Up Close & Personal (1996)

An ambitious young woman, determined to build a career in TV journalism, gets good advice from her first boss, and they fall in love.

Director:

Jon Avnet

Writers:

Joan Didion, John Gregory Dunne

Stars:

Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stockard Channing

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Redford	...	Warren Justice
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Tally Atwater
Stockard Channing	...	Marcia McGrath
Joe Mantegna	...	Bucky Terranova
Kate Nelligan	...	Joanna Kennelly
Glenn Plummer	...	Ned Jackson
James Rebhorn	...	John Merino
Scott Bryce	...	Rob Sullivan
Raymond Cruz	...	Fernando Buttanda
Dedee Pfeiffer	...	Luanne Atwater
Miguel Sandoval	...	Dan Duarte
Noble Willingham	...	Buford Sells
James Karen	...	Tom Orr
Brian Markinson	...	Vic Nash
Michael Laskin	...	IBS Director

Storyline

This is a telling of the Jessica Savitch story, the newswoman who, in the 1970's, became the "First Woman Anchor". Sally/Tally is taken under the wing of Warren in a Miami newsroom and becomes a news star on TV. Despite her love for Warren, she takes the big chance and moves on to Philadelphia, where he follows to rescue her faltering career at the cost of his own - as she rises he falls.

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Plot Keywords:

mentor protege relationship | journalism | television news | television broadcast | television network | 

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Taglines:

Passion Brought Them Together... Only Success Could Tear Them Apart!

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sensuality and depictions of violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Golden Girl

Filming Locations:

Holmesburg Prison - 8215 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$187,067, 19 July 1996

Gross USA:

$51,088,705

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,688,705

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures,Cinergi Pictures Entertainment,Avnet/Kerner Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Redford previously wanted Michelle to star in Havana a few years earlier. The role was given to Lena Olin.

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Goofs

Tally, said to be reporting for WFIL, holds a Channel 7 microphone. WFIL was actually Channel 6. (Note: WFIL's call letter subsequently changed to WPVI, still channel 6 in Philadelphia.)

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Quotes

Tally: When I asked you how long you could stay and you said, 'Long enough,' how long is that? When we're not together...
Warren: ...Everything shuts down.

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Connections

Referenced in Melissa & Joey: Up Close & Personal (2010)

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Soundtracks

Coconut Water
Written and Performed by Joe 'Bones' Johnson

User Reviews

Everyday we have, is one more than we deserve

The struggles in reporting the news are shown in such an interesting way in the 1996 movie, 'Up close and personal'. It also shows that a little bit of luck can help a person go a long way in an industry like that of TV journalism. This movie's story, which has a strong and very emotional romance within it, also has some surprising twists that I am sure people will not expect once they have watched it.

Sally Atwater is fresh from a small-town trailer park when she arrives in Miami, overdressed and overeager to be the weather girl. He debut is disastrous but her boss, experienced newsman, Warren Justice, admires her spunk and takes her under his wing, making her an on air reporter. As Justice moulds Sally into one of the county's most sought after journalists, the pair fall in love, only to have their relationship threatened by the very success they have created.

Here is one of the great romance movies I have seen in a longtime. I love the way that the main stars first meet and how their relationship develops. By the time that Tally is a great journalist, what is more important than her career, is the man that she loves that being Warren Justice. The screenplay for this movie was beautifully written by John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion. I love how the two main stars are able to fall in love, but at the same time, able to do what they do as a career. Sure it might take a little while for the movie to show that this is important, but I feel that the time needed to be taken, so that both Tally and Warren fall deeply in love.

The director of 'Up close and personal' was Jon Avnet, who has been a part of some great movies such as that of 'Risky Business', 'When a man loves a woman', and the 'Mighty ducks' trilogy. In this movie, I love the way that Avnet shows Tally Atwater at the start, to be someone who is a struggler, ignored and made fun of. Then to make her character be so vital and important in the whole make-up of the film, was great. This I believe is the good work of Avnet and makes the movie all the more compelling. I also like the world that Avnet has created for the film, that of the pressurised, TV journalism environment.

The stars of the movie are two of Hollywood's better known actors in Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer. The pair have a good chemistry in this movie, with the way that they fall in love very believable. I also like how Redford's character, Warren, refers to Tally at the start of the film, saying that 'she eats the camera'. This scene shows that Warren not only likes Tally as a journo, but as a woman as well. I also like the way that Pfeiffer appears in this film. She looks very much like a reporter does on the news and it is in her appearance that this needed to be so definite.

The supporting cast of 'Up close and personal' is a pretty good one. I like Marcia McGrath (Stockard Channing), who is the tough as nails anchor girl, who is pushed out of her position by the rising career of Tally Atwater. She treats Tally pretty bad in the film, if the truth be known. I also like Joanna Kennelly (Kate Nelligan), who we find out is one of Warren's former wives. She is one of the reasons why Warren has had a turbulent journalism career. Do not discount the little role taken on by Tally's cameraman Ned Jackson (Glenn Plumber). He is an incredibly brave cameraman, who admires Tally for the work that she does. Trust me I would not have liked doing the camera work that he was doing in the prison.

'Up close and personal' might not have the greatest of sound tracks, but it does have one song that I really like. That song is 'Because you loved me' sung by Celine Dion. It is a song which was used well in the film and its lyrics suit this movie beautifully. How great a song this was, made me want to watch the film all the more. By the way, there is one scene in the movie that shows Pfeiffer's character singing 'The impossible dream' at an empty football stadium in front of Warren. All I will say about this is that Pfeiffer should stick to the acting game, because she does not sing that well.

This movie, is such 'a good drama love story', because it shows how tough the 'TV journalism' area can be, and does not shrug away from showing how difficult and dangerous such a career can be (the prison scene is wonderfully shot and one of the great parts of the film). I also like how this movie concludes, and I am not afraid to admit that it has gotten me upset both times I have watched it. You will notice, that I say that Sally Atwater's name is actually 'Tally'. I will not reveal how this change happens, just to say that I like it. I believe it was placed in the story for a bit of fun. But I am not so sure I would like my name changed for my chosen career. Would you?

CMRS gives 'Up close and personal': 4 (Very Good Film)