Misunderstood | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Jerry Schatzberg |
Produced by | Tarak Ben Amar |
Written by | Barra Grant |
Starring |
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Music by | Michael Hoppé |
Cinematography | Pasqualino De Santis |
Edited by | Marc Laub |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | MGM/UA Entertainment Co. |
Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $10 million |
Box office | $45 million |
Misunderstood is a 1984 American drama film directed by Jerry Schatzberg, based on the 1869 novel Misunderstood by Florence Montgomery. This film stars Henry Thomas as a young boy who struggles with family, friends, and relationships after his mother's death.
The novel Misunderstood had previously been adapted as the 1966 Italian film Incompreso, which starred Anthony Quayle.
Made on a budget of $10 million, the movie was also relying on A-List success of Gene Hackman and Henry Thomas, the latter of which was a successful child star who appeared in several blockbusters during that era. The movie opened to $9.813 million in the United States, and a total weekend gross worldwide of $18 million, opening at No.1 that week. It ended up grossing $31.5 million outside of the USA, becoming a box office success worldwide.
The movie was met with generally positive reviews from critics, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83% based on 19 critics, although didn't gain any major award nominations or wins.
Shooting took place over four months in 1982. The director shot two endings, and wanted to use the more tragic one. The producer, Tarak Ben Ammar, then assembled his own more upbeat version of the film, adding extra flashbacks. This was then changed by MGM/UA.