Waiting for the Moon (15 Jun. 1987)

Sundance prizewinner. Fictionalized portrait of one of history's great literary couples: Stein & Toklas. Summer 1930s France, Alice tends to ailing Gertrude; they visit Fernande Olivier, ... See full summary »

Director:

Jill Godmilow

Writers:

Jill Godmilow (story), Mark Magill (screenplay),

Stars:

Linda Hunt, Linda Bassett, Jacques Boudet

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Hunt	...	Alice B. Toklas
Linda Bassett	...	Gertrude Stein
Jacques Boudet	...	Guillaume Apollinaire
Andrew McCarthy	...	Henry Hopper
Bernadette Lafont	...	Fernande Olivier
Adolfo Vargas	...	Pablo Picasso (voice)
Pierre-Alain Chapuis	...	Priest
Daniel Langlet	...	Monsieur Thiele
Michèle Gleizer	...	Madame Thiele (as Michèle Gleiser)
Bruce McGill	...	Ernest Hemingway
K.C. Schulberg	...	Stage Manager
Pascal Cambon	...	Sound Effects Man
Liliane Rovère	...	Bordello Madame (as Liliane Rovere)
Brigitte Bellac	...	Prostitute
Jean Achache	...	Doctor

Storyline

Sundance prizewinner. Fictionalized portrait of one of history's great literary couples: Stein & Toklas. Summer 1930s France, Alice tends to ailing Gertrude; they visit Fernande Olivier, Guillaume Apollinaire, others; and Hemingway pops in.

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Plot Keywords:

summer | lesbian | historical event | independent film

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK France USA West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 June 1987 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Nucourt, France

Box Office

Gross:

$751,555 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse Theatrical Films, Skouras Pictures, New Front Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

By the 21st century U.S. standards of female height (ranging from 5'3" to 5'6"), Stein (5'1") and Toklas (4'11") were quite short for women, but for their time, Stein was of average female height for a woman born prior to 1900, and Toklas was only very slightly shorter than average. In the film, they are portrayed with a very noticeable height difference, with Linda Hunt being 4'9" (per Hunt's imdb profile) and Linda Bassett being at least 5'6".

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Crazy Credits

This is a fictional film inspired by the lives of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas. The events depicted are not intended to be and should not be accepted as factual.

User Reviews

One of the greatest "small" films I've ever watched and re-watched

What a gem this is. Out of the blue, a perfect partnership between Linda Hunt as Alice B. Toklas, and the far too underrated Linda Basset as Gertrude Stein. Watching this film is like a dream, and you completely suspend disbelief about some (deliberate) anachronisms. I have watched this so many times and cannot be bored. As well as being visually beautiful and intellectually witty, the two woman spar and jostle, sometimes angrily, for room in their relationship. But their love, devotion, and admiration for each other never wavers. Quite amazing. I am so glad that the DVD release offers a thorough commentary by Jill Godmilow the director --- we discover that Jacques Boudet's charming-cute diction as Appollinaire stems from the fact that he understands no English and learned his scripted lines phonetically!). The only negative: the soundtrack for some outdoor scenes is unclear. 10 out of 10. I will watch this lovely contemplation of Alice and Gretrude all my life.