Continental Divide (1981)

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 Amtrack train had to be brought to Victor, Idaho on abandon tracks where the scene was shot. The small town had no train service either commercial or freight for years.

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: The air was thin. She was average cute. She was the only girl up there. The air was thin!

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Theme from Continental Divide (Never Say Goodbye)

Criminally under-rated Belushi gem.

John Belushi's screen persona is fixed in most peoples minds thanks to his performances in the raucous, knock-about comedies 'The Blues Brothers' and 'Animal House'. But here he gets the rare chance to put in a performance of exceptional depth and nuance. Belushi plays hard-boiled investigative journalist Ernie Souchak who finds himself a little too close to some major City Hall corruption, and so, on the advice of his editor and friend, he heads to the mountains of Colorado, to chill and to write a piece on a reclusive conservationist, played to exquisite perfection by Blair Brown.

The film begins as a serious piece on political corruption but soon turns into a charming, bittersweet 'fish-out-of-water' romance. The scenes set amongst the Colorado mountains feature some of the most breathtaking cinematography I've ever seen. The movie belongs to John Belushi though. He puts in a splendid mature performance, dominating the action like a major presence. It is through this movie, rather than his more famous works, that I feel we now sense the feeling of loss that his tragic early death gave the world of cinema. He carries all the weight and clout of a genuinely gifted actor, and his comic timing, even in the smallest scenes, is a joy to behold. Blair Brown, too, is another enigma. Why is she not much more famous than she is? Her performance is both tough and sexy, and she and Belushi make a great screen partnership. Throw into the mix one of the rare screen appearances from the great Tony Ganios, and this really is a movie worthy of rediscovery.

Watch for it.