Continental Divide (1981)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Michael Apted

Writer:

Lawrence Kasdan (written by)

Release Date:

18 September 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

When they met they heard bells. And that was just round one.

Plot:

A hard-nosed Chicago journalist has an unlikely love affair with an eagle researcher.

Plot Keywords:

Eagle | Love | Reporter | Love Affair | Newspaper Columnist

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

John Belushi	...	Ernie Souchak
Blair Brown	...	Nell Porter
Allen Garfield	...	Howard McDermott (as Allen Goorwitz)
Carlin Glynn	...	Sylvia
Tony Ganios	...	Max Bernbaum
Val Avery	...	Yablonowitz
Liam Russell	...	Deke Lewis
Everett Smith	...	Fiddle
Bill Henderson	...	Train Conductor
Bruce Jarchow	...	Hellinger
Eddie Schwartz	...	Jimmy
Harold Holmes	...	Mr. Feeney
Elizabeth Young	...	Mrs. Feeney
Ron Dean	...	Plesko
Frankie Hill	...	Agatha

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:12 | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (1986) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Cedar Falls, Washington, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The title of the column immediately following "Room Wanted - Quiet Tenant" is "Yablonowitz Finger Holds The Trigger". It is briefly shown while Nell Porter browses Souchak's columns collection.

Goofs:

Continuity: Nell is chopping wood as Ernie approaches. As they begin to talk Nell piles wood in her cradled left arm. The next shot is closer and at a different angle. As this shot begins Nell has no wood and begins to pile it once again in her cradled left arm.

Quotes:

Ernie Souchak: But why ornithology?
Nell Porter: I like the uniform.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Theme from Continental Divide (Never Say Goodbye)

showing Belushi as more than just a Blues Brother

Enjoyable as 'The Blues Brothers' was, it didn't really get a chance to show the versatility of John Belushi's acting talent, or his quieter side. 'Continental Divide' does both - it's a love story which isn't outrageous or slapstick, but genuinely sweet and funny.

Belushi plays a reporter, Ernie, who takes a vacation from sniffing out corruption in Chicago's high places to get a story on a reclusive female scientist (Blair Brown), who is doing just nicely, holed up in the Rocky Mountains. Ernie isn't really the mountain type but as both characters evolve, he becomes more suited to the hard life.

Some corny moments exist in this movie, but it isn't bad at all. It feels a bit like a TV movie rather than a big budget cinema piece (although the locations are beautiful), but it does show there was more to Belushi than you might guess from watching 'National Lampoon's Animal Vacation' or '1941'.