Shy People

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Shy People

Directed by	Andrei Konchalovsky
Produced by	Yoram Globus Menahem Golan
Written by	Andrei Konchalovsky Gerard Brach Marjorie David
Starring	Barbara Hershey Jill Clayburgh Martha Plimpton
Music by	Tangerine Dream
Cinematography	Chris Menges
Editing by	Alain Jakubowicz
Distributed by	Golan-Globus
Release date(s)	1988
Running time	118 min
Language	English
Budget	N/A
IMDb profile

Shy People is a critically-acclaimed 1987 American drama about two branches of a family that reunite with tragic results, starring Barbara Hershey, Jill Clayburgh, and Martha Plimpton. It was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, written by Konchalovsky, Marjorie David and Gerard Brach, and features music by the German electronic music group Tangerine Dream. Hershey won the "Best Actress" award at Cannes Film Festival for her performance.

1 Plot summary
2 Trivia
3 Cinematography
4 Awards and Nominations
5 Cast
6 References

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Diana Sullivan (Jill Clayburgh) is a successful Manhattan writer and photojournalist, seemingly oblivious to the serious coaine addicition that her daughter Grace (Martha Plimpton) has developed. A commission by Cosmopolitan magazine to write an article about a lost branch of Diana's family leads them deep into the bayous of Louisiana, where they encounter Diana's distant cousin, Ruth (Barabara Hershey). Married at 12 to an abusive man whose current whereabouts are an increasingly troubling cipher, Ruth rules over her 3 adult sons, all less than perfectly cogent, with equal parts protectiveness and ferocity, while a fourth, disowned son adds to the volatility of the situation. As the fascinated Diana and wary Ruth circle one another, Grace, bored and in grip of her addiction, toys with her naive cousins with devastating consequences.

[edit] Trivia

Shy People was one of the last movie roles for actor Merritt Butrick who died from AIDS in 1989.

[edit] Cinematography

"Shy People" was shot by two-time Academy Award-winner Chris Menges, who also worked on "A World Apart", another film for which Barbara Hershey was recognized at the Cannes Film Festival.

[edit] Awards and Nominations

Winner: 1987 Cannes Film Festival - Best Actress - Barbara Hershey
Nominee: 1987 Cannes Film Festival - Golden Palm
Nominee: 1988 Independent Spirit Awards - Best Supporting Actress - Martha Plimpton