Of Mice and Men | |
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Directed by | Gary Sinise |
Screenplay by | Horton Foote |
Based on | Of Mice and Men 1937 novella and play by John Steinbeck |
Produced by | Gary Sinise |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Kenneth MacMillan |
Edited by | Robert L. Sinise |
Music by | Mark Isham |
Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $5.5 million |
Of Mice and Men is a 1992 American period drama film based on John Steinbeck's 1937 novella of the same name and is the second film adaptation of the novella, following the 1939 film of the same name. Directed and produced by Gary Sinise, the film features Sinise as George Milton, alongside John Malkovich as Lennie Small, with Casey Siemaszko as Curley, John Terry as Slim, Ray Walston as Candy, Joe Morton as Crooks, and Sherilyn Fenn as Curley's wife.
Horton Foote adapted the story for film. Its plot centers on George and the intellectually disabled Lennie, two farm workers who travel together and dream of one day owning their own land. The film explores themes of discrimination, loneliness, and the American Dream, as well as the desire for a place to call home.
Of Mice and Men took part in the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, where Sinise was nominated for the Palme d'Or award, given to the director of the best-featured film. After the film debuted in the United States on October 2, 1992, it received acclaim from critics.
The film opens with George Milton reminiscing in a boxcar. This was the fourth film adaptation of the novel. The first was in 1939, the second was in 1968, the third was 1981, and the fourth is the 1992 version.
During the Great Depression, quick-witted George Milton and physically strong but mentally disabled Lennie Small are fleeing their previous employment, where Lennie was accused of attempted rape after he held onto a young woman’s dress, prompted by his love of stroking soft things. They travel to work on Tyler Ranch near Soledad.
George reluctantly agrees to tell Lennie again about their dream, describing how they will one day have their own piece of land where Lennie will tend their rabbits. George says if Lennie should ever get in trouble, he is to hide in the brush and wait for him. At Tyler Ranch, the Boss is suspicious of Lennie's mental condition. George claims Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse as a child. They befriend old one-handed ranch-hand Candy but dislike the Boss' son, Curley, who hates people bigger than him. Curley's attractive wife flirts with Lennie and George, and George instructs Lennie to avoid her.
George meets their work team, respected headman Slim, and Carlson, who suggests they shoot Candy's sick old dog and give him one of Slim's pups. Lennie excitedly asks George for a pup. After a hard day, George is proud of Lennie's work and gets him his puppy. Candy offers to pitch in with Lennie and George to buy their farm. Just as it seems their dream is moving closer, Curley accuses Slim of keeping his wife company. Curley attacks Lennie for laughing, goading him to fight back. Prompted by George, Lennie crushes Curley's hand. George fears for their jobs but Slim gives Curley an ultimatum: if Curley tries to get George and Lennie fired, Slim will humiliate Curley by telling everyone how Curley's hand really got crushed. Concerned for his reputation, Curley reluctantly agrees to say his hand got caught in a machine.
Lennie talks about being lonely, and Curley's wife attempts to engage him in conversation. Frustrated, she runs to the house in tears vowing to leave the ranch forever. In the barn that evening, Lennie has accidentally killed his puppy and is greatly upset. Curley's wife enters and admits her loneliness, confiding that her dreams of being a movie star were crushed. Learning of Lennie's love of petting soft things, she lets him stroke her hair. She soon complains and then screams that he is pulling too hard. Trying to keep her quiet, Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. He runs to hide in the brush as George told him to do if in trouble. Candy finds Curley's wife dead and informs George. Curley leads a lynch mob but George finds Lennie first and calms him by retelling their dream. As George gets to the part where Lennie tends the rabbits, he shoots Lennie in the back of the head, sparing him death at the hands of the mob.
The scene returns to George in the boxcar, heading South.
The first experience Sinise had with Steinbeck's work came when Sinise attended Highland Park High School. His drama class went to Guthrie Theater and observed three plays in two days, one being Of Mice and Men. After viewing the play, he "stood up and applauded" and "was trying to scream some sort of acknowledgement of my feelings ... but I was so choked up nothing came out except tears." He credits the play with "[introducing] me to literature". [1]
While the film and book tell the same basic story, some creative liberties are taken within the film.
On April 16, 1992, Gilles Jacob, director of the Cannes Film Festival, announced the 27 films competing in the "Official Competition" category, including Of Mice and Men. The film premiered the next month and was Sinise's second film to compete at Cannes, after the 1988 feature Miles from Home . [3] After viewing Of Mice and Men, critic Don Marshall noted how the audience gave a standing ovation to its cast. Marshall said he was "surprised" that the film did not win an award, although Sinise was nominated for the Palme d'Or, given to the director of the best-featured film. [4] [5]
The film made its American debut on October 2, 1992, and grossed $5,471,088 from a total of 398 theaters. [6] The Los Angeles Daily News described the film's box office performance as poor. [7]
The most sincere compliment I can pay them is to say that all of them – writer and actors – have taken every unnecessary gesture, every possible gratuitous note, out of these characters. The story is as pure and lean as the original fable which formed in Steinbeck's mind. And because they don't try to do anything fancy — don't try to make it anything other than exactly what it is — they have a quiet triumph.
Of Mice and Men received positive critical acclaim. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 97% of 29 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.0/10.The website's consensus reads: "Of Mice and Men honors its classic source material with a well-acted adaptation that stays powerfully focused on the story's timeless themes." [9] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [10]
Critic Roger Ebert complimented the cast on their attention to detail. [8] Writing for Variety , Todd McCarthy was impressed at the set design, and contrasted the film's "lovely, burnished hues" with the studio-produced 1939 film. He went on to say that the actors' performances were "sterling" and gave the supporting cast positive reception. [11]
Vincent Canby of The New York Times also praised the physical production and supporting cast, but added that the film "is not very exciting", possibly because "looking back at Lennie and George with the perspective of time robs them of their urgency." [12] The Austin Chronicle 's Steve Davis called Of Mice and Men "unassuming but well-made". [13]
MGM released Of Mice and Men on VHS in 1993 and on Video CD in 1995. The film was later released as a DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on March 4, 2003. The DVD is featured in widescreen with English, French, and Spanish subtitles, and has the option of French dubbing. [14] The film was then released on Blu-ray by Olive Films on January 19, 2016. [15]
John Ernst Steinbeck was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception". He has been called "a giant of American letters."
Of Mice and Men is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California, searching for jobs during the Great Depression.
Of Mice and Men is a 1939 American drama film based on the 1937 play of the same name, which itself was based on the novella of the same name by author John Steinbeck. The film stars Burgess Meredith, Betty Field, and Lon Chaney Jr., and features Charles Bickford, Roman Bohnen, Bob Steele, and Noah Beery Jr. The film tells the story of two men, George and his intellectually disabled partner Lennie, trying to survive during the dustbowl of the 1930s and pursuing a dream of owning their own ranch instead of always working for others. Starring in the lead roles were relative Hollywood newcomer Burgess Meredith as George and veteran actor Lon Chaney Jr. as Lennie. Chaney had appeared in more than 50 films by that point in his career, but Of Mice and Men was his first major role. Betty Field's role as Mae was her breakthrough role in film.
Stagecoach is a 1939 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne. The screenplay by Dudley Nichols is an adaptation of "The Stage to Lordsburg", a 1937 short story by Ernest Haycox. The film follows a group primarily composed of strangers riding on a stagecoach through dangerous Apache territory.
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Herman Ray Walston was an American actor and comedian. Walston started his career on Broadway earning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees (1956).
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, director, producer, and musician. Among other awards, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he has been nominated for an Academy Award. Sinise has also received numerous awards and honors for his extensive humanitarian work and involvement with charitable organizations. He is a supporter of various veterans' organizations and founded the Lt. Dan Band, which plays at military bases around the world.
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Moira Jane Sinise is a former American actress. She appeared in several films and television shows. She is the wife of actor-filmmaker Gary Sinise.
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Pardners is a 1956 American comedy western film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It was released on July 25, 1956, by Paramount Pictures.
Overland Stage Raiders is a 1938 "Three Mesquiteers" Western film starring John Wayne and directed by George Sherman. The film is notable for being the final film in which silent film icon Louise Brooks performed. Wayne played the lead in eight of the fifty-one films in the popular series.
Emmanuel Jacomy is a French actor who specializes in dubbing. He is the official dubbing voice of Pierce Brosnan as of 1995 but also is the dubbing voice of Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker and many others.
Of Mice and Men is an opera in three acts by the American composer Carlisle Floyd. The English libretto was written by Floyd and is based on the 1937 novella of the same name by John Steinbeck. The opera was composed in 1969.
Of Mice and Men is a play adapted from John Steinbeck's 1937 novel of the same name. The play, which predates the Tony Awards and the Drama Desk Awards, earned the 1938 New York Drama Critics' Circle Best Play.
Topoli is a 1972 Iranian film directed by Reza Mirlohi. Morteza Aghili and Homayun play the main characters of the film. The script is based on the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The film is dedicated to John Steinbeck. The character of Topoli is loosely based on Lennie Small of Of Mice and Men as Essi is the Iranian version of George Milton in the novel.
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