Best Friends (1982)

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Valerie Curtin (written by) &
Barry Levinson (written by)

Release Date:

17 December 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

What a present for Christmas [US Theatrical]

Plot:

When a professional couple who have lived & worked together for many years finally decide to marry,...

Plot Keywords:

Human Relationship | Writing | Film Making

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Burt Reynolds	...	Richard Babson
Goldie Hawn	...	Paula McCullen
Jessica Tandy	...	Eleanor McCullen
Barnard Hughes	...	Tim McCullen
Audra Lindley	...	Ann Babson
Keenan Wynn	...	Tom Babson
Ron Silver	...	Larry Weisman
Carol Locatell	...	Nellie Ballou
Richard Libertini	...	Jorge Medina
Peggy Walton-Walker	...	Carol Brandon
Noah Hathaway	...	Lyle Ballou
Mikey Martin	...	Robbie Ballou
Helen Page Camp	...	Maid
Joan Pringle	...	Doria
Vincent J. Isaac	...	Cab Driver
Jeffrey Bannister	...	Shoe Salesman
Alfred Mariorenzi	...	Gate Guard
David Cullinane	...	Waiter
Rodney Kageyama	...	Meter Reader
Terrence Currier	...	Henry Spaulding
Nannette Rickert	...	Marion Talbot (as Nan Rickert)
Jim Scopelitis	...	Bob Skinner
Elaine Dunstan	...	Edwina Coolie
Cal Kirby	...	Man at Table
Walter Davy	...	Ron Barbero
Catherine A. Frederico	...	McCullen's Neighbor
James D. Griffin	...	Coach
Jennifer Jewison	...	Skier
Wally McMahon	...	Conductor
Doug Roberts	...	Stuart
Brian Corrigan	...	Waiter
Michele O'Brien	...	Patti
Daniel Bushnell	...	Craig
Lynn Sue Nitkin	...	Girl in Restaurant
James C. Lewis	...	Diner (as Jim Lewis)
William B. Kennedy	...	Conductor
Aulinda Gigena	...	Wedding Chapel Owner
Dora Baldor	...	Secretary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Clay	...	Georgetown Mall Shopper (uncredited)
Valerie Curtin	...	Paula's friend in playpen (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
Valerie Curtin		(written by) &
Barry Levinson		(written by)

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	producer
Joe Wizan	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Michel Legrand

Cinematography by
Jordan Cronenweth

Film Editing by
Don Zimmerman

Casting by
Marci Liroff

Art Direction by
Josan F. Russo		(as Josan Russo)

Set Decoration by
Thomas L. Roysden

Costume Design by
Betsy Cox

Makeup Department
Kathryn Blondell	....	hair stylist
Gabriel Borgo	....	hair stylist
E. Thomas Case	....	makeup artist
Tom Ellingwood	....	makeup artist
Lynda Gurasich	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Tom Jacobson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gregory Palmer	....	second assistant director (as Greg Palmer)
Win Phelps	....	first assistant director
Jim Van Wyck	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Henry Alberti	....	set designer
Louis S. Fleming	....	assistant property master (as Louis Fleming)
William Maldonado	....	construction coordinator (as Bill Maldonado)
Jim McGee	....	construction foreman
Anne Pritchard	....	visual consultant
George Szeptycki	....	assistant art director
Michael Taylor	....	lead man
John Zemansky	....	property master

Sound Department
Neil Brody	....	sound re-recording mixer
John S. Coffey	....	boom operator
Jay Engel	....	dialogue editor
Don Hall	....	sound editor
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound mixer
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh	....	special effects (as Larry Cavanaugh)
David Domeyer	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Earl L. Clark	....	first assistant camera (as Earl Clark)
Cary Griffith	....	key grip
Richard Hart	....	gaffer
Johnny E. Jensen	....	camera operator (as John Jenson)
Kevin Jewison	....	second assistant camera
John R. Shannon	....	still photographer (as John Shannon)

Casting Department
Marci Liroff	....	additional casting
Carol Ness	....	extras casting: Viginia
Linda Phillips-Palo	....	extras casting: New York (as Linda Phillips Palo)
Dagmar Wittmer	....	extras casting: Viginia

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Norman Salling	....	costumer: Mr. Reynold
Victoria Snow	....	costumer: women
Don Vargas	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Elyane Bretherton	....	assistant editor
Mario Leone	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor
Quincy Jones	....	music producer

Transportation Department
Linda Cipperley	....	transportation
Arthur F. 'Mickey' McAteer	....	transportation captain (as Mickey McAteer)
Craig Pinkard	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Ann Ashcraft	....	production office coordinator
Stanley Brossette	....	unit publicist
Dow Griffith	....	location manager
Robert Hatfield	....	production assistant
Lisa L. Hyde	....	assistant: Goldie Hawn (as Lisa Hyde)
Candace Koethe	....	production secretary
Charles Milhaupt	....	assistant to producer
Leanne Moore	....	assistant production accountant
Stuart Neumann	....	location manager
Bonnie Palef	....	assistant: Norman Jewison (as Bonnie Palef Woolf)
Johanne Samuel	....	production secretary
Cynnie Troup	....	script supervisor
Tom Udell	....	production accountant
Janet L. Wattles	....	assistant production accountant (as Janet Wattles)
Eric Young	....	location manager: New York

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Timberlane Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Atmosphere Agency, The  extras casting
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals

Runtime:

116 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Buffalo, New York, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The film's writers Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin based the script on their very own marriage.

Quotes:

Paula McCullen: Breasts too large, Richard? Every female character you create has breasts too large.
Richard Babson: Mmm... but I make them suffer for it.

Movie Connections:

References Roman Holiday (1953)

Soundtrack:

Think About Love

Vastly underrated romantic comedy

"Best Friends" is one of my favourite romantic comedies because of the pain and humour that's shown in the relationship between Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn seems so real. So many of these kinds of films (like "Sleepless in Seattle," "You've Got Mail, etc.) come across as plastic because filmmakers sugarcoat everything so nobody gets even slightly offended. But in their zeal to please everyone, they forsake all realism. And when the characters get mad at one another, there's no real emotion behind it to make it seem convincing. Most recent romantic comedies are more like glorified sitcoms. "Best Friends," on the other hand, doesn't back away from showing the true-to-life trials and tribulations that almost every couple goes through. Also, the humour in this film is often hilarious since it comes from recognisable situations -- especially the sequences when Burt and Goldie visit with their mutually eccentric in-laws for the first time. Reynolds and Hawn are at their most appealing here, but "Best Friends" isn't a cliched "feel-good" movie and isn't afraid to show its characters behave selfishly and stupidly -- don't we all sometimes? Honest, touching and funny, "Best Friends" is a wonderful, but largely forgotten film that definitely deserves rediscovering.