The Man in the Moon (1991)

A coming of age story set in the south of the U.S. 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:

teen movie | swimming | farm | louisiana | kiss | 

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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:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reese Witherspoon was fourteen-years-old, the same age as her character, when the film was shot.

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Goofs

When Dani is sitting on the bed, on the wall behind her is a photo of an older Elvis that was not taken by 1957 (when the movie took place) but taken in the mid to late 1960's.

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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

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Will Forte/Ashley Benson/Joseph (2016)

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Soundtracks

That's Alright
Written by Arthur Crudup
Performed by Elvis Presley
Published by Unichappell Music, Inc. (BMI) and Crudup Music (BMI)
Courtesy of RCA Records

User Reviews

Little Big Movie

It's a generic coming-of-age story -- think "The Member of the Wedding," "Summer of '42," "A Summer Place," even "Little Women" -- and there are moments where Mulligan might have omitted the soupy music, not used slow-motion, or played down the golden-lit prettiness of the setting. Otherwise, it's done with rare emotional perfect-pitch. Nothing's forced, every line has feeling, and the pacing is just right. Even the below-A-list casting helps: Bigger movie stars with more recognizable personalities might have overwhelmed the material. In particular, Witherspoon is excellent: Her line readings are fresh and original, and her body language is just right for a gawky, hoydenish 14-year-old on the eve of womanhood. Waterston is also very fine, even if he has to spend much of the movie climbing in and out of the family truck.

One senses that the film's makers were aware of its unpromising commercial prospects -- no big stars, no big car crashes, no special effects -- and consciously decided to make the best possible movie, box office be damned. It's intimate and honest, and it sticks to the ribs. If you find yourself misting up at the end, you don't have to feel you've been duped.

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

Gross USA:

$2,853,801

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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