Safe (1995)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Todd Haynes

Writer:

Todd Haynes (written by)

Release Date:

30 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

In the 21st century nobody will be...Safe.

Plot:

An unexceptional homemaker in the suburbs develops multiple chemical sensitivity.

Plot Keywords:

Housewife | Illness | Retreat | Psychiatrist | Environment

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Julianne Moore	...	Carol White
Peter Friedman	...	Peter Dunning
Xander Berkeley	...	Greg White
Susan Norman	...	Linda
Kate McGregor-Stewart	...	Claire (as Kate McGregor Stewart)
Mary Carver	...	Nell
Steven Gilborn	...	Dr. Hubbard
April Grace	...	Susan
Peter Crombie	...	Dr. Reynolds
Ronnie Farer	...	Barbara
Jodie Markell	...	Anita
Lorna Scott	...	Marilyn
James LeGros	...	Chris
Dean Norris	...	Mover
Julie Burgess	...	Aerobics instructor
Martha Velez	...	Fulvia (as Martha Velez-Johnson)
Chauncey Leopardi	...	Rory
Saachiko	...	Dry cleaners manager
Tim Gardner	...	Department store dispatcher
Wendy Haynes	...	Waitress
Allan Wasserman	...	Client
Jean St. James	...	Client's wife (as Jean Pflieger)
Janel Moloney	...	Hairdresser
Brendan Dolan	...	Patrolman
John Apicella	...	Psychiatrist
Dana Anderson	...	Lynn
Wendy Gayle	...	Baby shower mother
Cassy Friel	...	Baby shower child
Frank Dent	...	Video narrator
Sarah Scott Davis	...	Sarah
Beth Grant	...	Becky (auditorium speaker)
Jo Wilkinson	...	Listener #1
Gerrielani Miyazaki	...	Listener #2
Edith Meeks	...	Patient #1
Francesca Roberts	...	Patient #2
Elinor O. Caplan	...	Patient #3
Joe Comando	...	Exterminator
Tricia Dong	...	Wrenwood patient
James Lyons	...	Cab driver
Eleanor Graham	...	Singer
Mitch Greenhill	...	Accompanist
Rio Hackford	...	Lester
Jessica Harper	...	Joyce
Ravi Achar	...	Wrenwood instructor
Brandon Cruz	...	Steve

Directed by
Todd Haynes

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Todd Haynes		written by

Produced by
John Hart	....	executive producer
Ted Hope	....	executive producer
Ernest Kerns	....	associate producer
Lindsay Law	....	executive producer
James Schamus	....	executive producer
Christine Vachon	....	producer
Lauren Zalaznick	....	producer

Original Music by
Ed Tomney

Cinematography by
Alex Nepomniaschy		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
James Lyons

Casting by
Jakki Fink

Production Design by
David J. Bomba		(as David Bomba)
Clare Scarpulla		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Anthony R. Stabley

Set Decoration by
Mary E. Gullickson

Costume Design by
Nancy Steiner

Makeup Department
Deborah K. Larsen	....	makeup department head
David Syner	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Elizabeth Cunningham	....	unit production manager
Brian A. Kates	....	post-production supervisor
Eva Kolodner	....	post-production supervisor
Anthony Bregman	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Elizabeth Gill	....	first assistant director
Shawn Haynes	....	second second assistant director
Francesca Iorillo	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Curtis Baruth	....	construction coordinator
Chris Brewster	....	lead man
Yvonne Jean	....	set dresser
Susan Mengal	....	art department intern
Melanie Paizis	....	on-set dresser
Dan Poche	....	lead man
Sally Reed	....	prop assistant
Chris Slivar	....	art department intern
Kathy Stewart	....	property master
Adam W. Wolf	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mark Beck	....	sound effects editor
Missy Cohen	....	dialogue editor
Neil Danziger	....	sound mixer
Alan deGraaf	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Dykstra	....	foley engineer
John Elliot	....	foley assistant
Daniel Falcone	....	sound apprentice
John Gare	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	dialogue editor
Elliot Jacobson	....	boom operator
Jonas Kuhnemann	....	dialogue editor
Sid Lieberman	....	foley artist
David Novack	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim O'Shea	....	sound editor
Reilly Steele	....	sound re-recording mixer
V. Renee Taylor	....	first assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Luca Carena	....	second assistant camera
Hae-kyung Chung	....	electric intern
Kiely Cronin	....	second assistant camera
Egor Davidoff	....	additional second assistant camera
Kirill Davidoff	....	first assistant camera
Taj Gombart	....	second assistant camera
Ángel González	....	third electrician
Dean Hayasaka	....	gaffer
Dean Jackson	....	dolly grip
Dean Jackson	....	key grip (as Dean T. Jackson)
Tony St. John	....	camera operator
Gabor Szitanyi	....	still photographer
Kristen Wheeler	....	third grip
Kerrec 'K-Man' Williams	....	best boy electric

Casting Department
Shawn Haynes	....	extras casting
Stacey Winkler	....	casting intern

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michelle Arthur	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Fergus Grant	....	apprentice editor
Niall Grant	....	apprentice editor
Philip Harrison	....	apprentice editor
Phillip Harrison	....	apprentice editor
Sakae Ishikawa	....	first assistant editor
Brian A. Kates	....	second assistant editor
Erik McLane	....	apprentice editor (as Eric McLane)
Ray Morfino	....	color timer
Mark V. Phillips	....	dailies assistant editor
Eileen Schreiber	....	editing room assistant
Susan Strine	....	editing room assistant
Julie Wilde	....	apprentice editor (as Julie Stalker-Wilde)

Music Department
Carol Sue Baker	....	music supervisor
Brendan Dolan	....	composer: department store music
William Ewart	....	music supervisor
Ed Tomney	....	musician

Other crew
Brent M. Becker	....	production accountant
Alan Botvinick	....	assistant production coordinator
V.S. Brodie	....	technical production assistant
J. Robert Brown	....	assistant production coordinator
Catherine Budh-raja	....	location assistant
Sheralyn Bundy-Morrow	....	researcher
Rachel Cunningham	....	production assistant
Jeffrey L. Davidson	....	location manager
Reeve Howard	....	technical production assistant
Linda Krantz	....	key set production assistant
Paige Litz	....	production assistant
John Morrisseau	....	key set production assistant
Sean O'Connell	....	craft service (as Sean Paul O'Connell)
Lisa Riznikove	....	production coordinator
Kat Slater	....	assistant to director (as Christina Peters)
Barbara Tuss	....	script supervisor
Guinevere Turner	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Thanks
Karim Ainouz	....	thanks
Joe Alfano	....	thanks
Jeff Arnoni	....	thanks (as Jeff Arnone)
David Azzoto	....	thanks (as Dave Azzato)
M. Sean Bailey	....	thanks
Michael Balais	....	thanks
Jeremy Barnett	....	thanks
Scott Bauman	....	thanks
Steven J. Brandman	....	thanks (as Steve Brandman)
Barbara Bubla	....	thanks
Linda Cassidy	....	thanks
Melanie Chapman	....	thanks
Terry Chin	....	thanks
Ann Christensen	....	thanks
Adam Chuck	....	thanks
Jim Coen	....	thanks
Lisa Cohen	....	thanks
Richard Croul	....	thanks
Phil Diaz	....	thanks
Brendan Dolan	....	thanks
Phelim Dolan	....	thanks
Allen Edwards	....	thanks
Peter Friedman	....	thanks
Joyce George	....	thanks
Eloisa Godoy	....	thanks
Kathy Goldberg	....	special thanks
Nicki Goldstein	....	special thanks
Jorge Gonzales	....	thanks
J. Scott Grant	....	special thanks
Tjmder Grewal	....	special thanks
Bob Hadler	....	special thanks
Benjamin Harris	....	special thanks (as Benji Harris)
Benjamin Harris	....	thanks (as Benji Harris)
Melody Hinkell	....	special thanks
Neil Hobbs	....	special thanks
Dawn Hudson	....	special thanks
Sally Iorillo	....	special thanks
Sakae Ishikawa	....	special thanks
Eliana Jantz	....	special thanks
Chuck Jones	....	special thanks
Tom Kalin	....	special thanks
Derrick Kardos	....	special thanks
Lynda Klein	....	special thanks
Karl Kresser	....	special thanks (as Carl Kresser)
Bob Lee	....	special thanks
Dylan Leiner	....	special thanks
Bill Lennert	....	special thanks
Patrick Lyons	....	special thanks
Dane Marble	....	special thanks
Lily Marnell	....	special thanks
Jan Mason	....	special thanks (as Ray & Jan Mason)
Ray Mason	....	special thanks (as Ray & Jan Mason)
Byrd McDonald	....	special thanks
Ellis Mercantile	....	special thanks
Camdon Morse	....	special thanks
Dave Niles	....	special thanks
Susan Norman	....	special thanks
Michael Nusinow	....	special thanks
Dean O'Brien	....	special thanks
Jerry Ott	....	special thanks
Craig Paull	....	special thanks
Paulo Pausic	....	special thanks
Kevin Pensanti	....	special thanks
Michelle Peters	....	special thanks
Steven Peters	....	special thanks
Sharon Pillon	....	special thanks
Tom Porcaro	....	special thanks
Marten Rabarts	....	special thanks
Dean Ramser	....	special thanks
Jacob Ribicoff	....	special thanks
George Ricci	....	special thanks
Ann Ruark	....	special thanks
Gerry Sanseviero	....	thanks (as Geraldine Sivero)
Gladys Saunders	....	special thanks (as Gladys & Julian Saunders)
Julian Saunders	....	special thanks (as Gladys & Julian Saunders)
Cynthia Schneider	....	special thanks
Mort Schrag	....	thanks
Gerges Scott	....	thanks
Hillary Selvin	....	thanks
Mark Shoatz	....	thanks
Mary Jane Skalski	....	thanks
Mike Stevens	....	thanks
Craig Stevenson	....	thanks
David Suber	....	thanks
Daniel Sudit	....	thanks
Guinevere Turner	....	thanks
Mark Van Horne	....	thanks
Filberto Vasquez	....	thanks
Alex Wengert	....	thanks
Patricia White	....	thanks
Teresa Wilson	....	thanks
Stacey Winkler	....	thanks
Bill Winters	....	thanks
Mark Young	....	thanks
Rhonda Zwillinger	....	thanks

Production Companies

• American Playhouse Theatrical Films (presents)
• Chemical Films
• Good Machine (in association with)
• Kardana Productions (in association with)
• Channel Four Films (in association with) (as Channel 4 Films)
• Arnold Semler (in association with)
• American Playhouse
• Kardana Films

Distributors

• 1More Film (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (video)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Classics

Other Companies

• Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz & Weinstein  legal services
• Mute Records  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for a sex scene and brief language.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Brandeis-Bardin Institute - 1101 Pepper Tree Lane, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

American Playhouse Theatrical Films

Trivia:

Julianne Moore dropped 10 pounds for her role.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game-On: (#3.2)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Heaven Is a Place On Earth

Powerful but understated film with multiple meanings and a bravura performance from Julianne Moore

Although it's been almost ten years since filmmaker Todd Haynes (Velvet Goldmine, Far From Heaven) made Safe, the film's only secured cinematic release in Australia in 2004. As Safe quietly satirises the 80s, the delayed release improves it, adding another layer of perspective to a heroine who lives life in a series of bubbles.

It's 1987, and timid California housewife Carol (a young Julianne Moore) is immersed in upper-middle class minutiae – ensuring her couch is the right colour, sleepwalking through a tepid aerobics class, and submitting to her husband (Greg White from 24). But gradually cracks appear in this pristine life, tiredness, unexplained illness…until she is diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity. She then moves to Wrenwood, a healing retreat founded by the charismatic Peter (Peter Friedman) – but will this solve her problem? Or is it just another escape? Safe is a very interesting film about a woman so overwhelmed by her environment that she becomes allergic to it. Writer and director Haynes has combined aspects of the disease film (e.g. Love Story) with the psychological thriller – as Carol doesn't know what triggers her symptoms, the audience never knows when she'll have another attack.

While Haymes criticises the New Age belief that illness is psychologically-based, in Carol's case, it's impossible to separate the psychological and physical aspects of her illness. The cinematography shows her dwarfed by her environment and Haymes offers no easy solutions. ***½/***** stars.