Purple Hearts (1984 film)

Last updated
Purple Hearts
Purple hearts poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Sidney J. Furie
Written by
  • Sidney J. Furie
  • Rick Natkin
Produced by
  • Sidney J. Furie
  • Rick Natkin
  • Lope V. Juban, Jr.
Starring
Cinematography Jan Kiesser
Edited by George Grenville
Music by Robert Folk
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • March 30, 1984 (1984-03-30)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.8 million [1] [2]
Box officeUS$2,075,282 [3]

Purple Hearts is a 1984 war film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Ken Wahl and Cheryl Ladd. The screenplay concerns a Navy surgeon and a Navy nurse who fall in love while serving in Vietnam during the war. Their affection for one another provides a striking contrast to the violence of warfare.

Contents

Plot

Cast

Production

Despite having made a Vietnam War movie with The Boys in Company C , director Sidney J. Furie felt he had more to say about the war and wanted to explore romance and the “hunger for intimacy” in the setting. [1] Reteaming with The Boys in Company C co-writer Rick Natkin, Furie delivered the script to The Ladd Company who while enthusiastic about the script voiced concerns over the budget of a war film, which were abated after Furie worked out a relatively modest %2.8 million budget using his experience from The Boys in Company C. [1] Furie wrote the script with Ken Wahl in mind for Don Jardian who accepted the role immediately upon receiving the script. [1] Over a hundred actresses auditioned for the part of Deborah Solomon, until Cheryl Ladd was suggested, leading Furie to hire her on the spot following a cold reading. [1]

Reception

Purple Hearts received mostly currently holds a 20% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 5 reviews, with common points of criticism being the lack of chemistry between Wahl and Ladd, or too much of a reliance on coincidence and convenience in the plotting. [4] [3]

In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert awarded the film half a star, writing, "This isn't war, this is bad plotting. And this isn't romance, it's soap opera.". [5]

In her review for The New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote Purple Hearts had "an ending so contrived it may make your teeth ache.". [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Shane</i> (film) 1953 film by George Stevens

Shane is a 1953 American Technicolor Western film starring Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, and Van Heflin. Released by Paramount Pictures, the film is noted for its landscape cinematography, editing, performances, and contributions to the genre. The picture was produced and directed by George Stevens from a screenplay by A. B. Guthrie Jr., based on the 1949 novel of the same name by Jack Schaefer. Its Oscar-winning cinematography was by Loyal Griggs.

<i>Prizzis Honor</i> 1985 film by John Huston

Prizzi's Honor is a 1985 American black comedy crime film directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two highly skilled mob assassins who, after falling in love, are hired to kill each other. The screenplay co-written by Richard Condon is based on his 1982 novel of the same name. The film's supporting cast includes Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, John Randolph, CCH Pounder, Lawrence Tierney, and William Hickey. Stanley Tucci appears in a minor role in his film debut. It was the last of John Huston's films to be released during his lifetime.

<i>Iron Eagle</i> 1986 action film

Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie who co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Alyn Elders, and starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gossett Jr. The film is unfavorably compared to the similarly-themed Top Gun released the same year. Iron Eagle was followed by three sequels: Iron Eagle II, Aces: Iron Eagle III, and Iron Eagle on the Attack, with Gossett being the only actor to appear in all four films.

<i>Lady Sings the Blues</i> (film) 1972 film by Sidney J. Furie

Lady Sings the Blues is a 1972 American biographical musical drama film directed by Sidney J. Furie about jazz singer Billie Holiday, loosely based on her 1956 autobiography which, in turn, took its title from Holiday's song. It was produced by Motown Productions for Paramount Pictures. Diana Ross, in her feature film debut, portrayed Holiday, alongside a cast including Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James T. Callahan, and Scatman Crothers. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards in 1973, including Best Actress for Diana Ross.

<i>1969</i> (film) 1988 drama film directed by Ernest Thompson

1969 is a 1988 American drama film written and directed by Ernest Thompson and starring Robert Downey Jr., Kiefer Sutherland and Winona Ryder. The original music score is composed by Michael Small. The film deals with the Vietnam War and the resulting social tensions between those who support and oppose the war in small-town America.

<i>Greetings</i> (1968 film) 1968 film by Brian De Palma

Greetings is a 1968 American black comedy film co-written and directed by Brian De Palma. A satirical film about men avoiding the Vietnam War draft, it marked Robert De Niro's first major role.

<i>A Stranger Among Us</i> 1992 film by Sidney Lumet

A Stranger Among Us is a 1992 American crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Melanie Griffith. It tells the story of an undercover police officer's experiences in a Hasidic community. It was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. It is often cited as one of Lumet's two failures of the 1990s, the other being Guilty as Sin (1993). Despite the poor reviews suffered by both these films, Lumet received the 1993 D. W. Griffith Award of the Directors Guild of America. The film was also the first credited role for actor James Gandolfini. The shooting of the film was used as an example in Lumet's book Making Movies.

<i>The Jazz Singer</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Richard Fleischer, Sidney J. Furie

The Jazz Singer is a 1980 American musical drama film directed by Richard Fleischer and produced by Jerry Leider. The film stars Neil Diamond, Laurence Olivier and Lucie Arnaz, and tells the story of a young singer who is torn between tradition and pursuing his dreams as a pop singer. Based on the 1925 play of the same name by Samson Raphaelson, it is the fourth film adaptation, following the 1927 and the 1952 theatrical adaptions, and a 1959 television adaptation.

<i>Distant Thunder</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Rick Rosenthal

Distant Thunder is a 1988 American drama film directed by Rick Rosenthal and starring John Lithgow and Ralph Macchio.

<i>Mountains of the Moon</i> (film) 1990 film by Bob Rafelson

Mountains of the Moon is a 1990 American biographical film depicting the 1857–1858 journey of Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke in their expedition to Central Africa, which culminated in Speke's discovery of the source of the Nile River and led to a bitter rivalry between the two men. The film stars Patrick Bergin as Burton and Iain Glen as Speke. Delroy Lindo appears as an African whom the explorers meet.

<i>Burden of Dreams</i> 1982 documentary film

Burden of Dreams is a 1982 documentary film directed by Les Blank.

<i>Ladybugs</i> (film) 1992 film by Sidney J. Furie

Ladybugs is a 1992 American sports-comedy film starring Rodney Dangerfield and directed by Sidney J. Furie. Dangerfield plays a Denver businessman who takes over a girls soccer team that the company he works for sponsors. The film also stars Jackée Harry as his assistant coach, Ilene Graff as his girlfriend, Jonathan Brandis as his girlfriend's son, and Vinessa Shaw as his boss' daughter.

<i>Off Limits</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Christopher Crowe

Off Limits is a 1988 action-thriller film set during the Vietnam War starring Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines and directed by Christopher Crowe. The term "off limits" referred to the area where the original crime took place, an area of Saigon off limits to military personnel. The name of the film was changed to Saigon or Saigon: Off Limits when it was released throughout the rest of the world.

<i>The Boys in Company C</i> 1978 film directed by Sidney J. Furie

The Boys in Company C is a 1978 war film directed by Sidney J. Furie about United States Marine Corps recruits preparing for duty and their subsequent combat in the Vietnam War. It stars Stan Shaw, Andrew Stevens, Craig Wasson and Michael Lembeck. It was among the first Vietnam War films to appear after the Vietnam Era, and was also the first role for R. Lee Ermey of Full Metal Jacket fame. It is the first in Furie's Vietnam War motion-picture trilogy, followed by Under Heavy Fire (2001) and The Veteran (2006).

<i>Jinxed!</i> (1982 film) 1982 film by Don Siegel

Jinxed! is a 1982 American comedy film starring Bette Midler, Rip Torn and Ken Wahl. The film was the last to be directed by Don Siegel, who suffered a heart attack during production. Siegel hired Sam Peckinpah, who had worked for him in the past, to shoot second-unit work, for which Peckinpah was uncredited.

<i>The Taking of Beverly Hills</i> 1991 film by Sidney J. Furie

The Taking of Beverly Hills is a 1991 American action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Ken Wahl, Matt Frewer, Harley Jane Kozak and Robert Davi. In the film, football hero Boomer Hayes (Wahl) battles a group of ex-cops, who are using a chemical spill as a front to rob several homes and bank vaults in Beverly Hills. The film also features Pamela Anderson in her first film part in an uncredited role playing a cheerleader.

<i>The Ladies Man</i> (2000 film) 2000 film by Reginald Hudlin

The Ladies Man is a 2000 American sex comedy film directed by Reginald Hudlin. The film stars Tim Meadows, who also wrote the film along with Dennis McNicholas and Harper Steele. The film focuses on the exploits of radio host and sex therapy expert Leon Phelps, a recurring character Meadows originally played on Saturday Night Live.

<i>Gable and Lombard</i> 1976 film by Sidney J. Furie

Gable and Lombard is a 1976 American biographical film directed by Sidney J. Furie. The screenplay by Barry Sandler is based on the romance and consequent marriage of screen stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The original music score was composed by Michel Legrand.

<i>The Lawyer</i> (film) 1970 film by Sidney J. Furie

The Lawyer is a 1970 American courtroom drama film loosely based on the Sam Sheppard murder case in which a physician is charged with killing his wife following a highly publicized and sloppy investigation. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie and stars Barry Newman as the energetic, opportunistic defense attorney Tony Petrocelli and Diana Muldaur as his wife Ruth Petrocelli.,

<i>Under Heavy Fire</i> 2001 war film by Sidney J. Furie

Under Heavy Fire, also known as Going Back, is a 2001 American feature war film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Casper Van Dien, Jaimz Woolvett, Bobby Hosea, Joseph Griffin, Carre Otis, Kenneth Johnson, Daniel Kash, Martin Kove. It was filmed under the title Going Back in the Philippines and Vietnam in April and May 2000. Post-production continued in Canada for another 14 months.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "AFI|Catalog". Catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. Kremer, Daniel. Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films. The University Press of Kentucky, 2015. p 277
  3. 1 2 ' "Purple Hearts (1984)". tcm.com. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  4. "Purple Hearts". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  5. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1984). "Purple Hearts". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  6. Canby, Vincent (4 May 1984). "'PURPLE HEARTS,' SET IN VIETNAM". The New York Times . Retrieved 11 April 2024.