Moment by Moment". AFI . Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Moment by Moment" Simply Put Blog, retrieved June 28, 2015.
  5. ↑ Christon, Lawrence (1986-10-26). "LILY TOMLIN: STILL SEARCHING FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  6. ↑ "Moment by Moment" Bubbling Under the Top LPs: February 17, 1979, retrieved June 29, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Moment by Moment" Hot 100 Singles: January 27, 1979, retrieved June 29, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Moment by Moment" Adult Contemporary: February 3, 1979, retrieved June 29, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Moment by Moment reviews". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  10. ↑ Canby, Vincent (December 22, 1978). "Film: California Lovers". The New York Times . C18.
  11. ↑ "Film Reviews: Moment by Moment". Variety . December 20, 1978. 30.
  12. ↑ Siskel, Gene (December 22, 1978). "Travolta, Tomlin: An unmomentous twosome". Chicago Tribune . Section 3, p. 1.
  13. ↑ Arnold, Gary (December 22, 1978). "Love and Kitsches: 'Moment by Moment' With Strip and Trish". The Washington Post . C4.
  14. ↑ Adair, Gilbert (November 1979). "Moment by Moment". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 46 (550): 229.
  15. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (December 22, 1978). "Tomlin and Travolta in 'Moment'". Los Angeles Times . Part IV, p. 28.
  16. ↑ "Moment by Moment". Rotten Tomatoes .
  17. ↑ "Live Q&As - Making Fun of the Movies - Mike Nelson". Washington Post. August 22, 2007.
  18. ↑ "Moment by Moment Blu-ray".
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.