The Man in the Moon (1991)

A coming of age story set in the South of USA when Elvis was King.

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writer:

Jenny Wingfield

Stars:

Sam Waterston, Tess Harper, Gail Strickland

3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sam Waterston	...	Matthew Trant
Tess Harper	...	Abigail Trant
Gail Strickland	...	Marie Foster
Reese Witherspoon	...	Dani Trant
Jason London	...	Court Foster
Emily Warfield	...	Maureen Trant
Bentley Mitchum	...	Billy Sanders
Ernie Lively	...	Will Sanders
Dennis Letts	...	Doc White
Earleen Bergeron	...	Mrs. Sanders
Anna Chappell	...	Mrs. Taylor
Brandi Smith	...	Missy Trant
Sandi Smith	...	Missy Trant
Derek Ball	...	Foster Twin
Spencer Ball	...	Foster Twin

Storyline

Rural Louisiana, summer of 1957, Elvis is King. At 14, Dani is coming of age. Her older sister is beautiful, smart, and off to Duke in the fall; her mom's pregnant with number four (Dad wants a son), and Dad's pretty strict. Life gets sweeter when 17-year-old Court Foster, his widowed mom, and two little brothers move into the vacant farm next door. Court likes Dani's high spirits and direct way, and though he has a man's responsibilities on the farm, they go off swimming sometimes. The waters of adolescence are deeper than Dani realizes as hers and Court's feelings get jumbled. Then Mother Nature throws wrenching surprises at Dani, and she must come to terms with new emotions.

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Plot Keywords:

swimming | farm | louisiana | kiss | coming of age | 

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Taglines:

Remember when you couldn't wait for your life to begin... and then, one day, it did?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un été en Louisiane

Filming Locations:

Robeline Methodist Church, Robeline, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$109,935, 6 October 1991, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,853,801

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was filmed in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Territory. According to a Natchitoches resident, the film makers had a difficult time finding extras for the movie, as locals had been burned by the producers of Steel Magnolias (1989) (also filmed in Natchitoches) only three years prior.

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Goofs

When Dani returns home from her first kiss her Dad calls her over to talk. As she approaches him there is a tractor in the distance moving to the right. A few seconds later the tractor is moving to the left, it did not have enough time to turn around.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dani: I love Elvis so much.
Maureen Trant: You love everybody so much.
Dani: I do not.
Maureen Trant: You do, too.
Dani: No I don't.
Maureen Trant: Okay, you don't.
Dani: Well, I don't. Maureen, sometimes you make me feel like such a baby.
Maureen Trant: You are a baby.
Dani: I wish I could be just like you.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

The Producers wish to thank: The LADIES of "JUST FRIENDS"

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Our Favorite Scenes (1993)

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Soundtracks

Loving You
Written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Performed by Elvis Presley
Published by Gladys Music (ASCAP), Jerry Leiber Music (ASCAP) and Mike Stoller Music (ASCAP)
Gladys Music administered by Chappell & Co.
Courtesy of RCA Records

User Reviews

A Beautiful, Heartbreaking Film

"The Man in the Moon" is a beautifully realistic look at life through the eyes of an adolescent. Director Robert Mulligan magically re-creates screenwriter Jenny Wingfield's autobiography of her childhood with gorgeous cinematography and a haunting, lyrical musical score. This film hits home as one of the most powerful and emotionally affecting films in recent times.

This film is incredible, all the acting first rate, especially Sam Waterston and an astonishing performance by Reese Witherspoon in her film debut. You will feel every emotion as this life changing summer in 1957 on the Trant family farm comes to a conclusion.

"The Man in the Moon" was a limited release in 1991, and you will love the fact that most of you're family and friends will probably have never heard of it. Buy this dvd and enjoy 100 minutes of pure poetic art. This film is truely the essence of filmaking at its finest.