The Rapture (1991 film)

Last updated
The Rapture
Raptureposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Tolkin
Written byMichael Tolkin
Produced by Karen Koch
Nancy Tenenbaum
Nick Wechsler
Starring
Cinematography Bojan Bazelli
Edited bySuzanne Fenn
Music by Thomas Newman
Production
companies
New Line Cinema
Electric Pictures
Distributed by Fine Line Features
Release dates
  • September 6, 1991 (1991-09-06)(TIFF)
  • September 30, 1991 (1991-09-30)(NYFF)
  • October 4, 1991 (1991-10-04)(United States)
Running time
100 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million [2]
Box office$1.3 million [3]

The Rapture is a 1991 drama film written and directed by Michael Tolkin. It stars Mimi Rogers as a woman who converts from a swinger to a born-again Christian after learning that a true Rapture is upon the world. [4]

Contents

The low-budget film was a box office disappointment while critical reception was generally positive, with Rogers' performance praised as perhaps the best of her career.

Plot

Sharon, a young Los Angeles woman, engages in a swinging, libidinous lifestyle. She comes into contact with an unnamed Christian sect that advises her the Rapture is imminent based on their interpretations of strange dreams experienced by congregants.

In time, Sharon comes to accept this belief herself and becomes a born-again Christian. She then starts living a pious life, eventually marrying and having a daughter, Mary. When her husband Randy is killed in a senseless murder, however, she begins to question the benevolence of God. She believes God has called her to go to the desert to wait for the Rapture, and instead of leaving her daughter safely with friends, she decides Mary must come with her. Foster, a police officer, is concerned for their well-being after they are reduced to stealing food while they wait, but Sharon is insistent that the end is near.

Sharon begins to despair after a period of time, and at her daughter's urging, decides to hasten their ascendance to Heaven. She kills Mary with a gunshot but is unable to take her own life afterwards, afraid she will be condemned as having killed herself. She confesses to Foster what she had done and is jailed.

After an apparition of Mary (accompanied by two angels) appears in the night, the Rapture occurs. While Sharon sits in her cell early the next morning, a loud trumpet blast is heard all over the world, signaling the start of the Rapture. Later on, Sharon and Foster, after driving out into the desert, are both raptured to a Purgatory-like landscape. Foster, who had been an atheist his whole life, accepts God and is allowed entrance to Heaven, but Sharon blames God for Mary's death, and she cannot renounce her anger at God's perceived cruelty. Mary pleads with her to accept God back into her heart so she can join her and Randy in Heaven, but Sharon refuses, choosing to remain alone in the purgatory-like landscape for eternity.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Los Angeles over six weeks. [2]

Casting

Prior to Rogers's involvement, Sissy Spacek, Meg Ryan, and Rachel Ward passed on taking the role of Sharon. [5] Tolkin noted that Rogers's Scientology beliefs played no bearing on her casting: "Mimi's background in Scientology played no role in my casting her, nor did I see it as a problem—we never even discussed it." Rogers added that "my own religious views didn't affect my approach to the picture at all." [6] In another interview, though, she noted that the role was easier thanks to her view of Jesus:

I don't, for example, have a Jesus Christ definition of God... and I have no views on heaven or hell. To me they're alien concepts. If I were a practicing Christian or a Jew, with all the hang-ups of those religions, I don't think I could have done Sharon justice. [7]

Rogers and Duchovny would later appear together in The X-Files .

Release

The Rapture grossed $1.3 million at the North American box office [3] against a production budget of $3 million. [2]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 65% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 6.4/10. [8]

Rogers especially won praise for her performance, with the Los Angeles Times calling it an "astonishingly stunning performance." [9] Entertainment Weekly noted that Rogers "delivers a subtle and complex performance." [5] Critic Robin Wood declared Rogers "gave one of the greatest performances in the history of the Hollywood cinema." [10]

Roger Ebert gave The Rapture 4/4 stars and praised Tolkin for avoiding the "pious banalities" of most religious movies, instead "examining the logic of the final judgment as radically and uncompromisingly as he can." [11]

A mixed review came from Peter Travers of Rolling Stone, who said Tolkin "earns points simply for trying" to make a serious religious film in the 1990s Hollywood film industry, yet by the final scenes The Rapture drifts into "loopy melodrama and blunts what had been the keen edge of Rogers's performance." [12] John Simon of the National Review described The Rapture as "a piece of apocalyptic trash megalomaniacal to the point of imbecility". [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Cruise</span> American actor (born 1962)

Thomas Cruise Mapother IV is an American actor and producer. Regarded as a Hollywood icon, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards. His films have grossed over $5 billion in North America and over $12 billion worldwide, placing him among the highest-grossing actors of all time. Cruise holds the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies, a feat that was achieved during the period of 2012 to 2018. He is consistently one of the world's highest-paid actors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Hunt</span> American actress and director

Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress and director. Her accolades include an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

<i>I Am Sam</i> 2001 American drama film by Jessie Nelson

I Am Sam is a 2001 American drama film co-written and directed by Jessie Nelson. It stars Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianne Wiest, Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Richard Schiff, Loretta Devine and Laura Dern.

<i>The Player</i> (1992 film) 1992 film by Robert Altman

The Player is a 1992 American satirical black comedy mystery film directed by Robert Altman and written by Michael Tolkin, based on his 1988 novel. The film stars Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James and Cynthia Stevenson, and is the story of a Hollywood film studio executive who kills an aspiring screenwriter he believes is sending him death threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mimi Rogers</span> American actress (born 1956)

Miriam Rogers is an American actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juliette Lewis</span> American actress (born 1973)

Juliette Lake Lewis is an American actress, singer and musician. She is known for her portrayals of offbeat characters, often in projects with dark themes. Lewis became an "it girl" of American cinema in the early 1990s, appearing in various independent and arthouse films. She has received various accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups. There have been instances in which an actor has been so strongly identified with a role as to make it difficult for them to find work playing other characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenna Elfman</span> American actress and producer

Jennifer Mary Elfman is an American actress. She is best known for her leading role as Dharma on the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg (1997–2002), for which she received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1999, and three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. After making her film debut in Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), she has appeared in Krippendorf's Tribe (1998), Dr. Dolittle (1998), EDtv (1999), Keeping the Faith (2000), Town & Country (2001), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Clifford's Really Big Movie (2004), and Big Stone Gap (2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Stuart Masterson</span> American actress and director (born 1966)

Mary Stuart Masterson is an American actress and director. After making her acting debut as a child in The Stepford Wives (1975), Masterson took a ten-year hiatus to focus on her education. Her early film roles include Heaven Help Us (1985), At Close Range (1986), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), and Chances Are (1989). Her performance in the film Immediate Family (1989) won her the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, and she earned additional praise for her roles in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Benny & Joon (1993).

<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>The X-Files</i> season 6 Season of television series The X-Files

The sixth season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on November 8, 1998, concluding on the same channel on May 16, 1999, and consisted of twenty-two episodes. The season continued from the 1998 feature film and focused heavily on FBI federal agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully's separation from the X-Files Division and the demise of the Syndicate—a "shadow government" group attempting to cover up the existence of extraterrestrials—in the two-part episode "Two Fathers" and "One Son".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Remini</span> American actress (born 1970)

Leah Marie Remini is an American actress. She starred as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and as Vanessa Celluci in the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait (2017–2018), both alongside Kevin James.

<i>Bed of Roses</i> (1996 film) 1996 American film

Bed of Roses is a 1996 American romance drama film written and directed by Michael Goldenberg and starring Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson.

<i>Captain America</i> (1990 film) 1990 superhero film directed by Albert Pyun

Captain America is a 1990 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. It is directed by Albert Pyun and written by Stephen Tolkin, from a story by Tolkin and Larry Block. It stars Matt Salinger in the title role and Scott Paulin as his nemesis the Red Skull, with Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty, Darren McGavin, Francesca Neri, Michael Nouri and Melinda Dillon. The film produced by Menahem Golan for the now-defunct 21st Century Film Corporation

<i>Someone to Watch Over Me</i> (film) 1987 American film

Someone to Watch Over Me is a 1987 American neo-noir romantic thriller film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Howard Franklin. It stars Tom Berenger as a police detective who has to protect a wealthy woman, who is a key witness in a murder trial. The film's soundtrack includes the George and Ira Gershwin song from which the film takes its title, recorded by Sting, and Vangelis' "Memories of Green", originally from Scott's Blade Runner (1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Beghe</span> American film and television actor (born 1960)

Jason Deneen Beghe is an American actor. Since 2014, he has starred in the NBC TV series Chicago P.D. as Sergeant Hank Voight. He is also known for starring in the 1988 George A. Romero film Monkey Shines, playing Demi Moore's love interest in G.I. Jane, appearing as a police officer in the film Thelma & Louise, starring opposite Moira Kelly in the television series To Have & to Hold, and having recurring roles on Picket Fences, Melrose Place, Chicago Hope, American Dreams, Cane, and Californication.

<i>Purgatory House</i> 2004 American film

Purgatory House is an independent film written by 14-year-old Celeste Davis and directed by Cindy Baer, who were paired in the Big Sisters of America program when Davis was 11 years old. It deals with the topics of teen suicide and drug addiction from a teen's perspective. Shot in Los Angeles in the summer of 2001, this movie marked the beginning of the Democratization of Film. A critical darling, it screened at 25 festivals, won 12 festival awards, 2 PRISM Award Nominations, appeared on 5 critics lists for "Best Films of the Year" and was then distributed by Image Entertainment.

Kimberly Cullum is an American former child actress, who had many film and television roles during the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodie Foster</span> American actress (born 1962)

Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. She has also earned many other honors, such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2013 and the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen of Angels Foundation</span>

The Queen of Angels Foundation is an association of lay faithful of the Catholic Church dedicated to fostering devotion to Mary, Mother of Jesus. The Foundation is a volunteer group of lay men and women who "...strive together in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life for themselves and their community by promoting reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whose name, as Our Lady of the Angels, the City and Archdiocese of Los Angeles were founded..." and whom Catholics revere as Queen of Heaven and Empress of the Americas.

References

  1. ↑ "THE RAPTURE (18)". British Board of Film Classification . 1992-04-15. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 Her Salvation? : Mimi Rogers has taken a chance with a role in a movie about faith and sin. The question: Will 'The Rapture' redeem a career bedeviled by typecasting? Los Angeles Times. 6 October 1991
  3. 1 2 "The Rapture (1991)". Box Office Mojo . Amazon . Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  4. ↑ Uhlich, Keith (9 November 2004). "Review: The Rapture". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 9 November 2004.
  5. 1 2 "Mimi Rogers in "The Rapture"". Entertainment Weekly . 29 November 1991. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  6. ↑ Her Salvation? : Mimi Rogers has taken a chance with a role in a movie about faith and sin. The question: Will 'The Rapture' redeem a career bedeviled by typecasting? Los Angeles Times. 6 October 1991. p/2
  7. ↑ Masullo, Robert A. (1991-12-22). "Mimi Rogers Finds Strength in "Rapture's" Heavy Role". Sacramento Bee . p. EN14.
  8. ↑ "The Rapture (1991)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (28 May 1995). "The Rapture". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  10. ↑ Wood, Robin (2003). "Prologue". Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan – and Beyond (Expanded & revised ed.). New York City: Columbia University Press. p. xxxvii. ISBN   978-0-23112-966-4.
  11. ↑ Ebert, Roger (27 October 1991). "The Rapture". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  12. ↑ Travers, Peter (04 October 1991)The Rapture, Rolling Stone
  13. ↑ Simon, John (2005). John Simon on Film: Criticism 1982-2001. Applause Books. p. 322.

Further reading

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.