Between the Lines (1977 film)
Between the Lines | |
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![]() VHS cover | |
Directed by | Joan Micklin Silver |
Written by | Fred Barron David M. Helpern Jr. |
Produced by | Raphael D. Silver |
Starring | John Heard Lindsay Crouse Jeff Goldblum Gwen Welles Bruno Kirby Stephen Collins Joe Morton Marilu Henner Richard Cox Michael J. Pollard Lane Smith Raymond J. Barry Guy Boyd Charles Levin |
Cinematography | Kenneth Van Sickle |
Edited by | John Carter |
Music by | Michael Kamen Steve Van Zandt |
Distributed by | Vestron Video |
Release date |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Between the Lines is a 1977 ensemble drama from Midwest Films directed by Joan Micklin Silver and produced by her husband Raphael D. Silver. The film won two out of the three awards it was nominated for at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.[1]
Plot[]
The story revolves around a group of people who work at The Back Bay Mainline, an alternative newspaper in Boston.[2]
Cast[]
Actor | Role |
---|---|
John Heard | Harry Lucas |
Lindsay Crouse | Abbie |
Gwen Welles | Laura |
Jeff Goldblum | Max Arloft |
Stephen Collins | Michael |
Bruno Kirby | David Entwhistle |
Jill Eikenberry | Lynn |
Joe Morton | Ahmed |
Michael J. Pollard | The Hawker |
Marilu Henner | Danielle |
Sarah | |
Guy Boyd | Austin |
Charles Levin | Paul |
Notes[]
Fred Barron, who had written for both The Phoenix and The Real Paper, used his alternative newspaper experiences as the basis for his Between the Lines screenplay. The director Silver once had worked for The Village Voice.[3]
The success of the film led to a short-lived TV sitcom, also titled Between the Lines.
Reception[]
The film received positive reviews at the time and is still regarded as an excellent 'snapshot' of the alternative newspaper era. Matthew Monagle of Film School Rejects writes:
What makes Between the Lines such a timely film even decades later is its depiction of the diminishing space offered journalism in a world of corporate takeovers. Pages of copy are cut to make way for more advertisements; writers are asked to choose between walking out and compromising their integrity. The film makes it clear that the Back Bay Mainline, even in its diminished capacity, still has its finger on the pulse of the Boston community in a way no major newspaper could. When that is gone, something vital goes with it...
Those looking for the newspaper industry’s answer to Broadcast News will find a welcome film in Between the Lines. The film has countless moments of insight into the struggle of the American journalist, from the staff’s shabby living conditions — the film offers perhaps the most realistic look at big city apartments ever committed to film — to how well-meaning writers navigate the competing interests of truth and financial trendlines. With an all-star cast and some great comedic bits — enjoy watching Goldblum engage in a battle with a local performance artist at the Back Bay Mainline headquarters — Between the Lines is a late addition to the already impressive canon of essential 1970s cinema.[4]
References[]
- ^ "Between the Lines - IMDb".
- ^ "Joan Micklin Silver | Jewish Women's Archive". Jwa.org. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ "Between the Lines: Information from". Answers.com. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ Monagle, Matthew. "'Between the Lines' Makes Its Case as a Forgotten '70s Classic". FilmSchoolRejects.com. Film School Rejects. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
External links[]
- 1977 films
- English-language films
- 1977 comedy-drama films
- American comedy-drama films
- American films
- Films about journalists
- Films directed by Joan Micklin Silver
- Films set in Boston
- Films set in Massachusetts
- Films shot in Massachusetts
- Harvard Square
- Vestron Pictures films
- 1970s comedy film stubs