Men Don't Leave (1990)

Director:

Paul Brickman

Writers (WGA):

Barbara Benedek (screen story)
Barbara Benedek (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

15 June 1990 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A mother of two sons finds life considerably difficult on her own after the death of her beloved husband...

Plot Keywords:

Power Tool | Mother Son Relationship | Apartment | Older Woman Younger Man Relationship | Hot Air Balloon

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jessica Lange	...	Beth Macauley
Arliss Howard	...	Charles Simon
Joan Cusack	...	Jody
Chris O'Donnell	...	Chris Macauley
Kathy Bates	...	Lisa Coleman
Tom Mason	...	John Macauley
Charlie Korsmo	...	Matt Macauley
Belita Moreno	...	Mrs. Buckley
Jim Haynie	...	Mr. Buckley
Corey Carrier	...	Winston Buckley
Shannon Moffett	...	Dale Buckley
Kevin Corrigan	...	Mike
David Cale	...	Fred
Constance Shulman	...	Carly
Mark Hardwick	...	Ian

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #29715) | Australia:M | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Geffen Company, The

Quotes:

Jody: Would you like a Pelegrino?
Chris Macauley: Is that beer?
Jody: No, it's bottled mineral water.
Chris Macauley: Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure. Those are really good.
Jody: You're really sweet. I'll get you a juice.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Alien from L.A. (#6.16)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

JO MANN GO (POLKA)

Drama, romance and comedy, rarely do we see a good mix...

This film is certainly an exception. A remake from the French version "Hot Air Balloon", this film has many noteworthy aspects to it, including the excellent cast of Arliss Howard, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Lange's troubled son Chris O'Donnell.

Primarily Lange is a widower who has to sell her house and start over. She moves to a small apartment in Baltimore with her two children, who are not happy about it. She eventually finds work (there are some amusing scenes) for a catering company, owned by Kathy Bates (always a memorable character, in this case the tyrannical boss).

Joan Cusack also adds humor to the latter half, having met O'Donnell, she starts dating him, Lange at first over-protective, then gradually becomes friends with Cusack. Cusack, as a therapeutic gesture, takes her on a hot air balloon. A seemingly silly gesture, but a metaphor for starting over. Well-done and never depressing, an excellent film worth viewing. 9/10.