The Unbelievable Truth (film)
The Unbelievable Truth | |
---|---|
Directed by | Hal Hartley |
Written by | Hal Hartley |
Produced by | Hal Hartley Jerome Brownstein |
Starring | Adrienne Shelly Robert Burke |
Cinematography | Michael Spiller |
Edited by | Hal Hartley |
Music by | Jim Coleman |
Production companies | Possible Films Action Features |
Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $75,000 (est) |
Box office | $546,541 |
The Unbelievable Truth is a 1989 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Hal Hartley and starring Adrienne Shelly and Robert Burke. It tells the story of Audry, who dumps her high-school boyfriend and becomes a successful fashion model, but all along is in love with a mysterious man called Josh, released after conviction for manslaughter. He, after his experiences, is uncomfortable with relationships, but learns that he cannot stay an observer of life and must fight to win her. The film was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize in 1990 at the Sundance Film Festival.
Plot[]
Back from prison to a small community on Long Island comes Josh, a sober young man whose crimes most cannot remember exactly, and finds a job at Vic's auto repair shop. Vic's daughter Audry falls instantly in love with him, only to be rejected when she declares her feelings because he is not ready for such a relationship and fears Vic's reaction. In revenge, she gives up the place she has won at Harvard and goes off to New York to be a photographic model, appearing first in lingerie and then nude.
Horrified, her parents send the reliable Josh off to the city to reclaim her, but he gives up in disgust when he finds she is living with her agent. Returning home, he meets the daughter of the man he is supposed to have killed in a struggle, who says she can testify that he is innocent. Audry, overjoyed that he has re-entered her life, gives away all her earnings from exposing herself to her money-obsessed father and again offers herself to Josh, who this time is overjoyed too.
Cast[]
- Adrienne Shelly as Audry Hugo
- Robert Burke as Josh
- Christopher Cooke as Vic Hugo
- Julia McNeal as Pearl
- Katherine Mayfield as Liz Hugo
- Gary Sauer as Emmet
- Mark Bailey as Mike
- David Healy as Todd Whitbread
- Matt Malloy as Otis
- Edie Falco as Jane
- Paul Schultze as Bill
- Bill Sage as Gus
Reception[]
The Unbelievable Truth received overwhelmingly positive acclaim. Critics gave the film a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.[1] The film stands at a 7.3/10 on IMDb.[2] The film stands at a 67 on Metacritic's Metascore.[3] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film 3 out of four stars.[4]
Box Office[]
The film grossed $546,541 on a budget of an estimated $75,000.
Home video[]
The region 1 DVD was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment on March 11, 2001, but it has been discontinued for no disclosed reason. The DVD contained the film's trailer and an interview with Hartley. Possible Films, Hal Hartley's company, released a 20th Anniversary DVD on October 19, 2010.[5] Olive Films released the film on Blu-ray and DVD on May 14, 2013.
References[]
- ^ "The Unbelievable Truth (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ "The Unbelievable Truth (1989)". IMDb. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ "The Unbelievable Truth Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ Ebert, Roger. "The Unbelievable Truth movie review". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
- ^ "The Unbelievable Truth 20th Anniversary DVD".
External links[]
- The Unbelievable Truth at Hal Hartley's website
- The Unbelievable Truth at IMDb
- The Unbelievable Truth at AllMovie
- The Unbelievable Truth at Rotten Tomatoes
- 1989 films
- English-language films
- 1980s romantic comedy-drama films
- American films
- American LGBT-related films
- American romantic comedy-drama films
- Films directed by Hal Hartley
- Films set in 1988
- Films set in New York City
- Films shot in New York City
- 1989 LGBT-related films
- American independent films
- American avant-garde and experimental films
- 1980s avant-garde and experimental films
- 1989 comedy films
- 1989 drama films