Mrs. Soffel (1984)

Director:

Gillian Armstrong

Writer:

Ron Nyswaner (writer)

Release Date:

26 December 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A true story

Plot:

Peter Soffel is the stuffy warden of a remote American prison around the turn of the century. His wife...

Plot Keywords:

Warden | Brothers | Prison | Escape | Sled

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Diane Keaton	...	Kate Soffel
Mel Gibson	...	Ed Biddle
Matthew Modine	...	Jack Biddle
Edward Herrmann	...	Warden Peter Soffel
Trini Alvarado	...	Irene Soffel
Jennifer Dundas	...	Margaret Soffel (as Jennie Dundas)
Danny Corkill	...	Eddie Soffel
Harley Cross	...	Clarence Soffel
Terry O'Quinn	...	Detective Buck McGovern
Pippa Pearthree	...	Maggie
William Youmans	...	Guard George Koslow
Maury Chaykin	...	Guard Charlie Reynolds
Joyce Ebert	...	Matron Agnes Garvey
Wayne Robson	...	Halliday
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson	...	Jessie Bodyne

Runtime:

110 min | 112 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Elora, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The jail used in the movie is the actual Allegheny County Jail that figures in the story. Designed by noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson, built between 1884-1888, it served as a jail until 1995 and is now used by the juvenile and family sections of the Common Pleas Court.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Hitcher: 'How Do These Movies Get Made?' (2003) (V)

Australian cinema personalities rarely sparkle in America

Australian director Gillian Armstrong makes great films with strong women characters--her earlier Australian film "My brilliant career" being a perfect example. I watched "Mrs. Soffel" because of my admiration for Armstrong and found that "Mrs. Soffel" could not hold a candle to "My brilliant career" even though American actress Diane Keaton was admirable compared to the Australian actresses in the latter.

Armstrong had the talented Australian cinematographer Russel Boyd (who was responsible for the seminal works of Peter Weir and Bruce Beresford) once again to work with. While Armstrong and Boyd used justifiably darkened interior shots, I had problems seeing anything for long periods and had to rely on the soundtrack!

Armstrong loves to develop the female characters but leaves the male characters totally undeveloped (Mr Soffel and Jack Biddle). This is one reason I prefer the works of Weir and Beresford over Armstrong--even though her latent talent cannot be ignored. It is amazing to see Soffel's daughter getting equal or more prominence in the script than Mr Soffel towards the end.

Mel Gibson has made a name for himself by directing "Braveheart," but I give more credence to his acting phase in Australia ("Tim", "Mad Max", etc.). I am convinced that he is a director's actor--doing well with good directors. In "Mrs Soffel" Armstrong has evidently invested time with Diane Keaton, who carries the film. Gibson only lends support to her thanks more to the script than his acting capabilities.

Most of the fine tribe of Australian filmmakers of the Seventies have drifted to the US to become richer and gain international recognition--but their work in Australia in the Seventies remains unsurpassed.