Ironweed (film)
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| The Last Detail | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Hector Babenco |
| Produced by | Keith Barish Marcia Nasatir |
| Written by | William Kennedy |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson Meryl Streep Carroll Baker Tom Waits |
| Music by | John Morris |
| Cinematography | Lauro Escorel |
| Editing by | Anne Goursaud |
| Distributed by | Columbia TriStar |
| Running time | 143 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Ironweed is a 1987 film directed by Brazilian Hector Babenco.[1]
The picture is based on the novel by William Kennedy and tells the story of an alcoholic, wandering man and woman during the America's Great Depression. Kennedy also wrote the screenplay.
It stars Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Fred Gwynne, Tom Waits and Nathan Lane.
Major portions of the film were shot on location in Albany, New York.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film is set the later years of the Depression.
Francis Phelan (Jack Nicholson) is a washed-up baseball player who deserted his family back in the 1920s when he accidentally dropped his son while drunk and killed him.
Since then, Phelan has been a shabby barfly, living from drink to drink. Wandering into Albany, New York, Phelan seeks out his girlfriend and drinking companion Helen Archer (Meryl Streep).
The two meet up in a mission managed by Reverend Chester (James Gammon), and later in Oscar Reo's (Fred Gwynne) gin mill.
Over the next few days, Nicholson takes a few minor jobs to support his habit, while his thinks about the past and present.
A chance for a reconciliation with his wife Annie Phelan (Carroll Baker) is abandoned when a group of local reformers, who have baseball bats, take it upon themselves to drive the homeless out of Albany.
[edit] Cast and ratings
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Argentina: | 13 |
| Canada (Maritime): | 14A |
| Chile: | 14 |
| Finland: | K-14 |
| Iceland: | 16 |
| Sweden: | 11 |
| United Kingdom: | 15 |
| United States: | R |
- Jack Nicholson as Francis Phelan
- Meryl Streep as Helen Archer
- Carroll Baker as Annie Phelan
- Michael O'Keefe as Billy Phelan
- Diane Venora as Margaret 'Peg' Phelan
- Fred Gwynne as Oscar Reo
- Margaret Whitton as Katrina Dougherty
- Tom Waits as Rudy
- Jake Dengel as Pee Wee
- Nathan Lane as Harold Allen
- James Gammon as Reverend Chester
- Will Zahrn as Rowdy Dick
- Laura Esterman as Nora Lawlor
- Joe Grifasi as Jack
- Hy Anzell as Rosskam
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Ironweed at the Internet Movie Database.
[edit] Exterior links
Julia (1977) • The Deer Hunter (1978) • Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) • Manhattan (1979) • The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) • Sophie's Choice (1982) • Silkwood (1983) • Falling in Love (1984) • Out of Africa (1985) • Plenty (1985) • Heartburn (1986) • Ironweed (1987) • A Cry in the Dark (1988) • She-Devil (1989) • Postcards from the Edge (1993) • The Bridges of Madison County (1995) • Marvin's Room (1996) • Music of the Heart (1999) • The Hours (2002) • Adaptation. (2002) • The Manchurian Candidate (2004) • Prime (2005) • A Prairie Home Companion (2006) • The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
