Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973)

Jonathan is sick and tired of the boring life in his sea-gull clan. He rather experiments with new, always more daring flying techniques. Since he doesn't fit in, the elders expel him from ... See full summary »

Director:

Hall Bartlett

Writer:

Hall Bartlett (screenplay)

Stars:

James Franciscus, Juliet Mills, Philip Ahn

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Franciscus	...	Jonathan Livingston Seagull (voice)
Juliet Mills	...	The Girl (voice)
Philip Ahn	...	Chang (voice)
David Ladd	...	Fletcher Lynd Seagull (voice)
Kelly Harmon	...	Kimmy (voice)
Dorothy McGuire	...	Mother (voice)
Richard Crenna	...	Father (voice)

Storyline

Jonathan is sick and tired of the boring life in his sea-gull clan. He rather experiments with new, always more daring flying techniques. Since he doesn't fit in, the elders expel him from the clan. So he sets out to discover the world beyond the horizon in quest for wisdom.

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Plot Keywords:

flying | religion | anthropomorphism | injury | fish | 

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Taglines:

Everyone's Book Is Now Everyone's Motion Picture

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 October 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Juan Salvador Gaviota

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,600,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

JLS Partnership

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 99 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the few movies that film critic Roger Ebert walked out of.

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Quotes

Chang: To fly as fast as thought to anywhere that is now - you begin by knowing that you have already arrived...

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Crazy Credits

Opening dedication: To the real Jonathan Livingston Seagull, who lives within us all.

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Connections

Referenced in Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Skybird"
Music and Lyrics by Neil Diamond
Sung by Neil Diamond
© 1973 Stonebridge Music (ASCAP) Used by permission. All rights reserved.

User Reviews

Great Music, Visuals But The Story Is Lame

Great soundtrack, great visuals, somewhat confusing and disappointing storyline.

I always thought this was Neil Diamond's best work. He sang the soundtrack, and it's filled with great songs that he did exceptionally well.

The photography is beautiful and the scenes as mellow as you can find: a seagull gracefully gliding through the air surrounded by beautiful seascapes, sunsets, billowy clouds.....just magnificent scenery.

On the negative side is the usual New Age "look within yourself" theology. This is pure Secular Humanism. I say this because some people thought this was a Christian film and it is not. It only confuses people because there are analogies that could easily apply to Jesus, to the Pharisees and to Heaven itself. It was a bunch of mixed messages but author Richard Bach, from whose book this movie is based on, leaves no doubt near the end of the movie - or the screenwriters did, if they changed his book.

Still, a peaceful, calming movie that is unique.