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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (novel)
Stephen Geller (screenplay)
Release Date:
15 March 1972 (USA) more
Tagline:
A Man Becomes Unstuck In Time In The Film That Became A Classic. more
Plot:
A man tells his story of how he became unstuck in time and abducted by aliens. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Guillermo del Toro Booked Until 2017
(From toxicshock. 6 September 2008, 8:30 AM, PDT)
History is (re)written by the victors
(From amctv - SciFi Scanner: Fact vs. Fiction. 31 August 2007, 10:33 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
So it goes more (74 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Michael Sacks | ... | Billy Pilgrim | |
| Ron Leibman | ... | Paul Lazzaro | |
| Eugene Roche | ... | Edgar Derby | |
| Sharon Gans | ... | Valencia Merble Pilgrim | |
| Valerie Perrine | ... | Montana Wildhack | |
| Holly Near | ... | Barbara Pilgrim | |
| Perry King | ... | Robert Pilgrim | |
| Kevin Conway | ... | Roland Weary | |
| Friedrich von Ledebur | ... | German Leader (as Friedrich Ledebur) | |
| Ekkehardt Belle | ... | Young German Guard (as Nick Belle) | |
| Sorrell Booke | ... | Lionel Merble | |
| Roberts Blossom | ... | Wild Bob Cody | |
| John Dehner | ... | Prof. Rumfoord | |
| Gary Waynesmith | ... | Stanley | |
| Richard Schaal | ... | Howard W. Campbell Jr. |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
104 min | Canada:93 min (Ontario - edited version)
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System) | 4-Track Stereo
Certification:
Iceland:16 | Canada:PA (Ontario - edited version) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | UK:X (original rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (1988)
Filming Locations:
Downtown Airport - 2700 Airport Road, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA more
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The aircraft used in the movie was owned by the 3M Company more
Quotes:
[repeated line]
Valencia Merble Pilgrim:
I'm gonna lose weight. I'm really gonna lose weight.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II' (2002) (V) more
Soundtrack:
Goldberg variations, BWV 988 - Variation No. 25 a 2 clav. Adagio more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (74 total)
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Kurt Vonnegut was more than worthy of the National Book Award that he received for the novel Slaughterhouse Five, but his humor and literary expertise are often lost in screenplays.
This flawed movie was a cult classic since its release because legions of Vonnegut fans were so fond of the novel that they could overlook the film's flaws. This is probably the only Vonnegut novel to make the transition to the screen as a movie that more than a handful of people are willing to watch. And they watch it again and again. I am reminded of Voltaire lovers who enjoy Leonard Bernstein's Candide. This seems to be the best of all possible Vonnegut movies.
There is a wealth of trivia associated with the cast. Michael Sacks disappeared into obscurity. Sharon Gans joined a community theater company that seemed more like a cult. Holly Near became a feminist folksinger. Valerie Perrine would later give a great performance as Honey Bruce in Bob Fosse's Lenny. Perry King and Ron Liebman became minor stars.
The story is largely allegorical. It is not science-fiction. Vonnegut is coping with the trauma of World War II, particularly the horrors he witnessed during the firebombing of Dresden. Billy Pilgrim's emotional numbness and alientation are characteristic of combat fatigue or post traumatic stress. Despite the lack of a chronological plot, Billy Pilgrim's arc is linear.
To the uninitiated, being "unstuck in time" can be confusing. It's sort of like one's first encounter with hypertext. Perhaps, that's why the movie is better on the second or third viewing. The key to enjoying Slaughterhouse Five is to focus on the best scenes and performances -- much like Billy Pilgrim's advice on living.