Themes: Innocence Lost, Military Life, Writer's Life
Main Cast: Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken, Matt Mulhern, Michael Dolan, Corey Parker, Penelope Ann Miller
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
Biloxi Blues was the second of playwright Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical trilogy (number one was Brighton Beach Memoirs; number three, Broadway Bound). Matthew Broderick stars as Simon's alter ego Eugene Morris Jerome, who is drafted and shipped off to boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi in the waning days of World War II. Eugene is at the mercy of near-psychotic drill sergeant Toomey (Christopher Walken), who seems to have a personal vendetta against the poor schlemiel (Toomey also has all the film's best lines). While sweating out basic training, Eugene is indoctrinated into manhood by local prostitute Rowena (Park Overall). The film version of Biloxi Blues retains the wit and poignancy of the theatrical original--except towards the end, which pointlessly emphasizes a showdown between Eugene and Toomey. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The second in a trilogy of autobiographical play adaptations penned by Neil Simon, this congenial comedy is an ensemble crowd pleaser with remarkable performances from several of its enthusiastic cast members. The material is decidedly episodic and even anecdotal, but director Mike Nichols breaks it out of its stage-bound roots, opening up to the humid Southern locales and giving his actors some breathing room. Of the three plays-cum-films that comprise the Simon cycle, this is easily the most cinematic and probably the only one that works even better as a film than it does on the boards. The young actors reward Nichols with noteworthy work, particularly Christopher Walken as a sadistic drill sergeant, Matthew Broderick as the sweet-natured hero briefly embarrassed by his heritage, Corey Parker in a revelatory turn as a brainy nerd, and Matt Mulhern as a bully with a surprising sense of honor. Only a third act confrontation between Walken and Broderick feels contrived, but the moment also gives the scene-stealing Walken his big chance to grab center stage, and he makes the most of it in one of his clip reel-worthy best. Biloxi Blues is a slighter film than the classic best of both Simon and Nichols, but it's a sturdy, thoroughly enjoyable entry in the coming-of-age genre. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Markus Flanagan - Roy Selridge; Casey Siemaszko - Donald Carney; Park Overall - Rowena; Natalie Canerday - Girl at Dance; Christopher Ginnaven - Corporal Ginnaven; Mark Jacobs - Pinelli; Kirby Mitchell - 1st Digger; Alan Pottinger - Peek; Norman Rose - Newsreel Announcer; David Whitman - Tower Officer; Jeff Bailey - Mess-hall Corporal; Michael Haley - Corporal Haley; Ben Hynum - Private Lindstrom; Tom Kagy - 3rd Digger; Dave Kienzle - Coporal; Matthew Kimbrough - Spitting Cook; Morris Mead - Corporal Mead; Christopher Phelps - Private Phelps; A. Collin Roddey - Private Roddey; Bill Russell - Rifle Instructor; Scott Sudbury - Private Sudbury; Allen Turner - 2nd Digger; Andy Wigington - Corporal Wigington
Credit
Juliet Taylor - Casting, Ann Roth - Costume Designer, Michael Haley - First Assistant Director, Mike Nichols - Director, Sam O'Steen - Editor, Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr. - Executive Producer, Marykay Powell - Executive Producer, Georges Delerue - Composer (Music Score), Paul Barbarin - Songwriter, Nancy Hamilton - Songwriter, Mack Kay - Songwriter, William Lewis - Songwriter, Bobby Worth - Songwriter, Kelvin R. Trahan - Makeup, Paul Sylbert - Production Designer, Bill Butler - Cinematographer, Raymond Stark - Producer, John Alan Hicks - Set Designer, Allan Byer - Sound/Sound Designer, Neil Simon - Screenwriter, Eddie de Lange - Featured Music, Duke Ellington - Featured Music, Lorenz Hart - Featured Music, Irving Mills - Featured Music, Phil Moore - Featured Music, Richard Rodgers - Featured Music
The second chapter in what is known as Simon's Eugene Trilogy (the first being Brighton Beach Memoirs and the third being Broadway Bound), the story centers around Eugene Morris Jerome, a 20-year-old JewishBrooklynite who is drafted into the United States Army during the last year of World War II and is sent to Biloxi, Mississippi for basic training. While there he learns to cope with fellow soldiers from all walks of life, falls in love, and loses his virginity in less than ideal circumstances, all while having to cope with an eccentric drill instructer.
Vincent Canby of the New York Times called the film "a very classy movie, directed and toned up by Mike Nichols so there's not an ounce of fat in it." He added, "Mr. Nichols keeps the comedy small, precise and spare. Further, the humor is never flattened by the complex logistics of movie making, nor inflated to justify them." [2]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film "pale, shallow, unconvincing and predictable" and added, "nothing in this movie seems fresh, well-observed, deeply felt or even much thought about ... It's just a series of setups and camera moves and limp dialogue and stock characters who are dragged on to do their business." [3]
Rita Kempley of the Washington Post thought the film was "an endearing adaptation" and "overall Nichols, Simon and especially Broderick find fresh threads in the old fatigues" despite some "fallow spells and sugary interludes." [4]
Variety called it "an agreeable but hardly inspired film" and added, "Even with high-powered talents Mike Nichols and Matthew Broderick aboard, World War II barracks comedy provokes just mild laughs and smiles rather than the guffaws Simon's work often elicits in the theater." [5]
Box office
The film opened on 1,239 screens in the US and earned $7,093,325 on its opening weekend, ranking #1 at the box office. It eventually grossed $43,184,798 in the US and $8,500,000 in foreign markets for a total worldwide box office of $51,684,798 [1].
The Region 1 DVD was released on January 27, 2004. It is in anamorphic widescreen format with English, French, and Spanish audio tracks in Dolby Digital Surround. The only bonus feature is the original theatrical trailer.
