The Executioner's Song (1982) (TV)

Director:

Lawrence Schiller

Writers:

Norman Mailer (book)
Norman Mailer (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Plot:

The story of Gary Gilmore, a convicted murderer who lobbied for his own execution.

Plot Keywords:

Execution | Pulitzer Prize Source | Murder | Capital Punishment | Suicide

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones	...	Gary Mark Gilmore
Christine Lahti	...	Brenda Nicol
Rosanna Arquette	...	Nicole Baker
Eli Wallach	...	Uncle Vern Damico
Steven Keats	...	Larry Samuels
Jordan Clarke	...	Johnny Nicol
Richard Venture	...	Earl Dorius
Jenny Wright	...	April Baker
Walter Olkewicz	...	Pete Galovan
Michael LeClair	...	Rikki Wood
Pat Corley	...	Val Conlan
Mary Ethel Gregory	...	Ida Damico
John Dennis Johnston	...	Jimmy Poker-Game
Norris Mailer	...	Lu-Ann (as Norris Church)
Kenneth O'Brien	...	Spencer McGrath

Runtime:

Sweden:136 min | USA:157 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Australia:M | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Orem, Utah, USA

Company:

Film Communications Inc.

Trivia:

According to director Lawrence Schiller, Debra Winger was strongly favored for Nicole Baker but was turned down after being considered "too urban" for the role. Tatum O'Neal also read for the role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Right after the execution, when the crew is checking the body to make sure he is dead you see Tommy lee's hand move his fingers tap his leg.

Movie Connections:

Version of Shot in the Heart (2001) (TV)

Jones, Arquette Play Interesting-But-Sick 'Characters'

For a long "television film," I thought this story moved along well, even with the main characters being so sleazy the story gets a little unappealing at times. Of course, when has Rosanna Arquette ever played anything else in her younger days? Also, when did she not show off her big breasts? However, I usually find her playing interesting characters and she looked young and pretty in this early career (for her) TV-movie.

As for Tommy Lee Jones, who plays the main character "Gary Gilmore," I've always found him interesting, too. In this, Jones plays the famous real-life killer while Arquette is "Nicole Baker," his teenage girlfriend. Jones does a nice job showing how mentally messed up Gilmore was back then.

I surprised at the language in here for a television movie, but then again, I saw the "European version" of this movie. The longer American version, I assume, cut out some that language and perhaps some of Arquette's "skin."

I rarely comment about anybody else's review but I recommend reading the comments by "noelani" here since this woman lived in Gilmore's backyard, so to speak, during this period and has some interesting things to say.