I Am the Cheese (1983)

Director:

Robert Jiras

Writers:

Robert Cormier (novel)
David Lange (screenplay) ...
(more)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A teenage lad struggles to piece together his reality following a traumatic event.

Plot Keywords:

Camera | Drugstore | Crutch | Lawnmower | Darkroom

Cast

Robert MacNaughton	...	Adam Farmer
Hope Lange	...	Betty Farmer
Don Murray	...	David Farmer
Robert Wagner	...	Dr. Brint
Cynthia Nixon	...	Amy Hertz
Lee Richardson	...	Mr. Grey
John Fiedler	...	Arnold
Sudie Bond	...	Edna
Frank McGurran	...	Young Adam
Russell P. Goslant	...	Gardener
Robert Cormier	...	Mr. Hertz
Dorothea MacNaughton	...	Produce Lady
Milford Keene	...	Harvester
Joey Jerome	...	Whipper
Ronnie Bradbury	...	Corn
Robert Dutil	...	Jed
Jeff Rumney	...	Counter Man
David Lange	...	Mr. Montgomery
Christopher Murray	...	Eric Peterson
John Bernek	...	Store Owner
Paul Romero	...	Coke

Directed by
Robert Jiras

Writing credits
Robert Cormier		(novel "I Am the Cheese")
David Lange		(screenplay) and
Robert Jiras		(screenplay)

Produced by
G. Mac Brown	....	associate producer
Michael S. Landes	....	executive producer
David Lange	....	producer
Albert Schwartz	....	executive producer
Jack Schwartzman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jonathan Tunick

Cinematography by
David L. Quaid		(director of photography) (as David Quaid)

Film Editing by
Nicholas C. Smith		(as Nicholas Smith)

Art Direction by
Roland Brooks		(as Roland I. Brooks)

Makeup Department
Frank Bianco	....	hair stylist
Joy Lange Boardman	....	makeup artist

Production Management
G. Mac Brown	....	unit production manager
Sherri Taffel Brown	....	unit manager (as Sherri Taffel-Brown)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kenneth M. Krausgill	....	second assistant director
Jeffrey Silver	....	first assistant director
Aaron Barsky	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Angelo Luezzi	....	property master
Nan Starr	....	art department
Mark L. Sullivan	....	art department

Sound Department
Elisha Birnbaum	....	foleys
Sara Bolder	....	assistant sound editor
Nathan Boxer	....	production sound (as Nat Boxer)
Laura Civiello	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Coombe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Neil L. Kaufman	....	supervising sound editor (as Neil Kaufman)
Michael Kirchberger	....	sound editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	sound editor
Laurie Mullen	....	assistant sound editor
Lisa Singer	....	apprentice sound editor
Peter Waggoner	....	assistant mixer

Stunts
Victor Magnotta	....	stunt coordinator
Mark Sutton	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
David Blake	....	second assistant camera
Glynis Burke	....	gaffer
John Burke	....	gaffer (as John F. Burke)
Craig Haagensen	....	director of photography: second unit
Craig Haagensen	....	first assistant camera
Alan Stetson	....	grip

Casting Department
Robyn Boardman	....	casting: Vermont

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Doris Littman	....	costumer

Editorial Department
John Steele Hill	....	apprentice film editor
Richard King	....	assistant film editor
Lawrence Mischel	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Thomas S. Drescher	....	music editor (as Thomas Drescher)
Lisa Gutknecht	....	musician: Mozart Trio
Allan Mirchin	....	music engineer
Seymour Red Press	....	orchestra contractor
Kathleen P. Reilly	....	musician: Mozart Trio
Leslie Scott	....	musician: clarinet soloist
Karen I. Stern	....	assistant music editor
Jonathan Tunick	....	conductor
Kris Wigness	....	musician: Mozart Trio

Other crew
Aaron Barsky	....	utilities
Henry Bounds	....	teamster
Chris Burke	....	production assistant
Liz Dubelman	....	production assistant
Frank Garfield	....	location services
Margaret Harmon	....	production office coordinator
Stephen Howard	....	utilities
Peter Jiras	....	location manager
Michael S. Landes	....	presenter
Joe Mattis	....	projectionist
Sheila Paige	....	script supervisor
Mark Powers	....	production assistant
Phil Robinson	....	production assistant
Albert Schwartz	....	presenter
Jack Schwartzman	....	presenter
Ricci Silberman	....	production assistant
Nadja Tesich	....	utilities

Production Companies

• I Am the Cheese

Distributors

• Almi Pictures

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance (as Albert G. Rudin)
• Computer Opticals  titles and opticals (as Computer Opticals, Inc.)
• Goddard College  special thanks to: for their kind cooperation during the making of this film
• Iredale Associates  casting (as Jane Iredale Associates)
• People of Vermont  special thanks to: for their kind cooperation during the making of this film (as The People of Vermont)
• Sound Mixers Studio  music recorded at (as Sound Mixers)
• Sound One Corporation  post-production facilities (as Sound-one Corporation)
• TVC Laboratories  color (as TVC Laboratories, Inc.)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Barre, Vermont, USA

Company:

I Am the Cheese

Trivia:

Only movie to feature real-life family unit (former spouses), Don Murray and Hope Lange, and their son Christopher Murray.

Quotes:

Adam Farmer:Are all these people relatives?
Amy Hertz:Oh, those are just the ones we talk to. There's a whole tribe of Hertzes out west somewhere. We're very big on breeding. I think they reproduce right there on the piano.

Soundtrack:

Time Has Come to Go

The Scenery is More Interesting than the Plot

About the only people who will have any appreciation for this movie are homesick Vermonters...I grew up riding my bike on the same roads as Adam, so it was a hoot to see Marshfield & Barre from back in the day. It was even better to hear the gold-domed State Capitol Building described as a "court house." Don't bother renting this film- it's truly awful. And the ending sucks. I don't understand why it was ever released on DVD...maybe it was an attempt to capitalize on the study hall market- bored kids watching the movie because they can't be bothered to crack open the book...Why on earth Robert Wagner chose to get involved with such a lame project is beyond me...