Sweet Liberty (1986)

After selling the rights of his book to a movie production company, a writer finds himself fighting the many egos and varying views around him.

Director:

Alan Alda

Writer:

Alan Alda

Stars:

Alan Alda, Michael Caine, Michelle Pfeiffer

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Alda	...	Michael Burgess
Michael Caine	...	Elliott James
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Faith Healy
Bob Hoskins	...	Stanley Gould
Lise Hilboldt	...	Gretchen Carlsen
Lillian Gish	...	Cecelia Burgess
Saul Rubinek	...	Bo Hodges
Lois Chiles	...	Leslie
Linda Thorson	...	Grace James
Diana Agostini	...	Nurse (as Diane Agostini)
Antony Alda	...	Film Crew Member
Alvin Alexis	...	Male Student
Christopher Bregman	...	Running Boy
Leo Burmester	...	Hank
Cynthia Burr	...	Assistant Cameraperson

Storyline

Michael has written a scholarly book on the revolutionary war. He has sold the movie rights. The arrival of the film crew seriously disrupts him as actors want to change their characters, directors want to re-stage battles, and he becomes very infatuated with Faith, who will play the female lead in the movie. At the same time, he is fighting with his crazy mother who thinks the Devil lives in her kitchen, and his girlfriend who is talking about commitment.

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Plot Keywords:

director | actor | written and directed by cast member | same explosion shown multiple times | cannon fire | 

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Taglines:

Michael Burgess wrote a book about the American Revolution. Now, Hollywood's come to his town to make a movie of it -- Plunging him into a summer of madness.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sweet Liberty - What a Liberty

Filming Locations:

Adventureland Amusement Park, Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,160,891, 18 May 1986

Gross USA:

$14,205,021

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,205,021

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alan Alda performed three duties on this movie. He was director, lead actor, and writer.

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Goofs

Michael Caine and Lois Chiles go up in a helicopter alone. Several shots establishes them being the only people in it. However, when they've landed and get out of the helicopter, the hand of a third person is briefly visible within the helicopter.

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Quotes

Michael Burgess: [Stanley calls Michael and himself "The Two Musketeers"] I'm not a musketeer, I'm a historian!

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Alternate Versions

In the UK, the film was cut by 2 seconds to get a "PG" for cinema release and removed one mouthed use of the word 'fuck'. The 15 rated video and 12-rated DVD releases were uncut.

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Connections

References Match Game (1973)

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Soundtracks

Hooray for Hollywood
(uncredited)
Music by Richard A. Whiting
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

User Reviews

Alda tries a little too hard...

Alan Alda, still trying to be Hollywood's Everyman, wrote, directed and starred in SWEET LIBERTY,a relatively entertaining comedy about a small town professor who has written a book about what went on his town during the revolutionary war and has sold the film rights. The film chronicles the arrival of the film crew to do the film on location and Alda's exasperation at all the changes they want to make to his book; however, his attitudes toward what they are doing to his book take a back seat when he meets the film's leading lady (Michelle Pfeiffer) who apparently physically resembles the character she is playing to a T but as Alda finds, out is nothing like her. This movie is just so Alan Alda and like all of his movies, the characters all seem to talk and think like Alda but I have come to expect this from an Alda movie after THE FOUR SEASONS. Alda has assembled an impressive cast including Michael Caine as a hammy actor and Bob Hoskins, extremely amusing as the screenwriter who pretends to want Alda's input on his screenplay while seeking his constant approval at the same time. The film does run out of steam before fade out, but Alda and company manage to keep it afloat for most of the ride.