Opening Night (1977 film)
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Cassavetes |
| Produced by | Al Ruban |
| Written by | John Cassavetes |
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| Music by | Bo Harwood |
| Cinematography | Alan Ruban |
| Edited by | Tom Cornwell |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Faces Distribution |
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Release date
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Running time
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144 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Opening Night is a 1977 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes, and starring Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Joan Blondell, Paul Stewart, Zohra Lampert, and Cassavetes.
In the film, Broadway actress Myrtle Gordon rehearses for her latest play, about a woman unable to admit that she is aging. When she witnesses the death of an adoring young fan, she begins to confront the personal and professional turmoils she faces in her own life.
In common with earlier films, Cassavetes struggled to get Opening Night distributed in the United States. After a number of preview screenings, it opened on December 25, 1977, at the Fox Wilshire Theater, Los Angeles where it played to almost empty houses, and closed in February having never been commercially shown elsewhere. Screenings in New York City that March were similarly ignored. The film was only picked up by an American distributor in 1991, two years after Cassavetes' death.
In 1978, it was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival, where Gena Rowlands won the Silver Bear for Best Actress.
The film was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.
Opening Night was critically panned in America on its release. The review in Variety that appeared after a press screening concluded, "One must question whether more than a handful of moviegoers are interested in the effort, whether audiences have not already seen enough of Cassavetes' characters ... He's made these films before and not many seemed interested in them." When it opened in New York, the film was not reviewed at all in most newspapers and magazines.
The film was better received in Europe, and its reputation has improved since its initial release. It currently holds a 95% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes; the consensus states: "Opening Night is as dense and difficult as one would expect from John Cassavetes, but even the director's detractors will be unable to deny the power of Gena Rowlands' performance."
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Wikipedia