Title: Between the Lines
Release Date: April 27, 1977
Director: Joan Micklin Silver
Production Company: Midwest Films
Summary/Review:
This ensemble film broadly tells the story of an alternative newspaper in Boston as the deal with evaporation of the idealism of 60s counterculture and the threat of takeover by a corporate publisher. More specifically it is a group of character studies and an examination of gender dynamics in relationships. The film feels a lot like a television “dramedy,” maybe even a pilot to an ongoing series. This isn’t criticism, but more of an observation that they just don’t make movies like this anymore. Nowadays this would probably be made as a limited streaming series.
The cast includes John Heard, Lindsay Crouse (who appeared in Slap Shot the same year), Gwen Welles (following up on her work in Nashville), Jeff Goldblum (another Nashville veteran appearing in this Altman-esque film), Stephen Collins (as a controlling character that seems to match his later real life sexual misconduct), Bruno Kirby (following up on The Godfather, Part II, Jill Eikenberry, and Michael J. Pollard (most famous for Bonnie and Clyde). The running plots in this movies, as they are, include:
- The on-again/off-again relationship of disillusioned writer Harry (Heard) and photographer Abbie (Crouse)
- Another relationship between writers Laura (Welles) and Michael (Collins) where Michael has used his success in writing a book to run roughshod over Laura’s hopes and dreams
- Rock critic Max (Goldblum) just trying to get a raise
- Idealistic young reporter David (Kirby) trying to report on a scandal in local government
- Also, the filmmakers got Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes to perform in this film and really felt good about that get
Overall, the men in this film are narcissistic and a bit creepy. The women seem eager to enjoy the sexual revolution but questioning why they have to do it with these men. Since this is the 1970s the movie features a lot of gratuitous nudity. But one of the better scenes is when Harry and Abbie go to interview an exotic dancer (Marilu Henner) and Abbie is able to strike up a genuine rapport when Harry just relies on the same stereotypical questions of sex workers. It’s a nice touch that I think benefits from having a woman director.
This movie is set in Boston but doesn’t have any of the usual Hollywood stereotypes of Boston. The characters generally grumble about their lives and are snarky in their conversations, which is on point for Boston. And we get to have fun with movies and their convoluted geography. The newspaper is supposed to be based in Back Bay, but their office (in a converted house) is decidedly not in Back Bay. I think it’s actually shot in Cambridgeport. There’s also a scene where Goldblum and Kirby exit the office and suddenly are in Harvard Square. Over all though, they make good use of the city as a set. I particularly like the overhead shot of Copley Square before it was renovated and before the construction of Copley Place Mall, as well as a scene on the platform at Charles/MGH when the Red Line trains weren’t Red.
Should you be curious, watching this prompted me to make a list of every Boston film I could find on Letterboxd.
Rating: ***1/2
Panorama of the Mountains 