The Man in the Moon (1991 film)

Last updated

The Man in the Moon
Man in the moonposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Written by Jenny Wingfield
Produced by Mark Rydell
Starring
Cinematography Freddie Francis
Edited byTrudy Ship
Music by James Newton Howard
Production
company
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • October 4, 1991 (1991-10-04)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.6 million
Box office$2.8 million

The Man in the Moon is a 1991 American coming of age drama film. It was the final film directed by Robert Mulligan before his death in 2008, from a screenplay written by Jenny Wingfield. It stars Reese Witherspoon in her film debut, Sam Waterston, Tess Harper, Emily Warfield, and Jason London.

Contents

The film’s story, set in rural 1950s Louisiana, centers around Dani (Witherspoon), a 14-year-old tomboy who experiences first love and heartbreak when older boy Court (London) moves next door. The film received critical acclaim, making Roger Ebert’s list of the Top 10 Films of 1991.

Plot

In the summer of 1957, Danielle "Dani" Trant is a 14-year-old girl in Louisiana who is close to her older sister, the college-bound Maureen. Dani is expected to help take care of younger sister Missy as their mother Abigail is pregnant, but she prefers to run off to the neighbor's creek to go skinny dipping. One day, she finds the creek occupied by her new neighbor, 17-year-old Court Foster. Court kicks Dani out and she takes an immediate dislike to him.

Later that day, Abigail tells Dani an old childhood friend is coming over for dinner with her children. Abigail's old friend turns out to be Marie Foster, a widow who has moved back to the area with her three sons, revealed to be Court and his younger brothers. When Dani is forced to accompany Court into town for groceries, the two start to get along and Dani soon develops a crush on him.

Meanwhile, Maureen breaks up with her boyfriend Billy Sanders after he tries to pressure her into having sex after a dance. Dani asks Maureen for advice on how to kiss a boy, and Maureen demonstrates by practicing on her hand. Dani and Court continue to go swimming during the hot summer days and become good friends. The two agree to meet up during the evening as Court has too much farm work to do during the day. That night, Dani and Court goof around in the water and nearly reach a point where they are about to kiss, but Court pushes Dani away and says she is a little girl who doesn't know what she's doing.

Dani runs home just as a thunderstorm breaks out. Abigail runs outside looking for Dani, but accidentally trips on a root in the process and suffers an injury. Dani's father Matthew races her to the hospital, where she is kept in order to treat a concussion and toxemia caused by her fall. When he returns home from the hospital, he disciplines Dani, whipping her with his belt.

The next day, Court brings food to the Trant house and apologizes to Dani for the other night, saying he would still like to be friends. The next time they go swimming the two share Dani's first kiss. Once Dani has made up with her father, he suggests that she invite Court over so he can get to know him better. When Court comes over for dinner, he finally meets Maureen. Dani can tell it is love at first sight for the two of them. While Dani visits her mother in the hospital, Court shows up at the Trant house where Maureen is babysitting Missy. Aware of her sister's feelings for Court, Maureen is initially reluctant to return his affections but ultimately gives in when he kisses her.

Over the next few days, Dani is alienated by Court. She goes to stay by her mother's side at the hospital as she goes into labor. Maureen has entered into a romance with Court, and the two consummate their love in a field. When Dani returns home with Abigail and the new baby, she witnesses Maureen sneaking back home and realizes she was with Court. Angry at her sister’s betrayal, she runs towards Court’s farm. A busy Court has been plowing the fields but gets distracted by daydreams of Maureen, he reaches to grab a tree branch when he falls under the blades of the combine harvester. Dani is seen running through the woods when she stumbles upon Court badly injured in the field being cradled by his inconsolable mother. She races back home to tell her father, who drives off in the direction of the incident breaking through the fence.

When Matthew returns home, he is visibly distraught, wearing some of Court's blood on his clothes, the family realises that Court has died from his injury. Maureen hides her pain at first, while Dani bursts into tears. After Court's funeral, Dani continues to be angry at Maureen for stealing Court away from her. Matthew tells Dani that although she has a right to be hurt, being mad won't bring Court back, and Maureen will be her sister for life. Dani comforts Maureen as she weeps on Court's fresh grave, and the film ends with Maureen and Dani talking on the porch at night as the summer draws to a close, looking up at the moon and becoming close again.

Cast

Production

The Man in the Moon marked the film debut of then-14-year-old Reese Witherspoon. Director Mulligan commented that casting her in the role of Dani was:

...risky business, to say the least. We had a casting team that went out and saw several thousand kids and tested them on video. When I saw Reese's test, she just jumped off the screen, simply as a personality. I couldn't tell whether she could act or not, but she's got a wonderful face and there's a brightness and intelligence there. Then, when I tested her in Santa Monica, a strange breakthrough took place. Early in the movie, Dani is a bit of a tomboy. Reese was trying to project this in a scene where she had to get angry with the boy, but it had a false ring to it. Because in real life she isn't a tomboy. She's a real "girl" girl. Just before we did another rehearsal, I told her I wanted her to chew gum. Well, she started chewing gum and all of a sudden the performance happened. She was tough. Strong. Direct. And the scene worked. Like that. In an instant, it was there. What was marvelous was, at the end of the scene, Reese knew that something happened. Her compass, her sense of what's real, kicked in. The motor was running and she knew it. It was funny because she said: "Can I always chew gum?" And I said: "Yeah." [2]

The cinematography was by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Freddie Francis. As Witherspoon was clearly a minor at the time of filming, her parents were on set during filming of the skinny dipping scene.

The waterhole and swimming scenes were filmed on location at Kisatchie Bayou and Kisatchie Falls in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. This area is part of Kisatchie National Forest. [3]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 91% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10.The website's consensus reads: "It's sentimental, and some viewers may feel manipulated by the melodramatic final act, but The Man in the Moon offers a finely drawn coming-of-age story with an excellent cast—including Reese Witherspoon in her film debut." [4] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [5]

Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the performances of Waterston, Harper, and Strickland. Maslin also wrote, "Mr. Mulligan also gets an outstandingly natural performance out of Miss Witherspoon, who has no trouble carrying a lot of the film single-handedly. It falls to her to remind the audience that this story is at heart about a family, and she does." [6]

The film was highly praised by Roger Ebert, who awarded the film four stars in his review and included it at No. 8 in his Top 10 list of the best films of 1991, [7] declaring:

Nothing else [Mulligan] has done... approaches the purity and perfection of The Man in the Moon. As the film approached its conclusion without having stepped wrong once, I wondered whether he could do it - whether he could maintain the poetic, bittersweet tone, and avoid the sentimentalism and cheap emotion that could have destroyed this story. Would he maintain the integrity of this material? He would, and he does. [8]

Box office

In the United States and Canada, The Man in the Moon grossed $2.8 million at the box office, [9] against a budget of $6.6 million. [10]

Versions

Later, Mulligan became disenchanted with how the film was edited and cut by airlines, particularly American and Delta Air Lines, for in-flight showings. He became so disturbed by these airline edits to the picture that he insisted that his name be removed from the credits of the film on the airline version. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reese Witherspoon</span> American actress (born 1976)

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015, and Forbes listed her among the world's 100 most powerful women in 2019 and 2021. In 2021, Forbes named her the world's highest earning actress, and in 2023, she was named one of the richest women in America with an estimated net worth of $440 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natchitoches, Louisiana</span> City in Louisiana, United States

Natchitoches, officially the City of Natchitoches, is a small city and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 18,039. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the indigenous Natchitoches people.

<i>Sweet Home Alabama</i> (film) 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film

Sweet Home Alabama is a 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Andy Tennant. Written by C. Jay Cox, it stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey. The supporting cast includes Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. It was released in the United States on September 27, 2002, by Buena Vista Pictures through their Touchstone Pictures banner. The film takes its title from the 1974 Lynyrd Skynyrd song of the same name. It received mixed critical reception, but was a success at the box office.

<i>Legally Blonde</i> 2001 film by Robert Luketic

Legally Blonde is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Robert Luketic and written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, based on Amanda Brown's 2001 novel of the same name. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, Victor Garber, and Jennifer Coolidge. The story follows Elle Woods (Witherspoon), a sorority girl who attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner Huntington III (Davis) by getting a Juris Doctor degree at Harvard Law School, and in the process, overcomes stereotypes against blondes and triumphs as a successful lawyer.

<i>Fear</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

Fear is a 1996 American psychological thriller film directed by James Foley and written by Christopher Crowe. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Alyssa Milano and Amy Brenneman.

<i>Twilight</i> (1998 film) 1998 thriller/Neo-noir film directed by Robert Benton

Twilight is a 1998 American neo-noir thriller film directed by Robert Benton, written by Benton and Richard Russo, and starring Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, Reese Witherspoon, Stockard Channing and James Garner. The film's original score was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

<i>Freeway</i> (1996 film) 1996 film by Matthew Bright

Freeway is a 1996 American black comedy crime thriller film written and directed by Matthew Bright and produced by Oliver Stone. It stars Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon and Brooke Shields. The film's plot is a dark take on the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood".

<i>Walk the Line</i> 2005 film by James Mangold

Walk the Line is a 2005 American biographical drama film directed by James Mangold. The screenplay, written by Mangold and Gill Dennis, is based on two autobiographies by the American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash: Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words (1975) and Cash: The Autobiography (1997). The film follows Cash's early life, his romance with the singer June Carter, his ascent in the country music scene, and his drug addiction. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Cash, Reese Witherspoon as Carter, Ginnifer Goodwin as Cash's first wife Vivian Liberto, and Robert Patrick as Cash's father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Mulligan</span> American director, producer (1925–2008)

Robert Patrick Mulligan was an American director and producer. He is best known for his sensitive dramas, including To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Summer of '42 (1971), The Other (1972), Same Time, Next Year (1978), and The Man in the Moon (1991). He was also known for his extensive collaborations with producer Alan J. Pakula in the 1960s.

<i>Fatal Instinct</i> 1993 film by Carl Reiner

Fatal Instinct is a 1993 American sex comedy thriller film directed by Carl Reiner. A parody of the erotic thriller genre, which at the time had reached its commercial peak, as well as being a pastiche of 1940s film noir and psychological thriller genres, in particular Double Indemnity, the film stars Armand Assante as lawyer/cop Ned Ravine who has an affair with a woman named Lola Cain. Kate Nelligan stars as Ned's wife and Sherilyn Fenn stars as his secretary. It also satirizes Sleeping With The Enemy many times. The film title is a combination of Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct, both of which starred Michael Douglas.

<i>Welcome to the Dollhouse</i> 1995 film by Todd Solondz

Welcome to the Dollhouse is a 1995 American coming-of-age black comedy film written and directed by Todd Solondz. An independent film, it won the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival and launched the careers of Solondz and Heather Matarazzo. The story follows the unpopular middle schooler Dawn as she goes to extreme lengths trying to earn the respect of her vicious fellow students and her uninterested family. Dawn reappears in two of Solondz's other films, Palindromes and Wiener-Dog while her brother and father appear in the former in addition to Life During Wartime. The film's working title was Faggots and Retards.

<i>How Do You Know</i> 2010 romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks

How Do You Know is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed, written and produced by James L. Brooks, and starring Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson in his final film role. It was the third film to feature Witherspoon and Rudd following Overnight Delivery and Monsters vs. Aliens. The plot follows softball player Lisa (Witherspoon), who is caught in a love triangle between two men—the charming baseball player Matty (Wilson) and George (Rudd), a businessman who is charged for stock fraud.

<i>This Means War</i> (film) 2012 film directed by McG

This Means War is a 2012 American romantic comedy spy film directed by McG, produced by Will Smith and starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy. The plot concerns two CIA agents who are best friends and discover that they are dating the same woman.

<i>Wild</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Jean-Marc Vallée

Wild is a 2014 American biographical adventure drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Nick Hornby, based on the 2012 memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Thomas Sadoski, Michiel Huisman, Gaby Hoffmann, Kevin Rankin, and W. Earl Brown, the film follows Strayed as she embarks on a solo hiking trip on the Pacific Crest Trail in 1995 after numerous personal problems had left her life in shambles.

<i>Hot Pursuit</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

Hot Pursuit is a 2015 American action comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Written by David Feeney and John Quaintance, the story follows a police officer assigned to protect the widow of a drug boss from corrupt cops and criminals who want her dead as they race through Texas to avoid detection. The film stars Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara.

Jane Harper is a British Australian author known for her crime novels, including The Dry, Force of Nature and The Lost Man, all set in rural Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle Brevelle</span> American Creole settlement in Louisiana

Isle Brevelle is an ethnically and culturally diverse community, which began as a Native American and Louisiana Creole settlement and is located in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. For many years this area was known as Côte Joyeuse. It is considered the birthplace of Creole culture and remains the epicenter of Creole art and literature blending European, African, and Native American cultures. It is home to the Cane River Creole National Historical Park and part of the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.

Kisatchie Bayou is a series of interconnected, natural waterways totaling over 38 miles in length in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, and Sabine Parish, Louisiana. The bayou is a tributary of Old River at Isle Brevelle. The bayou runs through a large portion of Kisatchie National Forest, the only national forest in the State of Louisiana.

Kisatchie Falls is a waterfall along Kisatchie Bayou in the Kisatchie National Forest in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, near the border with Vernon Parish. It is one of the few waterfalls and the only Class II rapids in the state. It is located near the Kisatchie Ranger District within the National Forest.

References

  1. ↑ "The Man in the Moon". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  2. ↑ "About The Man in the Moon". NatchitochesFILMS. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Natchitoches Film Trail". Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  4. ↑ "The Man in the Moon". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 15, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  5. ↑ "The Man in the Moon". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
  6. ↑ Maslin, Janet (October 4, 1991). "Review/Film; A New Boy In Town Captures Her Heart" . Movies. The New York Times . p. C13. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Siskel and Ebert Top Ten Lists | 1991" . Retrieved December 15, 2024– via innermind.com.
  8. 1 2 Ebert, Roger (March 1, 1992). "Director pulls credit after airlines cut film". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved November 16, 2021– via RogerEbert.com.
  9. ↑ "The Man in the Moon". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved December 15, 2024. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  10. ↑ "MGM/UA/Pathe at a glance". Variety . May 23, 1990. p. 12.
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.