Cutter's Way (1981)

Director:

Ivan Passer

Writers:

Jeffrey Alan Fiskin (writer)
Newton Thornburg (novel)

Release Date:

28 April 1983 (Australia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Cutter does everything his way. Fighting. Loving. Working. Tracking down a killer.

Plot:

Richard spots a man dumping a body, and decides to expose the man he thinks is the culprit with his friend Alex Cutter.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Corpse | Gun | Arson | Southern California

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jeff Bridges	...	Richard Bone
John Heard	...	Alex Cutter
Lisa Eichhorn	...	Maureen Cutter, 'Mo'
Ann Dusenberry	...	Valerie Duran
Stephen Elliott	...	J. J. Cord
Arthur Rosenberg	...	George Swanson
Nina Van Pallandt	...	Woman in the Hotel
Patricia Donahue	...	Mrs. Cord
Geraldine Baron	...	Susie Swanson
Katherine Pass	...	Toyota Woman
Francis X. McCarthy	...	Toyota Man (as Frank McCarthy)
George Planco	...	Toyota Cop
Jay Fletcher	...	Cord Security Guard
George Dickerson	...	Mortician
Jack Murdock	...	Concession Owner

Also Known As:

Cutter and Bone

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:R (Ontario) | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Company:

Gurian

Trivia:

The film's growing amount of positive reviews prompted United Artists to give the film to their "art" division, United Artists Classics, where they changed the film's title from "Cutter and Bone" to "Cutter's Way" (thinking that the original title would be mistaken by audiences for a comedy about surgeons). It was given the prestigious closing feature slot at the Seattle Film Festival. With a new ad campaign in place, Cutter's Way re-opened in the summer of 1981 in Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City. Word of mouth helped the film turn a profit.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Alex Cutter is charging across the estate on a horse, his missing arm changes sides briefly.

Quotes:

George Swanson: [in a parade] Hey guys, how do I look?
Alex Cutter: Hey, you look like a fat man on a horse, Georgie.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

We're Old Enough to Know

My brief review of the film

John Heard is excellent, giving off a feisty performance in the title role of this quite intriguing little thriller. It is a bit too meandering to properly keep up the suspense and thrills, however there are still some moments of excitement, and there are also some interesting philosophies, especially about justice in the world. It only has a very run-of-the-mill mystery driving the plot, but there is still enough to the film for it rise above the norm. Although some aspects of Heard's character are not credible, he is an certainly interesting element, and at the very least, the film manages to end on a powerful note.