The Personals (1982 film)

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The Personals
The Personals cover.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Peter Markle
Written byPeter Markle
Produced byPatrick Wells
Starring Bill Schoppert
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release dates
  • April 1982 (1982-04)(Houston)
  • October 1982 (1982-10)(regular)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$375,000 [1]
Box office$2 million [1] [2]

The Personals is a 1982 romantic comedy written and directed by Peter Markle. [3] [4] The film tells the story of a divorced magazine publisher who uses personal advertisements to find romance in Minneapolis. It was shot in Minneapolis and features prominently the city's lakes and urban locations. The film was picked up for distribution by Roger Corman's New World Pictures. [3]

Contents

Production

The film was Peter Markle's directorial debut. [1] It was made with a SAG cast recruited from the Guthrie Theater [5] and a nonunion crew. [6] Principal photography took place from May to September 1980, with additional takes and pickups continuing through December and into August 1981. [4] It was shot on 16 mm [4] and blown up to 35 mm for theatrical screenings. [7]

It was filmed in and around Minneapolis, including such landmarks as the Lake of the Isles, [5] Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. [8] [9] The film features prominent scenes of roller-skating around the Minneapolis lakes. [9] As a low budget, independent film, the homes of director Markle, writer Wells, and actor Schoppert were used as filming locations as well. [10]

Plot

Bill Henrikson (Bill Schoppert), a magazine publisher in Minneapolis, places a personal advertisement after his wife Jennifer leaves him for another man. His married friend Paul (Paul Eiding) persuades the reluctant Bill to submit an ad in The Twin Cities Reader describing himself as a "SWM, 32" interested in Picasso and chicken Kiev.

Bill receives multiple responses and begins dating. His first date with Shelly (Victoria Dakil), a single mother, ends early when her candid discussion of divorce and children, combined with spilled wine and direct advances, makes him uncomfortable.

Encouraged by Paul, Bill corresponds with Adrian (Karen Landry), a psychologist. After meeting at a professional party, they begin dating and spend time roller-skating around Minneapolis lakes while sharing details about their families and relationships.

Adrian reveals she is married to David but claims their marriage is failing. She continues living with David while pursuing her relationship with Bill. Their affair intensifies until David confronts them at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, demanding to know the nature of their relationship. After a physical argument, Adrian leaves with David, ending the affair.

Bill confides his fears about repeating patterns of heartbreak to Paul, who reassures him that dating is a learning process and encourages him not to lose hope of finding love.

Cast

Reception

The film won the Best First Feature Award at the Houston International Film Festival. [6]

New World Pictures distributed the film nationally, and it ran for twelve weeks at St. Louis Park's Cooper Theater. [9] The film received significant local community support during its release. [9] It received generally positive reviews. [9] The Washington Post called it a "minor but admirably polished and attractive low-budget gem," [5] and Variety said that the "story really isn't all the profound, but it's told with sincerity and humor, full of likeable, decent people dealing with familiar problems with wigging out." [11] Variety also commended the cast "making their feature film debut ... so natural it could embarrass some Hollywood acting schools." [11] Multiple reviewers appreciated Minneapolis as a fresh setting for filmmaking. [11] [12] The film ultimately turned a profit. [9]

Its rental tally was $2 million (equivalent to $6.52 million in 2024). [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Koetting, Christopher T. (2009). Mind Warp!: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman's New World Pictures. Bristol: Hemlock Books. pp. 216–217. ISBN   978-0-9557774-1-7.
  2. ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American Film Distribution: The Changing Marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 295. ISBN   978-0-8357-1776-2. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  3. 1 2 Canby, Vincent (March 20, 1983). "Screen: 'Personals' in Minneapolis". The New York Times . p. 60.
  4. 1 2 3 Timberg, Bernard; Arnold, Thomas (February 1982). "Voices From the Hinterlands... Part Three". The Independent. Vol. 4, no. 10. pp. 10–11. Starting out with $50,000 of their own money, Pat Wells and Peter Markle raised the balance of the $375,000 needed to produce their film The Personals by this method.
  5. 1 2 3 Arnold, Gary (January 22, 1983). "Roller Romance, as Advertised". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. pp. B1, B4.
  6. 1 2 Anderson, Phil (November 1982). "Prairie Film Companion". American Film.
  7. ↑ "SWM, 32, Looks for Love in 'The Personals'". Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 20, 1983. p. 52.
  8. ↑ Markle, Peter (director) (1982). The Personals. YouTube (motion picture). 91 minutes in.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Canton, Rolf J. (2007). "Producers". Behind the Cameras: Minnesotans in the Movies, Volume II. Minneapolis, MN: Nodin Press. p. 22. ISBN   978-1-932472-53-0.
  10. ↑ Canton, Rolf J. (2007). Behind the Cameras: Minnesotans in the Movies, Volume II. Nodin Press. pp. 172–173. ISBN   978-1-932472-53-0.
  11. 1 2 3 "Film Reviews: The Personals". Variety. Vol. 309, no. 3. Los Angeles. November 17, 1982. p. 14.
  12. ↑ Thomas, Kevin (March 3, 1983). "Movie Review: 'Personals' a Fresh Surprise". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. J1.


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