Tell Me a Riddle (1980)

Touching story of elderly couple David and Eva who go on one last journey across the USA when they discover Eva is dying, ending up with their granddaughter Jeannie in San Francisco.

Director:

Lee Grant

Writers:

Joyce Eliason, Alev Lytle

Stars:

Melvyn Douglas, Lila Kedrova, Brooke Adams

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melvyn Douglas	...	David
Lila Kedrova	...	Eva
Brooke Adams	...	Jeannie
Dolores Dorn	...	Vivi
Bob Elross	...	Sammy
Jon Harris	...	Mathew
Zalman King	...	Paul
Winifred Mann	...	Hannah
Peter Owens	...	Phil
Deborah Sussel	...	Nancy
Lili Valenty	...	Mrs. Mays
Nora Heflin	...	Young Eva
Peter Coyote	...	Young David
Nora Bendich	...	Lisa
Robert Behling	...	Tim

Storyline

Touching story of elderly couple David and Eva who go on one last journey across the USA when they discover Eva is dying, ending up with their granddaughter Jeannie in San Francisco.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | old age | independent film | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

12 March 1982 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Berätta din gåta

Filming Locations:

Marin County, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Godmother Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tillie Olsen's short story "Tell Me a Riddle" was awarded the O. Henry Award for best short story of 1961 after it was published in "New World Writing" Issue no. 16.

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Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Windwalker, Tell Me A Riddle, Friday the 13th Part 2, Lion of the Desert (1981)

User Reviews

Tell Me a Riddle ranks as one of the best films to have ever come out of Hollywood

Tell Me A Riddle is, in my estimation, one of if not the best film to have ever come out of Hollywood. As one of the irredeemable 'males' who are responsive only to brute force, jump cuts, and endless blow-ups, I would like to say 'not fair'. Any woman who cannot take her man to this film is clearly a woman who has selected as her partner a desensitized, muscle-headed oaf. The pitiable thing is that Hollywood is capable of producing masterpieces but, by force of the profit motive, seldom bothers and, when it does bother, as in the case of Tell Me A Riddle, the film is given minimum distribution and quickly disappears from the rental and retail shelves as well as the television movie channels.