Boxing Helena (1993)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Writers (WGA):

Philippe Caland (story)
Jennifer Chambers Lynch (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 September 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Beyond love, beyond obsession, there hides something beyond reason.

Plot:

A surgeon becomes obsessed with the seductive woman he once had an affair with. Refusing to accept that she has moved on, he amputates her limbs and holds her captive in his mansion.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Controversy | Fascination | Femme Fatale | Breasts

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Julian Sands	...	Dr. Nick Cavanaugh
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Helena
Bill Paxton	...	Ray O'Malley
Kurtwood Smith	...	Dr. Alan Harrison
Art Garfunkel	...	Dr. Lawrence Augustine
Betsy Clark	...	Anne Garrett
Nicolette Scorsese	...	Fantasy Lover / Nurse
Meg Register	...	Marion Cavanaugh
Bryan Smith	...	Russell
Marla Levine	...	Patricia
Kim Lentz	...	Nurse Diane
Lloyd T. Williams	...	Sam the Clerk
Carl Mazzocone Sr.	...	Pastor
Erik Shoaff	...	Uncle Charlie
Lisa Oz	...	Flower Shop Girl
Ted Manson	...	Mailman
Adele K. Schaeffer	...	Flashback Party Woman #1
Amy Levin	...	Flashback Party Woman #2
Matt Berry	...	Young Nick Cavanaugh
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
D. Taylor Loeb	...	Laura (uncredited)

Directed by
Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Writing credits (WGA)
Philippe Caland		(story)
Jennifer Chambers Lynch		(screenplay)

Produced by
Brigitte Caland	....	associate producer
Philippe Caland	....	producer
Carl Mazzocone	....	producer
James R. Schaeffer	....	executive producer
Laurel Ayn Selko	....	associate producer
Larry Sugar	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Graeme Revell		(music composed by)

Cinematography by
Bojan Bazelli
Frank Byers		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
David Finfer

Casting by
Ferne Cassel

Production Design by
Paul Huggins

Art Direction by
Paul Huggins

Set Decoration by
Sharon Braunstein

Makeup Department
Candida Conery	....	hair stylist
Jillian Glass	....	additional hair stylist
Bill Johnson	....	prosthetics designer: Helena (as Bill 'Splat' Johnson)
Nina Port	....	makeup artist
Meredith Soupios	....	additional makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcei A. Brown	....	second assistant director (as Marcei Brubaker)
Rhonda Guthrie	....	second second assistant director
Josh King	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Linda Kay Beckstein	....	set dresser
John Courtney	....	construction foreman
Tom Cranham	....	illustrator: Los Angeles
Mary Kate Edmonstone	....	draper
Rex Farmer	....	swing gang
Amanda J. Flick	....	lead scenic artist
John Gaughan	....	designer: Helena's box
Donald Gilmer Jr.	....	carpenter
Michael Gough	....	leadman
Barry Grafton	....	assistant carpenter
Mary Lou Harmon	....	scenic artist
Christopher Horner	....	visual consultant: Los Angeles (as Chris Horner)
Jon Hutman	....	visual consultant: Los Angeles
Steven Kerlagon	....	head scenic
George A. Lee	....	assistant property master (as George Lee)
Tripp Norton	....	swing gang
David Pruett	....	carpenter
Mel Ramsey	....	swing gang
Erich W. Schultz	....	construction coordinator: Los Angeles (as Erich Schultz)
Katherine 'Kat' Speers	....	scenic artist
Ken Taber	....	construction coordinator
Melanie Wester	....	property buyer
Richard Blake Wester	....	property master
Karen Young	....	on-set dresser
Ruffin Moye	....	greensman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Eric Baron	....	boom operator
Martin J. Bram	....	dialogue editor
Peter Brancaccio	....	assistant sound editor
G.W. Brown	....	adr supervisor
John Brunnick	....	sound engineer
Betty Burkhart	....	assistant sound editor
Bayard Carey	....	sound mixer (as J. Bayard Carey)
Dane A. Davis	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Deschaine	....	adr mixer
Kurt Nicholas Forshager	....	foley editor (as Kurt N. Forshager)
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer
Tom Hammond	....	foley editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist (as Catherine A. Harper)
David Jobe	....	adr recordist
Robin Johnston	....	loader
Kini Kay	....	sound effects editor
Ossama Khuluki	....	foley artist
Kimberly Lowe Voigt	....	dialogue editor
Brion Paccassi	....	sound recordist
Ken S. Polk	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Slack	....	consultant: Ultra Stereo
Robert Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Todd Toon	....	sound effects editor
Tami Treadwell	....	foley recordist (as Tami Treadwil)
Daniel W. Victor Jr.	....	consultant: Ultra Stereo
Lisa K. Wolf	....	assistant sound editor (as Lisa Wolf)

Special Effects by
Lisa Reynolds	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Stunts
J.L. Parker	....	stunt driver
Lonnie R. Smith	....	stunt coordinator (as Lonnie Smith)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denise Bailie	....	second assistant camera
Tom Barrett	....	best boy grip
Stephen Crowley	....	electrician
Eddie Evans	....	key grip
Steven Fierberg	....	director of photography: additional photography
Ian Forsyth	....	electrician
Jeff Funderburk	....	electrician
Brian Gunter	....	gaffer
Jimmy E. Jensen	....	first assistant camera (as Jimmy Jensen)
Scott Joliff	....	electrician
Ruth Leltman	....	still photographer
Tully McCulloch	....	best boy electric
Charles Moss	....	camera intern
Chris Rawlins Jr.	....	grip (as Chris Rawlins)
Scott Andrew Ressler	....	first assistant camera: additional photography (as Scott Ressler)
Scott Satterfield	....	best boy grip
C. Ashley Sudge	....	dolly grip (as Ashley Sudge)
Don Telles	....	grip (as Don 'Geronimo' Telles)
David Trenkle	....	video playback
Rick Tschudin	....	first assistant camera: additional photography

Casting Department
Kimberly Smith Holt	....	extras casting
Kimberly Smith Holt	....	location casting
Joann Smith	....	extras casting
Joann Smith	....	location casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charlotte Barfield	....	costumer
Patsy Chaney	....	wardrobe supervisor
Vanessa Molina	....	costumer
Fannie Schubert	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
David Bryden	....	color timer (as Dave Bryden)
David Finfer	....	post-production coordinator
Kristin R. Green	....	post-production assistant
Phyllis Housen	....	assistant editor
Syd Klinge	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Peter Afterman	....	music supervisor
Dick Bernstein	....	music editor
Scott Cochran	....	music engineer
Bobbi Page	....	female vocalist
Elizabeth Wendel	....	associate music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Allen	....	driver
Dennis Collis	....	driver
Stuart Dodge	....	driver (as Stu Dodge)
Mike Fletcher	....	driver
Marshall Hovies	....	driver
Rob 'Huck' Hovis	....	driver (as Rob Hovis)
Gary Kelso	....	driver
Robert Nall	....	driver
Cindy Parker	....	transportation coordinator
Janet Parker	....	driver
J.L. Parker	....	transportation captain
D.L. 'Pete' Peterson	....	driver (as Dennis Peterson)
Roy Rogers	....	driver

Other crew
Nellie Adami	....	intern (as Danelle Adami)
Brenda Armstrong	....	caterer
Mwitu Bezout	....	location assistant
Elliot Blake	....	production assistant
Philippe Caland	....	presenter
Corrina Campbell	....	production assistant
Aaron Chepenik	....	intern
Dawn Darfus	....	production accountant
Richard B.L. Fleming	....	coordinator: Los Angeles
Richard B.L. Fleming	....	post-production accountant
Jamal Henry	....	location manager
Gail Hunter	....	script supervisor
Denise Kaczmarczyk	....	assistant production coordinator
Jill Kaminski	....	craft service
David R. Kappes	....	production consultant (as David Kappes)
Syd Klinge	....	location projectionist
Sonya Lunsford	....	assistant accountant
Travis Morris	....	stand-in
Huck Penzell	....	title designer: main title
Michele Shapiro	....	intern
Amy Stevens	....	production coordinator
James Teel	....	intern
Mira Tweti	....	director of publicity
Carolyn Wickliffe	....	production assistant
Davidlee Willson	....	intern
Senia Phillips	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Thanks
Norman Bielowicz	....	the producer wishes to thank: Georgia Film and Videotape Office (as Norm Bielowicz)
Mark Burg	....	the producer wishes to thank
Cliff Calvert	....	the producer wishes to thank: Maddix Deluxe, Inc.
Cynthia Campos-Greenberg	....	the producer wishes to thank
Lynn Foster	....	the producer wishes to thank: Georgia Film and Videotape Office
George Freeman	....	the producer wishes to thank
Tom Hansen	....	the producer wishes to thank
Ed Harris	....	the producer wishes to thank
J.J. Harris	....	the producer wishes to thank
Jay Moloney	....	the producer wishes to thank
Gene Parseghian	....	the producer wishes to thank
Michael Phillips	....	the producer wishes to thank: Maddix Deluxe, Inc.
Michael C. Smith	....	the producer wishes to thank: Atlanta Police Department
Brian Swardstrom	....	the producer wishes to thank
Greg Torre	....	the producer wishes to thank: Georgia Film and Videotape Office
Kurt Wagner	....	the producer wishes to thank: partial artwork provided by
George Walden	....	the producer wishes to thank: Albert G. Ruben and Company, Inc.
Mikki Warner	....	the producer wishes to thank: partial artwork provided by
Belle L. Zwerdling	....	the producer wishes to thank (as Belle Zwerdling)

Production Companies

• Mainline Pictures (producer) (as Main Line Pictures)

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (1994) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Entertainment Film Distributors
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Orion Classics
• Orion Home Video (video)
• Paris Filmes (1993) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Paris Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Starlight
• Ufilms (Spain)

Special Effects

• Bob Shelley's Special Effects International (special effects) (as Bob Shelley's Special Effects)
• Fantasy II Film Effects (special effects: Venus)

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  the producer wishes to thank
• American Humane Association, The  animal action monitoring
• Atlanta Casting  extras & location casting
• Atlanta Police Department  the producer wishes to thank
• Axium Payroll Services  the producer wishes to thank (as Axium Payroll Service)
• Cinefilm Laboratories  film processing (as Cinefilm Lab, Inc. Atlanta, GA)
• Completion Bond Company  the producer wishes to thank (as The Completion Bond Company)
• Danetracks  sound editing
• Georgia Film, Video & Music Office  the producer wishes to thank (as Georgia Film and Videotape Office)
• Greenleaf & Crosby Jewelers  the producer wishes to thank (as Greenleaf & Crosby Jewelers - Palm Beach, Florida)
• Imperial Bank  the producer wishes to thank
• L.A. Mad Dogs  looping group (as L.A. Maddogs)
• Lightnin' Truck Rentals  the producer wishes to thank (as Lightnin' Truck Rental)
• Location Catering of the South  catering
• Loopless Sound  sound mixing
• Maddix Deluxe  the producer wishes to thank
• Michael's Classic Wicker  Helena's wheelchair designed by
• Otto's Jazz Club  the producer wishes to thank (as Otto's Jazz Club - Atlanta, Georgia)
• Panavision  filmed with (as Panavision® Cameras & Lenses)
• Precision Film Cutting  negative cutting (as Precision Film, Inc.)
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services
• Southern Animal Talent Agency  animal wranglers
• THX Sound System Theatre  re-recorded in a
• Title House  titles and opticals
• Victor Duncan Inc., Atlanta  the producer wishes to thank (as Victor Duncan)
• Wyman & Isaacs  the producer wishes to thank: legal services provided by (as Wyman and Isaacs)

MPAA:

Rated R on appeal for two scenes of strong sexuality and language.

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Singapore:R21 | Philippines:R-18 | USA:Unrated (DVD version) | Australia:R | Canada:R (Canadian Home Video rating) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (certificate #32233) (re-rating on appeal) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

822 Lullwater Road, Druid Hills, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Mainline Pictures

Trivia:

Filmed in Atlanta attorney Ed Garland's 15,000 square foot mansion. The house also was used for portions of Driving Miss Daisy (1989).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Nick Cavanaugh is on the phone in a telephone box, the camera spins around the box. The reflection on all four sides of the phone box is identical indicating that the phone box is surrounded on all four sides by the same building with the same neon light.

Quotes:

Russell: [watching Helena bathe in the fountain] Who is she?
Doctor Nick Cavanaugh: [mesmerized] She's... Helena.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dharma & Greg: Boxing Dharma (#4.9)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

NESSUN DORMA

One of the best movies I've ever seen

I can't believe all the bad reviews on this movie. I thought Sherilyn Finch did a beautiful job portraying a woman that is tired of having her butt kissed by men. Women that are worshipped by men have to act that way to repel most guys she doesnt want to deal with. You people call that trash? Thats called being selective b/cause she can be.And Julian Sands is that typical type of guy to worship a girl like her. (Note:Dr.Cavanaugh has everything he wants--even beautiful women wanting him) So, why the hell wouldnt he want Helena????? Any girl who has ever been annoyed by buttkissing guys would adore this movie. He brilliantly manipulates her into falling in love with him too, which I thought that was also perfectly done. People say this movie is "weird" but hey obsession is like that. Everything about this movie is awesome minus Bill Paxton I totally give it a 10/10