The Glass Menagerie (1987 film)
Encyclopedia
The Glass Menagerie is a 1987 American
drama film
directed by Paul Newman
. It is a replication of a production of the Tennessee Williams
play of the same title
that originated at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
and then transferred to the Long Wharf Theatre
in New Haven, Connecticut
.
The film is the fourth adaptation of the Williams play, following a 1950 feature film
and television movie
s made in 1966 and 1973. It was shown at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival
and the Toronto International Film Festival
before opening in New York City
on October 23, 1987.
of the New York Times called the film "a serious and respectful adaptation, but never an incendiary one, perhaps because the odds against its capturing the play's real genius are simply too great. In any case, this Glass Menagerie catches more of the drama's closeness and narrowness than its fire . . . [It] starts out stiffly and gets better as it goes along . . . But quiet reverence is its prevailing tone, and in the end that seems thoroughly at odds with anything Williams ever intended."
Desson Howe of the Washington Post observed, "Acting is definitely the trouble in Menagerie. There's an awful lot of it here. And there are many words - fine words by Tennessee Williams. But before that no-nonsense lens, and as emoted by Malkovich and Woodward, they seem time-consuming, inflated, dated and theatrical. The film's few good moments happen when mouths are firmly shut. Which is why Karen Allen, one of the screen's great underrated actresses, comes off best. As frail and softspoken daughter Laura, awaiting gentleman callers who never come, she's the best film performer here . . . Woodward, she with the longest resumé, is the disappointment. Apparently understating, she speaks in a low, squeaky tone - a kind of laryngitic falsetto. It's so irritating it makes her moments of hysteria a relief. She is also at her best when wordless . . . Malkovich, as the pivotal Tom, is certainly watchable . . . But as the son bearing his mother's pushiness and the brother tethered to his sister's social infirmity, his actions are obvious and broad. They smell of the stage. Which seems to have been director Newman's intention. But by filming this play in straightforward manner . . . Newman emphasizes the artificiality of theater and distances you from the play."
Variety
called it "a reverent record" of the Williams play "one watches with a kind of distant dreaminess rather than an intense emotional involvement" and cited the "brilliant performances . . . well defined by Newman's direction."
has yet to announce any plans for a Region 1 DVD release. Because of this, used VHS copies of the film have been known to go up for as high as $40 to $50 on sites like Amazon.com
and eBay
.
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
. It is a replication of a production of the Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III was an American writer who worked principally as a playwright in the American theater. He also wrote short stories, novels, poetry, essays, screenplays and a volume of memoirs...
play of the same title
The Glass Menagerie
The Glass Menagerie is a four-character memory play by Tennessee Williams. Williams worked on various drafts of the play prior to writing a version of it as a screenplay for MGM, to whom Williams was contracted...
that originated at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams...
and then transferred to the Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre is a nonprofit institution in New Haven, Connecticut, a pioneer in the not-for-profit regional theatre movement, the originator of several prominent plays, and a venue where many internationally known actors have appeared....
in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
.
The film is the fourth adaptation of the Williams play, following a 1950 feature film
The Glass Menagerie (1950 film)
The Glass Menagerie is a 1950 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Tennessee Williams and Peter Berneis is based on the 1944 Williams play of the same title. It was the first of his plays to be adapted for the screen.-Plot:...
and television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
s made in 1966 and 1973. It was shown at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival
1987 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Yves Montand*Danièle Heymann*Elem Klimov*Gérald Calderon*Jeremy Thomas*Jerzy Skolimowski*Nicola Piovani*Norman Mailer*Theo Angelopoulos-Feature film competition:...
and the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
before opening in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on October 23, 1987.
Plot
Introduced by Tom Wingfield as a memory play, it is based on his recollection of his disillusioned and delusional mother Amanda and her shy, crippled daughter Laura. Amanda's husband abandoned the family long ago, and her memory of her days as a genteel Southern belle surrounded by devoted beaux may be more romanticized than real. Tom is an aspiring writer who works in a warehouse to support his family, and the banality and boredom of everyday life leads him to spend most of his spare time watching movies in local cinemas at all hours of the night. Amanda is obsessed with finding a proper "gentleman caller" for Laura, who spends most of her time with her collection of glass animal figurines. To appease his mother, Tom eventually brings Jim O'Connor home for dinner, but complications arise when Laura realizes he is the man she loved in high school and has thought of ever since. He dashes her hopes of a future together when he announces he is engaged. Infuriated, Amanda lashes out at her son for raising his sister's hopes and Tom leaves, never to return to his family.Cast
- Joanne WoodwardJoanne WoodwardJoanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress, television and theatrical producer, and widow of Paul Newman...
..... Amanda Wingfield - John MalkovichJohn MalkovichJohn Gavin Malkovich is an American actor, producer, director and fashion designer with his label Technobohemian. Over the last 25 years of his career, Malkovich has appeared in more than 70 motion pictures. For his roles in Places in the Heart and In the Line of Fire, he received Academy Award...
..... Tom Wingfield - Karen AllenKaren AllenKaren Jane Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...
..... Laura Wingfield - James NaughtonJames NaughtonJames Naughton is an American director, theater, film and television actor.-Early life:Naughton was born in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of Rosemary and Joseph Naughton, both of whom were teachers He is the brother of actor David Naughton.-Career:Naughton graduated from Brown University and...
..... Jim O'Connor
Critical reception
Janet MaslinJanet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
of the New York Times called the film "a serious and respectful adaptation, but never an incendiary one, perhaps because the odds against its capturing the play's real genius are simply too great. In any case, this Glass Menagerie catches more of the drama's closeness and narrowness than its fire . . . [It] starts out stiffly and gets better as it goes along . . . But quiet reverence is its prevailing tone, and in the end that seems thoroughly at odds with anything Williams ever intended."
Desson Howe of the Washington Post observed, "Acting is definitely the trouble in Menagerie. There's an awful lot of it here. And there are many words - fine words by Tennessee Williams. But before that no-nonsense lens, and as emoted by Malkovich and Woodward, they seem time-consuming, inflated, dated and theatrical. The film's few good moments happen when mouths are firmly shut. Which is why Karen Allen, one of the screen's great underrated actresses, comes off best. As frail and softspoken daughter Laura, awaiting gentleman callers who never come, she's the best film performer here . . . Woodward, she with the longest resumé, is the disappointment. Apparently understating, she speaks in a low, squeaky tone - a kind of laryngitic falsetto. It's so irritating it makes her moments of hysteria a relief. She is also at her best when wordless . . . Malkovich, as the pivotal Tom, is certainly watchable . . . But as the son bearing his mother's pushiness and the brother tethered to his sister's social infirmity, his actions are obvious and broad. They smell of the stage. Which seems to have been director Newman's intention. But by filming this play in straightforward manner . . . Newman emphasizes the artificiality of theater and distances you from the play."
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called it "a reverent record" of the Williams play "one watches with a kind of distant dreaminess rather than an intense emotional involvement" and cited the "brilliant performances . . . well defined by Newman's direction."
Availability
Sometime after the film's theatrical run, the movie was released on videocassette in the United States in 1988 by MCA Home Video and in Canada that same year by Cineplex Odeon. The film has never been released on DVD and as of January 4, 2010, Universal Studios Home EntertainmentUniversal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the home video division of Universal Pictures...
has yet to announce any plans for a Region 1 DVD release. Because of this, used VHS copies of the film have been known to go up for as high as $40 to $50 on sites like Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.