Mr Jones ** (1993, Richard Gere, Lena Olin, Anne Bancroft, Delroy Lindo) – Classic Movie Review 2,813

Richard Gere stars as the bipolar Mr Jones, in director Mike Figgis’s maddening, but well made and often convincingly handled 1993 romantic drama film.

Richard Gere stars as the Mr Jones of the title in director Mike Figgis’s maddening, but well made and often convincingly handled 1993 American romantic drama film. Gere gives a stalwart portrait of a man unhinged by manic depression who embarks on an ill-fated, non-professional affair with his psychiatrist Dr Elizabeth ‘Libbie’ Bowen, played by Lena Olin.

In 1993, it was just the kind of thing to get patrons running screaming from the cinema, though it isn’t by any means negligible and it does have its moments of compelling high drama.

It reunites Gere with Figgis, his director on the very different Internal Affairs (1990). The story is by Eric Roth and the screenplay is by Eric Roth and Michael Cristofer. The cinematography by Juan Ruiz Anchìa and Maurice Jarre’s score help to make it a smart, posh movie.

Also notable in the cast are Anne Bancroft as Dr Catherine Holland, Delroy Lindo, Tom Irwin, Bruce Altman, Lauren Tom, Anna Maria Horsford, Lucinda Jenney, Taylor Negron, Lisa Malkiewicz and Peter Jurasik.

Mr Jones runs 114 minutes, is made by Rastar, is distributed by TriStar Pictures, is written by Eric Roth (story and screenplay) and Michael Cristofer (screenplay), is shot by Juan Ruiz Anchìa, is produced by Debra Greenfield and Alan Greisman, and is scored by Maurice Jarre.

Release date: October 8, 1993.

It is full of good intentions. Gere, Figgis and Roth studied bipolar disorder, and Gere met with several people suffering from it.

It was a box office bomb. Budget: $25 million. Box office: $8,345,845.

Cast as Dr Elizabeth ‘Libbie’ Bowen, Michelle Pfeiffer left the film to play Catwoman in Batman Returns instead.

The cast are Richard Gere as Mr Jones, Lena Olin as Dr Elizabeth ‘Libbie’ Bowen, Anne Bancroft as Dr Catherine Holland, Tom Irwin as Dr. Patrick Shaye, Delroy Lindo as Howard, Lauren Tom as Amanda Chang, Bruce Altman as David, Lisa Malkiewicz as Susan, Albert Henderson as Patient, Thomas Kopache as Mr. Wilson, Peter Jurasik as Dr. Rosen, Anna Maria Horsford as Judge Harris, Kelli Williams as Kelli, Sal Lopez as Henry, Scott Thomson as Conrad, Bill Moseley as Worker, Thomas Mikal Ford as Arnie / Violent Patient, Lela Ivey as Lisa, Valente Rodriguez as Orderly, David Brisbin as Mr. Warner, Dana Lee as Mr. Chang, Irene Tsu as Mrs. Chang, Kathy Kinney as Homeless Lady, Annie McEnroe as Crying Woman, John Durbin as Patient, Lucinda Jenney as Christine, Taylor Negron as Motorcycle Man, Sheryl Lee as June, and Bill Pullman as Construction Site Foreman.

Mr Jones is also the title of a 2019 Polish-Ukrainian-British thriller biographical film written by Andrea Chalupa and directed by Agnieszka Holland. It is based on the true story of the British journalist Gareth Jones, who uncovers the truth of the famine in which millions died in the Ukrainian Republic.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2,813

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