Our Town (1989)

This classic American play, performed on an almost-bare stage, is about the mundane but rather pleasant lives of the Gibbs family, the Webb family, and their neighbors in Grover's Corners, ... See full summary »

Director:

Kirk Browning

Writer:

Thornton Wilder (play)

Stars:

Spalding Gray, James Rebhorn, Atticus Brady

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Spalding Gray	...	Stage Manager
James Rebhorn	...	Dr. Gibbs
Atticus Brady	...	Joe Crowell / Si Crowell
John Griesemer	...	Howie Newsome
Frances Conroy	...	Mrs. Gibbs
Roberta Maxwell	...	Mrs. Webb
Eric Stoltz	...	George Gibbs
Lydia Kelly	...	Rebecca Gibbs
Shane Culkin	...	Wally Webb
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Emily Webb
Bill Alton	...	Prof. Willard
Peter Maloney	...	Mr. Webb
Steven Goldstein	...	Belligerent man
Jeff Weiss	...	Simon Stimson
Marcell Rosenblatt	...	Mrs. Soames

Storyline

This classic American play, performed on an almost-bare stage, is about the mundane but rather pleasant lives of the Gibbs family, the Webb family, and their neighbors in Grover's Corners, New Hampshire, early in the 20th century. Act 1 presents an ordinary day in the life of the town. Act 2 carries the story forward with the courtship and marriage of George Gibbs and Emily Webb. Act 3 makes everything that has gone before seem pointless, but at the same time, ironically, it validates the earlier scenes. Emily has died while giving birth to her second child. During and after her funeral, she converses with other dead persons in the cemetery. She then gets permission to return briefly to life but finds it's not what she thought it would be. It goes too fast, and people don't have time to look at one another. "This is the way we were: in our growing up and in our marrying and in our living and in our dying." That's how the Stage Manager, an all-knowing character who serves as the ...

---

Plot Keywords:

new hampshire | birth | second chance | ghost | small town | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Music | Musical

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1989 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Lyceum Theatre - 149 West 45th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brandman Productions, Lincoln Center Theater, WNET Channel 13 New York

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This filmed production originally opened at the Lyceum Theater in New York on December 4, 1988 and ran for 136 performances

---

Quotes

George Gibbs: Emily, if I do change, and make a big improvement... could you be- I mean, would you be-?
Emily Webb: I already am, George. I always have been.
George Gibbs: So, I guess this is a pretty important talk we've been having!

---

Connections

Version of Our Town (1977)

User Reviews

Quite possibly the best version of this play ever filmed.

I've seen the William Holden version, and the Robby Benson version, but this OUR TOWN is by far the best. This is the filmed version of the Tony award winning broadway play, filmed simply on a bare stage in New York city, and it really works well. Our school used it as a template for our production! Featuring stellar performances from Spalding Grey, Eric Stoltz and Penelope Miller, this piece will move you and make you laugh- there's a reason this is an American classic. Watch it with your family..