Main Cast: Gene Hackman, Barbra Streisand, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Dobson
Release Year: 1981
Country: US
Run Time: 88 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
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, All Movie Guide
Review
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, All Movie Guide
William Daniels - Richard H. Copleston; Hamilton Camp - Buggoms; Terry Kiser - Ultra-Sav day manager; Charles Siebert - Nevins; Vernée Watson - Emily; Raleigh Bond - Ultra-Sav doctor; Annie Girardot - French teacher; Gary Allen - Desk Clerk; Tandy Cronyn - Shuster's Secretary; Ann Doran - Grandmother Gibbons; Jesse Lawrence Ferguson - Jacob Horowitz; Mitzi Hoag - Nurse; James Ingersoll - Hutchinson; Virginia Kiser - Virginia; Len Lawson - Barney; Kendall McCarthy - Fireman; Nicholas Mele - Shoplifter; Faith Minton - Holdup Woman; Jim Nolan - Grandfather Gibbons; Peggy Pope - Waitress; Richard Stahl - Pharmacist; Lomax Study - Old Security Guard; Irene Tedrow - Loft Landlady; Marilyn Tokuda - Michele Miller; Paul Valentine - Customer; Charles White Eagle - Gibson Lone Wolf; Chris Mulkey - Russell Monk; Demetre Phillips - Carpenter; Judy Kerr - Joan Gibbons; Bonnie Bartlett - Patricia
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
Hackman, as a man nearing middle age, is demoted after a temper tantrum and reduced to working as the manager of an all-night pharmacy/convenience store. The film shows the effects this has on his his wife (Ladd), adult son (Quaid), and on a newfound relationship with his sister-in-law (Streisand), an untalented singer-songwriter married to a volatile firefighter (Dobson).
Production
The film was originally planned as a low-budget release, with Hackman and Lisa Eichhorn. Streisand's then-agent, Sue Mengers, who was in a relationship with 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.
References
^The Films of Barbra Streisand, Christopher Nickens & Karen Swenson, Citadel Press, p. 152-160
