Sweet Bird of Youth (TV 1989)

The melodrama of a failing, aging movie star who takes up with an ambitious masseur who takes her home only to show off in front of his former girl friend and her powerful father.

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Tennessee Williams (play), Gavin Lambert (teleplay)

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Mark Harmon, Valerie Perrine

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Alexandra Del Lago
Mark Harmon	...	Chance Wayne
Valerie Perrine	...	Miss Lucy
Kevin Geer	...	Tom Junior
Seymour Cassel
Ronnie Claire Edwards	...	Aunt Nonnie
Cheryl Paris	...	Heavenly Finley
Rip Torn	...	Boss Finley
Charles Lucia
Teddy Wilson
Megan Blake	...	Violet
John Fleck
Tom Nolan
Billy Ray Sharkey
Ruta Lee	...	Sally Powers

Storyline

The melodrama of a failing, aging movie star who takes up with an ambitious masseur who takes her home only to show off in front of his former girl friend and her powerful father.

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Plot Keywords:

aging | remake | washed up star | self destructiveness | has been | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ambitions d'amour

Filming Locations:

Upland, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kushner-Locke Company, The, National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rip Torn (Boss Finley) was in the original film version as Finley's son.

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Goofs

This remake is set in the late 1950s. Yet Alexandra del Lago pays with a credit card, not with checks as in the original play and original film. Also some of the costuming, especially Heavenly's, is much later in style than the 1950's-early 1960s.

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Connections

Version of Sweet Bird of Youth (1962)

User Reviews

Taylor at Her Best

The success of a film is based on one thing and one thing only - chemistry - and Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Harmon positively sizzle in this film. You cannot take your eyes off them. The casting is right out of heaven. The story, of course, is pure Tennessee Williams, sordid and nasty and southern, but who cares when you're looking at two utterly gorgeous creatures like Elizabeth Taylor and Mark Harmon. The story really takes a back seat to this production which is quite lavish and hardly has the look of a television movie which is what it was. With a top flight director like Nicholas Roeg, how can you miss? You can't! Valerie Perrine in a supporting role really stands out. She is absolutely luminous and holds her own with Taylor in their scenes together. The supporting cast generally is excellent but Taylor and Harmon just cannot be beat when they are together they are so extraordinary.