Themes: Age Disparity Romance, Opposites Attract, Writer's Life
Main Cast: Peter Falk, Keanu Reeves, Barbara Hershey, Hope Lange, Bill McCutcheon, Patricia Clarkson, Peter Gallagher
Release Year: 1990
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Tune in Tomorrow is based on Mario Vargas Llosa's novel, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. In New Orleans, circa 1951, a news writer for a local radio station, Martin Loader (Keanu Reeves), meets and falls in love with his aunt Julia (Barbara Hershey), a divorced woman who is looking for a new husband. Meanwhile, new-in-town eccentric radio-soap-opera writer, Pedro Carmichael (Peter Falk) has been hired to help boost the station's bad ratings. Pedro begins manipulating Martin and Julia's affair and using it as the basis for his radio show. Director Jon Amiel uses the same story-within-a-story construction from The Singing Detective, the miniseries that he directed for British television. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Review
While Tune in Tomorrow is uneven, it succeeds primarily because of the delightful performances of its cast. Peter Falk is particularly hilarious as he makes an inspiring speech to the radio actors before they go on the air. Keanu Reeves, while charming, seems to be struggling with his Southern accent through much of the film, but Barbara Hershey gives her usual, splendid performance. The photography by Robert Stevens is wonderful, and the score, by Wynton Marsalis is a standout. Despite the fact that the film often substitutes sight-gags for real insight into the relationship of Martin and Julia, which remains the true center of the film, Jon Amiel again demonstrates the talent for touching, poignant comedy that he showed in his wonderful film Queen of Hearts. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Jerome Dempsey - Sam/Sid; Elizabeth McGovern - Elena Quince; Dan Hedaya - Robert Quince; Buck Henry - Fr. Serafim; John Larroquette - Dr. Albert Quince; Robert Sedgwick - Elmore Dubuque; Henry Gibson - Big John Coot; Danny Aiello III - Large Albanian Man #2; Paul Austin - Donald Loader; Paul Burke - Albanian Protester; Joel Fabiani - Ted Orson; Crystal Field - Josephine Sanders; Mert Hatfield - WXBU Engineer; Jayne Haynes - Aunt Hortensia; Shirley Horn - Jazz Singer; Ishmond Jones - Waiter; Howard Kingkade - News Man Detroit; Robert Kramer - Jamie; Adam Le Fevre - Large Albanian Man; Anna Levine - Faith Hope; Ray McKinnon - Cub Reporter; Irving Metzman - Producer Detroit Radio; Bill Moor - Duke Vermont; Aaron Neville - Neville Brother; DeDee Pfeiffer - Nellie; Richard Portnow - Uncle Luke; Marcus Roberts - The Wynton Marsalis Band; Richard B. Shull - Leonard Pando; Jon Van Ness - BrentMarconnochie; Jack Wallace - Policeman; Todd Williams - The Wynton Marsalis Band; Peter Maloney - Luther Aslinger; Mary Joy - Frances Loader; William Murray Weiss - Peter Loader; Billy Hopkins; Michael White - The Wynton Marsalis Band; Jack Harvey - Fireman
Credit
Chris Seagers - Art Director, Quinny Sacks - Choreography, Mark Tarlov - Co-producer, John Fiedler - Co-producer, Betsy Faith Heimann - Costume Designer, Eric Heffron - First Assistant Director, Jon Amiel - Director, Peter Boyle - Editor, Wynton Marsalis - Composer (Music Score), Jim Clay - Production Designer, James L. Schoppe - Production Designer, Margaret Hilliard - Production Designer, Robert M. Stevens - Cinematographer, Joseph M. Caracciolo, Jr. - Producer, Jeanette Scott - Set Designer, William Boyd - Screenwriter
