Reuben, Reuben (1983)

Director:

Robert Ellis Miller

Writers:

Peter De Vries (novel), Julius J. Epstein,

Stars:

Tom Conti, Kelly McGillis, Roberts Blossom

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Tom Conti	...	Gowan McGland
Kelly McGillis	...	Geneva Spofford
Roberts Blossom	...	Frank Spofford
Cynthia Harris	...	Bobby
E. Katherine Kerr	...	Lucille Haxby
Joel Fabiani	...	Doctor Haxby
Kara Wilson	...	Edith McGland
Lois Smith	...	Mare Spofford
Ed Grady	...	Dr. Ormsby
Damon Douglas	...	Tad Springer
Rex Robbins	...	C. B. Springer
Jack Davidson	...	George Spofford
Angus MacLachlan	...	Waiter (with chicken)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Austin	...	New York Bartender
Barry Bell	...	Bar Thug

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

co ed | drinking | older man younger woman relationship | obsession | poet | 

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Taglines:

Meet Gowan McGland, poet. He drinks and lies. Sleeps with other men's wives. He hasn't written a word in years...but every woman he meets falls in love with him.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1984 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Dus med damerne

Filming Locations:

Shelby, North Carolina, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Saltair Productions, TAFT Entertainment Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kelly McGillis' movie debut.

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Quotes

Gowan McGland: Reuben. Reuben!

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Connections

Referenced in Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

User Reviews

A genuinely funny and moving comic tragedy

On paper, a comic fable about a randy, drunken, fading poet sounds like a recipe for disaster, but to the enormous credit of all involved, this film works very well indeed. Obviously a strong central performance is essential in films like this, and Tom Conti provides just that as the bedraggled Scottish writer charming his way into the beds of frustrated New England wives. Although the screenplay is consistently witty from start to finish, it is mainly in the second half of the film that it is also extremely moving. The romance between Conti and Kelly McGillis's young student is as obviously doomed as that of Romeo and Juliet, but just as heartbreaking too. The denouement is as sad and shocking as any in cinematic history, yet this film with its warmth and beauty and insight will surely light a fire in even the coldest of hearts.