The Good Mother (1988)

Director:

Leonard Nimoy

Writers (WGA):

Sue Miller (novel)
Michael Bortman (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Can a court determine how we should live, how we should love, how we should raise our children? Now Anna must prove that she is the Good Mother.

Plot:

After finding a sexually liberated boyfriend, a divorced woman gets sued over daughter's custody, by her ex, who claims that her lover has a bad influence on the kid. |

Plot Keywords:

Melancholy | Divorce | Single Mother | Barbecue | Pregnancy

Cast

Diane Keaton	...	Anna Dunlap
Liam Neeson	...	Leo Cutter
Jason Robards	...	Muth
Ralph Bellamy	...	Grandfather
Teresa Wright	...	Grandmother
James Naughton	...	Brian
Asia Vieira	...	Molly
Joe Morton	...	Frank Williams
Katey Sagal	...	Ursula
Margaret Bard	...	Aunt Rain
Nancy Beatty	...	Anna's Mother
Barry Belchamber	...	Anna's Father
Mairon Bennett	...	Young Anna
Zachary Bennett	...	Young Bobby
Scott Brunt	...	Eric
Eugene Clark	...	Arch (as Eugene A. Clark)
Elizabeth Clarke	...	Court Clerk
Beverly Cooper	...	Celia (as Beverley Cooper)
Philip Eckman	...	Uncle Rain
Greg Ellwand	...	Garrett
Sheila Ferrini	...	Neighborhood Woman #1
Adam Furfaro	...	Alex
Donna Galligan	...	Neighborhood Woman #2
David Gardner	...	Judge
Teal Gennaro	...	Neighbor Kid #1
Gloria Gifford	...	Bobby's Wife
Diane Gordon	...	Nanny
Joyce Gordon	...	Muth's Secretary
Tracy Griffith	...	Babe
Tammy Heaberlin	...	Ticket Agent
Daniel J. Howard	...	Longshoreman's Son
Silas Jr.	...	Emcee
Howard Jerome	...	Eddie
Marvin Karon	...	Older Bobby
Robert Keppy	...	Jonathan
Charles Kimbrough	...	Uncle Orrie
Tim Lee	...	Catherine's Husband
Nina Linder	...	Catherine
Richard LeBranti	...	Neighbor Kid #2
Brian Mason	...	Neighbor Kid #3
Fred Melamed	...	Dr. Payne
Monique Mojica	...	Mrs. Harkessian
Paul MacCallum	...	Longshoreman
Butch McClendon	...	Himself
Maureen McRae	...	Aunt Weezie
Patricia Phillips	...	Orrie's Wife
Karl Pruner	...	William
Branko Racki	...	Babe's 64 Boyfriend
Gary Reidt	...	Bartender
Terrence Slater	...	Uncle Weezie
Heather Smith	...	Court Clerk
Tina Teggart	...	Jocelyn
Rod Wilson	...	Babe's Boyfriend
Cliff Woolner	...	Court Bailiff
Brian Young	...	Mark
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Matt Damon	...	Extra (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Cindy Girling	...	Brenda (uncredited)

Directed by
Leonard Nimoy

Writing credits (WGA)
Sue Miller		(novel)
Michael Bortman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Arne Glimcher	....	producer (as Arnold Glimcher)
Daniel J. Heffner	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
David Watkin

Film Editing by
Peter E. Berger		(as Peter Berger)

Casting by
Barbara Shapiro

Production Design by
Stan Jolley

Art Direction by
Richard Harrison
Hilton Rosemarin

Set Decoration by
Anthony Greco

Costume Design by
Susan Becker

Makeup Department
Daniel Barrett	....	hair stylist
Suzanne Benoit	....	makeup artist
Michael Gemelli	....	makeup assistant: Boston
Bob Grimaldi	....	hair stylist: Boston (as Robert Grimaldi)
Tom Lucas	....	makeup artist: Diane Keaton
Louis Sanft	....	hair stylist: Boston
Thomas Yee	....	assistant hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
David Coatsworth	....	unit production manager
Joseph E. Foley	....	unit production manager: Boston (as Joe Foley)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alice Bouvrie	....	second second assistant director: Boston (as Alice D. Bouvrie)
Ann-Marie Ferney-Tellez	....	third assistant director (as Anne-Marie Ferney)
Daniel J. Heffner	....	first assistant director (as Daniel Jason Heffner)
Tony Lucibello	....	first assistant director
Kim H. Winther	....	second assistant director (as Kim Winther)
Grant Lucibello	....	trainee assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Sharon Barnebey	....	scenic artist: Boston
Ian Brock	....	assistant art director
Tracey A. Doyle	....	assistant set decorator (as Tracey Doyle)
David Hacker	....	sculptor
Stephen T. Higgins	....	props: Boston
Ron MacMillan	....	construction coordinator
Susie Mah	....	assistant art director
Don McQueen	....	assistant set decorator
Don Miloyevich	....	property master
Ian Nelmes	....	scenic artist
Greg Pelchat	....	assistant property master
Dan Wladyka	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Wayne Allwine	....	sound effects editor
Ron Bartlett	....	foley editor
Michael J. Benavente	....	sound effects editor
Alice Clift	....	foley artist
Linda Corbin	....	foley mixer
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	sound consultant: Dolby (as Thomas Ehle)
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound effects editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roxanne Jones	....	foley editor
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	adr editor (as Nicholas Korda)
David Lee	....	production sound mixer
Richard Lightstone	....	production sound mixer
Angie Luckey	....	sound effects assistant
Donald J. Malouf	....	sound effects editor (as Don Malouf)
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound effects (as Mark Mangini)
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Patterson	....	sound effects editor (as Andrew G. Patterson)
Sonny Pettijohn	....	sound effects assistant
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
Solange S. Schwalbe	....	foley editor (as Solange Schwalbe Boisseau)
Jim Thompson	....	boom operator (as James L. Thompson)
David A. Whittaker	....	sound effects editor (as David Whittaker)
John Motyer	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Branko Racki	....	stunt coordinator
Dennis Lundin	....	additional stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Crone	....	camera operator
Tony Eldridge	....	best boy
Roy Elliston	....	best boy grip
Noah Farrell	....	dolly grip
Kenneth Fundus	....	dolly grip: Boston (as Kenneth Fundus Jr.)
Ron Gillham	....	key grip
Gerry Gorman	....	second assistant camera: Boston
Richard Guinness Jr.	....	key grip: Boston (as Richard Guinness)
Tim Guinness	....	best boy: Boston (as Timothy Guinness)
Barbara Hanania	....	first assistant camera: Boston
Chris Holmes	....	electrician
Ronald Plant	....	best boy grip: Boston
Thom Ryan	....	first assistant camera
Frank Schulz	....	gaffer: Boston (as Frank O. Scbulz)
Dave C. Sheridan	....	second assistant camera (as Dave Sheridan)
Michael Stone	....	second camera operator: Boston
Matt Tundo	....	camera operator
William M. Weberg	....	grip
Graeme Weston	....	first assistant camera
John Williamson	....	still photographer
Ron Zarilla	....	first assistant camera: Boston
Michael Ginsburg	....	still photographer: USA (uncredited)

Casting Department
Stuart Aikins	....	casting: Toronto
Carolyn Pickman	....	casting: Boston (as Collinge Pickman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kim W. Chow	....	costumer (as Kim Chow)
James Lapidus	....	costume supervisor
Lisa Lovaas	....	costumer
Penny Lucey	....	assistant wardrobe: Boston
Arthur Rowsell	....	costume supervisor
Ann Russell	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Susan Shipton	....	assistant editor: Toronto
George C. Villaseñor	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles

Music Department
Kathy Durning	....	supervising music editor
Janet Frank	....	piano instructor: Ms.Keaton
Susan Greenway	....	music coach: piano
Cynthia Millar	....	musician: ondes martenot solo
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
John Rotondi	....	scoring engineer: Y4 (uncredited)
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Fred Ionson	....	transportation coordinator
William O'Brien	....	transportation coordinator: Boston (as Bill O'Brien)

Other crew
Susan Bay	....	project consultant
Cynthia Clayton	....	production assistant (as Cyndie Clayton)
Lynn K. D'Angona	....	production assistant: Boston (as Lynn d'Angona)
Stephen Dembitzer	....	production assistant: Boston (as Steve Dembitzer)
Barry Fitzsimmons	....	production assistant: Boston second unit
Dorigen Fode	....	assistant location manager
Charles Harrington	....	location manager: Boston
Mathew Hart	....	location manager
Sara Holmes	....	production assistant
Barry Johnson	....	production assistant: Boston
Grant Lucibello	....	production assistant
Mara McSweeny	....	production coordinator
Sharon O'Dwyer	....	production coordinator
Cynthia Quan	....	production accountant
Anna Reinhardt	....	assistant: Arnold Glimcher
Jay Scharer	....	production assistant: Boston
Ori Seron	....	assistant: Leonard Nimoy
Michael H. Smith	....	production assistant
Eric T. Snyder	....	production assistant (as Erik Snyder)
Jim Solomon	....	production assistant: Boston
Karen Vaughan	....	production coordinator: Boston
Peter Winther	....	production assistant: Boston
Darryl Wright	....	unit publicist (as Darryl Albion Wright)
Elaine Yarish	....	script supervisor
Carter Blanchard	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Suzanne Wilson-Fellows	....	assistant to executive producer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Silver Screen Partners IV
• Touchstone Pictures

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Super RTL (2006) (Germany) (TV)

Special Effects

• Buena Vista Visual Effects (opticals) (as The Buena Vista Visual Effects Group)
• Cinetrix (special effects)

Other Companies

• Anne Plumb Gallery  sculptures courtesy of
• Buena Vista Sound Studios  sound re-recorded at
• Buena Vista Visual Effects  titles (as The Buena Vista Visual Effects Group)
• Film Extra Services  extras casting: Toronto
• Metrocolor  prints
• Panavision  lenses and panaflex camera
• Rose Lewis Casting  extras casting: Toronto
• Triad Music  music editing
• William F. White  camera and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

The Price of Passion (South Africa: English title) (video title)

Runtime:

Brazil:104 min | USA:103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 (f) | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Silver Screen Partners IV

Trivia:

During filming, Asia Vieira became very fond of Leonard Nimoy. While filming she had seen the ending of _Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn (1982)_, and became very upset when she saw Spock had died. Being only six at the time, she thought it was Leonard Nimoy dying in the movie. The next day on the set she was very happy to find out that he was okay and it was just part of the movie. She ran over to him and gave him a big hug, and told him she was glad to see that he was better.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Biography: Leonard Nimoy: Spock and Beyond" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Up Tight (Everything's Alright)

Not a good vehicle for Keaton...

Dreary, rather annoying film-adaptation of Sue Miller's book (directed by Leonard Nimoy!) has Diane Keaton in one of her weakest roles as a single mother sued for custody of her child by her ex-husband. Seems mom's new Bohemian boyfriend (Liam Neeson) is a bad influence, and after Keaton's little girl sees Neeson undressed and begins asking grown-up questions about sex, any viewer might understandably side with the ex (who is made to be the villain of the piece). Beginning with a puzzling prologue which hopes to show the different ways in which we view sexuality, Nimoy's take on this material is just confounding. Keaton never really develops a character, and I presume we're supposed to empathize with her simply because she's lovable Diane Keaton. Aside from some OK technical merits, the film is muddled beyond repair. * from ****