A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (1998)

Director:

James Ivory

Writers (WGA):

Kaylie Jones (novel)
James Ivory (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The city of lights. A famous American author and the decade that changed a generation...forever.

Plot:

This fictionalized story, based on the family life of writer James Jones, is an emotionless slice-of-life story...

Plot Keywords:

Author | Adopted Son | Ambulance | Treehouse | Sexual Reference

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Kris Kristofferson	...	Bill Willis
Barbara Hershey	...	Marcella Willis
Leelee Sobieski	...	Charlotte Anne 'Channe' Willis, Age 14
Jane Birkin	...	Mrs. Fortescue
Dominique Blanc	...	Candida
Jesse Bradford	...	Billy Willis, Age 14
Harley Cross	...	Keith Carter
Isaach De Bankolé	...	Mamadou (as Isaac De Bankole)
Macha Méril	...	Madame Beauvier (as Macha Meril)
Nathalie Richard	...	Mademoiselle Fournier
Anthony Roth Costanzo	...	Francis Fortescue
Bob Swaim	...	Bob Smith
Virginie Ledoyen	...	Billy's Mother
Luisa Conlon	...	Young Charlotte Anne 'Channe' Willis, Age 7
Samuel Gruen	...	Benoit / Young Billy Willis, Age 7

Also Known As:

La fille d'un soldat ne pleure jamais (France)
Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (Australia) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

France | UK | USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R | Germany:6 (f)

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Capitol Films

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The family is watching Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) on TV, which was not even released to theatres until 1974, but we later see a date on a gravestone of 1973 (which means the TV scene was probably set in 1972, since there was an intervening New Year's Eve scene).

Movie Connections:

Features "Thierry la Fronde" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Wild Thing

Luisa Conlon****

If you're into a nice, structured movie, with no plot holes, and plenty of character development, this movie should not be on your list! A lot of times, characters do things, and you just don't know why, and don't really care because of this.

I'm not that big into watching movies that have the above criteria, if it makes up for it in other ways. Kris Kristofferson is nothing but his usual self(ugh), Leelee is good, the boy who plays her effeminate friend is VERY good, Barbara Hershey is kind of funny(only sometimes), but the one redeeming character in this "mess" of a movie (with a very anti-climactic ending) is Channe as a little girl, played by ---- Luisa Conlon ----.

One question: WHY HASN'T THIS GIRL BEEN IN ANY OTHER MOVIES?!! If you rent this movie for no other reason, (except maybe for the effeminate American boy living in France w/a British mother) watch this actress. I truly call her an actress because this girl KNOWS how she looks on camera, and TRIES to make herself look a certain way when she's acting. She TRULY seduces the camera with her skills. Too bad she's only in the first half of the film.

-Sep