Up Close & Personal (1996)

An ambitious young woman, determined to build a career in television 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 1970s, became the "First Woman Anchor". Tally Atwater (Michelle Pfeiffer) is taken under the wing of Warren Justice (Robert Redford) in a Miami newsroom and becomes a news star on television. 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:

Every Day we Have, is One More Than We Deserve.

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michelle Pfeiffer and Stockard Channing appeared in the Grease film franchise.

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Goofs

When the film was made, in 1996, the idea that a TV crew inside a prison could beam images from a 'portable' transmit unit (let alone return audio to the journalist from the TV truck), was pure imagination. Even modern-day portable units cannot break through concrete and steel - especially the amount that one would find in a prison.

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Quotes

Tally: I'm exactly the way you made me: do it this way, do it that way, do it MY way - until I don't even know how to do it without you.

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Connections

Referenced in WWE Raw: Tee Vee Trivia (1996)

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Soundtracks

Re-Animator
Written by Jack Dangers (as Dangers)
Performed by Meat Beat Manifesto
Courtesy of Mute America

User Reviews

Long but amazingly worth the time spent watching!

It has been a long time since a film has made me cry. I can't remember crying like this since Beaches and Steel Magnolias years ago. To be honest the movie seemed a little boring and overacted to start with - Pfeiffer was very much as she had been in Dangerous Minds, controversial and unique (not that that is a bad thing, just repetitive). However, once you move past the 'a star is born' bit, the developing relationship between Warren Justice (Redford) and Tally Attwater is a beautiful and believable one. It is also interesting to get a look at how the TV news may operate behind-the-scenes.

Unlike so many star couplets today, Redford and Pfeiffer have true on-screen chemistry and are at their best in this film.

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:

$11,101,955, 3 March 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