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The Substance of Fire ()


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Publishing magnate refuses to publish a book by his son's male lover so the kids buy out their father and run it themselves!

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Cast

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Aaron Geldhart
Benjamin Ungar ...
Young Isaac Geldhart
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Martin Geldhart
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Old Printer
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Sarah Geldhart
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Otto the printer
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Isaac Geldhart
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Cora Cahn
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Mr. Otani jr
Edmund Ikeda ...
Mr. Otani sr
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Miss Barzakian
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Val Chenard
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Gene Byck
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Louis Foukold
John Sullivan ...
Stewart
Sophia Salguero ...
Rachel
John Patrick Walker ...
Peter
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Max
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Nurse
David S. Howard ...
Dr. Bernard Kramer
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Young Martin Geldhart
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Mr. Musselblatt
William Cain ...
Mr. Cox
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New Receptionist
Edgar Martinez ...
Miquel
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Book Binder
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Mr. McCormack sr
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Mr. McCormack jr
Kate Forbes ...
Rizzoli Book Buyer
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Esme
Barbara Eda-Young ...
Reena Geldhart
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Young Book Clerk
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Dennis the tailor
William Meisle ...
Customer with shoes
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Maitre d'
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Martha Hackett
Marc Schneier ...
Rabbi (as Rabbi Marc Schneier)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lynn Clayton ...
Beautiful woman
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Sign Painter (uncredited)
Mary Fortune ...
Art Student (uncredited)

Directed by

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Daniel J. Sullivan

Written by

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Jon Robin Baitz ... (play)
 
Jon Robin Baitz ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Jon Robin Baitz ... producer
Randy Finch ... producer
Ron Kastner ... producer
Lemore Syvan ... co-producer

Music by

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Joseph Vitarelli

Cinematography by

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Robert D. Yeoman

Editing by

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Pamela Martin

Editorial Department

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Simon Allen ... assistant editor
Tony Grocki ... assistant editor
David Hamme ... assistant colorist
May Kuckro ... apprentice editor
Patricia Sztaba ... negative cutter
Stan Sztaba ... negative cutter

Casting By

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Meg Simon

Production Design by

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John Lee Beatty

Art Direction by

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Mark Ricker

Set Decoration by

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Shelley Barclay

Costume Design by

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Jess Goldstein

Makeup Department

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Katherine E. Morgan ... additional makeup artist

Production Management

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John Rath ... production manager (as A. John Rath)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Linda Krantz ... second second assistant director
Jeffrey Lazar ... first assistant director
John M. Tyson ... second assistant director

Art Department

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Ben Barraud ... prop master
Shana A. Burns ... scenic artist
Shana McKay Burns ... scenic artist
Mary Ellen Carroll ... graphic designer
James Chinlund ... construction coordinator
Ron Digman ... props production assistant
Caitlin Hahn ... additional props
Stuart Montgomery ... prop master
Jeremiah Small ... lead man
Alexander Westerman ... art department coordinator

Sound Department

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Laurel Bridges ... boom operator
Steve Hamilton ... supervising sound editor
Andy Kris ... foley editor
Mary Ellen Porto ... sound editor
Linda Russo ... foley artist
Steve Silkensen ... adr editor
Reilly Steele ... re-recording mixer
Brian Vancho ... foley artist
Pawel Wdowczak ... sound mixer
Juan Carlos Zaldívar ... sound editor
Dan Edelstein ... sound editor: Miramax (uncredited)

Stunts

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Blaise Corrigan ... stunts

Camera and Electrical Department

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Nathan Abel ... grip
Joseph Baccari ... grip (as Joe Baccari)
Daniel Beaman ... key grip
Bart Blaise ... second assistant camera
Sean Donovan ... best boy grip
James J. Ferris ... grip
Matthew W. Flannery ... assistant camera
Bill Foley ... still photographer
Daryl Furr ... electrician
Jacques Jouffret ... steadicam operator
Jonathan Kovel ... best boy grip
Toshiaki Ozawa ... gaffer
Storn Peterson ... first assistant camera
Kate Phelan ... electrician
Antonio Rossi ... best boy electric (as Antonio M. Rossi)
John Tanzer ... electrician

Casting Department

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Kristine Bulakowski ... extras casting: in-house
Meredith Jacobson Marciano ... extras casting (as Meredith Jacobson)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Terri Purcell ... wardrobe supervisor
Michael Zecker ... wardrobe assistant

Location Management

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Sujit Chawla ... location production assistant
Carey DePalma ... assistant location manager
Michael Devlin ... location scout
David Ray Martin ... location manager (as David Martin)

Music Department

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Rick Baitz ... additional composer: score
Tom Brown ... music preparation
Jim Hoffman ... music preparation
Paula M. Hoppe ... music production coordinator
Allan K. Rosen ... music editor
Dan Wallin ... score mixer

Script and Continuity Department

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Christine Gee ... script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Stuart Acher ... production assistant
Courtney Henley-Anderson ... production assistant
Jody Hessel ... production assistant
Deanna Leslie ... set production assistant
Melissa Marr ... production coordinator
Steven Santos ... production assistant
Jennifer Truelove ... set production assistant

Thanks

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Arnold Rifkin ... special thanks

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Isaac Geldhart is a Holocaust survivor who, overcome by grief at the recent death of his wife, seems determined to run his publishing firm into the ground by printing books that have no hope of financial success. His son Aaron, who also works at the company, grows frustrated with Isaac's emotional decline and attempts to take over the firm. The resulting crisis involves Isaac's other two children, his daughter Sarah and his dying son Martin. Written by Jesse Garon

Plot Keywords
Taglines Doing What Is Right... Could Cost Him Everything. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide Add content advisory for parents »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • L'essència del foc (Spain, Catalan title)
  • La esencia del fuego (Spain)
  • Sedno sporu (Poland)
  • Sisäinen tuli (Finland)
  • Il colore del fuoco (Italy)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 97 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix

Box Office

Opening Weekend United States $56,221, 16 Mar 1997

Did You Know?

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Trivia Film debut of Viola Davis. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Devil's Own/Cats Don't Dance/B*A*P*S/The Sixth Man/The Eighth Day/The Substance of Fire (1997). See more »
Quotes Sarah Geldheart: Tell me the truth. Does anybody actually finish a book once they have formed an opinion of it?
See more »

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