Sweet Liberty [Blu-ray]

Director: Alan Alda Alan Alda

Overview

Alan Alda wrote, directed, and starred in this satirical film about the corruption of the film industry's approach to history. Alda plays Michael Burgess, a college professor who has written a historical novel about the American Revolution. The book has been turned into a script, and a Hollywood film crew descends on his North Carolina hometown to make the movie. Predictably, the director and actors make a mess of his concept, and Burgess becomes frustrated as the town is turned upside down. Desperately, he tries to salvage his concept with some last-minute script changes. To make things more complicated, Burgess falls in love with the glamorous female lead in the film, Faith Healy (Michelle Pfeiffer). Meanwhile, his long-time girlfriend, Gretchen (Lise Hilboldt) is pressuring him to get married. The film's male star, Elliott James (Michael Caine), finally shows up in town and becomes Burgess's rival for Faith's affections. Silent film star Lillian Gish appears as Burgess's smother. ~ Michael Betzold

Product Details

Release Date:	05/04/2021
UPC:	0738329252649
Original Release:	1986
Rating:	PG
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Language:	English
Time:	1:46:00
Sales rank:	27,029

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Alan Alda	Michael Burgess,Film Crew Member,Film Crew Member
Michael Caine	Elliott James
Michelle Pfeiffer	Faith Healy
Bob Hoskins	Stanley Gould
Lise Hilboldt	Gretchen Carlsen
Lillian Gish	Cecelia Burgess
Saul Rubinek	Bo Hodges
Lois Chiles	Leslie
Linda Thorson	Grace
Diane Agostini	Nurse
Alvin Alexis	Male Student
Leo Burmester	Hank
Cynthia Burr	Asst. Camera
Timothy Carhart	Eagleton
Bryan Clark	Gov. Swayze
Bonnie Deroski	Female Student
Frank Ferrara Sr.	Lopert
Michael Flanagan	Frank Stirling
Dann Florek	Jesse
David Gideon	Camera Operator
Katherine Gowan	TV Interviewer
Terry Hinz	FX Man
Kevin McClarnon	FX Man
John Leonidas	Teamster
William Parry	Teamster
Christopher Loomis	Cinematographer
John C. McGinley	Floyd
Polly Rowles	Mrs. Delvechio
Fred Sanders	Soundman
Robert Schenkkan	Pilot
Larry Shue	Edson
Steven Stahl	Hotel Clerk
Lynne Thigpen	Claire
Richard Whiting	Johnny Delvechio
Robert Zarem	Publicist
Christopher Bregman	Running Boy
Bruce Broughton	Composer

Technical Credits

Alan Alda

Gore Vidal

Alan Alda	Director,Screenwriter
Martin Bregman	Producer
Victor Paul	Stunts
Louis A. Stroller	Executive Producer
Gore Vidal	Screenwriter
Candy Flanagin	Special Effects
Ted Grossman	Stunts
Henry Kingi	Stunts
Sandy Richman	Stunts
Tracy Kennedy	Stunts
Joe Cirillo	Stunts
Erik Cord	Stunts
George Ruge	Stunts
Phil Nelson	Stunts
Mary Colquhoun	Casting
Jeff Jensen	Stunts
George Fisher	Stunts
Steve Picerni	Stunts
Chuck Picerni Jr.	Stunts
Webster Whinery	Stunts
Phil Adams	Stunts
Lisa Loving	Stunts
Kenny Bates	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

An argument can be safely made that the feature films of Alan Alda are essentially Woody Allen-lite. Perhaps that's why "the Woodman" cast him in a few of his mid-'90s features. Without a doubt, Alda strives valiantly for the sort of comic introspection that is Allen's stock in trade, but in a few of his most memorable films as writer and director, he achieves his goal admirably, and this romantic comedy is definitely a case in point. Transposing his idol's big city angst to a small New England town, Alda finds plenty of purchase by injecting a battalion of Hollywood filmmakers into the proceedings, presaging David Mamet's State and Main (2000) by a decade and a half. Luminous Michelle Pfeiffer and reliable comic foils Michael Caine and Bob Hoskins are on hand, as well as the penultimate performance by screen legend Lillian Gish. But it's Alda's underrated script -- lacerating Hollywood egos -- that deserves most of the credit here. While he took home Emmys as a writer, producer, and star of the TV series M*A*S*H, Alda gets little respect as a feature film scribe, which is a shame because this film, like his previous Four Seasons (1981), is a comic gem.

All Movie Guide - Karl Williams