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Music Box (1989)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Joe Eszterhas (written by)
Release Date:
January 1990 (USA)
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Tagline:
As a lawyer all she wanted was the truth. As a daughter all she wanted was his innocence. How well do you really know your father?
Plot:
A lawyer defends her father accused of war crimes, but there is more to the case than she suspects. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 1 win
&
2 nominations
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NewsDesk:
User Comments:
Qualified to speak on the performances
more (22 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Jessica Lange | ... | Ann Talbot | |
| Armin Mueller-Stahl | ... | Mike Laszlo | |
| Frederic Forrest | ... | Jack Burke | |
| Donald Moffat | ... | Harry Talbot | |
| Lukas Haas | ... | Mikey Talbot | |
| Cheryl Lynn Bruce | ... | Georgine Wheeler | |
| Mari Töröcsik | ... | Magda Zoldan | |
| J.S. Block | ... | Judge Silver | |
| Sol Frieder | ... | Istvan Boday | |
| Michael Rooker | ... | Karchy Laszlo | |
| Elzbieta Czyzewska | ... | Melinda Kalman | |
| Magda Szekely Marburg | ... | Judit Hollo | |
| Felix Shuman | ... | James Nathanson | |
| Michael Shillo | ... | Geza Vamos | |
| George Pusep | ... | Vladimir Kostav |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Singapore:PG |
Iceland:L |
Argentina:13 |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-10 |
Sweden:7 |
UK:15 |
USA:PG-13 |
West Germany:12 |
Australia:M
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Both Kirk Douglas and Walter Matthau wanted to play the father (Michael Laszlo) and were in contact with director Costa-Gavras. He picked Armin Mueller-Stahl for the part, who a couple of years earlier had said he would love to work with Costa-Gavras after seeing his movie Missing (1982) at the theater.
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Quotes:
Jack Burke:
You trust your heart, you gonna get it broken.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in The 62nd Annual Academy Awards (1990) (TV)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (22 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Music Box (1989)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Michael Laszlo and wife | fausst1 |
| Would You Defend You Parent? | domino1003 |
| the end | leopat |
| Young Mike Lazlo | domino1003 |
| Song? | funky_monkey_8_ |
| Ann Talbot | cupodirect |
Recommendations
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I was astounded in reading the comments on these films to see people saying that Armin Muehler-Stall's character is flat and empty.Also, those that say his angry outbursts are not threatening.
My father is a Hungarian immigrant who I have wondered where he has a similar "true story". I can say from personal experience that Armin's performances are consistent with my father's outbursts and for me personally were terrifying when seeing the movie.
In terms of the generalization that the performance was "flat", there is a cold, clinical, almost sociapathic sense to some elderly Hungarians. Additionally, I found Jessica Lange's performance COMPLETELY believeable as someone raised under such strong expectations and often silent or restrained about true expressions of emotion or fear.
That's my two cents. DO NOT underestimate the ACCURACY of this film.