| 9½ Weeks | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Adrian Lyne |
| Produced by | Mark Damon Sidney Kimmel Zalman King |
| Written by | Sarah Kernochan Zalman King |
| Starring | Kim Basinger Mickey Rourke |
| Music by | Jack Nitzsche |
| Cinematography | Peter Biziou |
| Editing by | Caroline Biggerstaff Ed Hansen |
| Distributed by | MGM (USA) Producers Sales Organization (non-USA) |
| Release date(s) | February 14, 1986 - Italy February 21, 1986 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | Another 9½ Weeks |
9½ Weeks is a 1986 erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger. The film is based on the novella of the same title by Elizabeth McNeill.
The film was not a major success commercially in the United States, grossing $7 million in box office receipts alone, and was poorly received by critics. Despite its moderate success in North America, the film acquired a large fanbase on video and was a huge success internationally.[1] The film is now well known for its erotic sadomasochistic content. The film spawned two direct-to-video sequels: Another 9½ Weeks in 1997 and The First 9½ Weeks in 1998.
Contents |
Plot
The title of the film refers to the duration of a relationship between Wall Street arbitrageur John Grey and divorced SoHo art gallery employee Elizabeth McGraw. The two meet and conduct a volatile and (sometimes) violent sex life.
They try a variety of sexual and erotic acts, such as a scene in which John titillates a blindfolded Elizabeth's body with ice; a scene in which John spoonfeeds Elizabeth various kinds of food while her eyes are closed; a scene in which Elizabeth takes off a tuxedo and has sex with John in a rainy alley; and Basinger's striptease to Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On," as performed by Joe Cocker (which later served as the inspiration for Sheena Easton's 1989 music video for her song "Days Like This").
The film details a sexual downward spiral as John pushes Elizabeth's boundaries toward her eventual emotional breakdown. He often manipulates her into getting what he wants during sex and sometimes abuses her.
Cast
- Mickey Rourke as John Grey
- Kim Basinger as Elizabeth McGraw
- Margaret Whitton as Molly
- David Margulies as Harvey
- Christine Baranski as Thea
- Karen Young as Sue
- William De Acutis as Ted (as William DeAcutis)
- Dwight Weist as Farnsworth
- Roderick Cook as Sinclair - the Critic
- Victor Truro as Gallery Client
Controversy
To obtain an R-Rating the sex scenes had to be cut slightly. The unrated version is uncut.[2]
Reception
9½ Weeks has a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]
Awards
The film was nominated for three categories in the 1986 Golden Raspberry Awards.
Soundtrack and score
The main single released from the 9½ Weeks: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was "I Do What I Do," performed by Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, giving his first solo singing performance during a hiatus in Duran Duran's career. The song reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #42 on the UK Singles Chart. Music for the score was composed by Taylor and Jonathan Elias. Original music for the movie was also written by Jack Nitzsche, but his compositions are not included on the soundtrack.
The soundtrack also included tracks from Luba, Bryan Ferry, Dalbello, Corey Hart, Joe Cocker, Devo, Eurythmics and Stewart Copeland. Jean Michel Jarre's "Arpegiator", played during the sex scene on the stairs in the rain, was not included on the record.
Sequels
A tentative sequel, called Four Days in February, was written by Zalman King. Mickey Rourke was said to have agreed to the project, however Kim Basinger declined and the sequel was abandoned.[citation needed] In 1997, the actual sequel appeared direct to video called Another 9½ Weeks, starring Mickey Rourke and Angie Everhart and directed by Anne Goursaud. In 1998, a straight-to-video prequel was made called The First 9½ Weeks, but it did not contain any of the original actors.
References
- ^ Nathan Rabin, Onion A.V. Club DVD Review: Another 9 1/2 Weeks
- ^ http://movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=3971709
- ^ 9 1/2 Weeks at Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2009-05-10.
Unfootnoted
- Briggs, Joe Bob (2005). Profoundly Erotic: Sexy Movies that Changed History. New York: Rizzoli. ISBN 0-7893-1314-6.
External links
- Nine 1/2 Weeks at the Internet Movie Database
- 9 1/2 Weeks at Allmovie
- 9 1/2 Weeks at Rotten Tomatoes
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