Baby It's You (1983)

Director:

John Sayles

Writers:

John Sayles (screenplay)
Amy Robinson (story)

Release Date:

4 March 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

There's the first one. There's the right one. And there's the one you never forget.

Plot:

In 1966 New Jersey, Jill Rosen, a frustrated high schooler, is intrigued by an enigmatic new student known only as the Sheik...

Plot Keywords:

New Jersey | School | College | Student | Nerd

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Rosanna Arquette	...	Jill Rosen
Vincent Spano	...	Albert 'Sheik' Capadilupo
Joanna Merlin	...	Mrs. Rosen
Jack Davidson	...	Dr. Rosen
Nick Ferrari	...	Mr. Capadilupo
Dolores Messina	...	Mrs. Capadilupo
Leora Dana	...	Miss Vernon, Teacher
Bill Raymond	...	Mr. Ripeppi, Teacher (as William Joseph Raymond)
Sam McMurray	...	Mr. McManus, Teacher
Liane Curtis	...	Jody, High School Girl
Claudia Sherman	...	Beth, High School Girl
Marta Kober	...	Debra
Tracy Pollan	...	Leslie, College Girl
Rachel Dretzin	...	Shelly, College Girl
Susan Derendorf	...	Chris, College Girl
Frank Vincent	...	Vinnie
Robin Johnson	...	Joann
Gary McCleery	...	Rat
Matthew Modine	...	Steve
John Ferraro	...	Plasky
Phil Brock	...	Biff
Merel Poloway	...	Miss Katz
Donnie Kehr	...	Barry (as Don Kehr)
Michael E. Knight	...	Phillip (as Michael Knight)
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Stewart
Brian Wry	...	Georgie
Richard Kantor	...	Curtis
Stephanie Keyser	...	Laura
Julie Philips	...	Karen
Frank Zagarino	...	Lew (as Frank Anthony Zagarino)
Art Halperin	...	Band Leader
Caroline Aaron	...	Waitress
Jonathan Gero	...	Jack
Susan Busset	...	Prom Singer
Steven Reed	...	Prom Singer
Stephen Donato	...	Prom Singer
Fisher Stevens	...	Stage Manager
Robin Geller	...	Tripper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phillip Brock	...	Biff (uncredited)
Laura D'Arista	...	(uncredited)
Charles Mitchell	...	College Student (uncredited)

Directed by
John Sayles

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Amy Robinson		story
John Sayles		screenplay

Produced by
Robert F. Colesberry	....	associate producer
Griffin Dunne	....	producer
Amy Robinson	....	producer

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus

Film Editing by
Sonya Polonsky

Casting by
Margery Simkin

Production Design by
Jeffrey Townsend

Set Decoration by
Carol Nast

Costume Design by
Franne Lee

Makeup Department
Anne Popischil	....	hair stylist (as Anne Pospischil)
James Sarzotti	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Robert F. Colesberry	....	production manager
Tom Razzano	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Falvey	....	dga trainee (as Frank X. Falvey)
Ray Greenfield	....	first assistant director (as Raymond L. Greenfield)
Ray Greenfield	....	second assistant director
Ira Halberstadt	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Allen	....	property master
Nora Chavooshian	....	assistant art director
Anthony Dunne	....	carpenter
Ann Edgeworth	....	assistant props (as Ann L. Edgeworth)
Julie Edgeworth	....	assistant props
Sandy Hamilton	....	head set dresser
Teri Kane	....	set dresser
Anamarie Michnevich	....	outside props
Leslie A. Pope	....	set dresser (as Leslie Ann Pope)

Sound Department
Eric L. Beason	....	assistant sound editor
Michael C. Blundell	....	sound assistant (as Michael Blundell)
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Platt	....	boom operator
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor (as Sanford P. Rackow)
William S. Scharf	....	sound editor
Jeff Schechter	....	apprentice sound editor (as Jeffrey Schechter)
Scott D. Smith	....	sound mixer (as Scott Smith)
Neil Eric Wenger	....	apprentice sound editor (as Neil Wenger)
Jeffrey Wolf	....	sound editor (as Jeffrey H. Wolf)

Stunts
Harry Madsen	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Florian Ballhaus	....	assistant camera
Jan Sebastian Ballhaus	....	assistant camera (as Sebastian Ballhaus)
Arthur Blum	....	grip
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Hans-Günther Bücking	....	first assistant camera (as Hans Gunther Bücking)
Stefan Czapsky	....	gaffer
Robert K. Feldmann	....	grip (as Robert Feldmann)
Morris Flam	....	best boy
Maris H. Jansons	....	key grip (as Maris Jansons)
Michael Papadapolous	....	electrician (as Michael Papadopoulos)
Michael Trim	....	electrician
Barry Wetcher	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Lisa Clarkson	....	extras casting (as Lisa C. Clarkson)
Noreen Kochicas	....	casting assistant: principals
Trace Rosell	....	extras casting assistant (as Tracé Rosel)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alice Billman	....	wardrobe assistant
Robert Iannaccone	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Robert J. Iannaccone)
Dawn Johnson	....	wardrobe supervisor
Brian Kelly	....	wardrobe assistant
Stacy Sandler	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Kristina Boden	....	assistant editor
Dorian Harris	....	assistant editor
Beriau Picard	....	assistant editor
Suzanne Pillsbury	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Joel Dorn	....	music coordinator
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Robin Katz	....	assistant music editor

Transportation Department
Rocco Derasmo	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Tony Adler	....	production assistant (as Anthony B. Adler)
Adam Brooks	....	script supervisor
Judith Lyn Brown	....	assistant production office coordinator
Alex Dunne	....	production assistant
John Gabrielle	....	production assistant (as John Gabriele)
Shelley Houis	....	production office coordinator
Holly Huckins	....	research assistant
Scott Levin	....	production assistant
Dennis J. Lootens	....	operator: Cinemobile (as Dennis Joseph Lootens)
Paul Marcus	....	production assistant
Malia Scotch Marmo	....	production assistant (as Malia Marmo)
Kathleen McCoy	....	production assistant
Kathleen McGill	....	production accountant
Linda H. Miller	....	location auditor
Charles Mitchell	....	lead stand-in (as Chip Mitchell)
Ruth Mullen	....	research assistant
Philip Murphy	....	production assistant
Michael Nozik	....	location manager
Tom Razzano	....	location manager (as Thomas A. Razzano)
John Storey	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Double Play

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Legend Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chicago Audio Works  production sound services

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Double Play

Trivia:

Tracy Pollan's movie debut.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Sheik and Jill leave on their trip to the New Jersey shore, they cross a large bridge that has the slogan "Trenton Makes - The World Takes" on it. This bridge actually takes you from Trenton into Morrisville, Pennsylvania.

Quotes:

Albert 'Sheik' Capadilupo:When we were in high school...
Jill Rosen:[shouts] We're not in high school any more.

Movie Connections:

References "Peyton Place" (1964)

Soundtrack:

Stop! In The Name of Love

If it's so bad, why can't I forget it?

In spite of the negative review above I would say this is a good film and a story that may hang around in your mind for a long time. It isn't so much a "movie story," a la Meg Ryan romantic comedy type, as it is a slice of life. The characters in this movie are much more like the people you went to high school and college with than they are like Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan! Life is messy and confusing and people change. People are attracted to the wrong people all the time. They make bad choices. They do things they can never forget. This movie reflects these human foibles and that is why it is a great small movie that got overlooked and under-appreciated.