Murphy's Romance (1985)

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Max Schott (story)
Harriet Frank Jr. (writer) ...

Release Date:

31 January 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Just when you think you've found the right guy, someone even worse comes along.

Plot:

Emma is a divorced woman with a teen aged boy who moves into a small town and tries to make a go of a horse ranch...

Plot Keywords:

Horse Ranch | Small Town | Ex Husband | Horse | Love

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Sally Field	...	Emma Moriarty
James Garner	...	Murphy Jones
Brian Kerwin	...	Bobby Jack Moriarty
Corey Haim	...	Jake Moriarty
Dennis Burkley	...	Freeman Coverly
Georgann Johnson	...	Margaret
Dortha Duckworth	...	Bessie
Michael Prokopuk	...	Albert
Billy Ray Sharkey	...	Larry Le Beau
Michael Crabtree	...	Jim Forrest
Anna Levine	...	Wanda
Charles Lane	...	Amos Abbott
Bruce French	...	Rex Boyd
John C. Becher	...	Jesse Parker
Henry Slate	...	Fred Hite

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Florence, Arizona, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

One of the few films to successfully appeal its MPAA rating. In a pivotal scene with Murphy, Bobby Jack asks him if he and Emma have been "fucking". The MPAA "automatic language rule" normally does not allow even a single instance of a "sexually derived" vulgarity, in a sexual context, in a PG-13 release.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Any experienced Bingo player knows that it would NOT have taken that many numbers for Emma to get a Bingo in the N's. Sally Field's character won the biggest jackpot of the night - normally, a special game (for example, forming the letter T) would have been played in order for her to win so much money.

Quotes:

[about his birthday cake]
Emma: Okay, what is it? How old are you, Murphy?
Murphy: Just set the damn thing on fire!

Movie Connections:

Features Friday the 13th Part III (1982)

Soundtrack:

POETRY

Garner and Field rule!

Jim and Sally are brilliant in this easy yarn of a couple falling in love, even though he is a good 15 years old than her. Proves age doesn't mean a cracker. The ex-husband sub-plot is a waste of movie time, but it has no effect on the final outcome. Bravo for an excellent story and outstanding acting!