Still of the Night (1982)

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Robert Benton (screenplay)
Robert Benton (story)

Release Date:

19 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If looks could kill...

Plot:

A Manhattan psychiatrist probes a patient's murder and falls for the victim's mysterious mistress. |

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Murder | Dream | Neo Noir | Long Island

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Roy Scheider	...	Doctor Sam Rice
Meryl Streep	...	Brooke Reynolds
Jessica Tandy	...	Grace Rice
Joe Grifasi	...	Joseph Vitucci
Sara Botsford	...	Gail Phillips
Josef Sommer	...	George Bynum
Frederikke Borge	...	Heather Wilson (as Rikke Borge)
Irving Metzman	...	Murray Gordon
Larry Joshua	...	Mugger
Tom Norton	...	Auctioneer
Richmond Hoxie	...	Mr. Harris
Hyon Cho	...	Mr. Chang
Danielle Cusson	...	Girl
John Eric Bentley	...	Night Watchman (as John Bentley)
George A. Tooks	...	Elevator Operator

Also Known As:

Stab (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | USA:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Boathouse Cafe, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

The working title in post-production was "Stab".

Quotes:

Doctor Sam Rice: Now listen to me! On account of you, I'm an accessory to something. I don't know what! I'm withholding evidence. I'm obstructing justice. I'm gonna get my license revoked if I'm not thrown into jail first. And on top of that, I've just spent fifteen thousand dollars for a painting I don't even like!

Movie Connections:

References Psycho (1960)

Riff on Hitchcock

I remember trying to get into this film in New York City on a Friday night, and it was sold out. IMDb doesn't list its box office, but I remember that it was quite popular. It was around the beginning of Meryl as Goddess - this was her 10th film and before "Sophie's Choice." The rest of the stars are Roy Scheider and Jessica Tandy. Scheider gets drawn into the murder of one of his patients after a visit from a mysterious woman (Streep) who worked with and had an affair with the victim. He goes back in his mind over some of his sessions with his patient, including a vivid dream, and finds himself living it.

If you know and love the big guy, Hitchcock, as much as I do, you'll enjoy this film just picking out all the Hitchcock touches. Others on this board have mentioned the cool blonde (Streep, looking gorgeous), the psychiatrist mother and the dream (Spellbound), a shot reminiscent of Rear Window, the presence of Jessica Tandy (The Birds), the ordinary man drawn into strange circumstances, the auction scene (North by Northwest), and of course, the Shadow of a Doubt reference - Scheider's Uncle Charlie.

"Still of the Night" is gimmicky, cold, and strangely memorable. Look at the various posts and see how many people remember where and when they saw it. Streep is excellent in her cool blonde role, though it's not a great part; however, her monologue toward the end of the film is very compelling. Scheider is just right as the psychiatrist, and Tandy is wonderful as his mother, though her role is too small.

Others mention that the film moves slowly until the end. The ending is very suspenseful and exciting, but I didn't feel the rest of the movie was slow - I felt like I was being set up for something. As it turned out, I was.

Recommended for lovers of Hitchcock and those who have not seen much early Streep.