All Night Long
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All Night Long
Plot
Gene Hackman plays a disgruntled suburbanite who manages the Ultra-Sav, an all-night drugstore. He hates his job, hates his debts and responsibilities, and isn't overly fond of his wife (Diane Ladd) and son (Dennis Quaid). Partly as a form of protest, Hackman enters into an affair with Barbra Streisand, one of his wife's distant relatives (don't ask how she's related - it takes Hackman about thirty seconds to explain it to another character). Streisand doesn't belong in this picture at all, but she can be forgiven her acting excesses because she wasn't the first choice for the role anyway (Lisa Eichhorn dropped out just before shooting began). The best moments in All Night Long involve the steady stream of oddballs and losers who trickle into Hackman's establishment. There is also a cute Apocalypse Now parody involving a battery-operated toy helicopter. The principal attraction of All Night Long is Gene Hackman playing an endearingly recognizable modern type. ~ Hal Erickson, RoviReview
The recipient of some truly dreadful reviews when first released, All Night Long is actually a moderately entertaining and amusing film, albeit one that does not live up to its promise. Much of the blame goes to director Jean-Claude Tramont and writer W.D. Richter, for the film is not as focused as it must be to make its quirky and often appealing separate components (such as almost every scene in the drug store) come together into a satisfying whole. Barbra Streisand also contributes to the film's unevenness. Her performance actually is quite good, a departure from the kind of role she usually plays and one that calls for a fairly subtle approach, as well as a genuine sexiness. The actress handles all this well, but she's still too large a presence for what is at heart a supporting role. This disrupts the delicate balance of the story and takes attention away from the main character, George. Gene Hackman is very good, making George an endearing, put-upon sad sack that captures the viewer's heart. His performance is carefully modulated, allowing him to move comfortably between extremes as necessary. It's one of his nicest, most appealing performances. On the whole, All Night Long is a decent film with some surprising rewards. ~ Craig Butler, RoviCast
- Gene Hackman - George Dupler
- Barbra Streisand - Cheryl Gibbons
- Diane Ladd - Helen Dupler
- Dennis Quaid - Freddie Dupler
- Kevin Dobson - Bobby Gibbons
Credit
Terry Donnelly - Associate Producer, Fran Roy - Associate Producer, Nancy McArdle - Costume Designer, Albert Wolsky - Costume Designer, Jean-Claude Tramont - Director, Marion Rothman - Editor, Richard Hazard - Composer (Music Score), Ira Newborn - Composer (Music Score), Peter Jamison - Production Designer, Ray Simm - Production Designer, Philip H. Lathrop - Cinematographer, Leonard J. Goldberg - Producer, Jerry Weintraub - Producer, Linda Spheeris - Set Designer, John K. Kean - Sound/Sound Designer, Donna Garrett - Stunts, W.D. Richter - Screenwriter| All Night Long (1961 Film), All Night Bodega (2002 Film) | |
| All Night Long (1992 Film), All Night Long, Vol. 2 (1995 Film) |
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All Night Long
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All Night Long (1981 film)
| All Night Long | |
|---|---|
 Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Jean-Claude Tramont |
| Produced by | Associate producers: Terence A. Donnelly Fran Roy Producers: Leonard Goldberg Jerry Weintraub |
| Written by | W.D. Richter |
| Starring | Barbra Streisand Gene Hackman Diane Ladd Dennis Quaid |
| Music by | Richard Hazard Ira Newborn José Padilla |
| Cinematography | Philip H. Lathrop |
| Editing by | Rachel Igel Marion Rothman |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 6, 1981 |
| Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
All Night Long is a 1981 comedy film starring Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Dobson, and William Daniels, written by W. D. Richter and directed by Jean-Claude Tramont.[1]
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Contents
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Plot
George Dupler, a man nearing middle age, is demoted after a temper tantrum and reduced to working as the midnight-shift manager of an all-night pharmacy/convenience store.
George advises his adult son Freddie to stop having an affair with an older, married woman before it leads to trouble. But when George finally meets the woman, Cheryl Gibbons, an untalented singer-songwriter married to a volatile firefighter, she begins to show an interest in him.
The next thing George knows, it's being announced by Freddie at the family's dinner table that Cheryl and his father have become romantically involved. George ends up moving out of the house, taking a loft and trying to begin a new life as an inventor.
Cast
- Gene Hackman as George Dupler
- Barbra Streisand as Cheryl Gibbons
- Dennis Quaid as Freddie
- Diane Ladd as Helen
- Kevin Dobson as Bobby
Production
The film was originally planned as a low-budget release, with Hackman and Lisa Eichhorn. Streisand's then-agent, Sue Mengers, who was married to the film's director, suggested Barbra for the part instead of Eichhorn. Several biographies suggest that because of the film's subsequent failure at the box office, Streisand fired Mengers.
Reception
Streisand was nominated for a 1981 Golden Raspberry Award for her performance. The film received mixed reviews[2], though some critics cited Streisand's performance as one of her very best. Stephen Holden, in Rolling Stone magazine, gave the film a positive review, adding that Streisand's performance suggested Marilyn Monroe. Pauline Kael in The New Yorker was full of praise for the film : " The director, Jean-Claude Tramont, a Belgian who has worked in American television, is a sophisticated jokester. There may be a suggestion of Lubitsch and of Max Ophuls in his approach, and there is more than a suggestion of Jacques Tati. Gene Hackman, whose specialty has been believable, lived-in characters, gives one of his most likable performances." [3]
Box office
Although generally seen as a flop, the film opened at #1 on the American film charts with an opening weekend of $1,391,000, and grossed around $10,000,000 worldwide. Adjusting for inflation, this is around $22.5 million in 2000 dollars. The Independent Movie Data Base website lists the film's total U.S. gross as less than $4.5 million.
References
- ^ The Films of Barbra Streisand, Christopher Nickens & Karen Swenson, Citadel Press, p. 152-160
- ^ review by Vincent Canby, New York Times, 6 March 1981
- ^ Pauline Kael , Taking it all In p.156 ISBN 0-7145-2841-2
External links
- All Night Long at the Internet Movie Database
- All Night Long at AllRovi
- Barbra Streisand Archives: Film - "All Night Long" page
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