The Whole Wide World (1996)

In Texas in the 1930s, young schoolteacher Novalyne Price meets a handsome, eccentric, interesting young man named Robert Howard. He's a successful writer - of the pulp stories of 'Conan ... See full summary »

Director:

Dan Ireland

Writers:

Novalyne Price Ellis (memoir One Who Walked Alone), Michael Scott Myers (screenplay)

Stars:

Vincent D'Onofrio, Renée Zellweger, Ann Wedgeworth

6 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Robert E. Howard
Renée Zellweger	...	Novalyne Price
Ann Wedgeworth	...	Mrs. Howard
Harve Presnell	...	Dr. Howard
Benjamin Mouton	...	Clyde Smith
Helen Cates	...	Enid
Leslie Buesing	...	Ethel (as Leslie Berger)
Chris Shearer	...	Truett
Sandy Walper	...	Mammy
Marion Eaton	...	Woman on Bus
Dell Aldrich	...	Mrs. Hemphill (as Dell F. Aldrich)
Libby Villari	...	Etna Reed Price
Michael Corbett	...	Booth Adams
Antonia Bogdanovich	...	Teacher
Elizabeth D'Onofrio	...	Mrs. Smith

Storyline

In Texas in the 1930s, young schoolteacher Novalyne Price meets a handsome, eccentric, interesting young man named Robert Howard. He's a successful writer - of the pulp stories of 'Conan the Barbarian'; she's an aspiring one. A friendship develops into a sort of courtship. Based on a memoir by Novalyne Price.

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Plot Keywords:

corn stalk | courtship | friendship | writer | 1930s | 

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Taglines:

A true story about the true love of the greatest pulp fiction writer of all time.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for a substantial amount of mild language and mature thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 December 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alle Liebe dieser Welt

Filming Locations:

Paramount Theatre - 713 Congress, Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,318, 22 December 1996, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$136,933, 5 January 1997

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineville, The Kushner-Locke Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The infamous kiss shared between characters Robert E. Howard ('Vincent D'Onofrio (I)') and Novalyne Price (Renée Zellweger) was only shot once. The kiss shown in the movie is a cut and edited version of their single take.

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Goofs

When the school principal welcomes the teachers for the new school year, the U.S. flag in the background has 50 stars, whereas in the 1930s the flag would have only had 48 stars.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Novalyne Price: I met Bob Howard today. My old sweetheart, Clyde, brought him over.

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Crazy Credits

During her interview on "Inside the Actor's Studio", Renee Zellweger revealed that the end credit for Woofgang Zellweger was an inside reference to her dog, "Woof."

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Dante's Peak/SubUrbia/The Beautician and the Beast/Rosewood/The Whole Wide World (1997)

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Soundtracks

Cops Rag 2
Composed by John Fiddy/Gerhard Narholz (as Otto Sieben)

User Reviews

Painful to Watch...

It's a good film, but it's absolutely painful to watch, as you repeatedly wish they'd put aside their insecurities and get together. The best screen kiss in recent memory is in this film and it gives you a taste of the power they would've had if they would've always stayed together, instead of straying alone. One of the most emotionally abusive films of the last year, it's more of a realistic romance instead of the perfect one featured in films such as "You've Got Mail". This and many other films serve as a reminder that most great romances are not without torturous actions from both halves.