Four Friends (1981)

This story of four working-class kids in a small industrial town--who go their separate ways after high school in the innocence of 1961 and come together again at the end of the turbulent ... See full summary »

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writer:

Steve Tesich

Stars:

Craig Wasson, Jodi Thelen, Michael Huddleston

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Craig Wasson	...	Danilo
Jodi Thelen	...	Georgia
Michael Huddleston	...	David
Jim Metzler	...	Tom
Scott Hardt	...	Young Danilo
Elizabeth Lawrence	...	Mrs. Prozor
Miklos Simon	...	Mr. Prozor
Michael Kovacs	...	Prozor Neighbor
Beatrice Fredman	...	Mrs. Zoldos
Pier Calabria	...	Conductor
Zaid Farid	...	Rudy
David Graf	...	Gergley
Felix Shuman	...	Principal
George Womack	...	Mr. Bellknap
Todd Isaacson	...	Senior Kid

Storyline

This story of four working-class kids in a small industrial town--who go their separate ways after high school in the innocence of 1961 and come together again at the end of the turbulent Sixties--is as much about the coming of age of America as it is about the changes the characters go through. The four friends of the title are thoughtful Danilo, a Yugoslavian immigrant with dreams of being a writer and a scholar; Tom, good-looking and athletic, who is bound for the army; cautious David who has mixed feelings about staying in town and joining the family mortuary business; and lovely, ditzy, exasperating Georgia, who tries to inspire all of them with her longings for a life of Bohemian adventure. It is told through the eyes of Danilo, whose story is loosely based on the director Tesich's own life growing up in Bloomington, Indiana.

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Plot Keywords:

immigrant | america | high school | bar fight | promiscuous woman | 

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Taglines:

All the boys love Georgia...and Georgia loves all the boys!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Georgia

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 6,561,725 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema 77, Filmways Pictures, Florin

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed on the campus of Northwestern University (Evanston IL).

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Goofs

As Danilo Prozor is fighting with Gergley in the bar, one can see the shape of knee pads worn under Prozor's trousers.

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Quotes

Danilo: [to his estranged father] Are we just gonna keep his up?
Mr. Prozor: What is it you are suggesting?
Danilo: I don't know... I've never even seen you smile.
Mr. Prozor: [long pause] When you were born I smiled.
Danilo: Well I guess I wasn't paying attention, that slipped by me.
Mr. Prozor: When you were born...I... took off my hat and I... beat on the table with it! And I'm almost sure... I was smiling...
[pauses, smiles for real, they all laugh]
Danilo: That looks good on you Papa!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Winners That Were Losers (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Mr. Blah-Blah"
Words & Music by Ray Barretto
© 1963 Little Dipper Music Corp.
Performed by Ray Barretto
Courtesy of Musica Latina International, Inc.

User Reviews

AN ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIE

I was so moved by this film in 1981, I went back to the theater four times to see it again! Something I have never done for another film. No movie evokes the feelings of growing up in the 60's like Four Friends. That it so closely approximated my own experiences in the 60's is probably something that many will share. Jodi Thelen is radiantly beautiful and unforgetable! Why she didn't become a major star after this I will never know. The acting by the entire cast is flawless as is Steve Tisch's script. I always wanted to know how much of the story was autobiographical. But alas, Steve is no longer here to answer that question. I have all but worn out my VHS copy of this great movie! Highly recommended!