Stand Up and Be Counted (1972)

Sheila is a newspaper reporter who returns to her home town in order to write an article about the progress of the liberation of the women. Arriving at the town she is very surprised to see... See full summary »

Director:

Jackie Cooper

Writer:

Bernard Slade

Stars:

Jacqueline Bisset, Stella Stevens, Steve Lawrence

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Sheila Hammond
Stella Stevens	...	Yvonne Kellerman
Steve Lawrence	...	Gary McBride
Gary Lockwood	...	Eliot Travis
Lee Purcell	...	Karen Hammond
Loretta Swit	...	Hilary McBride
Hector Elizondo	...	Lou Kellerman
Anne Francine	...	Mabel Hammond
Madlyn Rhue	...	Gloria Seagar
Alex Wilson	...	Jerry Kamanski
Michael Ansara	...	Playboy Speaker
Joyce Brothers	...	Herself (as Dr. Joyce Brothers)
Jessica Rains	...	Sadie
Meredith Baxter	...	Tracy
Greg Mullavey	...	Harley Burton

Storyline

Sheila is a newspaper reporter who returns to her home town in order to write an article about the progress of the liberation of the women. Arriving at the town she is very surprised to see that her sister and also her mother agree very much with the feministic arguments.

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Plot Keywords:

newspaper | women's lib | woman wearing only a man's shirt | writer | research | 

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Taglines:

From Adam's Rib to Women's Lib... baby, we've come a long long way!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jede Stimme zählt

Filming Locations:

Denver, Colorado, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Frankovich Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Quotes

Hilary McBride: [she is sitting up in bed] It's funny I, I wasn't always invisible.
Gary McBride: [he gets into bed and lies down] I'm not in the mood for any meaningful dialogue, Hil'. I'm beat. I really am.
Hilary McBride: Well, this is the only time I can get your attention.
Gary McBride: It's one-thirty in the morning. I can usually be contacted a little earlier.
Hilary McBride: Every time I start to talk, I feel you mentally bolt for the door. It's like I yelled "Fire!"
Hilary McBride: [he makes no response] Honey, I just want to have a nice, quiet discussion because lately I found ...
[...]

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Soundtracks

All I Ever Need Is You
Written by Eddie Reeves (uncredited) and Jimmy Holiday (uncredited)
Sung by Sonny & Cher (as Sonny and Cher)

User Reviews

A battle-of-the-sexes dissection...and rather unsure of how funny or serious it should be

Screenwriter Bernard Slade, a comedy veteran known for mostly upbeat material, takes on Women's Liberation circa 1972--pig-headed men versus women who want to be taken seriously--but, amazingly, can't shake the overwhelming hopelessness out of the equation. The oppressed women who populate the film are seen fighting for feminist issues with conviction, though without many triumphs to show for their dedication. Jacqueline Bisset plays a fashion writer who gets an assignment to cover the Women's Lib movement in Denver; coincidentally, that's also where her widowed mother and enlightened sister live, and where a handsome airline pilot resides when he's not chasing a schedule. Bisset becomes intrigued by what she's seeing and hearing, but when she moves in with her pilot, she turns into a walking copy of Ladies Home Journal (he's supposed to do his share of the housework, but hires a maid instead). Slade really seems to believe in the speeches, and tries not to make the women sound platitudinous, yet some of his dialogue lands with a clatter. Noticing a nun in full-dress at a feminism rally, Bisset tells her she didn't know that nuns were into the cause--the nun replies, "Have you ever heard of an altar girl?" Presented in a cozily middle-class format (with a tone that could be labeled 'lightly dramatic'), the film is TV-styled in scope and filled with familiar faces from the tube. However, it touches on something provocative in the marriage between advertising man Steve Lawrence and housewife Loretta Swit; he's been let go and needs fast employment, she's been offered a job at a lucrative magazine. To the husband, the wife's surprising success isn't at all substantial, and not even worth considering. It's a joke to him that she become the breadwinner. Although dated, this portion of the movie manages to get at an interesting man-woman/husband-wife dynamic, and it isn't topped off with an easy solution. Too bad the rest of the picture settles into a sitcom groove (including protest marches and a bra-burning); it may have reached a broader audience if only Slade had liberated himself from the topical clichés. ** from ****