Mermaids (1990)

Director:

Richard Benjamin

Writers (WGA):

Patty Dann (novel)
June Roberts (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 December 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

This is our mother. Pray for us.

Plot:

An unconventional single mother relocates with her two daughters to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where a number of events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their familial bonds.

Plot Keywords:

Massachusetts | Nun | Kennedy Assassination | Single Mother | Teenage Girl

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins

Cast

Cher	...	Mrs. Flax
Bob Hoskins	...	Lou Landsky
Winona Ryder	...	Charlotte Flax
Michael Schoeffling	...	Joe
Christina Ricci	...	Kate Flax
Caroline McWilliams	...	Carrie
Jan Miner	...	Mother Superior
Betsy Townsend	...	Mary O'Brien
Richard McElvain	...	Mr. Crain
Paula Plum	...	Mrs. Crain
Dossy Peabody	...	Coach Parker
William Paul Steele	...	Boss in Oklahoma
Rex Trailer	...	Dr. Reynolds
Pete Kovner	...	Perfect Family Father
Patricia Madden	...	Perfect Family Mother
Justin Marchisio	...	Perfect Family Boy
Caitlin Marie Bottomley	...	Perfect Family Girl
Amy Gollnick	...	Girl in Bathroom #1
Seacia Pavao	...	Girl in Bathroom #2
Merle Perkins	...	Nurse
Baxter Harris	...	Boss in Massachusetts
Carol Moss	...	Boss' Fiancee
Denise Cormier	...	Pretty Girl at Shoe Store
Al Hodgkins	...	Crying Man on Street
Tamasin Scarlet Johnson	...	Young Nun
Sandra Shipley	...	Crying Nun
Russell Jones	...	Judge at Swim Meet
Shawna Sullivan	...	Charlotte 5 Years Old
Bob Rogerson	...	Charlotte's Dad
Tom Kemp	...	Carrie's Husband
Janice Janes	...	New Year's Partyer
Bill McCann	...	New Year's Partyer
Dottie Healy	...	New Year's Partyer (as Dotty Pagliaro)
Arnie Cox	...	Kennedy Mourner
Michelle Faith	...	Kennedy Mourner
Grace Costa	...	Kennedy Mourner
John McGee	...	Kennedy Mourner
Bill McDonald	...	Kennedy Mourner
Harry Cooper	...	Kennedy Mourner
Lynda Robinson	...	Kennedy Mourner
Jerry Quinn	...	Policeman

Directed by
Richard Benjamin

Writing credits (WGA)
Patty Dann		(novel)
June Roberts		(screenplay)

Produced by
Lauren Lloyd	....	producer
Wallis Nicita	....	producer
Patrick J. Palmer	....	producer (as Patrick Palmer)
Suzanne Rothbaum	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jack Nitzsche

Cinematography by
Howard Atherton

Film Editing by
Jacqueline Cambas

Casting by
Margery Simkin

Production Design by
Stuart Wurtzel

Art Direction by
Evelyn Sakash
Steve Saklad

Set Decoration by
Hilton Rosemarin

Costume Design by
Marit Allen

Makeup Department
Joe Dal Corso	....	hair stylist
Leonard Engelman	....	makeup artist: Cher
Renate Leuschner	....	wig designer: Cher (as Renata Leuschner)
Francesca Paris	....	hair stylist: Cher
Mickey Scott	....	makeup artist
Anthony Veader	....	second hairstylist
Jack O'Neil	....	second hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Christopher Cronyn	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alice Bouvrie	....	second second assistant director
Princess McLean	....	second assistant director
Patrick J. Palmer	....	second unit director (as Patrick Palmer)
Jim Van Wyck	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Suzy Abbott	....	paint foreman
Patrick Colantuoni	....	construction foreman
Jim Connors	....	second assistant props
Gina Coyle	....	graphic artist
Tracey A. Doyle	....	assistant decorator
Charlotte Garnell	....	art department assistant
David Gulick	....	assistant props
Tom Higgins	....	construction foreman
Deborah Kanter	....	set designer
James V. Kent	....	lead man (as Jim Kent)
Sherman Labby	....	production illustrator
Philip Messina	....	set designer
Don Miloyevich	....	property master
Stacy Morse	....	stand-by painter
Nicholas H. Parker	....	set dresser (as Nicholas Parker)
John Provenzano	....	paintings
Kurt Smith	....	construction foreman
Donna Swope Wieters	....	scenic charge
Christopher Welling	....	set dresser (as Chris Welling)
Norman White	....	construction coordinator
Bill Wieters	....	paint foreman
Victor J. Zolfo	....	set dresser (as Victor Zolfo)
Daniel J. Courchaine	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Charlotte Garnell-Scheide	....	buyer (uncredited)
Floyd Gentry	....	stand-by painter: Texas (uncredited)
Jeff Ginn	....	graphic artist/signs (uncredited)
Butch McCarthy	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Amy Morrison	....	scenic artist (uncredited)
Jack O'Neil	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Diane Rich	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mary Andrews	....	adr editor
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Jeff Bushelman	....	supervising sound editor
Virginia Cook-McGowan	....	sound editor
Mike Dobie	....	supervising sound editor
Timothy C. Dobie	....	first assistant sound editor
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley artist (as Gary 'Wrecker' Hecker)
Jonathan Klein	....	assistant adr editor
Bruce Lacey	....	sound editor
Richard Lightstone	....	sound mixer
Colin C. Mouat	....	sound editor
Larry Oatfield	....	sound effects mixer (as E. Larry Oatfield)
Jayme S. Parker	....	sound editor
Debbie Peterson	....	assistant sound editor
Catherine Rowe	....	foley artist
Forest Williams	....	boom operator
Steve Burcham	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Brian Ricci	....	special effects

Stunts
Linda Arvidson	....	stunts
Elyse Garfinkel	....	stunts
Brian Ricci	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
James R. Belletier	....	second assistant camera (as Jim Belletier)
Kerry Hayes	....	still photographer
Al LaVerde	....	key grip
Steven C. McGee	....	best boy (as Steve Magee)
Peter Norman	....	camera operator: second unit
Harald Ortenburger	....	camera operator
David Pisani	....	camera trainee
Roger Raiford	....	video playback operator
Scott Rathner	....	first assistant camera
Ty Suehiro	....	second grip
Gary Tandrow	....	gaffer
Clay H. Wilson	....	dolly grip (as Clay Wilson)
Bob Becchio	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera (uncredited)
Lorne MacDougall	....	electrician (uncredited)
William M. Weberg	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Ronna Kress	....	casting assistant: New York
Carol Larkin	....	location casting
Raquel Osborne	....	location casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gail Baldoni	....	mermaid costume
Debbie Holbrook	....	costumer
Fred Lloyd	....	wardrobe supervisor
Cassy McEvoy	....	seamstress
Diane Paxton	....	mermaid costume milliner
Martha Seely	....	costume assistant
Patty Spinale	....	mermaid costume
Peggy Stamper	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Brian L. Chambers	....	associate editor
William Fletcher	....	assistant editor
Andrea Lelievre	....	apprentice editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Clif 'Chick' Taylor	....	post-production assistant
Willie Webb	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Peter Asher	....	music producer
Gay DiFusco	....	music clearance
Bradford Ellis	....	music arranger
Bradford Ellis	....	performer: electronic keyboards and piano
Michael Hoenig	....	music score provider
John David Kalodner	....	soundtrack album consultant
Pamela Neal	....	scoring engineer
Richard Whitfield	....	music editor
David Sibley	....	music supervisor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Theodore A. Stamas	....	picture vehicles
William Winn	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Joe M. Aguilar	....	production controller (as Joe Aguilar)
Denise Alexander	....	assistant production coordinator
Nicole Arbusto	....	assistant: Ms. Lloyd
Carolyn Bauer	....	assistant: Mr. Benjamin
Jane Bouras	....	stand-in: "Kate"/"Charlotte"
Thomas Burke	....	production assistant (as Tom Burke)
Ann Marie Coniglio	....	assistant: Mr. Palmer
Alex Davis	....	dialogue coach: Boston
Jennifer Dugan Sanchez	....	tutor
Roberta Farkas	....	dialect coach: Los Angeles
Rick Firkins	....	caterer: All Star Catering
Michael Fitzpatrick	....	production assistant
Michael Grigsby	....	accounting assistant
Regina Gruss	....	unit publicist
Ida Lee Henderson	....	assistant production accountant
Jennifer Ingalls	....	production assistant
Cam MacCormack	....	stand-in: "Charlotte" (as Cam McCormack)
Hugh MacKay	....	production assistant
Charles Miller	....	location manager
Reyna Morenoff	....	office intern
Greg Morgan	....	catering assistant
Jim Mullen	....	craft service
Randy Nickerson	....	stand-in: "Joe"
William O'Brien	....	teamster captain
Sammy Pasha	....	stand-in: "Lou"
Debbie Paull	....	assistant: Cher
Tom Potier	....	office production assistant
Pamela Ranger	....	production assistant
Lisa Rhoades	....	stand-in: "Kate"
Christina Sanchez	....	assistant: Ms. Nicita
Ann-Cathrin Schmidt	....	production coordinator
Sam Schwatt	....	dialogue coach: New York
D.J. Sperry	....	production assistant
Ricki L. Stein	....	financial representative (as Ricki Stein)
Renata Stoia	....	script supervisor
Gina Marie Turcketta	....	stand-in: "Mrs. Flax" (as Gina Turcketta)
Hal Wagner	....	projectionist
Michael Williams	....	location manager
Alan Jacques	....	projectionist (uncredited)

Thanks
Mary Lou Crane	....	the producers wish to thank
Joe Violante	....	the producers wish to thank (as Joey Violante)

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1990) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1993) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (The Winona Ryder Star Collection)
• Roadshow Home Video
• Video Omega (Argentina) (video)

Other Companies

• Geffen Records  soundtrack
• High Output  grip and lighting equipment
• K!SSPROOF Entertainment  cast appearance booking
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

110 min | Canada:93 min (Ontario - edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:PA (Ontario) | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Big Lake, Texas, USA

Trivia:

The role of Charlotte initially went to Emily Lloyd, who went to receive $435,000 and 2.5% of the net profits from the film. When Cher complained that the fair-haired Lloyd could not look like her daughter, she was cast out of the film and replaced by Winona Ryder. Lloyd then sued Orion Pictures Corporation and Mermaid Productions, reaching a settlement on the second day of the trial, 30 July 1991.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: As the groceries are being put away, a Dole can with a 1990s logo is visible in the refrigerator.

Quotes:

Charlotte Flax:Oh god. I think I might be pregnant with the next Jewish Italian Messiah

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: Oscar Nomination Surprises" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Johnny Angel

Winona's finest hour

Winona Ryder is fantastic in this movie - its a helluva part and she plays it for all it is worth. Whether she is worshipping Joe (the local hunk-deluxe), or watching 'The Singing Nun' on television, she is completely believable. Her relationship with her less-than-perfect Mother (Cher) is also believable. As a bonus, you get Christina Ricci and Bob Hoskins and some beautiful cinematography. It also has a real feel for the 60's.

Downsides are one cliche too many (WHY does every movie that takes place in the 60's have to feature JFK's assassination?) and it goes on a tad too long, but its worth watching for sure.