Of Mice and Men (1992)

Director:

Gary Sinise

Writers (WGA):

John Steinbeck (novel)
Horton Foote (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 October 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

We have a dream. Someday, we'll have a little house and a couple of acres. A place to call home.

Plot:

Two drifters, one a gentle but slow giant, try to make money working the fields during the Depression so they can fulfill their dreams.

Plot Keywords:

California | Lonely Woman | Country Life | Tragedy | Loneliness

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Malkovich	...	Lennie Small
Gary Sinise	...	George Milton
Ray Walston	...	Candy
Casey Siemaszko	...	Curley
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Curley's Wife
John Terry	...	Slim
Richard Riehle	...	Carlson
Alexis Arquette	...	Whitt
Joe Morton	...	Crooks
Noble Willingham	...	The Boss
Joe D'Angerio	...	Jack
Tuck Milligan	...	Mike
David Steen	...	Tom
Moira Sinise	...	Girl in Red Dress (as Moira Harris)
Mark Boone Junior	...	Bus Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diane McGee	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Donna Persico	...	Prostitute (uncredited)
Lori Romero	...	Prostitute (uncredited)

Directed by
Gary Sinise

Writing credits (WGA)
John Steinbeck		(novel "Of Mice and Men")
Horton Foote		(screenplay)

Produced by
Alan C. Blomquist	....	executive producer
Gary Sinise	....	producer
Russell Smith	....	producer (as Russ Smith)

Original Music by
Mark Isham

Cinematography by
Kenneth MacMillan

Film Editing by
Robert L. Sinise

Casting by
Amanda Mackey Johnson		(as Amanda Mackey)
Cathy Sandrich

Production Design by
David Gropman

Art Direction by
Dan Davis

Set Decoration by
Joyce Anne Gilstrap
Karen Schulz Gropman		(as Karen Schulz)

Costume Design by
Shay Cunliffe

Makeup Department
Fríða Aradóttir	....	key makeup artist (as Frida Aradottir)
Bonita DeHaven	....	makeup artist
Peggy Hannaman	....	assistant hair stylist
Ann Pala	....	assistant makeup artist
Tammy Ashmore	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Alan C. Blomquist	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cara Giallanza	....	first assistant director
Andrew Miller	....	second second assistant director
Michele Panelli-Venetis	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Ron Ashmore	....	paint foreman (as Ronald Ashmore)
Patrick Cassidy	....	leadman
John Ceniceros	....	set dresser
David Elliott	....	construction coordinator
Mark 'Digger' Green	....	assistant art director (as Mark Green)
Terry Haskell	....	property master
Daniel Maltese	....	assistant art director (as Dan Maltese)
David McKlveen	....	construction foreman
Raymond Prado	....	storyboard artist (as Ray Prado)
Michael Shapiro	....	set dresser (as Michael A. Shapiro)
'Polar Bear' Shaw	....	leadman (as G. Stewart Shaw)
Cheryl Tyre Smith	....	set designer (as Cheryl T. Smith)
Ward Welton	....	head scenic artist (as Harry W. Welton)
Chris Alvarez	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Charlotte Garnell-Scheide	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Allan Johnson	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lynn Bopeley	....	boom operator
David Brownlow	....	production sound mixer
Carlos Delarios	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Carlos de Larios)
Joel Fein	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Grannis	....	foley editor (as David Granis)
Gary A. Hecker	....	foley mixer (as Gary Hecker)
Wayne Heitman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Pieter Hubbard	....	sound editor
Andy Kopetzky	....	sound editor
Jimmy Ling	....	adr editor
Rocky Moriana Jr.	....	foley editor
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
Bill Phillips	....	supervising sound editor
John Phillips	....	supervising sound editor
Hal Sanders	....	sound editor
Scott Shadden	....	assistant sound effects
Dan Sharp	....	sound re-recordist
Chris Todd	....	sound editor (as Christopher Todd)
Jeffrey Wilhoit	....	foley artist (as Jeff Wilhoit)
Tommy Goodwin	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Tommy Goodwin	....	foley mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Howard Jensen	....	special effects

Stunts
Kenneth B. Belsky	....	stunts
Charlie Brewer	....	stunts
Charles Croughwell	....	stunt coordinator
Kerrie Cullen	....	stunts
Tony Jefferson	....	stunts
Steven Maines	....	stunts (as Steven D. Maines)
Spiro Razatos	....	stunts
Edward J. Ulrich	....	stunt coordinator (as Edward Ulrich)

Camera and Electrical Department
Trent Anderson	....	second assistant camera
Alan Caso	....	director of photography: second unit
Andrew Cooper	....	still photographer
Giles Dunning	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Charlie Edwards	....	grip (as Charles Edwards)
Franklyn Gottbetter	....	video playback operator (as Franklyn M. Gottbetter)
Paul Hauser	....	electrician
Bob Leitelt	....	grip (as Robert J. Leitelt)
Patrick Lennon	....	electrician (as Packy Lennon)
Willie Mann	....	best boy grip (as William Mann)
Mike Moad	....	dolly grip
Les Percy	....	key grip (as Leslie J. Percy Jr.)
Terry Pfrang	....	first assistant camera: second unit (as Terry Jon Pfrang)
Chris Reddish	....	electrician (as Christopher Reddish)
Patrick Reddish	....	chief lighting technician
Don Reddy	....	camera operator
Michael G. Riba	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Riba)
Charles Smith	....	grip
John Vecchio	....	best boy electric
Chris Funk	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Michael R. Marquette	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Greg Jackson	....	casting assistant
Robert J. Teitelbaum	....	extras casting: L.A. Casting Express (as Robert Teitelbaum)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Austin Myers	....	assistant costume designer
Marsha Perloff	....	wardrobe supervisor
Tim Wegman	....	set costumer (as Timothy Wegman)
Kathy Oberlin	....	costume constructor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Noreen Evans	....	assistant editor
Carla Christina Formica	....	second assistant editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Daniel A. Valverde	....	assistant editor (as Daniel Valverde)

Music Department
Thomas A. Carlson	....	music editor (as Tom Carlson)
Sharal Churchill	....	music consultant
Stephen Krause	....	music mixer
Stephen Krause	....	music recordist
Jackie Krost	....	music consultant
Ken Kugler	....	conductor
Ken Kugler	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Wayne Nelson	....	transportation coordinator
Danny L. Swanson	....	transportation captain (as Danny Swanson)

Other crew
Tamara Allen	....	assistant production coordinator
Gerard Averill	....	production assistant (as Gerard W. Averill)
Adam Beason	....	key set production assistant
Tim Christenson	....	production associate
Bryan Constans	....	production assistant (as Bryan Stewart Constans)
Thomas A. Davila	....	production accountant
Wayne Forman	....	caterer: Unique Caterers
Barbara A. Hall	....	production coordinator
Annette Haywood-Carter	....	script supervisor
David Higby	....	production assistant (as Dave Higby)
Janet Hill	....	publicist
Michael Magne	....	craft service
Mary Lamar Mahler	....	first aid
Marshall D. Moore	....	location manager (as Marshall Moore)
Corky Randall	....	ramrod (as Buford Randall)
Paul 'Sled' Reynolds	....	animal trainer (as Paul Reynolds)
Gordon A. Spencer	....	boss wrangler (as Gordon Spencer)
Steve Timinskas	....	assistant production accountant (as Steven Timinskas)
JoAnne Verkler	....	assistant location manager
Madonna Wade-Reed	....	assistant: Mr. Smith (as Madonna Wade)
Jim Jaffe	....	product placement (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD) (widesceen)
• Fox Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Mackey/Sandrich Casting  casting
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some scenes of violence

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | France:U | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 (No. 31799) | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The girl in the red dress, running through the field at the beginning of the movie, was played by Moira Sinise, the wife of director/star Gary Sinise.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene when Lenny drinks from the stream, he puts his hands in the water, but when he stands up and talks to George his hands and sleeves are dry.

Quotes:

[last lines]
George:We're gonna get a little place.
Lennie:Okay, yeah, we're gonna get a little place and w're gonna...
George:We gonna...
Lennie:...have...
George:[Lennie mouths what he says] We're gonna have a cow, and some pigs, and we're gonna have, maybe-maybe, a chicken. Down in the flat, we'll have a little field of...
Lennie:Field of alfalfa for the rabbits.
George:...for the rabbits.
Lennie:And I get to tend the rab...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Emma Stone/Coldplay (#37.6)" (2011)

This one will touch you...

This is a masterful and faithful portrayal of Steinbeck's classic novel. The screenplay brings to life the tragic yet uplifting story of loyalty and the kind of bond that can grow between men that we are often reluctant to acknowledge, much less show.

Aside from the story, the cast is what really makes this film. I have always held a soft spot for Gary Sinise after his role in Forrest Gump, wherein his character portrayed another facet of the bonding between men made brothers by cruel circumstance, yet can grow and flourish as the years and other circumstances come to pass. Here, as Lenny's friend and protector against a world that baffles and confuses him, he shows the kind of rough-edged tenderness and affection that both endears us to his plight, and fills us with the dread of what we know must come between the men. John Malkovich shows his depth as an actor by bringing to life the dull-witted but pure-hearted Lenny, in a way that will tug at your heartstrings. I found myself both laughing (in a sad way) at Lenny's ineptness in dealing with a world clearly more confusing than his limited wits can manage, and crying over his being targeted for taunting and abuse by cruel and crude men, and ultimately done in by his brute strength when it was lacking the direction and temper given by his friend George.

A pleasant surprise was Ray Walston as the aged but gentle and good-hearted ranch hand Candy, who has no one in life to love but his old sheepdog, who, like him, he knows, must ultimately be "put down" because of age and the wear and tear that a life of hard labor has worn down. The scene of his finally surrendering his faithful canine companion to be euthanized by a gunshot to the back of the head by another well-meaning field hand is very heartbreaking. Having grown up with the "Uncle Martin" of "My Favorite Martian" Walston, seeing his adept performance in a dramatic role gave me a new appreciation for his versatility as a character actor.

Those who watch this film should allow plenty of time alone to view it straight through with no interruptions. Swallow your pride and keep a box of tissues handy, and some time afterwards for quiet contemplation and "recovery".