Wolf

Wolf
Theatrical release poster.
Directed by	Mike Nichols
Produced by	Douglas Wick
Written by	Jim Harrison Wesley Strick
Starring	Jack Nicholson Michelle Pfeiffer James Spader
Music by	Ennio Morricone
Cinematography	Giuseppe Rotunno
Editing by	Sam O'Steen
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	June 17, 1994
Running time	125 min
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	$70,000,000
Gross revenue	$131,002,597

Wolf is a 1994 horror film directed by Mike Nichols and starring Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader, Christopher Plummer, Om Puri, David Hyde Pierce and Kate Nelligan. It was co-written by Jim Harrison and Wesley Strick and won a Saturn Award for their screenplay. Nicholson, Pfeiffer and Richard Jenkins had previously starred in the 1987 film The Witches of Eastwick.

Plot

Will Randall (Nicholson), a mild-mannered, middle-aged man, is demoted from his job as managing editor of a publishing house when the company is taken over by a wealthy business tycoon, Raymond Alden (Plummer). Alden replaces him with Randall's own protege Stewart Swinton (Spader), who also happens to be having an affair with Randall's wife Charlotte (Nelligan). However, a few days earlier, Randall was bitten by a wolf while driving home on a snowy country road in Vermont one night, and he soon starts feeling rejuvenated, revitalized, and more aggressive and becomes more assertive in fighting for his job back. Eventually, to his horror, Randall also realizes that he was taking on the characteristics of a wolf.

However, with the help of Alden's beautiful, headstrong daughter Laura (Pfeiffer), he sets out for the new life ahead of him. Randall's first escapade as a wolf takes place at Laura's countryside cottage, where he wakes up in the middle of the night and predatorily hunts down a deer. In the morning he finds himself on the bank of a forest stream, dunks his head in water and realizes he has blood all over his face and hands. He then drives back to the city in a state of confused trepidation, his alarm at his animal characteristics leading him to ignore conventional medical tests.

Instead, he visits an Indian healer, Dr. Vijay Alezias (Puri), who gives him an amulet intended to protect him from turning completely into a wolf. Alezias asks Randall to bite him as a return favour, as Alezias himself does not have long to live. On being asked by Randall whether he would 'prefer demonization to death', Dr. Alezias replies that it would be a boon rather than a bane. He tells Will that he is a good man at heart and so has nothing to fear. Dr. Vijay Alezias also explains to Will that sometimes one does not even need to be bitten to change. Sometimes the mere passion of the wolf inside of them can transform them.

As his professional life is restored, Randall, in his aggressive avatar, fires his young nemesis Stewart, deepening each others hatred for the other. Later, Will inadvertently bites Stewart, who becomes a wolf as well. Stewart ends up murdering Will's wife, in an attempt to frame Randall and seize back Randall's job at the publishing house.

Randall, meanwhile, shattered at his wife's murder, and thinking that it might have been his alter-ego state that killed her, goes back with Laura to her cottage, where he agrees to be locked up in the barn. Laura then gets a call from the police detective Bridger (Jenkins) investigating Will's wife's murder, and learns that it was a canine attack that killed her. Alarmed that Will might be the unknowing perpetrator, she goes alone to the police station to find out more. There she runs into Stewart, who makes an animal-like pass at her, revealing himself to also be affected by the wolf-changes Will is affected by. Laura hurries off from the station, making arrangements for Will and her to leave the country.

Stewart, realizing that she had gone back, follows her to the cottage and kills her two guards. After a brief struggle in the barn, where Will is locked in, he tries to rape her, but Randall frees himself from his stall, and, in werewolf form (same as his foe), they battle. The evil werewolf Stewart is then shot to death by Laura. Randall, meanwhile, turns into a complete wolf and runs off into the forest. Laura shows signs of a wolf's heightened senses when the police arrive, telling the lead detective that she can smell the Vodka on his breath. The last scene is a close-up of her face fading into dark, lupine eyes, preceded with previously-shown shots of an animal running wildly through the forest.

Cast

• Jack Nicholson - William Randall
• Michelle Pfeiffer - Laura Alden
• James Spader - Stewart Swinton
• Kate Nelligan - Charlotte Randall
• Richard Jenkins - Det. Sgt. Bridger
• Christopher Plummer - Raymond Alden
• Eileen Atkins - Mary
• David Hyde Pierce - Roy
• Om Puri - Dr. Vijay Alezias
• David Schwimmer - as a cop (chasing Randall through the city zoo)
• Ron Rifkin - as a doctor

Production & Reaction

The film was initially delayed for six to eight months due to poor critical reaction to the third act. After reshoots, however, critics thought the ending was more satisfying and thrilling. It was mostly well-received and currently holds positive reviews among 64% of critics as displayed by RottenTomatoes.com. The film grossed $65,012,000 domestically and $131,002,597 worldwide, while making another $34,000,000 on US rentals.^[1]

References

External links

• Wolf at the Internet Movie Database
• Wolf at Allmovie
• Wolf at Rotten Tomatoes