Main Cast: Robin Williams, Jerry Stiller, Joseph Wiseman, Glenne Headly, William Hickey
Release Year: 1986
Country: US
Run Time: 93 minutes
Plot
The PBS series Great Performances first presented the made-for-TV feature Seize the Day. The time is the success-driven '50s; Robin Williams plays Tommy Wilhelm, a middle-ager who has just lost his salesman's job. Margaret, his wife (Katherine Borowitz), is on the verge of divorce and fully intends to take him to the cleaners whether he has an income or not. Doctor Adler (Joseph Wiseman), Tommy's judgmental father, cannot abide having a failure in the family and refuses to lend his son a single penny. In desperation, Tommy heads to New York City, where his old wheeler-dealer pal Dr. Tamkin (Jerry Stiller) has promised him a job. Even there, however, Tommy is defeated by the cold-shoulder treatment afforded him by the people whose opinions he values most. Seize the Day was adapted by Ronald Ribman from the novel by Saul Bellow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tony Roberts - Bernie Pell; Tom Aldredge - Rappaport; Rose Arrick - Waitress; Saul Bellow - Man in Hallway; Katherine Borowitz - Margaret; Fran Brill - Mother; Kent Broadhurst - Trader #3; James Cahill - Phil; Mildred Clinton - Woman #2; William Duell - Joey; O.L. Duke - Funeral Home Attendant; Fyvush Finkel - Shomier; Jo Van Fleet - Mrs. Einhorn; Walter Gorney - Panhandler; Louis Guss - Rubin; Eileen Heckart - Funeral Woman #1; Jayne Heller - Mrs. Adler; Carl Low - Rowland; Elizabeth Perry - Funeral Woman #2; Richard B. Shull - Rojax; Joe Sharkey - Trader #2; Stephen Strimpell - Stockbroker; Allen Swift - Maurice Venice; Paula Trueman - Woman #1; Steve Vinovich - Zeigler; John Fiedler - Carl; Harry Davis - Elderly Man
Credit
Brian Benlifer - Associate Producer, Peggy Farrell - Costume Designer, Fielder Cook - Director, Sidney Katz - Editor, Robert Geller - Executive Producer, Elizabeth Swados - Composer (Music Score), Eric Van Haren Noman - Cinematographer, Chriz Schultz - Producer, Ronald Ribman - Screenwriter, Saul Bellow - Book Author
