The Spitfire Grill (1996)

Director:

Lee David Zlotoff

Writer (WGA):

Lee David Zlotoff (written by)

Release Date:

23 August 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

To a town with no future, comes a girl with a past.

Plot:

Percy, upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of Gillead, to find a place where she can start over again...

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Marriage Proposal | Mother Son Relationship | Vietnam War | Businessman

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Alison Elliott	...	Percy Talbott
Ellen Burstyn	...	Hannah Ferguson
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Shelby Goddard
Will Patton	...	Nahum Goddard
Kieran Mulroney	...	Joe Sperling
Gailard Sartain	...	Sheriff Gary Walsh
John M. Jackson	...	Johnny B. / Eli
Louise De Cormier	...	Effy Katshaw
Ida Griesemer	...	Rebecca Goddard
Lincoln Grow	...	Molly Goddard
Emerson Grow	...	Molly Goddard
Lisa Louise Langford	...	Jolene
Forrest Murray	...	Stuart
Patty Smith	...	Customer #1
Faith Catlin	...	Neighbor
Janet St. Onge	...	Town member #2
Jim Hogue	...	Deputy
Stacy Becker	...	Clare
Cliff Levering	...	Aaron Sperling
Dennis Mientka	...	Customer #2
Stuart Jackson	...	Customer #3
Monica Callan	...	Woman at bar
Richard Addis	...	Man at bar
Patti Tippo	...	Clare's Voiceover
Ed Cook	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Malcolm Groome	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Harry Johnson	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Gracie Moore	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Linda O. Cook	...	Additional Voices (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sam Lloyd Sr.	...	Meeshack Boggs

Directed by
Lee David Zlotoff

Writing credits (WGA)
Lee David Zlotoff		(written by)

Produced by
Marci Liroff	....	co-producer
Linda H. Miller	....	associate producer
Forrest Murray	....	producer
Deborah Stitt	....	associate producer
Warren G. Stitt	....	executive producer
Edward E. Vaughan	....	co-producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Robert Draper		(as Rob Draper)

Film Editing by
Margaret Goodspeed		(as Margie Goodspeed)

Casting by
Marci Liroff

Production Design by
Howard Cummings

Art Direction by
Peter Borck

Set Decoration by
Larry Dias

Costume Design by
Louise Mingenbach

Makeup Department
Vickie Benson Waite	....	makeup artist
Lynne K. Eagan	....	key makeup artist (as Lynne Eagan)
Joani Yarbrough	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Craig Conolly	....	production supervisor: additional photography
Clark Henderson	....	post-production supervisor
Isabel Henderson	....	post-production supervisor
Fred Styles	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cas Donovan	....	first assistant director
Amy Schmidt	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Michael Abrams	....	painter
Michael Biggie	....	charge scenic (as Mike Biggie)
Adam Braid	....	set dresser
Kiah Caldwell	....	art department coordinator
Chris Call	....	property master
Bonnie Christensen	....	painter
Robert DeNoon	....	property assistant (as Robert Denoon II)
Joe Grafmuller	....	lead man
Shari Griffin	....	set dresser
Shannon Hart	....	assistant set decorator
Joseph Kearney	....	construction coordinator
Terry Lafar	....	painter
Peter Letzelter-Smith	....	set dresser
Pat McDonough	....	carpenter
Jeffrey B. Parker	....	carpenter
Bruce Perkins	....	prop stills
Thomas Power	....	on-set dresser
Travis Randall	....	set dresser
Christopher Redmond	....	assistant property master (as Chris Redmond)
Thaddaeus Scheel	....	property assistant (as Thaddeus D. Scheel)
Michael Sheehan	....	storyboard artist
Brian Woods	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Suzanne Angel	....	adr assistant
David Bach	....	sound effects editor
Oliver Barth	....	adr editor
Sarah Brady	....	adr supervisor
John Brasher	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Ferdie	....	assistant dialogue editor
Eric Hoeschen	....	adr mixer
Eric Hoeschen	....	foley mixer
Marty Hutcherson	....	sound
Carlos Isais	....	assistant sound recordist
Adriane Marfiak	....	sound effects editor
Steuart Pearce	....	production sound mixer
Doug Reed	....	foley artist
Doug Reed	....	foley editor
Brian Smith	....	foley recordist
Brian Smith	....	sound recordist
Kira Smith	....	boom operator
Walter Spencer	....	dialogue editor
Daniel W. Victor Jr.	....	stereo sound consultant: Stereo
Elmo Weber	....	sound designer (as L Mo Webber)

Stunts
Danny Aiello III	....	stunt coordinator
Bill Anagnos	....	stunts
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunts (as Phil Nielson)
Janet Paparazzo	....	stunt double (as Janet Paparozzo)

Camera and Electrical Department
David Blundell	....	electrician
Fadi Bousamra	....	electrician
Erik Carter	....	electrician
Dan Cornwall	....	best boy electric
Bill Floyd	....	assistant camera: additional photography (as William Floyd)
Dale Fowler	....	electrician
Don Geronimo	....	grip
Doug Gilmore	....	key grip
Jeff Graham	....	first assistant camera
Josh Gundling	....	camera loader
Bill Gunther	....	grip
Tom Keenan	....	electrician
Jamie Lagerhausen	....	best boy
Eric Lee	....	still photographer
Tully McCulloch	....	gaffer
Carl Puckett	....	second assistant camera
Richard Rutkowski	....	first assistant camera: additional photography
Larry Sushinski	....	grip
Gary A. Williams	....	dolly grip

Casting Department
Monica Callan	....	extras casting
Jay Craven	....	local casting
Cathy Dwyer	....	extras casting
Bess O'Brien	....	local casting
Shawne Rowe	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lori Eskowitz	....	assistant costume designer
Antoinette Squeo	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Bob Allen	....	first assistant editor
Roger Cooper	....	assistant editor
Teresa Green	....	post-production assistant
Bob McMillian	....	color timer
Alex Ruschell	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor
Alasdair Fraser	....	musician: violin solos
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
James Horner	....	orchestrator
Randy Kerber	....	musician: piano solos
Shawn Murphy	....	music mixer
Shawn Murphy	....	music recordist
Dean Parks	....	musician: guitar solos
James Horner	....	conductor (uncredited)
Stephen Lotwis	....	music editor (uncredited)
Wayne Peet	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Dennis Bouffard	....	driver
Travis G. Bush	....	driver
Mark A. Cote	....	driver
Mike Devaney	....	driver: honeywagon
Russ Lepine	....	driver
Deanna Leslie	....	driver
Jeffrey L. Paradysz	....	driver
Ethan Prochnik	....	transportation coordinator
Jim Reynolds	....	driver (as James Reynolds)
Skip Steffens	....	driver
Quinlan Sullivan	....	driver

Other crew
Brenda Armstrong	....	caterer
Cynthia Blaze	....	dialect coach
Lura Bruno	....	nurse
Frank Carlet	....	glacier's handler
Patrick Clow	....	assistant location manager
Jacob F. Conrad	....	location scout
Tim Corbin	....	caterer
Marla Colette Coyne	....	location assistant
Jonathan Dana	....	production consultant
Richard Davies	....	electronic press kit
Janna DeLury	....	craft service
Michael Donner	....	post-production accountant
Cathy Dwyer	....	product placement
Matthew W. Flannery	....	key production assistant
Charles Gauvain	....	location assistant
Marcus Hamilton	....	set production assistant
Elizabeth Himelstein	....	dialect coach
Chiemi Karasawa	....	script supervisor
Karen Lawson	....	studio teacher
Todd Lyon	....	office production assistant
Robert Martini	....	teamster captain
Linda H. Miller	....	production controller
Brian P. Moore	....	unit publicist (as Brian Moore)
Rex Nicholson	....	director: additional photography
Anne Reddington	....	assistant auditor
Victoria Robinson	....	assistant production coordinator
Jason E. Sapp	....	set production assistant
Pam Sharp	....	production publicist
Thomas Small	....	location manager
Eric Solsaa	....	film runner
Jeffrey Stitt	....	dialect coach
Linda Taffar	....	caterer
Jennifer Truelove	....	key production assistant
Will Weiske	....	office production assistant
Pamela White	....	assistant: W. Stitt
Greg Wimer	....	key unit production assistant
Cynthia Blaise	....	dialect coach (uncredited)
Shirley Davis	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Jessica Drake	....	dialect coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment
• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Gregory Productions
• The Mendocino Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (1996) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Concorde-Castle Rock/Turner (1996) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmayer-Castle Rock-Turner S.A. (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (1996) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Rank Film Organization (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures
• Columbia TriStar (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1996) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Legal Video (Portugal) (video)
• Turner Pictures (I)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Brasher Sound  sound editing and re-recording
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Digital Editing Systems  avid film composer provided by
• Du Art Film and Video  video dailies
• Location Catering of the South  catering
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative cutting
• Media Services  payroll services
• Speare & Company  insurance
• The Pogachefsky Company  publicity
• Title House  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Care of the Spitfire Grill

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Germany:12 (bw) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Peacham, Vermont, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Quotes:

Percy: Most folks would rather hear a colorful lie over the truth any day.

Soundtrack:

Falling Sky

Two leads can't prevent slip into melodrama

When this won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996, a lot of critics sharpened their knives, because the film was produced with money from a religious group, and they thought it was pushing religion on the masses. The truth is, only a couple of scenes take place at a church, and there's nothing particularly "religious" about the storyline. Having got that out of the way, this is another instance where good performances and a promising story are sunk by melodrama. The two good performances are Alison Elliot as Percy, the ex-convict, and the underrated Marcia Gay Harden as Shelby, the housewife who becomes her best friend. The movie is best in the scenes between the two of them(like when they're cooking breakfast together at the grill for the first time), and I also liked the way first time director Lee David Zlotoff uses the outdoors. But he's got a lot to learn about writing, as the movie gradually becomes melodramatic, with so much plot thrown in you're suffocating in it. Also, Will Patton, who I like, is stuck playing such a one-note character he might as well have "Warning: Plot Device" written on him, and Ellen Burstyn does her crotchety old woman again. All in all, a missed opportunity.