Mrs. Soffel (1984)

Regisseur:

Gillian Armstrong

Drehbuchautor:

Ron Nyswaner (writer)

Premierendatum:

26. Dezember 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romanze

Werbezeile:

A true story

Plot:

Peter Soffel is the stuffy warden of a remote American prison around the turn of the century. His wife...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Pittsburgh Pennsylvania | Prison Escape | Sled | Warden

Filmpreise:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Nutzerkommentare:

Ignored, overlooked, forgotten. And why?

Besetzung

Diane Keaton	...	Kate Soffel
Mel Gibson	...	Ed Biddle
Matthew Modine	...	Jack Biddle
Edward Herrmann	...	Warden Peter Soffel
Trini Alvarado	...	Irene Soffel
Jennifer Dundas	...	Margaret Soffel (as Jennie Dundas)
Danny Corkill	...	Eddie Soffel
Harley Cross	...	Clarence Soffel
Terry O'Quinn	...	Detective Buck McGovern
Pippa Pearthree	...	Maggie
William Youmans	...	Guard George Koslow
Maury Chaykin	...	Guard Charlie Reynolds
Joyce Ebert	...	Matron Agnes Garvey
Wayne Robson	...	Halliday
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson	...	Jessie Bodyne
Les Rubie	...	Mr. Stevenson
Paula Trueman	...	Mrs. Stevenson
Nancy Chesney	...	Mrs. Fitzgerald
Samantha Follows	...	Becky Knotts
Katie McCombs	...	Rachel Garvey
Linda Gabler	...	Leota Yoeders
Eric Hebert	...	Paperboy
Tom Harvey	...	Attorney Burke
Jack Jessop	...	Attorney Watson
William Duell	...	Lenny
John Dee	...	Old Prisoner
J. Winston Carroll	...	Guard McGarey (as John W. Carroll)
David Fox	...	McNeil
Fred Booker	...	Trustee
Valerie Buhagiar	...	Alice
Norma Dell'Agnese	...	Woman Reporter
Al Koslik	...	Reporter (as Al Kozlik)
Phillip Craig	...	Reporter
Frank Adamson	...	Swinehart
Don Granberry	...	Roach
Linda Carola	...	Factory Girl
George Belskey	...	Mr. Bodyne
Maruska Stankova	...	Mrs. Bodyne (as Marushka Stankova)
James Bradford	...	Minister
Charles Jolliffe	...	Sheriff Hoon
Rodger Barton	...	Deputy Hoon
Jack Mather	...	Mr. Watson
Lee-Max Walton	...	Harry
Sean Sullivan	...	Farmer
Warren Van Evera	...	Farmer
Walter Massey	...	District Attorney
übrige Besetzung in alphabetischer Reihenfolge:
Jane Foster	...	Elsie
Chris Cummings	...	Boy (uncredited)
Len Doncheff	...	Polish Guard (uncredited)
Clay Follett	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Heather Graham	...	Factory Girl (uncredited)
Kay Hawtrey	...	Peter's Secretary (uncredited)
David Huckvale	...	Russian Twin (uncredited)
Douglas Huckvale	...	Russian Twin (uncredited)
John Innes	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Derek Keurvorst	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Dan Lett	...	Young Man (uncredited)
Don McManus	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Alan C. Peterson	...	Guard (uncredited)
Dorothy Phelan	...	Old Aunt (uncredited)
Lou Pitoscia	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Gerry Tucker	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Victoria Vanderkloot	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Chuck Waters	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Brian Young	...	McNeil's Secretary (uncredited)
Ralph Zeldin	...	Russian (uncredited)

Regie
Gillian Armstrong

Buch (In alphabetischer Reihenfolge)
Ron Nyswaner		writer

Produktion
Dennis E. Jones	....	associate producer (as Dennis Jones)
David Nicksay	....	producer (as David A. Nicksay)
Scott Rudin	....	producer
Edgar J. Scherick	....	producer

Originalmusik
Mark Isham

Kamera
Russell Boyd

Schnitt
Nicholas Beauman

Casting
Margery Simkin

Szenenbild
Luciana Arrighi

Bauten/Dekorationsbau (art directors)
Roy Forge Smith

Bühnenbildner/Ausstatter (set decorators)
Dan Conley
Hilton Rosemarin

Kostüme
Shay Cunliffe

Maske/Frisuren
Linda Gill	....	makeup artist
Patricia Green	....	makeup supervisor
Paul LeBlanc	....	hair stylist

Produktionsleiter (production managers)
Monty Diamond	....	unit production manager: Pittsburgh
Dennis E. Jones	....	production manager (as Dennis Jones)
Michael MacDonald	....	unit manager

Regieassistenten
Ronald M. Bozman	....	first assistant director: Pittsburgh (as Ron Bozman)
Ronald M. Bozman	....	second unit director (as Ron Bozman)
Mark Egerton	....	assistant director
Richard Flower	....	second assistant director
Rocco Gismondi	....	third assistant director
Tony Gittleson	....	second assistant director: Pittsburgh (as Anthony H. Gittelson)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	second unit director (as Glenn H. Randall Jr.)

Ausstattung (Stab)
Daniel R. Bradette	....	assistant property master
Jacques M. Bradette	....	supervising set decorator (as Jacques Bradette)
J. Tracy Budd	....	property master
Carmi Gallo	....	assistant art director
Bill Harman	....	construction coordinator
Andris Hausmanis	....	assistant art director
Edward Pisoni	....	art director: Pittsburgh

Ton Stab
George H. Anderson	....	sound effects editor (as George Anderson)
Dody Dorn	....	dialogue editor (as Dody Jane Dorn)
Dennis Drummond	....	sound effects editor
Robert Grieve	....	supervising sound editor (as Bob Grieve)
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
David J. Kimball	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Lee	....	production sound mixer
Ray O'Reilly	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Patterson	....	dialogue loop editor
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator
Christian T. Cooke	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Terry Cooke	....	temp mix re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Reid Paul Martin	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Don White	....	adr recording mixer (uncredited)

Spezialeffekte
Kevin Pike	....	special effects supervisor: Pittsburgh
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects coordinator
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Marco Bianco	....	stunts
Robin Grathwol	....	stunts
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunt coordinator (as Glenn H. Randall Jr.)
Bruce Smith	....	stunts
Victoria Vanderkloot	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunts

Kamera und Elektrik (Stab)
George Berrios	....	first assistant camera: Pittsburgh
Holly Bower	....	still photographer
Ralph Brandofino	....	second assistant camera: Pittsburgh
Darwin Dean	....	director of photography: Pittsburgh
Tony Eldridge	....	second electrician
Henri Fiks	....	second camera operator
Ron Gillham	....	key grip
Glen Goodchild	....	second grip
Chris Harris	....	second assistant camera
Gail Harvey	....	still photographer
Chris Helcermanas-Benge	....	still photographer
Chris Holmes	....	chief lighting technician
John McCallum	....	first assistant camera (as Sandy McCallum)
Peter Norman	....	director of photography: Pittsburgh
Rod Parkhurst	....	camera operator
Robert Saad	....	second camera operator
Stuart Stein	....	second assistant camera: Pittsburgh

Casting (Stab)
Stuart Aikins	....	casting: Toronto
Allan Amtzis	....	casting assistant
Lynne Carrow	....	additional casting
Brenda McConnell	....	casting assistant

Kostüm und Garderobe (Stab)
Linda Kemp	....	wardrobe mistress (as Lynda Kemp)
Arthur Rowsell	....	costumer: men
Patti Unger	....	costumer: women (as Patty Unger)

Schnitt (Stab)
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer
Bruce Lange	....	first assistant editor
John Pleffer	....	post-production coordinator
Michael Rea	....	second assistant editor

Musik (Stab)
Mark Adler	....	music arranger: string arrangements
Todd Boekelheide	....	music supervisor

Transporte
Nick Sweetman	....	transportation coordinator

Restlicher Stab
Todd Arnow	....	location auditor
Michael Barnathan	....	assistant: Mr. Scherick
Marc Dassas	....	location manager
Nora Dunfee	....	dialect consultant
Alice Ferrier	....	production coordinator: Canada
Cassie Freckleton	....	location auditor
Penelope Hynam	....	script supervisor
Patricia Johnson	....	unit publicist
Lisa McClelland	....	production coordinator: Pittsburgh
Peggy Munns	....	assistant: Ms. Armstrong
Rick Parker	....	wrangler
Janice Polley	....	assistant: Mr. Nicksay
Stephen Seliy	....	location manager: Pittsburgh (as Steve Seliy)
Adam J. Shully	....	assistant location manager
Ed Urban	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Ed Urban)
Casey Brown	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Linda Callow	....	stand-in: Diane Keaton (uncredited)
Lev Mailer	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Dan Roth	....	adr voice (uncredited)

Produktionsfirmen

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Verleihfirmen

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (UK) (theatrical)
• Vídeo Arte (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Weitere Firmen

• Fred the Furrier  furs
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  title and opticals
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  re-recording facilities

Alternativ:

Flucht zu dritt (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

110 Min | 112 Min (TCM print)

Produktionsland:

USA

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe (Metrocolor)

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby

Altersfreigabe:

UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Drehorte:

Elora, Ontario, Canada

Firma:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Dies und das:

A very old, closed, unused bridge in the village of Elora, Ontario was refurbished for the movie, and now serves as a pedestrian bridge there.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Ausschnittsweise enthalten in The Making of 'Mrs. Soffel' (1984) (TV)

Ignored, overlooked, forgotten. And why?

"Mrs. Soffel" is a wonderful movie I have seen many times, but the last viewing was so many years ago I'm watching it right now on TCM.

I'm a sucker for movies whose main characters suddenly, inexplicably make a decision which goes against everything they seem to embody, or at least that which the viewer has come to know about them.

In early 20th-century America, the lot of a wife, even that of a well-to-do-man and mother to lovely children, was a lonely, empty, barren existence. In a wealthy household with servants, there was very little meaningful work for the mistress of the house to do every day.

Even the layers upon layers of clothes Victorian women wore served no practical purpose except to restrict movement and render their wearers merely decorative. Express your opinions and you got packed off to visit relatives in hopes that maybe the change of scenery would "do you good." There were millions of avenues for creative expression and enterprise that were simply cut off for women.

Good minds went to waste. Souls shriveled and died.

Kate Soffel (Diane Keaton) was the wife of a prison warden in Pittsburgh at the turn of the last century. She served as something of a missionary to the prisoners, giving them Bibles, holding prayer readings with them and hoping to guide them towards remorse and redemption. She never expects to fall in love with one of the inmates. But fall she does, for the charming Ed Biddle (Mel Gibson), who along with his brother Jack, (Matthew Modine) are in jail on murder charges.

Kate is suffocating; the Biddles are desperate. Prone to fits of melancholy and depression, plagued with fears that she is not a good mother and that she has failed her husband -- whom she has come to learn she really doesn't know very well -- Kate, like so many women of her era, is desperate for something to end the tedium, the frustration, the despair. She is a perfect candidate for the dangerous voyage she helps plan and sets out on with the Biddle brothers.

"Mrs. Soffel" raises many ethical and moral issues, among them the divergent path Kate takes from her religious teachings, and the Biddle brothers' guilt or innocence. It can be appreciated equally on one or more levels, but it remains a remarkably restrained depiction of emotions and passion that are anything but.