Slaves of New York (1989)

Director:

James Ivory

Writers:

Tama Janowitz (based on the stories by)
Tama Janowitz (screenplay)

Release Date:

March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Eleanor lives with the artist Stash. Just like his artist friends, he is completely unknown but is waiting for the big break...

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Designer | Human Relationship | Female Nudity | Based On Novel

Cast

Bernadette Peters	...	Eleanor
Chris Sarandon	...	Victor Okrent
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Ginger Booth
Madeleine Potter	...	Daria
Adam Coleman Howard	...	Stash
Jsu Garcia	...	Marley (as Nick Corri)
Charles McCaughan	...	Sherman
John Harkins	...	Chuck Dade Dolger
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Samantha
Joe Leeway	...	Jonny Jalouse
Anna Katarina	...	Mooshka
Bruce Peter Young	...	Mikell
Michael Schoeffling	...	Jan
Steve Buscemi	...	Wilfredo
Jonas Abry	...	Mickey

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-10 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:15

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

The film Eleanor and Abby are watching while getting their haircuts is Holiday (1938).

Quotes:

Eleanor: What happened? Where were you?
Stash: Daria was helping me at the studio and I walked her home and took her dog for a walk and it was attacked by a cheetah.

Movie Connections:

Features Holiday (1938)

Soundtrack:

Grand Tour

Ins & Outs of Art Life

Slaves of New York, is a lovable, bittersweet portrait that gets better with age. It captures the essence of the late 80s art world inhabited by those on the artist food chain: future superstars, struggling unknowns, narcissists, star-f*ckers, martyrs, creeps, losers and hangers-on. Eleanor's battle with finding her place in the world while in the shadow of her ego maniacal boyfriend is a story as old as time. Slaves is a thinly-veiled art-world "A Star is Born" and there are many characters to love and hate. The main focus on Stash and Eleanor is both

frustrating and believable. Stash being immensely insecure, Eleanor being quietly talented, the actors portray their roles with such intensity, it must be noted that the casting is perfection. Everyone from myopic art dealers, lazy femme fatals, bloated benefactors and competitive artists are here waiting for their chance for their big score, whether it is buying low and selling high, getting into the "good" gallery or hooking up with the "right" lover or muse. It is satisfying in the end to see how Eleanor, by just being who she is, basically fumbles into her true calling while trying to navigate a world so cutthroat and critical. She eventually finds satisfaction with her lot in life and realizes that, that in itself, is an art worth mastering.