Brewster McCloud
| Brewster McCloud | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Robert Altman |
| Produced by | Lou Adler |
| Written by | Doran William Cannon |
| Starring |
Bud Cort Sally Kellerman Michael Murphy |
| Music by | Gene Page |
| Cinematography |
Lamar Boren Jordan Cronenweth |
| Editing by | Lou Lombardo |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release dates | December 5, 1970 |
| Running time | 105 minutes |
| Language | English |
Brewster McCloud is a 1970 movie, directed by Robert Altman, about a young recluse (Bud Cort, as the titular character) who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome, where he is building a pair of wings so he can fly. He is helped by his comely and enigmatic "fairy godmother", played by Sally Kellerman.
The film was shot on location in Houston, Texas. During the opening credits, shots of the downtown Houston skyline (with the One Shell Plaza building under construction) zoom toward the Houston Astrodome and Astrohall, with the emerging Texas Medical Center in the background. It was the first film shot inside the Astrodome.
Plot
The film opens with The Lecturer (René Auberjonois) regaling his (unseen) students with a wealth of knowledge of the habits of birds.
Owlish Brewster (Bud Cort), living hidden and alone under the Houston Astrodome, dreams of creating wings that will help him fly like a bird. His only assistance comes from Louise (Sally Kellerman), a beautiful woman committed to helping Brewster realize his dream. Wearing only a trench coat, Louise has unexplained scars on her shoulder blades, which the perceptive viewer may interpret as those of a fallen angel. She warns him against having sexual intercourse, as this could kill his instinct to fly.
While Brewster works to complete his wings and condition himself for flight, Houston itself suffers a string of unexplained murders, the work of a serial killer whose victims are found strangled and covered in bird droppings. Haskell Weeks (William Windom) a prominent figure in Houston, pulls strings to have the Houston Police call "San Francisco super cop" Frank Shaft (Michael Murphy) to investigate. Shaft immediately fixates on the bird droppings, and soon finds a link to Brewster.
Brewster eludes the police with the apparent help of Louise. However, he eventually drives her away– and dooms himself– when he defies Louise's edict against sex by hooking up with Astrodome usher Suzanne (Shelley Duvall). Suzanne also saves Brewster by out-driving Shaft in her Plymouth Road Runner. Severely injured after losing Brewster, Shaft kills himself. Despite her sweetness, Suzanne will not give up her comfortable home to fly with Brewster. Sensing something very wrong with Brewster, Suzanne betrays him to the police.
In the climactic scene, a small army of policemen enter the Astrodome, but fail to nab Brewster before he takes flight using his completed wings. Although Brewster escapes the police, he cannot escape the human being's inherent unsuitability for flight. Exhausted by the effort, he falls out of the air, crashing in a heap on the floor of the Astrodome.
The film ends with a Circus entering the Astrodome, its members being the cast of the film now costumed as clowns, strongmen and other circus performers. The Ringmaster (played William Windom) announces the names of each cast member, finishing with Bud Cort, who still remains crumpled on the floor.
Cast
- Bud Cort as Brewster McCloud
- Sally Kellerman as Louise
- Michael Murphy as Detective Frank Shaft
- William Windom as Weeks
- Shelley Duvall as Suzanne
- Rene Auberjonois as The Lecturer
- Margaret Hamilton as Daphne Heap
- Corey Fischer as Officer Hines
- Stacy Keach as Abraham Wright
- John Schuck as Officer Johnson
- Bill Adair as detective
- Bert Remsen as Officer Breen
- Jennifer Salt as Hope
Opening quirk
The film opens with the MGM logo, as usual, but with the voice of Rene Auberjonois saying, "I forgot the opening line," replacing the lion roar.[1]
Cultural references
The film has references to other films, Altman's own work, and other places. Altman refers to Bullitt (1969) by including a character named Frank Shaft, who is a detective from San Francisco.
Homages to The Wizard of Oz (1939) have been noted in the film, as Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, is the music conductor seen during the opening credits. She is seen wearing ruby slippers in the film. Hope (Jennifer Salt) who supplies Brewster with health food, resembles Dorothy, as she wears a distinctive gingham dress, has pigtails and carries a basket. At the end of the film, she is shown in the cast as Dorothy carrying Toto.
Production
This film marks the first feature produced by Altman's Lions' Gate Films. The film records landmarks and streetscapes that later were demolished or radically changed. The hotel Frank Shaft checks into was part of the AstroDomain complex; it has gone through several changes.
References
External links
| |||||