Falling in Love (1984)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Ulu Grosbard

Writer:

Michael Cristofer (writer)

Release Date:

21 November 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

During shopping for Christmas, Frank and Molly run into each other. This fleeting short moment will start to change their lives...

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Train | Guilt | Three Word Title | New York City

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Frank Raftis
Meryl Streep	...	Molly Gilmore
Harvey Keitel	...	Ed Lasky
Jane Kaczmarek	...	Ann Raftis
George Martin	...	John Trainer
David Clennon	...	Brian Gilmore
Dianne Wiest	...	Isabelle
Victor Argo	...	Victor Rawlins
Wiley Earl	...	Mike Raftis
Jesse Bradford	...	Joe Raftis
Chevi Colton	...	Elevator Woman
Richard Giza	...	Salesman
Frances Conroy	...	Waitress
James Ryan	...	Cashier
Sonny Abagnale	...	Tow Truck driver
George Barry	...	Conductor #1
L.P. McGlynn	...	Conductor #2
J.S. Klinetob	...	Conductor #3
Paul Herman	...	Engineer
Kenneth Welsh	...	Doctor
John H. Reese	...	Taxi Driver #1
Clem Caserta	...	Taxi Driver #2
Yanni Sfinias	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Donald R. Goodness	...	Minister
Florence Anglin	...	Saleslady
Gerald M. Kline	...	First Man
Barry R. Smith	...	Usher
John Ottavino	...	Construction Worker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lisa Bansavage	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Sandra Bogan	...	Marta (uncredited)
Mike Tremont	...	Architect (uncredited)

Directed by
Ulu Grosbard

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Cristofer		writer

Produced by
Robert F. Colesberry	....	associate producer
Marvin Worth	....	producer

Original Music by
Dave Grusin

Cinematography by
Peter Suschitzky		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Michael Kahn

Casting by
Pat McCorkle
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Santo Loquasto

Art Direction by
Speed Hopkins

Set Decoration by
Steven J. Jordan		(as Steven Jordan)

Costume Design by
Richard Bruno

Makeup Department
J. Roy Helland	....	hair stylist: Ms. Streep
J. Roy Helland	....	makeup artist: Ms. Streep
Lyndell Quiyou	....	hair stylist
Mickey Scott	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert F. Colesberry	....	unit production manager
Tom Razzano	....	assistant unit production manager (as Thomas A. Razzano)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paula Brody	....	dga trainee
James Chory	....	second assistant director
Thomas J. Mack	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Cathy Barancik	....	illustrator: Meryl Streep
Billy Bishop	....	props (as Bill Bishop)
James V. Gartland	....	construction grip
Glenn Lloyd	....	art department assistant
Richard Michael Miller	....	assistant art director
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator (as Ronald Petagna)
Jimmy Raitt	....	property master
Cosmo Sorice	....	scenic artist
James Sorice	....	chargeman scenic artist
Thomas M. Southern	....	shop craftsman
Dave Weinman	....	set dresser (as David Weinman)
John Davis	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Frank Didio	....	head carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gary S. Gerlich	....	sound effects editor
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
J. Paul Huntsman	....	adr editor
Vito L. Ilardi	....	boom operator (as Vito Ilardi)
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound mixer
Frank E. Warner	....	supervising sound editor (as Frank Warner)
Bill Wylie	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Bill Hansard	....	process supervisor
Don Hansard	....	process coordinator

Stunts
Annie Allman	....	stunts
Daniel Dod	....	stunts
Jim Lovelett	....	stunts (as James R. Lovelett)
Harry Madsen	....	stunt coordinator
Shawn O'Neil	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bobby Brown	....	second assistant camera (as Bob Brown)
Dan Brunner	....	camera trainee
Ted Churchill	....	panaglide operator
Jerry DeBlau	....	best boy (as Jerry W. DeBlau)
John W. DeBlau	....	gaffer
Ernie Miscelli	....	additional director of photography
Peter Norman	....	photographer: second unit
Robert T. Prate	....	best boy grip
Tom Prate	....	key grip (as Thomas J. Prate Jr.)
Tom Priestley Jr.	....	camera operator (as Tom Priestley)
Richard Reis	....	first assistant camera
Lorey Sebastian	....	still photographer
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Sal Martorano	....	electrician (uncredited)
Robert Shepherd	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alba Censoplano	....	costume supervisor: women
William Loger	....	costume supervisor
Isis Mussenden	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Michael Amundsen	....	apprentice editor
Martin Cohen	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles
Jack Garsha	....	color timer
Andrea Justin	....	assistant editor: New York
Richard J. Rossi	....	assistant editor: New York (as Richard Rossi)
Trudy Ship	....	assistant editor: New York

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor
Jon Charles	....	orchestrator
Dave Grusin	....	orchestrator
Richard Hazard	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Donna E. Bloom	....	assistant: Mr. Worth (as Donna Bloom)
Timothy M. Bourne	....	location manager
Trixie Bourne	....	assistant: Mr. De Niro (as Trixie Flynn Bourne)
Judith Lyn Brown	....	assistant production office coordinator
Jean De Niro	....	production assistant
Bettiann Fishman	....	production assistant
Judie Fixler	....	assistant: Mr. Grosbard
Ingrid Johanson	....	production office coordinator
David Kasparian	....	production assistant
Harold 'Whitey' McEvoy	....	teamster captain
Eric Myers	....	unit publicist
Peter Novakovic	....	production assistant
Nellie Nugiel	....	production accountant
Tom Paolucci	....	production assistant (as Thomas Paolucci)
Randee Post	....	production assistant
Randi Rosen	....	production assistant
David Sardi	....	production assistant
Heidi Stroh	....	script supervisor
Claudette Didul	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Ed Boni	....	thanks
Norman W. Fesmire	....	thanks
Al Mathis	....	thanks
Paul O. Sichert Jr.	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Austria) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Barron's Educational Series Inc.  "The Big Book of Sailins" using by permission of
• Dawn Animal Agency  animals owned and trained by
• Grand Central Terminal  thanks
• Howard A. Anderson Company  titles and opticals
• Metro-North Commuter Railroad  thanks
• Movie Meals Inc.  thanks
• New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission  thanks
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  thanks
• New York State Office for Motion Picture and Television Development  thanks
• Pageamerica Group  special thanks for Paging Communications
• Stouffer Restaurant Company/Top of the Sixes  special thanks
• Sylvia Fay Casting  bits and extras
• The Bud Company Central Falls Catering  thanks
• The Glick Organization  thanks
• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority  thanks (Ed Boni and Artie Smith)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:11 | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardsley, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Metro North Commuter Railroad changed its name several years ago and is now simply known as Metro North Railroad.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Frank is talking to Victor at a construction site, the camera crew is reflected in one of the plates of glass that they pass.

Movie Connections:

References Brief Encounter (1945)

Soundtrack:

The Christmas Song

I Have to Disagree with Leonard Maltin....This is a Nice Little Gem

I'll write more when I have more time. For now, after having read Mr. Maltin's brief critique of this film ("dull script"), I must say that I couldn't disagree more. This is a superb, quiet little gem. It's very realistic, and I bet it fared much better in Europe than here in the States. It's a portrait of two married people who happen to run into each other one day while Christmas shopping, and then again a few months later on the train. As they take the same route most days every week, they begin to strike up a friendship that eventually deepens. Watching both DeNiro's and Streep's expressions alone, in long moments of no dialog, are worth the price of the rental, or the time to watch it on cable. And, the film is a bit suspenseful because you think that there might be a chance that the ending might go the other way; but, I don't want to give too much away. However, it is a Hollywood picture. So, enough said.

At any rate, I just love films that take place in New York but that aren't completely violent (with the exception of anything Scorsese directs) or show some of its worst parts. This is a pleasant, quiet, sweet, rather serious, and sometimes sad film that paints a very realistic portrait of marriage and infidelity. It's worth watching for these two acting Goliaths alone.