Remember My Name (film)
Encyclopedia
Remember My Name is a 1978
American thriller film, written and directed by Alan Rudolph and produced by Robert Altman
. Geraldine Chaplin
stars as a deranged woman, determined to get back her husband, Anthony Perkins
. Rudolph explained what he wanted to achieve; "an update of the classic woman's melodramas of the Bette Davis
, Barbara Stanwyck
, Joan Crawford
era". It had a successful run in Paris
before opening in New York
.
after abandoning his first wife, Emily (Chaplin) in New York
. Their life of domestic bliss is interrupted when Emily comes back from prison, she has completed a 12-year sentence for murdering Neil's former lover. She arrives in California to wreak havoc and also to claim back Neil.
.
The Washington Post
described it as a "neurotic film noir" that is also a "gripping tale of sexual frustration". The reviewer was also impressed with Chaplin's performance; "Chaplin is spooky, spookier even than Perkins, in this complex performance as a woman who's painfully adjusting to freedom." Jack Kroll
of Newsweek
, praised Rudolph's direction; "he has a real eye for the visual paradox, the elegant and even beautiful form in which this savagery sometimes works." The review praised Perkins as a "specialist at playing the -nice guy- whose smile and sweat suggest something not so nice underneath". Kroll also heaped praise on Chaplin as her performance "creates something new in the modern pantheon of weirdos. She is chilling in her ability to be both guilty and innocent, victim and predator, catatonic and driven by feelings so deep they draw blood.
Paris Film Festival
1978 in film
The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California....
American thriller film, written and directed by Alan Rudolph and produced by Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
. Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
stars as a deranged woman, determined to get back her husband, Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
. Rudolph explained what he wanted to achieve; "an update of the classic woman's melodramas of the Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
, Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
era". It had a successful run in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
before opening in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Plot
Neil Curry (Perkins) is living a happy life with his second wife Barbara (Berenson) in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
after abandoning his first wife, Emily (Chaplin) in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Their life of domestic bliss is interrupted when Emily comes back from prison, she has completed a 12-year sentence for murdering Neil's former lover. She arrives in California to wreak havoc and also to claim back Neil.
Cast
- Geraldine ChaplinGeraldine ChaplinGeraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
as Emily - Anthony PerkinsAnthony PerkinsAnthony Perkins was an American actor, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Friendly Persuasion and as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho , and its three sequels.-Early life:...
as Neil Curry - Moses Gunn as Pike
- Berry BerensonBerry BerensonBerinthia "Berry" Berenson Perkins was an American photographer, actress, and model. Perkins was also known as the wife of actor Anthony Perkins and died in the September 11 attacks as a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11.-Early life and family:Berinthia Berenson was the younger daughter of...
as Barbara Curry - Jeff GoldblumJeff GoldblumJeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
as Mr Nudd - Tim ThomersonTim ThomersonJoseph Timothy “Tim” Thomerson is an American actor and comedian.Thomerson is most famous for his role as Jack Deth in the Trancers film series and is renowned for his work in numerous low-budget movies and his comedic television roles.-Early life:Tim Thomerson was born in Coronado, California. He...
as Jeff - Alfre WoodardAlfre WoodardAlfre Ette Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Grammy Awards, 17 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss...
as Rita - Marilyn Coleman as Teresa
- Jeff Perry as Harry
- Alan AutryAlan AutryCarlos Alan Autry is an American actor, politician, and former National Football League football player. He is best known for his role as Captain Bubba Skinner on the television series In the Heat of the Night; he also has been in numerous movies and other television shows...
as Rusty - Dennis FranzDennis FranzDennis Franz is an American actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a hard-boiled police detective in the television series NYPD Blue. He previously appeared as Lt...
as Franks
Reception
The San Francisco Chronicle gave the film 4 out of 5 stars. They praised Perkins and described Chaplin's performance as "extraordinary", and that she "adops a unique speech pattern as Emily. She says everything as though she's rehearsed it and now is blurting it out in what she hopes will be accepted as a reasonable replica of casual speech. Emily's manner only loses its furtive, dodging quality when she feels in control or when she flies into a rage." The review also praises how Rudolph "embellishes his film with sardonic humour", and the "comically macabre touch" of TV news in the background of disasters such as an earthquake that killed 1 million in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described it as a "neurotic film noir" that is also a "gripping tale of sexual frustration". The reviewer was also impressed with Chaplin's performance; "Chaplin is spooky, spookier even than Perkins, in this complex performance as a woman who's painfully adjusting to freedom." Jack Kroll
Jack Kroll
John Kroll – known as Jack Kroll – was an award-winning Newsweek drama and film critic. His career spanned 37 years – more than half the publication's existence.-Biography:...
of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, praised Rudolph's direction; "he has a real eye for the visual paradox, the elegant and even beautiful form in which this savagery sometimes works." The review praised Perkins as a "specialist at playing the -nice guy- whose smile and sweat suggest something not so nice underneath". Kroll also heaped praise on Chaplin as her performance "creates something new in the modern pantheon of weirdos. She is chilling in her ability to be both guilty and innocent, victim and predator, catatonic and driven by feelings so deep they draw blood.
Awards
Miami International Film FestivalMiami International Film Festival
The Miami International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Miami, Florida in the late winter. The film festival is sponsored by the Miami Film Society, which has been around since 1983....
- 1978: "Best Actress" - Geraldine Chaplin
Paris Film Festival
Festival du Film de Paris
The Festival Du Film De Paris was a film festival held annually in Paris, France. It was launched in 1986 as a youth-oriented festival. In 2002, the municipal government withdrew funding and began Festival Paris Cinéma. It continued through 2007 as Festival Du Film De Paris -...
- 1978: "Best Actress" - Geraldine Chaplin