The Girl in a Swing (1988)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Gordon Hessler

Writers:

Richard Adams (novel)
Gordon Hessler (writer)

Release Date:

29 September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Plot:

A London art broker goes to Copenhagen where he requires the services of a secretary fluent in Danish...

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Mother Kills Own Child | Passion | Child Murderess | Daughter

Cast

Meg Tilly	...	Karin
Rupert Frazer	...	Alan
Nicholas Le Prevost	...	The Vicar
Elspet Gray	...	Mrs. Dresland
Lynsey Baxter	...	Barbara
Jean Boht	...	Mrs. Taswell
Lorna Heilbron	...	Flick
Ljuba Castot	...	Child in Water
Helen Cherry	...	Lady Alice
Mogens Dalsgaard	...	Concert Pianist
Su Elliot	...	Nurse
June Ellis	...	Lady at Auction
Patrick Godfrey	...	Coroner
Ebbe Langberg	...	Per Simonsen
Preston Lockwood	...	Man at Sothebys
Leonard Maguire	...	Dr. Frazer (as Leonard McGuire)
Michael Melia	...	Policeman 1
Trine Michelsen	...	Receptionist
Hilary Minster	...	Joe
Klaus Pagh	...	Man at La Cocotte
Jan Petersen	...	Chef at La Cocotte
Martin Selway	...	Policeman 2
Claire Shepherd	...	Angela
Axel Strøbye	...	Jarl Borgen
Sophie Thursfield	...	Deirdre
Ralph Wade	...	Auctioneer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hanne Borchsenius	...	Jytte Borgen
Duke	...	Mr. Steinberg

Directed by
Gordon Hessler

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Adams		novel
Gordon Hessler		writer

Produced by
Just Betzer	....	producer
Benni Korzen	....	producer
Pernille Siesbye	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Carl Davis

Cinematography by
Claus Loof

Film Editing by
Robert Gordon

Costume Design by
Betina Betzer
Pernille Siesbye

Makeup Department
Kezia De Winne	....	key makeup artist
Abby John	....	makeup artist: UK
Birthe Lyngsøe	....	makeup artist: second unit
Susan Parkinson	....	makeup artist: UK

Production Management
Jim Bigham	....	production manager: Florida
Jim Bigham	....	production manager: USA
John Hilbard	....	production manager: second unit
Michael Obel	....	production manager: Denmark
Sally Pardo	....	production manager: UK

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tony Dyer	....	assistant director: UK

Art Department
Palle Arestrup	....	props: second unit
Arvid Berg	....	props: Denmark
Ena Eisel	....	props: Denmark
William Knuttel	....	props: second unit
Axel Krogsbøll	....	props: Denmark
Mark Stevensen	....	props: UK
Sarah Woodford	....	props: UK

Sound Department
Hans-Eric Ahrn	....	sound recording mixer
Lennart Birch	....	sound assistant
Preben Mortensen	....	sound
John Nielsen	....	sound editor
Bjarne Risbjerg	....	sound editor
Lars Skovgaard	....	sound editor
Maj Soya	....	sound editor
Mark Witzen	....	boom operator: US

Camera and Electrical Department
Birger Bohm	....	camera operator: second unit
Dave Cherry	....	best boy: USA
John Chickanis	....	best boy: USA
Jesper Find	....	first assistant camera
Pat Garrett	....	key grip
Torben Glarbo	....	camera operator: second unit
Peter Klitgaard	....	camera operator: second unit
Gunner Nielsen	....	camera grip
Edward Pacetti	....	cinematographer: second unit
Marty Segal	....	gaffer: USA
Otto Stenov	....	lighting director
Uffe Kaare Thomsen	....	assistant camera: second unit
Niels Vestberg	....	still photographer
Erik Wittrup Willumsen	....	assistant camera: second unit

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Pauline Daly	....	wardrobe: UK

Editorial Department
Anette Bjerregard	....	apprentice editor
Linda Schubell-Sundlin	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Cathy Carlistle	....	production coordinator: USA
Ditte Christiansen	....	production assistant: Denmark
Jonathan Korzen	....	floor runner: UK
Marjorie Lavelly	....	script supervisor
Ilan Rakah	....	production assistant: USA
Mette Schramm	....	dailies assembly
Annette Serena	....	script supervisor: USA
Ashvin Shah	....	production accountant
Pernille Siesbye	....	production assistant: second unit
Mark Somner	....	production runner: UK

Production Companies

• Panorama

Distributors

• Millimeter Films (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1990) (Canada) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (video)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• MCA (1990) (Canada) (VHS)
• Miramax Films

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Company:

Panorama

Trivia:

Last cinema role of Helen Cherry.

Good story poorly told

I remember the buzz about this movie when it came out. The sexuality, the ethereal, metaphysical theme. Sounds intriguing, no? Therefore I was surprised to see Maltin call it "unwatchable" and "a stinker". That was all before I watched it. Now that I have, I tend to agree with Leonard. Ebert's review is interesting because he "didn't get it" either, and seemed to say that the movie had accomplished something by puzzling him. You're too kind, Roger. This could have been a great movie. Each scene was well shot. Unfortunately, the whole was less than the sum of its parts. I was going to blame the Director but perhaps the Editor was more to blame. The faults: 1) the mystery, when revealed, didn't ring true. 2) the sex was totally un-erotic. 3) the visions were confusing and hokey. 4) [perhaps most annoying of all] All of Meg Tilly's lines were delivered in a whisper and with a horrible attempt at a german accent, 50% of her dialog was unintelligible.