Between the Lines **** (1977, John Heard, Lindsay Crouse, Jeff Goldblum, Jill Eikenberry, Stephen Collins, Bruno Kirby, Gwen Welles) – Classic Movie Review 5,800

Joan Micklin Silver’s attractively played, perceptively written and hugely entertaining 1977 cult movie Between the Lines focuses on life on a Boston youth-slanted alternative newspaper.

Director Joan Micklin Silver’s attractively played, perceptively written and hugely entertaining 1977 cult movie Between the Lines focuses on life on a Boston youth-slanted alternative newspaper called The Back Bay Mainline, whose staff is scared over gossip that it might be sold off in a takeover by big business.

The movie has the ring of confidence and truth about it and John Heard (as disillusioned lead reporter Harry Lucas), Lindsay Crouse (as Harry’s talented photographer girlfriend Abbie), Jeff Goldblum (as music critic Max Arloft), Jill Eikenberry (as secretary Lynn), Stephen Collins (as arrogant former reporter Michael), Bruno Kirby (as eager cub reporter David Entwhistle), Gwen Welles, Michael J Pollard, Marilu Henner and co. give fresh and appealing performances and really look like a cast going places.

The perceptive writer is Fred Barron, using his alternative newspaper experiences on The Phoenix and The Real Paper as the basis for his screenplay.

Between the Lines runs 101 minutes, is distributed by Midwest Films, is written is Fred Barron, is shot by Kenneth Van Sickle, is produced by Raphael D Silver (Joan Micklin Silver’s husband), is scored by Michael Kamen and Steve Van Zandt, and is designed by Stuart Wurtzel.

Release date: April 27, 1977.

Also in the cast are Susan Haskins, Douglas Kenney, Joe Morton, Lane Smith, Jon Korkes, Richard Cox, Raymond J Barry, Lewis J Stadlen and Gary Springer.

It was misleadingly advertised as ‘ The Comedy-Romance of the Year!’

It was mostly filmed in two weeks in Boston, with some shooting in New York City.

it is the screen debuts of John Heard, Joe Morton and Marilu Henner.

The cast are John Heard as Harry Lucas, Lindsay Crouse as Abbie, Jeff Goldblum as Max Arloft, Jill Eikenberry as Lynn, Bruno Kirby as David Entwhistle,  Gwen Welles as Laura, Stephen Collins as Michael, Lewis J Stadlen as Stanley, Jon Korkes as editor Frank, Michael J Pollard as The Hawker,  Lane Smith as Roy Walsh,  Joe Morton as Ahmed, Richard Cox as publisher Stuart Wheeler, Marilu Henner as stripper Danielle, Raymond J. Barry as Herbert Fisk, Gary Springer as Jason, Susan Haskins as Sarah, Guy Boyd as Austin, and Charles Levin as Paul.

The film was restored in 2019.

John Heard (March 7, 1946 – July 21, 2017)

RIP John Heard, who died on 21 July 2017, aged 72. He was found dead by staff in a hotel in Palo Alto, California, where he was recovering from minor back surgery at Stanford University Medical Center.

He recalled: ‘I guess I went from being a young leading man to being just kind of a hack actor.’

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5,800

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