A Little Romance (1979)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

Claude Klotz (novel)
Allan Burns (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

27 April 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A French boy (Daniel) and an American girl (Lauren), who goes to school in Paris, meet and begin a little romance...

Plot Keywords:

Computer Programmer | Bridge | Missing Child | Porno Theater | Gifted

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Laurence Olivier	...	Julius
Diane Lane	...	Lauren King
Thelonious Bernard	...	Daniel Michon
Arthur Hill	...	Richard King
Sally Kellerman	...	Kay King
Broderick Crawford	...	Himself
David Dukes	...	George de Marco
Andrew Duncan	...	Bob Duryea
Claudette Sutherland	...	Janet Duryea
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Londet
Ashby Semple	...	Natalie Woodstein
Claude Brosset	...	Michel Michon
Jacques Maury	...	Inspector Leclerc
Anna Massey	...	Ms. Siegel
Peter Maloney	...	Martin
Dominique Lavanant	...	Mme. Cormier
Mike Marshall	...	1st Assistant Director
Michel Bardinet	...	French Ambassador
David Gabison	...	French Representative (as Alain David Gabison)
Isabel Duby	...	Monique
Geoffrey Carey	...	Make-up Man (as Jeffrey Carey)
John Pepper	...	2nd Assistant Director
Denise Glaser	...	Woman Critic
Jeanne Herviale	...	Woman in Metro Station
Carlo Lastricati	...	Tour Guide
Judith Mullen	...	Richard's Secretary
Philippe Brigaud	...	Theater Manager
Lucienne Legrand	...	Theater Cashier

Directed by
George Roy Hill

Writing credits
Claude Klotz		(novel "E=MC2 mon amour") (as Patrick Cauvin)
Allan Burns		(screenplay)
George Roy Hill		(dialogue) uncredited

Produced by
Robert Crawford Jr.	....	producer (as Robert L. Crawford)
Patrick Kelley	....	executive producer
Yves Rousset-Rouard	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Pierre-William Glenn		(as Pierre William Glenn)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Casting by
Margot Capelier
Marion Dougherty
Gille Schneider
Claudine Stora

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Art Direction by
François de Lamothe

Set Decoration by
Robert Christidès		(as Robert Christides)

Costume Design by
Rosine Delamare

Makeup Department
Françoise Andrejka	....	makeup artist
Jean-Pierre Berroyer	....	hair stylist
Jean-Michel	....	hair stylist
Eric Muller	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean-Patrick Constantini	....	unit manager
Ludmilla Goulian	....	production manager
Michel Nicolini	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruno Cortini	....	second assistant director: Italy
Carlo Lastricati	....	first assistant director
John Pepper	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jacques Brizzio	....	assistant art director
Marino Calvadore	....	assistant art director: Italy
Jean Colin	....	set dresser
Jacques Quinternet	....	set dresser
Michel Suné	....	property master

Sound Department
Michel Desrois	....	sound
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects
Alex Pront	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean-Bernard Thomasson	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bonomi	....	key grip
Jean-Francis Gondre	....	camera operator (as Jean-François Gondre)
Pascal Lebeque	....	assistant camera
Rene Rochera	....	gaffer
Victor Rodrigue	....	still photographer
Jean-Claude Vicquery	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jeanne Vergne	....	costumer (as Jeannine Vergne)

Editorial Department
Claudine Bouché	....	editorial associate
Michael E. Polakow	....	assistant film editor (as Michael Polakow)
Annick Rousset-Rouard	....	assistant film editor
George A. Martin	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Georges Delerue	....	conductor

Other crew
Nestore Baratella	....	accountant: Italy
Nicole Cateux	....	auditor
Gastone De Mattia	....	location manager: Italy
Anna Grizi	....	location manager: Italy
Lucie Lichtig	....	script supervisor
Judith Mullen	....	production secretary
Claudio Vinale	....	location manager: Italy
Yannoulla Wakefield	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Pan Arts
• Trinacra Films

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1979) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan in clamshell case)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Bros (USA)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Carita  hair stylist
• Jean-Claude Lattes  book published by
• Les Films Michel François  titles and opticals
• Studios de Billancourt  auditorium (as Studios de Billancourt)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | USA:PG (certificate # 25563) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | South Korea:All | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Pan Arts

Trivia:

The film was made and released about 2 years after its source novel "E=mc2 Mon Amour" by Claude Klotz writing under the name of Patrick Cauvin had been first published in 1977.

Quotes:

Natalie Woodstein, Lauren's dorky friend:[looking at a sculpture] Have you ever seen a real one?
Lauren King:One what?
[pause]
Lauren King:Oh. Sure
Natalie Woodstein, Lauren's dorky friend:Who's? His?
Lauren King:Who's?
Natalie Woodstein, Lauren's dorky friend:You know, his... Daniel's.
Lauren King:Oh, sure.
Natalie Woodstein, Lauren's dorky friend:Have you ever... you know...
Lauren King:Done it? All the time, every which way.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Features The Big Sleep (1946)

26 years later, still magical and a work of supreme craftsmanship

I've never been able to get this out of my head since its first release; it is one of the best films I've ever seen. I just looked at the DVD and was amazed at how many details I still remember from that first viewing 26 years ago. Gunfire-addled IMDb voters are dead wrong; this should be a 9+, but I guess it gets docked two points for having no explosions and only one shooting (with a blank pistol, which probably doesn't count).

The only "modern romances" in the same league are Richard Linklater's "Sunrise/Sunset" films, which I urge all fans of "A Little Romance" to see.

As fine as Diane Lane has been in recent films, I don't believe she's ever been as good as she is here, 13 years old and simultaneously fresh as new snow and polished as silver plate. She absolutely belonged on that TIME magazine cover. It's a miraculous performance which may owe more to director Hill than to Lane herself, but who cares? Just enjoy it...her interview feature on the DVD is excellent, by the way.

With the exception of "Marathon Man" and a couple of British TV plays, you can't find better late-period Olivier. He's simply delightful. If you are really perverse (like me), watch this and then compare with "The Boys from Brazil," a dreadful Olivier movie from the previous year, which should have qualified Sir Larry as the all-time champion "great actor working like hell while thigh-deep in pure crap." Here it's the exact opposite: the consummate old pro, totally relaxed, tossing off another memorable performance because he's in a terrific movie that he doesn't have to try and save. This is how I choose to remember the older Olivier. Another old pro, Broderick Crawford, damn near steals the movie in his too-brief cameos. He has a wonderful moment with Thelonious Bernard that will charm anyone who's dealt with an aging person's fading memory.

Arthur Hill, yet another reliable old guy, puts a nice turn on the #2 step-dad character. Who ever looked better in a business suit? The only truly unbelievable thing in the movie is that such a smart and understanding man would actually marry Sally Kellerman's vapid, starstruck mother character. Heavens, what a bitch. She doesn't deserve Arthur, and the scene in which he ejects equally vapid Potential Next Husband David Dukes from their lives is a classic of real-world, real man macho.

It's a real shame that Thelonious Bernard didn't have a film career, but if you can only star in one movie, this is a pretty damn good one for it. The iconic freeze-frame final shot of him leaping above traffic to wave goodbye is something one never forgets. It's like the alternate universe version of the last shot in "The 400 Blows."

One more thing: thank heavens there was no sequel.