Flatliners (1990)

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writer (WGA):

Peter Filardi (written by)

Release Date:

10 August 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Some lines shouldn't be crossed.

Plot:

Medical students bring themselves near death; their experiment begins to go awry.

Plot Keywords:

Death | Medical Student | Near Death Experience | Afterlife | Childhood

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Kiefer Sutherland	...	Nelson
Julia Roberts	...	Dr. Rachel Mannus
Kevin Bacon	...	David Labraccio
William Baldwin	...	Dr. Joe Hurley
Oliver Platt	...	Randy Steckle
Kimberly Scott	...	Winnie Hicks
Joshua Rudoy	...	Billy Mahoney
Benjamin Mouton	...	Rachel's Father
Aeryk Egan	...	Young Nelson
Kesha Reed	...	Young Winnie
Hope Davis	...	Anne Coldren
Jim Ortlieb	...	Uncle Dave
John Duda	...	Young David (as John Joseph Duda)
Megan Stewart	...	Playground Kid
Tressa Thomas	...	Playground Kid
Gonzo Gonzalez	...	Playground Kid
Afram Bill Williams	...	Ben Hicks
Deborah Thompson Duda	...	Terry (as Deborah Thompson)
Elinore O'Connell	...	Rachel's Mother
Marilyn Dodds Frank	...	Bag Lady
Sanna Vraa	...	Bridget
Nicole Niblack	...	Joe's Woman
Cynthia Bassham	...	Joe's Woman
Sarabeth Tucek	...	Joe's Woman
Ilona Margolis	...	Joe's Woman
Julie Warner	...	Joe's Woman
Iilana B'tiste	...	Joe's Woman
Deborah Torchio	...	Joe's Woman
Deborah Goomas	...	Joe's Woman
Michelle McKee	...	Joe's Woman
Nancy Moran	...	Joe's Woman
Dede Latinopoulos	...	Joe's Woman
Patricia Belcher	...	Edna
Susan French	...	Terminal Woman
Beth Grant	...	Housewife
Cage S. Johnson	...	Near Death Patient
Jared Milmeister	...	Young Nelson's Friend
Patrick Gleeson	...	Young Nelson's Friend
John Benjamin Martin	...	Man on Crack
Lyne Odums	...	Nurse
John Fink	...	Doctor
Angela Paton	...	Doctor
Evelina Fernández	...	Latin Woman (as Evelina Fernandez)
Miguel Delgado	...	Latin Husband
Ingrid Oliu	...	Latin Wife
Raymond Hanis	...	Latin Orderly
Zoaunne LeRoy	...	Waitress
Tom Kurlander	...	Medical Student
Nili Levi	...	Little Girl
Anne James	...	Beth
K.K. Dodds	...	Jill
Natsuko Ohama	...	Professor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shauna O'Brien	...	One of Joe's Women (uncredited)
Marie-Alise Recasner	...	Girl at bottom of stairs (uncredited)
Amy Rochelle	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Joel Schumacher

Writing credits (WGA)
Peter Filardi		(written by)

Produced by
Rick Bieber	....	producer
Michael Douglas	....	producer
Peter Filardi	....	executive producer
Michael I. Rachmil	....	executive producer (as Michael Rachmil)
Scott Rudin	....	executive producer

Original Music by
James Newton Howard

Cinematography by
Jan de Bont		(director of photography) (as Jan De Bont)

Film Editing by
Robert Brown

Casting by
Mali Finn

Production Design by
Eugenio Zanetti

Art Direction by
Jim Dultz

Set Decoration by
Anne Kuljian		(as Anne L. Kuljian)

Costume Design by
Susan Becker

Makeup Department
Ve Neill	....	makeup artist
Yolanda Toussieng	....	hair stylist
Michael Burnett	....	special makeup effects artist: dissection cadaver (uncredited)
Greg Cannom	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Vance Hartwell	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Dominic Mango	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Larry Odien	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Colin Penman	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Stephen McEveety	....	unit production manager (as Steve McEveety)
Chantal Feghali	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John T. Kretchmer	....	first assistant director (as John Kretchmer)
Judith Moore	....	dga trainee (as Judith A. Moore)
Jeff Rafner	....	first assistant director
Gary Schilz	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Greg John Callas	....	construction coordinator (as Greg Callas)
Michael R. Gannon	....	assistant property master
Richard Hoffenberg	....	construction foreman
Stephen Homsy	....	set designer
William A. Petrotta	....	property master
Paul Sonski	....	set designer
John Alvin	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Laurence Byrne	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
Michael Denering	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Tom von Badinski	....	welder (uncredited)

Sound Department
Petra Bach	....	adr editor
Anna Behlmer	....	sound recordist
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gary Bourgeois)
Charles L. Campbell	....	supervising sound editor
Paul Timothy Carden	....	sound editor
Chris Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Louis L. Edemann	....	sound editor
Richard C. Franklin	....	supervising sound editor (as Richard Franklin)
Rick Hart	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nils C. Jensen	....	sound editor (as Nils Jensen)
Angie Luckey	....	assistant sound editor
David MacMillan	....	production sound mixer (as David Macmillan)
Gary Mundheim	....	sound editor
Richard Oswald	....	sound editor
Fred Stafford	....	adr editor (as Frederick Stafford)
Derek Casari	....	dubbing engineer (uncredited)
Ed Golya	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Sam Barkin	....	special effects: Chicago
Phil Cory	....	special effects (as Philip Cory)
Hans Metz	....	special effects
Jerry Lieberman	....	special effects (uncredited)
Timothy W. Tiedje	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Donen	....	visual effects supervisor
Jim Danforth	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Peter Juneau	....	visual effects projection (uncredited)
Mike Leben	....	motion control operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Erickson	....	stunt coordinator
Rick Le Fevour	....	stunt double (as Rick LeFevour)
Larry Nicholas	....	stunt double
Bobby Porter	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Adcock	....	second assistant camera
Ed Ayer	....	chief lighting technician (as Edward A. Ayer)
Nathaniel James Dunn	....	best boy grip (as Nathaniel 'Jim' Dunn)
Gene Kearney	....	key grip
Ted J. Kredo	....	best boy electric
Christine M. Loss	....	still photographer (as Christine Loss)
Calmar Roberts	....	first assistant camera (as Calmar K. Roberts Jr.)
Michael Scott	....	camera operator
Thomas Enright	....	electrician (uncredited)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Stan McClain	....	camera operator: Wescam camera (uncredited)
Michael Shanman	....	lighting board operator (uncredited)
Lou Weinert	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Megan McConnell	....	casting assistant
Catherine Jane Holzer	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Mark A. Ridge	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Franklyn Warren	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kirsten Everberg	....	assistant to costume designer
Rosemarie Fall	....	costume supervisor: women
Nick Scarano	....	costume supervisor: men
Stephen P. Shubin	....	costume supervisor: men (as Steve Shubin)
Barbara Marko Friedman	....	costumer (uncredited)
Marlene Hajdu	....	set costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Dean Beville	....	apprentice editor
David E. Blewitt	....	additional editor (as Dave Blewitt)
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Phil Hetos	....	color timer
Jim Prior	....	additional editor
Pattye Rogers	....	assistant editor
James Seidelman	....	assistant editor
Rick Sparr	....	assistant editor
Fred C. Vitale	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Chris Boardman	....	additional orchestrator
Brad Dechter	....	additional orchestrator (as Brad Decter)
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer
Marty Paich	....	conductor
Dick Rudolph	....	music supervisor
Paul Salamunovich	....	conductor: St. Charles Borromeo Choir
Jon Wattenbarger	....	conductor: boys choir
Jim Weidman	....	music editor
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Martin T. Hill	....	transportation captain
William F. Hogan	....	transportation co-captain: Chicago (as Billy Hogan Jr.)
Armand Paoletti	....	transportation coordinator: Chicago
James C. Taylor	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Pamela Alch	....	script supervisor
Jacolyn Baker	....	location manager: Chicago
Steph Benseman	....	location manager (as Stephan Benseman)
Rocky Buzzini	....	production assistant (as Rocky A. Buzzini)
Peter DePalma	....	assistant: Mr. Douglas (as Peter De Palma)
Guy Ferland	....	assistant: Mr. Schumacher
Lynette Graves	....	production assistant
Erica Heider	....	assistant: Mr. Rachmil
Patricia Jeffers	....	production assistant
Tammy Karabas	....	assistant production coordinator: Chicago
Shari Leibowitz	....	production coordinator
Boone Narr	....	animal trainer
Ramon Pahoyo	....	craft service (as Ramon B. Pahoya)
Tim Pedegana	....	assistant production coordinator
Barbara Shane	....	assistant: Mr. Bieber
Susan Trembly	....	publicist
Robin Vail	....	assistant: Mr. Rachmil
Gaston Vidou	....	production assistant
Julie Yarrish	....	assistant: Mr. Schumacher
Ray Zimmerman	....	production accountant (as Raymond G. Zimmerman)
Ursula Brauner	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Bob Corff	....	voice teacher (uncredited)
Steve Kraus	....	dailies projectionist (uncredited)
Heather Pollock	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	helicopter pilot (uncredited)
Marsha Zvonkin	....	assistant accountant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation (presents) (as Columbia Pictures)
• Stonebridge Entertainment (producer)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures of Canada (1990) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Film (1990) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Interama (1991) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Prooptiki (1990) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1993) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1992) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Encore Avenue (2009) (Canada) (TV)
• LK-TEL (1991) (Argentina) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1998) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (1998) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• LK-TEL (2007) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1990) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Videosonic Arts (1991) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Cinema Research  titles and opticals
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color (as Deluxe)
• Holzer Roche Casting  extras casting: Chicago
• Panavision  filmed in
• TAJ Soundworks  foley
• Technicolor  prints
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

115 min | Finland:110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | CDS (digital 35 mm prints) | Dolby (analog 35 mm prints)

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #30218) | West Germany:16 | Iceland:14 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba) (TV rating) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Brazil:16 | Portugal:M/18 (Qualidade) | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Bensenville, Illinois, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Hope Davis's film debut.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the Gross Anatomy dissection, the medical students are told to remove the ascending colon to the transverse colon, then to continue to the sigmoid colon until reaching the appendix. The appendix is located on the right side of the colon, at the beginning of the ascending colon. The above description would put it on the left side, near the end of the sigmoid (the last part of the colon before the rectum).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nelson Wright:Today is a good day to die.

Movie Connections:

References Poltergeist (1982)

Soundtrack:

PARTY TOWN

A vaguely original horror idea

The basic premise of Flatliners is fairly simple. Several medical students put themselves at the point of death in order to find out exactly what the brain does during the fact. It sounds like something a mob of bored students would do for a joke, but it forms the basis of some very creepy substories. In today's world, where Hollywood has to mine foreign markets for the ideas to make a horror film, Flatliners is one of those rare gems that show Hollywood can make something different when it tries hard enough.

What separates Flatliners from a lot of films based on this premise that would come out today is that it does not stoop to being condescending or arrogant. Flatliners recognises that people go to films to be entertained, not moralised to. In this kind of supernatural thriller, the difference this restraint makes is really incredible. What's even more incredible is that Julia Roberts appears without being annoying or demonstrating that she can only play Julia Roberts. The theory of obscurity, that performing artists do their best work with the smallest audience, is in force here.

The subplots concerning what the characters find during their loss of pretty much everything that makes them alive, and how it comes back to intrude on their present time, are done surprisingly well. The moments when William Baldwin's character finds his personal videotape collection coming back to haunt him are especially intriguing. That William Baldwin seems so perfectly cast in the role says a lot either about the script or the direction. I am not sure which.

Kiefer Sutherland, on the other hand, really shines as the lead. One really feels for him as the mystery of what past experience is intruding on the present and why unfolds. As Kevin Bacon's character goes to find an old school pier whose life he made hell and tell her how sorry he is, it becomes clearer what the film is about. We can try to change the past as much as we like, but it's what we do with the present that matters most.

Another good aspect of Flatliners is how it achieves an atmosphere without the use of expensive, elaborate visual effects. Quite unusually for what is essentially a horror film, Flatliners did not expend its budget in places where it did not need to. Much of what we see during the more surreal sequences is a case of professional pretending, simple trick photography, or stock footage. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

If there is a problem with the film, it's that it feels about ten minutes too short. The ending seems more perfunctory than conclusive, as if someone in the studio asked the director to wrap the film up so they can bring it out at a certain market time. Of course, many films have been left with sore spots for this very reason, so Flatliners shouldn't really need to be any different. The hundred and fifteen minutes we do get is highly satisfactory, though not overly brilliant.

I gave Flatliners a seven out of ten. It works well as a date flick or a kind of late-night popcorn film. That aside, it makes a good reminder that low-budget horror shows weren't always sad pieces of garbage.