Mr. North (1988)

Mr. North, a stranger to a small, but wealthy, Rhode Island town, quickly has rumors started about him that he has the power to heal people's ailments. The rumors are magnified by his ... See full summary »

Director:

Danny Huston

Writers:

Thornton Wilder (novel), Janet Roach (screenplay),

Stars:

Anthony Edwards, Robert Mitchum, Lauren Bacall

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Edwards	...	Theophilus North
Robert Mitchum	...	Mr. Bosworth
Lauren Bacall	...	Mrs. Cranston
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Henry Simmons
Anjelica Huston	...	Persis Bosworth-Tennyson
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Elspeth Skeel
Virginia Madsen	...	Sally Boffin
Tammy Grimes	...	Sarah Baily-Lewis
David Warner	...	Doctor McPherson
Hunter Carson	...	Galloper Skeel
Christopher Durang	...	YMCA Clerk
Mark Metcalf	...	Mr.Skeel
Katharine Houghton	...	Mrs. Skeel
Thomas H. Needham	...	The Judge
Richard Woods	...	Willis

Storyline

Mr. North, a stranger to a small, but wealthy, Rhode Island town, quickly has rumors started about him that he has the power to heal people's ailments. The rumors are magnified by his tendency to collect negative charges and give shocks to anyone he touches. In his adventures he befriends an old man who is a shut-in and helps him rediscover the world.

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Plot Keywords:

punctuation in title | newport rhode island | firework | high society | period in title | 

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Taglines:

Some say he's a miracle man. Some say he's a fraud. You are about to meet a most unusual young man.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mr. North - Liebling der Götter

Filming Locations:

Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$1,221,366 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heritage Entertainment Inc., Samuel Goldwyn Company, The, Showcase Productions International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Mitchum was cast at short notice as Mr. Bosworth because the original actor cast dropped out due to a serious illness.

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Goofs

The rackets used during the scene set at the Newport Casino / International Tennis Hall of Fame are obviously from a more modern era, as well as having broken strings and generally being in poor condition.

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Quotes

Theophilus North: Madam, I suggest that you encourage your children to play with matches!

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Soundtracks

"YOU KNOW MY SOFT SPOT"
Written, Arranged & Produced by David McHugh

User Reviews

Very likable.

I think I scored this slight film as high as I did because not only did it have a likable script and likable characters, but it was also nice for an old film buff like me because the film features a couple surprising appearances in supporting roles. Although big stars, Robert Mitchum, Angelica Huston and Lauren Bacall provide support to a film anchored, surprisingly, by a young Anthony Edwards. I say surprisingly because this was well before his "ER" days. Sure, he'd appeared in "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Top Gun", but he was still far from being a star--yet here, the entire film rests on his shoulders--very capable shoulders it turned out to be.

Edwards stars as Theophilus North--a very poor graduate of one of the elite universities in the nation. Being poor, he makes a living as a reader to the rich elite in Newport, Rhode Island during the 1920s. While he has a relatively lowly job, his incredibly sweet personality make him a guy people just seem to like. And, being very thoughtful and kind, you can't help but root for the guy. Eventually, he does make a name for himself--and gains some fame as a faith healer--although he keeps telling people he is NOT a miracle worker--just a guy with a strange physical anomaly. I could say a lot more about the film--but really don't want to ruin it.

The film has a very simple story and modest pretensions. It is NOT a big-name Hollywood production and yet, oddly, the film has great support and a nice script. It's not brilliant--but quirky and likable. See this one if you want to see what Hollywood can do IF they don't look for huge special effects, explosions and the like. Very likable and endearing.