The Man in the Moon (1991)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writer (WGA):

Jenny Wingfield (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Remember when you couldn't wait for your life to begin... and then, one day, it did?

Plot:

Rural Louisiana, summer of 1957, Elvis is King. At 14, Dani is coming of age. Her older sister is beautiful...

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Louisiana | Swimming | Skinny Dipping | Pregnant

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Sam Waterston	...	Matthew Trant
Tess Harper	...	Abigail Trant
Gail Strickland	...	Marie Foster
Reese Witherspoon	...	Dani Trant
Jason London	...	Court Foster
Emily Warfield	...	Maureen Trant
Bentley Mitchum	...	Billy Sanders
Ernie Lively	...	Will Sanders
Dennis Letts	...	Doc White
Earleen Bergeron	...	Mrs. Sanders
Anna Chappell	...	Mrs. Taylor
Brandi Smith	...	Missy Trant
Sandi Smith	...	Missy Trant
Derek Ball	...	Foster Twin
Spencer Ball	...	Foster Twin

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital (DVD version)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:R (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Germany:6 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (No. 30935) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Kisatchie, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Was filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Territory. According to a Natchitoches resident, the film makers had a difficult time finding extras for the movie, as locals had been burned by the producers of Steel Magnolias (1989) (also filmed in Natchitoches) only three years prior.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last scene of movie, where Dani and Maureen are sitting on her bed. Maureen is braiding Dani's hair, Dani's hair is completely braided all the way down to the end. Then in the very next shot, Dani's hair is all brushed out and sectioned into three parts as though Maureen is just beginning to braid her hair.

Quotes:

Court Foster: You know you don't have to come along.
Dani: Are you sure you can find your way, it's an awful big town.
Court Foster: Are you always in the habit of going where you're not wanted or is this a new thing with you?
Dani: Are you always this nice to people you just met or are you practicin' up to be a horse's butt?

Soundtrack:

That's Alright

Very Good

I doubt I would have ever rented the film, it looked too much like just a teenage love story. However, a friend who's taste I respect, recommended it. I thought the film was excellent. "The Man in The Moon" is one of those rare movies that gets it right. A warm and tender story of a family, and growing up, without being maudlin. It was the first time I'd seen Reese Witherspoon, and she was indeed impressive. You knew she had something special about her, like seeing a very young Elizabeth Taylor, in an old MGM movie. This film is idealized, yet honest. Many of us grow up with both joys and some pain, and there is an unexpected twist, that when it hits -- it hits hard.