Still of the Night (1982)

A Manhattan psychiatrist probes a patient's murder and falls for the victim's mysterious mistress.

Director:

Robert Benton

Writers:

Robert Benton (screenplay), David Newman (story)

Stars:

Roy Scheider, Meryl Streep, Jessica Tandy

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roy Scheider	...	Sam Rice
Meryl Streep	...	Brooke Reynolds
Jessica Tandy	...	Grace Rice
Joe Grifasi	...	Joseph Vitucci
Sara Botsford	...	Gail Phillips
Josef Sommer	...	George Bynum
Frederikke Borge	...	Heather Wilson (as Rikke Borge)
Irving Metzman	...	Murray Gordon
Larry Joshua	...	Mugger
Tom Norton	...	Auctioneer
Richmond Hoxie	...	Mr. Harris
Hyon Cho	...	Mr. Chang
Danielle Cusson	...	Girl
John Bentley	...	Night Watchman
George A. Tooks	...	Elevator Operator

Storyline

George Bynum, a patient of Manhattan psychiatrist Dr. Sam Rice, is brutally murdered. Soon afterward, Dr. Rice is visited by Bynum's co-worker and mistress Brooke Reynolds and by the investigating officer Detective Vitucci. As Dr. Rice reviews the case notes on his sessions with Bynum, he starts his own investigation. At the same time, he finds himself falling for enigmatic blonde Brooke, despite her increasingly suspicious behavior. The closer Rice comes to the truth, the more he puts his own life in danger...

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Plot Keywords:

affair | detective | nypd | fall to death | embrace | 

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Taglines:

If looks could kill...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie's main poster has a tagline that reads "If looks could kill..." This phrase has actually been a movie title itself, see If Looks Could Kill (1991) (aka Teen Agent) as well as If Looks Could Kill (1996); If Looks Could Kill (1986) and If Looks Could Kill (1992). All these movies were made after Still of the Night (1982).

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Doctor Sam Rice: Now listen to me! On account of you, I'm an accessory to something. I don't know what! I'm withholding evidence. I'm obstructing justice. I'm gonna get my license revoked if I'm not thrown into jail first. And on top of that, I've just spent fifteen thousand dollars for a painting I don't even like!

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

User Reviews

Streep has never been so beautiful, before or since.

I almost turned this movie off in the middle because I was tired of being manipulated by the corny scary stuff that was overwrought and too dragged out. That stuff was okay for the master, Hitchcock, but today it has whiskers.

I was very surprised to see Meryl Streep looking more beautiful than ever before or since. It was the way her hairdo framed her face, I think. Any way, this movie was all Streep. Scheider has a certain gravitas which many Hollywood Idols never achieve even though they are far more popular. But Streep—from her first moment on screen I said to myself, I've never seen this side of her! She's created an entirely original person! Then she delivered a soliloquy toward the end of the movie which she fashioned with such skill and insight that one would think it was Shakespeare!

There is simply no one as good as Streep, man or woman. She turns this average movie into something worth watching.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 November 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stab

Filming Locations:

2 E. 82nd St., New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,979,947

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,979,947

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1