Table for Five (1983)

Director:

Robert Lieberman

Writer:

David Seltzer (writer)

Release Date:

10 March 1983 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

He wants a second chance to love his children...but someone else has learned how.

Plot:

J. P. Tannen takes his three children for a vacation cruise. They usually live with their mother and step-father...

Plot Keywords:

Children | Vacation | Cruise | Adopted Son | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jon Voight	...	J. P. Tannen
Richard Crenna	...	Mitchell
Marie-Christine Barrault	...	Marie
Millie Perkins	...	Kathleen
Roxana Zal	...	Tilde
Robby Kiger	...	Truman-Paul
Son Hoang Bui	...	Trung
Maria O'Brien	...	Mandy
Nelson Welch	...	Old Man
Bernie Hern	...	Bickering Husband
Moria Turner	...	Bickering Wife
Kevin Costner	...	Newlywed Husband
Cynthia Kania	...	Newlywed Wife
Marion Russell	...	Rodessa
Gustaf Unger	...	Twin
Bertil Unger	...	Twin
Erik Holland	...	Captain
Peggy Kubena	...	Blonde
James Coleman	...	Communications Officer (as James C. Lawrence)
Ora Rubinstein	...	Girl on Airplane
Robert Schaffel	...	Frank
Rupert Sykes	...	Ship's Officer
Ugo Bianchi	...	Ugo (as Hugo Valentino)
Ronald F. Hoiseck	...	Maitre D'
Enrico Pini	...	Taxi Driver
Saïd	...	Jeep Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shawn Easton	...	Fireman (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Lieberman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Seltzer		writer

Produced by
Robert Schaffel	....	producer

Original Music by
Miles Goodman
John Morris

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Michael Kahn

Casting by
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Robert F. Boyle

Art Direction by
Norman Newberry

Set Decoration by
Arthur Jeph Parker

Costume Design by
Vicki Sánchez		(as Vicki Sanchez)

Makeup Department
Jeff Angell	....	makeup artist
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist (as Kay Pownall)

Production Management
Roberto Cocco	....	unit production manager: Europe
Richard McWhorter	....	production manager (as Richard F. McWhorter)
Wally Samson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Newt Arnold	....	first assistant director (as Newton Arnold)
Russ Harling	....	second assistant director
Gere LaDue	....	dga trainee
Victor Tourjansky	....	second assistant director: Europe

Art Department
Phil Read	....	construction coordinator
Art Schneider	....	lead man
John A. Scott III	....	assistant property master (as John Scott)
Arthur Shippee	....	property master
Gianni Fiumi	....	props (uncredited)
Bruce Wayne Mecchi	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Larry Carow	....	sound editor
Crew Chamberlain	....	cable person
Don Coufal	....	boom operator
Don Digirolamo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Juno J. Ellis	....	assistant sound editor (as Juno T. Ellis)
Robert Glass	....	sound re-recording mixer
Scott Hecker	....	sound editor (as Scott A. Hecker)
Craig S. Jaeger	....	assistant sound editor
Robert Knudson	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
John A. Larsen	....	sound editor
Bruce Richardson	....	sound effects editor (as Paul Bruce Richardson)
Robert R. Rutledge	....	sound editor (as Robert Rutledge)
Hank Salerno	....	adr editor
Norman B. Schwartz	....	post-production dialogue
Jeff Wexler	....	sound mixer
Tiziano Crotti	....	sound: second unit (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gunter Jennings	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Don Hansard	....	process coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Alexander	....	second grip
John Boccaccio	....	first assistant camera
Dick Deats	....	key grip
Jerry Deats	....	dolly grip
Jessie Deats	....	company grip
Larry Flynn	....	electrician
Christopher Dunn George	....	second assistant camera (as Christopher George)
Michael Gershman	....	camera operator
Victor Goss	....	director of photography: second unit
Jan Kiesser	....	additional photographer
Christine M. Loss	....	still photographer (as Christine Loss)
Rexford L. Metz	....	aerial photographer (as Rex Metz)
Ken Nishino	....	first assistant camera
Jerome L. Posner	....	best boy electric (as Jerry Posner)
Larry Whitehead	....	gaffer
Massimo Zeri	....	assistant camera
Gianfranco Maioletti	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Randy Nolen	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Kenji Takama	....	camera intern (uncredited)
Emmanuel Vouniozos	....	on-set technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Elisabeth Leustig	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandy Berke Jordan	....	costumer: women (as Sandy Berke)
Nick Scarano	....	assistant costumer: men
Silvio Scarano	....	costumer: men

Editorial Department
Bruce Green	....	assistant editor
Jack Hooper	....	negative cutter
Tom Nelson	....	apprentice film editor

Music Department
Frank Jones	....	scoring mixer
Debra Kopensteiner	....	musical research
Eugene Marks	....	music editor (as Eugene A. Marks)
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Enid Arias	....	personal consultant: Mr. Voight (as Enid Watts Arias)
Joanie Blum	....	script supervisor
Dimitri Dimitriadis	....	foreign location manager: Greece
Marjorie Gaines	....	assistant to producer
Karen Hale Wookey	....	script supervisor (as Karen Wookey)
Don Henry	....	production auditor
John James	....	location manager
Dov Maoz	....	foreign location manager: Israel
Chuck Painter	....	unit publicist
Colleen Rose	....	assistant: Robert Schaffel
Ahmed Sami	....	foreign location manager: Egpyt (as Ahmed Sami Mohamed)
Faye Stephens	....	assistant to producer
Ron Weber	....	craft service
John Whaley	....	foreign location manager: UK
Nikos Doukas	....	location manager: Greece (uncredited)

Thanks
Dale Amar	....	special thanks
Hannah Rita Rose Amar	....	special thanks
Newt Arnold	....	special thanks (as Newton Arnold)
Fletcher Bryant	....	special thanks
Shawn Easton	....	special thanks
Mike Espejo	....	special thanks
Mike Gelbish	....	special thanks
Jon Johannessen	....	special thanks
Jeff Lawrence	....	special thanks
Milton Lieberman	....	special thanks
Sally Lieberman	....	special thanks
Joseph Nasser	....	special thanks (as Joseph F. Nasser)
Daniel Núñez	....	special thanks (as Daniel Nunez)
Adam O'Neil	....	special thanks
Raymond Purtle	....	special thanks
Jacob Saba	....	special thanks
Ed Schaffel	....	special thanks
Gordon Smith Jr.	....	special thanks
Geoff Vanderstook	....	special thanks
Barbara Voight	....	special thanks
Bob Yanez	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• CBS Theatrical Films

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Fox Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Atari  video games

Also Known As:

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/6

Filming Locations:

Alexandria, Egypt

Company:

CBS Theatrical Films

Trivia:

Look for Kevin Costner as a fellow shipboard guest.

Movie Connections:

Features Asteroids (1979) (VG)

Incredible Jon Voigt in a Truly Heart Moving Tale

You'll miss the point if you dismiss this as another Lifetime soaper. There is authentic truth, feeling and heart in this film if you watch it from the top and stick with it. Table for Five is an intelligently paced and structured story both men and women will relate to. A failed divorced father (Jon Voight) has been replaced in the lives of his ex-wife and children by a more well-heeled step dad (Richard Crenna). The biological father (Voight) is allowed to take a two week Mediterranean cruise with his three pre-adolescent kids - the first time he's spent an extended period with them in four years. His failings as a father soon become apparent days into the cruise, but tragic events transpire that challenge him to ante up for his kids in ways he could never emotionally risk before.

A powerful film about fathering, Table for Five contains two of the ten best hours of Jon Voigt ever released on film - an outstandingly nuanced performance. The kids, especially Roxana Zal and Robbie Kiger are precociously honest actors. And dig the talent on the other side of the lens. Vilmos Zsigmond (Deer Hunter etc) is director of photography, Michael Kahn (editor on almost all Spielberg pix since Close Encounters) did the cut. The screenplay by David Seltzer (Lucas) gives the actors and the audience everything they could want from each character. Robert Leiberman's patient blocking and direction allows all the principal actors time to develop each scene. Professional all the way. A 9.5 out of 10, with only a half point deducted for a few somewhat slick TV-ish shortcuts in the production and a hammy helicopter dolly up. But, make no mistake. This one is not to be missed. Enjoy!