Crimes of the Heart (1986)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers:

Beth Henley (play)
Beth Henley (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Meg just left one. Lenny never had one. Babe just shot one. The MaGrath sisters sure have a way with men!

Plot:

Three sisters with quite different personalities and lives reunite when the youngest of them, Babe, has just shot her husband...

Plot Keywords:

Sister | Grandfather | Reunion | Pulitzer Prize Source | Small Town

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Diane Keaton	...	Lennora Josephine 'Lenny' Magrath
Jessica Lange	...	Margaret 'Meg' Magrath
Sissy Spacek	...	Rebeca 'Babe' / 'Becky' Magrath Botrelle
Sam Shepard	...	Doc Porter
Tess Harper	...	Chick Boyle
David Carpenter	...	Barnette Lloyd
Hurd Hatfield	...	Old Granddaddy
Beeson Carroll	...	Zackery Botrelle
Jean Willard	...	Lucille Botrelle
Tom Mason	...	Uncle Watson
Annie McKnight	...	Annie May Jenkins
Gregory Eugene Travis	...	Willie Jay (as Gregory Travis)
Eleanor Eagle	...	Little Lenny
Jessica Ezzell	...	Little Meg
Natalie Anderson	...	Little Babe

Runtime:

105 min | Germany:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-14 | Norway:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Caswell Beach, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Crimes of the Heart S.A.

Trivia:

Jessica Lange was pregnant during shooting.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lucille Botrelle: The damage to the spinal column's not yet been determined. But his breathing's stabilized and his liver's been saved.
Lennora Josephine 'Lenny' Magrath: Oh, well, that's good news.
Lucille Botrelle: None of this is good news Lennie Magrath! It's all a grueling nightmare and you mark my word those resposible will pay dearly!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ken Adam: Designing Bond (2000) (V)

Soundtrack:

Sunday in the South

My brief review of the film

An entertaining outrageous black comedy, it is supported by three excellent leading performances, although Sissy Spacek is by far the best, and the camera-work from Dante Spinotti is excellent, with creative camera angles and good use of panning. The film tries to bring in a nostalgic sense too though, and does not quite succeed, and the drama of the material does not mix well with the comedy. The choices of music are not too good either, and Tess Harper comes across as very annoying in an over-the-top way, but the virtues of the film are better than its shortcomings. The film comes across as rather lightweight with its black comedy treatment, but it certainly raises some issues with families and coping with one's past, among other ideas. It is not however a film to watch for its messages, but one to simply enjoy for its amusing parts and cinematic virtues, which include some good sound recording too.