Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Hall Bartlett

Writers:

Richard D. Bach (book) and
Hall Bartlett (writer)

Release Date:

23 October 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

Everyone's Book Is Now Everyone's Motion Picture

Plot:

Jonathan is sick and tired of the boring life in his sea-gull clan. He rather experiments with new, always more daring flying techniques...

Plot Keywords:

Flying | Fish | Back From The Dead | Essay | Anthropomorphic

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Philip Ahn	...	Chang (voice) (uncredited)
Richard Crenna	...	Father (voice) (uncredited)
James Franciscus	...	Jonathan Livingston Seagull (voice) (uncredited)
Kelly Harmon	...	Kimmy (voice) (uncredited)
Hal Holbrook	...	The Elder (voice) (uncredited)
David Ladd	...	Fletcher Lynd Seagull (voice) (uncredited)
Dorothy McGuire	...	Mother (voice) (uncredited)
Juliet Mills	...	The Girl (voice) (uncredited)

Runtime:

120 min | USA:99 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | UK:U | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park - 3225 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, New Mexico, USA

Company:

JLS Partnership

Trivia:

One of the films included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and how they got that way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

Quotes:

Chang: Perfect speed isn't moving fast at all; perfect speed is being there.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Attack of the the Eye Creatures (#5.18)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

The Odyssey [Be-Lonely Looking Sky-Dear Father]

One of the best films ever made?

I watched this movie at the cinema theater in 1975 or 1976. I loved it! Then i rented it on VHS back in the 80's, and thought it was one of the best films i'd ever seen. Now, i was so lucky to find it on DVD, with Norwegian subtitles (Not that they're really needed here, though). This is clearly a very different film. Very quiet and beautiful, and with Neil Diamonds beautiful songs, that match perfectly. If a film intends to mean anything, the audience needs time to think. In todays modern, fast, loud movies, you hardly get time to breath, lot less to stop and think. With this movie, however, you get plenty of time. And the quiet, beautiful scenes are a part of the message delivered: Take your time, live your life to the full, don't be afraid to try what hasn't been tried before, don't hesitate, and don't stress. And first and last: Don't just accept other people's "thruths". Go find out for yourself. If it works for you, it works! I rated this film 10/10, because it's not only a very good film, it's unique! There has never been another movie quite like it, and probably never will be. This is a brilliant masterpiece of a film.