Irreconcilable Differences (1984)

Director:

Charles Shyer

Writers:

Nancy Meyers (written by)
Charles Shyer (written by)

Release Date:

28 September 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

They've Got Everything... including a 10 year old daughter who's suing them for divorce.

Plot:

Alternating between the past and the present, a precocious little girl sues her selfish, career-driven parents for emancipation, surprising them both.

Plot Keywords:

Parent | Divorce | Maid | Love | Voice Over Narration

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Ryan O'Neal	...	Albert Brodsky
Shelley Long	...	Lucy Van Patten Brodsky
Drew Barrymore	...	Casey Brodsky
Sam Wanamaker	...	David Kessler
Allen Garfield	...	Phil Hanner
Sharon Stone	...	Blake Chandler (aka Amanda)
Kim Marriner	...	Reporter
Wendy Gordon	...	Reporter
Ken Gale	...	Reporter
Deborah Cody	...	Reporter
Steven K. Miller	...	Reporter
Annie Meyers-Shyer	...	Little Girl in Crowd
Lauren Hartman	...	Woman on the Street
David Paymer	...	Alan Sluiser
Larry Marko	...	Court Clerk
Lorinne Vozoff	...	Judge Shalack
David Graf	...	Bink
Ida Random	...	Woman at Party
Steffen Zacharias	...	Man at Party
Laura Campbell	...	Uptight Woman
Jenny Gago	...	Tracy
Verna Cornelius	...	Englishwoman at Party
Johna Stewart-Bowden	...	Little Casey
David D'Arnal	...	Waiter
Don Benjamin	...	Whispering Man
Jaid Barrymore	...	Whispering Woman
Kelly Lange	...	Anchorwoman
Rex Reed	...	Entertainment Editor
Irving Meyers	...	Man in Bar
William A. Fraker	...	Gabrielle Cinematographer
Eloise Hardt	...	Elaine Kessler
Art Bradley	...	Handsome Party Guest
Stuart Pankin	...	Ronnie
Laura Coker	...	Amy (as Laura Winitsky)
Gregory Hodal	...	Atlanta Preacher
Carl Byrd	...	Atlanta Sound Man
Luana Anders	...	Atlanta Widow
Richard Minchenberg	...	Howard Kay
Charlotte Stewart	...	Sally
Dana Kaminski	...	Woman in Dress Shop
Arlin Miller	...	Radio Newscaster (voice)
Ken Lerner	...	Doctor
Minnie Summers Lindsey	...	Inez (as Minnie Lindsay)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hortensia Colorado	...	Maria Hernandez
Marc May	...	Reporter
Beverly Reed	...	Dotty Chandler
Douglas DuVal	...	Cab Driver (uncredited)
Ellen Geer	...	(uncredited)
Helen Mallory	...	Woman in Green (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Shyer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nancy Meyers		written by
Charles Shyer		written by

Produced by
Richard Hashimoto	....	associate producer
Nancy Meyers	....	executive producer
Arlene Sellers	....	producer
Alex Winitsky	....	producer

Original Music by
Paul De Senneville		(as Paul de Senneville)
Olivier Toussaint

Cinematography by
William A. Fraker		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John F. Burnett

Production Design by
Ida Random

Set Decoration by
Jane Bogart

Costume Design by
Joe I. Tompkins

Makeup Department
Ken Chase	....	makeup artist
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Richard Hashimoto	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
K.C. Colwell	....	second assistant director
Debra DuVal	....	dgc trainee
Michael Grillo	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael Helmy	....	set designer
William Maldonado	....	construction coordinator
Paul Rylander	....	assistant property master
Steven Westlund	....	property master

Sound Department
David R. Elliott	....	sound editor (as David Elliott)
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recordist
Michael Hilkene	....	sound editor
Fred Judkins	....	sound editor
William B. Kaplan	....	sound mixer
John Kline	....	sound editor
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer
Val Kuklowsky	....	sound editor
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joseph A. Mayer	....	sound editor (as Joe Mayer)
Earl Sampson	....	boom operator
Russ Tinsley	....	supervising sound editor
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Christopher T. Welch	....	supervising sound editor
Alyson Dee Moore	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Matt Sweeney	....	special effects supervisor

Stunts
Wendy Davies	....	stunt double
Jim Stephan	....	stunts
Jim Stephen	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Gerald H. Boatright	....	gaffer
David E. Diano	....	assistant camera (as David Diano)
Gary R. Dodd	....	key grip (as Gary Dodd)
Jan Koshay	....	dolly grip
Carol McCullough	....	still photographer
Richard Turner	....	second assistant camera
Steve Yaconelli	....	camera operator (as Stephen Yaconelli)
Don Yamasaki	....	best boy (as Donald Yamasaki)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Deborah Lucchesi	....	casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bill Blass	....	wardrobe: for Sam Wanamaker
April Ferry	....	costume supervisor
Mort Schwartz	....	costumer: men
Anne Marie Thomas Casados	....	costumer: women (as Anne Marie Thomas)

Editorial Department
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
Emily Wallin	....	apprentice film editor
Mark Winitsky	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Clayderman	....	piano solos
Milton Lustig	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Chuck Hanson	....	transportation coordinator
Ron Hardman	....	transportation captain (as Ronald Hardman)
Thomas M. Krigbaum	....	transportation captain (as Tom Krigbaum)

Other crew
Joy Anzarouth	....	production coordinator
Fredrick Baron	....	location manager
Bruce A. Block	....	filmic consultant
Scott Derrick	....	assistant: to Ms Meyers and Mr. Shyer
Amy Howard	....	assistant: to Ms Meyers and Mr. Shyer
Karin Howard	....	assistant: to Ms Meyers and Mr. Shyer
Elayne D. Lieberman	....	assistant to producer (as Elayne Lieberman)
Don Miller	....	production accountant
Betsy Norton	....	script supervisor
Judith Rheiner	....	unit publicist
Lucia Schultz	....	assistant: to Ms Meyers and Mr. Shyer
Jerome A. Shiell	....	technical consultant (as Jerome A. Shiell MD)
Tad Tadlock	....	choreographer
David C. Thomas	....	location manager
Elizabeth Yanoska	....	production accountant

Production Companies

• Hemdale Film
• Lantana (as Lantana Films)
• Warner Bros

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1987) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Olive Films (2012) (Canada) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Olive Films (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD and Blu-ray)
• Vestron Video (1985) (USA) (video)
• Ízaro Films (1984) (Spain) (all media)

Other Companies

• Echo Film Services  sound editing
• Goldwyn Sound Facility  sound re-recorded at
• Modern Film Effects  titles and opticals
• Wallis Nicita Associates  casting (as Wally Nicita Associates)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | Finland:K-8 | UK:15 | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

The expensive flop musical that the Ryan O'Neal's character makes as a vehicle for Sharon Stone's character is a thinly veiled reference to 1975's At Long Last Love, the expensive flop musical that 'Peter Bogdonovich' made as a vehicle for 'Cybill Shepard'.

Quotes:

Lucy Van Patten Brodsky:Yesterday I found a cobweb on my diaphragm.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "At the Movies: Body Rock/Irreconcilable Differences/A Soldier's Story/Love Streams" (1984)

Soundtrack:

You And Me (We Wanted It All)

Underrated

I didn't know anything about this movie before watching it, except that Drew Barrymore divorces her parents. I think that could be why I found the movie so surprising. But the movie has so many elements that make it one of the strongest films of its type. It's completely engrossing, showing realistically how a marriage can go from highs to lows and that each party can be responsible. It also shows how selfish parents can be and how without realising it they can screw with a child (drew). After watching this film I came to IMDB to see if shelley long or ryan o'neal had won oscars for their performances and if the film won best picture, but apparently it was shunned and not many people have seen it....at least there's cable. It looked like a lot of effort went into making the movie, so it's a shame it's been overlooked.