A Time of Destiny

Last updated
A Time of Destiny
Timeofdestinycover.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Gregory Nava
Screenplay byGregory Nava
Anna Thomas
Produced byAnna Thomas
Starring
Cinematography James Glennon
Edited byBetsy Blankett Milicevic
Music byMusic score:
Ennio Morricone
Featured music:
Giuseppe Verdi
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date
  • April 22, 1988 (1988-04-22)(United States)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8,500,000 [1]
Box office$1,212,487

A Time of Destiny is a 1988 American drama war film directed by Gregory Nava and written by Nava and Anna Thomas. The story is based on the opera La forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi. The motion picture was executive produced by Shep Gordon and Carolyn Pfeiffer. It features original music by veteran composer Ennio Morricone.

Contents

Set during World War II in Italy and San Diego, the film tells of two friends who become enemies during the war.

Plot

Soldiers Martin (William Hurt) and Jack (Timothy Hutton) are very good friends during World War II. While their friendship grows, they do not realize they are brothers-in-law. Martin eventually learns that Jack is married to his sister Josie (Melissa Leo).

When Jack and Josie elope, Jorge (Francisco Rabal), her Basque immigrant father, tracks them down and abducts his daughter in order to dominate her with his "old-world" notions of marriage. However, when Jorge Larraneta drowns in a lake after an auto accident, Martin (the black-sheep of the family) returns home and learns of his father's death. He vows revenge after he learns his buddy Jack has become his sworn enemy. Martin gets himself assigned to Jack's infantry platoon in Italy in order to seek vengeance.

Cast

Distribution

The film was released in a limited basis on April 22, 1988. The box office opening weekend was $509,397 (216 screens).

Box office sales were disappointing. Total sales for the domestic run were $1,212,487 and in its widest release the film was shown in 220 screens. The film closed on June 23, 1988. [2] [3]

Filming locations

Filming locations included: Istria Peninsula, Croatia; País Vasco, Spain; and San Diego, California.

Reception

Critical response

Roger Ebert, film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times , liked the film but questioned the complex screenplay. Yet, Ebert was appreciative of the acting and wrote, "You see what I mean when I call the movie operatic. It glories in brooding vengeance, fatal flaws of character, coincidence and deep morality. Its plot is so labyrinthine that it constitutes the movie's major weakness; can we follow this convoluted emotional journey? Its passions are so large that they are a challenge to actors trained in a realistic tradition, but Hurt, who has the most difficult passages, rises to the occasion with one of the strangest and most effective performances he has given." [4] His television partner Gene Siskel hated the film and put it on his worst of 1988 list. [5]

Vincent Canby was not so kind to the filmmakers or the actors. He wrote in his review for The New York Times , "The movie includes some big, unimpressive battle scenes, a number of orangey sunsets, a lot of comic-strip dialogue ('I'm going to get revenge!' 'He's dead - he'll never forgive me now') and one memorable moment in which the silhouette of a gentle, southern California mountain range fades into the silhouette of a man lying on his death bed. The performances are not good." [6]

The Washington Post was just as tough on Nava and Thomas. Film critic Rita Kempley said, "Hurt's role as a vengeful psycho churns up this laughable purple potboiler, but even the perennial Oscar nominee can't save it from itself." [7]

Soundtrack

An original motion picture soundtrack was released on September 19, 1988, by Virgin Records. The CD, which has eighteen tracks, features original music composed for the film by Ennio Morricone. The recording includes orchestral sounds and several selections of Edda Dell'Orso's vocals. Selections from this soundtrack (mainly the track “Love and Dreams”) were used for the trailer of the film Wyatt Earp .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ennio Morricone</span> Italian composer and conductor (1928–2020)

Ennio Morricone was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works, Morricone is widely considered one of the most prolific and greatest film composers of all time. His filmography includes more than 70 award-winning films, all Sergio Leone's films since A Fistful of Dollars, all Giuseppe Tornatore's films since Cinema Paradiso, The Battle of Algiers, Dario Argento's Animal Trilogy, 1900, Exorcist II, Days of Heaven, several major films in French cinema, in particular the comedy trilogy La Cage aux Folles I, II, III and Le Professionnel, as well as The Thing, Once Upon a Time in America, The Mission, The Untouchables, Mission to Mars, Bugsy, Disclosure, In the Line of Fire, Bulworth, Ripley's Game, and The Hateful Eight. His score to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) is regarded as one of the most recognizable and influential soundtracks in history. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

<i>Ordinary People</i> 1980 film by Robert Redford

Ordinary People is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an upper-middle class family in Lake Forest, Illinois, following the accidental death of one of their two sons and the attempted suicide of the other. It stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Siskel</span> American film critic (1946–1999)

Eugene Kal Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his death in 1999.

<i>Walker</i> (film) 1987 film by Alex Cox

Walker is a 1987 American-Mexican historical, hybrid/weird western film directed by Alex Cox and starring: Ed Harris, Richard Masur, René Auberjonois, Peter Boyle, Miguel Sandoval and Marlee Matlin. The film is based on the life story of William Walker, the American filibuster who invaded and made himself president of Nicaragua. It was written by Rudy Wurlitzer and scored by Joe Strummer, who has a small role as a member of Walker's army.

<i>At the Movies</i> (1986 TV program) Movie review television program

At the Movies is an American movie review television program produced by Disney–ABC Domestic Television in which two film critics share their opinions of newly released films. Its original hosts were Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, the former hosts of Sneak Previews on PBS (1975–1982) and a similarly titled syndicated series (1982–1986). Following Siskel's death in 1999, Ebert worked with various guest critics until choosing Chicago Sun-Times colleague Richard Roeper as his regular partner in 2000.

<i>Frantic</i> (film) 1988 film by Roman Polanski

Frantic is a 1988 American-French neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Roman Polanski and starring Harrison Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner. The film score is by Ennio Morricone.

<i>Indecent Proposal</i> 1993 American drama film by Adrian Lyne

Indecent Proposal is a 1993 American erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Amy Holden Jones. It is based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, in which a couple's marriage is disrupted by a stranger's offer of a million dollars for the wife to spend the night with him. It stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson. It received mostly negative reviews, but was a box-office success, grossing nearly $267 million worldwide on a $38 million budget.

<i>Lambada</i> (film) 1990 American film

Lambada is a 1990 drama film starring J. Eddie Peck, Melora Hardin, Adolfo "Shabba-doo" Quiñones, Ricky Paull Goldin, Dennis Burkley, and Keene Curtis. Lambada was written and directed by Joel Silberg and choreographed by Shabba-Doo.

<i>State of Grace</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Phil Joanou

State of Grace is a 1990 American neo-noir crime film directed by Phil Joanou and starring Sean Penn, Ed Harris and Gary Oldman, also featuring Robin Wright, John Turturro, and John C. Reilly. Written by playwright Dennis McIntyre, the film was executive-produced by Ned Dowd, Randy Ostrow, and Ron Rotholz, with a musical score by Ennio Morricone.

<i>Leonard Part 6</i> 1987 film by Paul Weiland

Leonard Part 6 is a 1987 American spy parody film. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The film also starred Gloria Foster as the villain, and Joe Don Baker. The film was shot in the San Francisco Bay Area. It earned several Golden Raspberry Awards; Cosby himself denounced and disowned it in the press in the weeks leading up to its release. It was panned by critics and has often been considered to be one of the worst films ever made.

<i>Cinema Paradiso</i> 1988 film by Giuseppe Tornatore

Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Set in a small Sicilian town, the film centers on the friendship between a young boy and an aging projectionist who works at the titular movie theatre. This Italian-French co-production stars Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Leopoldo Trieste, Marco Leonardi, Agnese Nano and Salvatore Cascio. The film score was composed by Ennio Morricone and his son, Andrea, marking the beginning of a collaboration between Tornatore and Morricone that lasted until Morricone's death in 2020.

<i>Short Circuit 2</i> 1988 film by Kenneth Johnson

Short Circuit 2 is a 1988 American science fiction comedy film, the sequel to the 1986 film Short Circuit. It was directed by Kenneth Johnson and starred Fisher Stevens as Ben Jahveri, Michael McKean as Fred Ritter, Cynthia Gibb as Sandy Banatoni, and Tim Blaney as the voice of Johnny 5.

<i>Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot</i> 1992 American film

Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is a 1992 American buddy cop action black comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Sylvester Stallone and Estelle Getty. The film was released in the United States on February 21, 1992. The film received highly negative reviews upon release but grossed $70.6 million worldwide.

<i>Old Gringo</i> 1989 romantic adventure film

Old Gringo is a 1989 American romantic adventure film starring Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, and Jimmy Smits. It was directed by Luis Puenzo and co-written with Aída Bortnik, based on the 1985 novel The Old Gringo by Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes.

<i>Grand Canyon</i> (1991 film) Film by Lawrence Kasdan

Grand Canyon is a 1991 American drama film directed and produced by Lawrence Kasdan, and written by Kasdan with his wife Meg. Featuring an ensemble cast, the film is about random events affecting a diverse group of people, exploring the race- and class-imposed chasms which separate members of the same community.

<i>Tune in Tomorrow</i> 1990 film by Jon Amiel

Tune in Tomorrow is a 1990 American comedy film directed by Jon Amiel. It is based on the 1977 Mario Vargas Llosa novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, and was released under that same title in many countries. Relocated from the novel's setting in 1950s-era Lima, Peru to New Orleans, Louisiana that same decade, it stars Peter Falk, Keanu Reeves and Barbara Hershey in a story surrounding a radio drama. The soundtrack for the film was composed by Wynton Marsalis, who makes a cameo appearance with various members of his band.

<i>Prêt-à-Porter</i> (film) 1994 film by Robert Altman

Prêt-à-Porter, released in the United States as Ready to Wear (Prêt-à-Porter), is a 1994 American satirical comedy-drama film co-written, directed, and produced by Robert Altman and shot on location during the Paris Fashion Week with a host of international stars, models, and designers.

<i>Heartbreak Hotel</i> (film) 1988 film by Chris Columbus

Heartbreak Hotel is a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by Chris Columbus, and stars David Keith and Tuesday Weld. Set in 1972, the story deals with one of the many "legends" involving Elvis Presley (Keith) about his fictional kidnapping, and his subsequent redemption from decadence.

<i>Destiny Turns on the Radio</i> 1995 American comedy film

Destiny Turns on the Radio is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Jack Baran. It marked the film debut role of David Cross, and was the first film produced by Rysher Entertainment.

References

  1. "Archives". Los Angeles Times . 8 January 1989.
  2. The Numbers box office data.
  3. Box Office Mojo box office data.
  4. "A Time Of Destiny". Chicago Sun-Times.
  5. Murphy, Jim (director)."The Worst Films of 1988" (January 6, 1989). Television: Siskel & Ebert . Burbank: Buena Vista Television.
  6. Scott, A. O. (February 7, 2005). "Review/Film; Basque-Style Romance in 'A Time of Destiny'". The New York Times.
  7. Kempley Rita, film review, The Washington Post , April 22, 1988. Accessed: July 4, 2013.