The Morning After (1986)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writer:

James Cresson (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Last night she drank to forget. Today she woke up to a murder. Is he her last hope or the last man she should trust?

Plot:

A woman wakes up next to a murdered man. Did she do it herself, and if not, is she in danger herself?

Plot Keywords:

Ex Cop | Cat | Actress | Corpse | Amnesia

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Jane Fonda	...	Alex Sternbergen
Jeff Bridges	...	Turner Kendall
Raul Julia	...	Joaquin Manero
Diane Salinger	...	Isabel Harding
Richard Foronjy	...	Sergeant Greenbaum
Geoffrey Scott	...	Bobby Korshack
James 'Gypsy' Haake	...	Frankie
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Red
Don Hood	...	Hurley
Fran Bennett	...	Airline Clerk
Michael Flanagan	...	Airline Supervisor
Bruce Vilanch	...	Bartender
Michael Prince	...	Mr. Harding
Frances Bergen	...	Mrs. Harding
José Angel Santana	...	Driver (as José Santana)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Argentina:18 | Finland:K-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Center Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

American Filmworks

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The beat-up-but-running Chevrolet Bel-Air convertible that Jeff Bridges's Turner Kendall drives is a 1955 model, not 1956.

Quotes:

Turner Kendall: You'll notice that your spades spend disproportionately on transportation and clothing their young.
Alex Sternbergen: What are you, some kind of Klan anthropologist?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tru Calling: Morning After (#1.7)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

SAVE SOME (FOR ME)

The Light vs The Dark

This film most closely resembles the Film Noir of the 40's & 50's in feel and form. The only difference is the open light of LA on the Thanksgiving weekend. The scene at the airport communicates how much this City (LA) is a city where everyone comes from somewhere else. The great evacuation scene at LAX leaves lonely people like Fonda and Bridges behind, and is meant to explain the relative vacant feel of the town throughout the rest of the film.

The bright autumn light and vacant cityscape during the film is a surrealistic version of LA, which even a native like me seldom gets to see. The rest of the film is much like a "B" film noir picture, where we wonder (but not seriously) whether Jane's charter may have actually done the deed in a drunken haze, and whether the Cop's will be able to get the right killer.

I love this film, not only for the scenes of LA, but for the good suspense generated by the unseen evil lurking in the all to limited shadows.