Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993)

Director:

Michael Steinberg

Writers (WGA):

Roger Hedden (play)
Roger Hedden (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Nick is leaving. Beth is staying. Carol is waiting. Sid is painting.

Plot:

Nick is a feckless television salesman who gets fired and impulsively decides that he and his girlfriend...

Plot Keywords:

Human Relationship | Search For Parent | Road | American Southwest | Cannabis

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Phoebe Cates	...	Carol
Bridget Fonda	...	Beth
Tim Roth	...	Nick
Eric Stoltz	...	Sid
Alicia Witt	...	Elizabeth
Sandra Ellis Lafferty	...	Yard Sale Lady (as Sandra Lafferty)
Sidney Dawson	...	TV Customer
Jon Proudstar	...	Station Attendant
Scott Johnson	...	Chip
Kezbah Weidner	...	Dine Woman
Peter Fonda	...	Motorcycle Rider
Amaryllis Borrego	...	Waitress
Rich Wheeler	...	Elizabeth's Grandfather
Scott Frederick	...	TV Store Kid
Warren Burton	...	Radio Preacher (voice)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:S | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

August Entertainment

Trivia:

In the scene when Peter Fonda arrives on his motorcycle and asks Tim Roth if the phone works, Bridget Fonda is actually hiding in the back seat of the car Roth is in. If you look very closely, for a second you see a small blue patch behind the seat for a second as Roth is sitting up. The same color of the t-shirt Bridget wore in the Arizona scenes. In the audio commentary on the DVD, director Michael Steinberg explains, "Bridget wanted to be in a shot with her father. Of course you can't see her at all. She's ducked down behind in the back seat, but I guess it was not since Easy Rider that they'd been in a film together."

Goofs:

Continuity: Driving toward home after his last day at work in Enfield, Nick passes the same American flag twice.

Quotes:

Nick: You agreed to try Butte.
Beth: I know. Butte, Montana, 'city of the future'.
Nick: Yeah, and I read that a while ago, so the future's probably already there.

Movie Connections:

References Powaqqatsi (1988)

Soundtrack:

Pushin' Too Hard

Contemplating the meaning of the illusive 'it'...

A film which manages to perfectly sum up the dilemma encompassed by the so-called Generation X: a generation that has never had it better, and has it all for the taking - if only they could figure out just what 'it' is.

Nick (Tim Roth) carries the momentum of this notion, claiming that what he wants "isn't in here, and it isn't out there...", yet he regardless embarks on a voyage to Butte, Montana which is rumoured to be the City of the Future: "I read that a while ago, so the future's probably already there".

Much of the film is concentrated on the aftermath of his departure, and in particular his decision to leave his girlfriend Beth (Bridget Fonda)behind in Arizona. Beth now must reach a similar decision in Nick's absence, finally deciding what 'she' wants as opposed to the wants of those around her (namely Nick). Also involved in this tangle of relationships are Nick's ex-lover and Beth's best friend (Phoebe Cates), and a painter (Eric Stoltz) whose introduction to the situation further complicates Beth's thinking.

The film, like Glengarry Glenn Ross, is based on a stage play and this is evident in the minimum of locations employed and heavy emphasis on dialogue. However, this is really quite satisfying as characters are allowed to express and develop far much more than is customary in other such, so-called 'soul-searching' films.

Stand-out performances from Fonda and Roth, and an intelligent script.