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For the Boys (1991)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
22 November 1991 (USA)
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Tagline:
Laughter and tears. Tragedy and triumph. They lived it all. For the boys.
Plot:
With the help of the singer and dancer Dixie Leonhard US-Entertainer Eddie Sparks wants to bring some fun to the soldiers during World War II...
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Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar.
Another 1 win
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
User Comments:
Overlong show biz drama is showcase for Bette Midler...
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Bette Midler | ... | Dixie Leonard |
 | James Caan | ... | Eddie Sparks |
 | George Segal | ... | Art Silver |
 | Patrick O'Neal | ... | Shephard |
| Christopher Rydell | ... | Danny Leonard |
 | Arye Gross | ... | Jeff Brooks |
| Norman Fell | ... | Sam Schiff |
| Rosemary Murphy | ... | Luanna Trott |
 | Bud Yorkin | ... | Phil |
| Dori Brenner | ... | Loretta |
| Jack Sheldon | ... | Wally Fields |
| Karen Martin | ... | Victoria Lee |
| Shannon Wilcox | ... | Margaret Sparks |
| Michael Greene | ... | Maj. Gen. Scott |
| Melissa Manchester | ... | Corrine |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
138 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) |
Dolby SR (35 mm prints)
Certification:
Iceland:12 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-12 |
Germany:12 |
Sweden:11 |
UK:15 |
USA:R |
Singapore:PG
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Many reviewers noted that James Caan seemed miscast in the role of comedian Eddie Sparks (a caricature of Bob Hope) and wondered why co-star George Segal, who as an actor had proved equally adept at comedy and drama, wasn't cast in the role instead. The truth is that Caan's career was hot again after the success of Misery (1990) and Segal was not, so Caan got the lead and Segal the supporting role.
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Goofs:
Factual errors: When Dixie arrives in England in December of 1942, there is a P-51 Mustang on the ramp. This airplane was not in service in December 1942. Also this airplane has the black and white identification stripes not used until June 6, 1944.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
References Casablanca (1942)
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Soundtrack:
Land of 1000 Dances
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (34 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for For the Boys (1991)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| makeup | johnseason |
| Relationship between Dixie and Danny | roargsu |
| When Danny's killed . . . | disco_tramp |
| song title? | noswalt |
| question | ShempShemp |
| Favorite part in movie? | crazy_old_days |
Recommendations
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FOR THE BOYS manages to be entertaining although there are a lot of things wrong with it--notably, the make-up job for Midler's aging process and some vulgarity in the lines she utters that seem like anachronisms given the time period begins with the '40s-era and women in show biz weren't quite that vulgar in front of U.S. troops.
JAMES CAAN does a snappy job of playing her self-absorbed, sexist song-and-dance husband who treats the various wars like a chance to strut his stuff before appreciative audiences, while Midler's character comes to understand the seriousness of war and what it does to America's finest young men, especially when her own son is killed during their act in Korea.
Midler is especially good in the early sequences where she gets to do pretty much the sort of brassy routines she started out doing in show business. Here she plays a U.S.O. singer who joins a World War II tour run by Caan. It's not exactly a case of love at first sight--in fact, it's a clash of two strong egos that remains pretty tumultuous throughout the film.
Patterned obviously after the careers of show biz troupers like Bob Hope and the sort of shows he put on for servicemen throughout the various wars, it's entertaining despite its length and owes most of its ability to hold interest due to Midler's self-confident central performance. She's a real trouper and steals just about every scene she's in. GEORGE SEGAL does a nice job as a writer mistreated by Caan who gets his revenge at an unusual Christmas party playing Santa.
Midler is at her best when singing a few songs in her own inimitable style but the film drags whenever it deals with the more serious aspects of the story. CHRISTOPHER RYDELL (the director Mark Rydell's son) is terribly miscast as Midler's son and furthermore, looks nothing like the two youngsters that play him as a young boy. He's inept in a key scene where he talks about the horrors of war.
It's an ambitious saga of show biz and war, but something about it seems awfully clichéd and artificial no matter how artfully director Mark Rydell has directed certain scenes.
Summing up: A must for Midler fans and James Caan is good too as the aging scoundrel.