The Rachel Papers (1989)

Regisseur:

Damian Harris

Drehbuchautoren:

Martin Amis (novel)
Damian Harris (writer)

Premierendatum:

12. Mai 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romanze

Werbezeile:

She's curious, he's nervous.

Plot:

Charles is in control of his life; he is about to finish 6th from college and start at Oxford. He is 19 and wants an 'older' woman before he turns 20...

Plot Keywords:

Narrative | Underage Sex | Topless Girl | Female Nudity | Based On Novel

Filmpreise:

1 win

Nutzerkommentare:

Not absolutely horrible, but certainly not absolutely brilliant. Disappointing film

Besetzung

Dexter Fletcher	...	Charles Highway
Ione Skye	...	Rachel Noyce
Jonathan Pryce	...	Norman
James Spader	...	Deforest
Bill Paterson	...	Gordon Highway
Michael Gambon	...	Doctor Knowd
Lesley Sharp	...	Jenny
Jared Harris	...	Geoff
Aubrey Morris	...	Sir Herbert
Claire Skinner	...	Gloria
Nicola Kimber	...	Vanessa Reynolds
Shirley Anne Field	...	Mrs. Seth Smith
Pat Keen	...	Mrs. Tauber
Amanda De Cadenet	...	Cathy
Gina McKee	...	Evonne
Daniel John	...	Chris
Shirley King	...	Tauber Academy Assistant
Siri Neal	...	Suki
Di Langford	...	Charlotte Highway
Hepburn Graham	...	Andy
Amanda Dickinson	...	Peppermint Park Waitress
Joe Wreddon	...	Valentine
Amy Fleetwood	...	Rachel's Friend
Jimmy Buchanan	...	Mr. Greenchurch
übrige Besetzung in alphabetischer Reihenfolge:
Louise Hodges	...	Extra (uncredited)
Troy Titus-Adams	...	Woman (uncredited)

Regie
Damian Harris

Buch (In alphabetischer Reihenfolge)
Martin Amis		novel
Damian Harris		writer

Produktion
Eric Fellner	....	executive producer
Andrew S. Karsch	....	producer
Paul Raphael	....	co-producer
James T. Roe III	....	executive producer
Scott Millaney	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Originalmusik
Chaz Jankel
David Storrs

Kamera
Alex Thomson

Schnitt
David Martin

Casting
Janey Fothergill
Gail Stevens

Szenenbild
Andrew McAlpine

Bauten/Dekorationsbau (art directors)
Lia Cramer

Kostüme
Marit Allen

Maske/Frisuren
Heather Jones	....	hair stylist
Sally Sutton	....	makeup artist

Produktionsleiter (production managers)
Mary Richards	....	production manager

Regieassistenten
Simon Moseley	....	third assistant director
Ken Shane	....	second assistant director
Michael Zimbrich	....	first assistant director

Ausstattung (Stab)
Dave Allen	....	carpenter
Rob Anderson	....	carpenter
Gari Bacon	....	stand-by props
Fiona Ball	....	construction runner
Alan Crawshaw	....	stagehand
David Fitzjohn	....	painter
Paul Ghirardani	....	art department trainee
George Hall	....	property master
Ken Hawkey	....	stand-by painter
Steve Kolodzietski	....	carpenter
George Malin	....	property storeman
Rod McLean	....	assistant art director
Brian Mitchell	....	stand-by stagehand
Con Murphy	....	stand-by rigger
Fred Palmer	....	plasterer
Ken Perkins	....	dressing props
Graeme Purdy	....	stand-by props
Colin Rutter	....	carpenter
Guy Rutter	....	painter
Hank Schumacher	....	construction manager
Bob Sherwood	....	dressing props
Vince Snider	....	carpenter
Tommy Westbrook	....	stand-by carpenter
Tony Wright	....	storyboard artist

Ton Stab
Mick Boggis	....	assistant dubbing mixer
Richard Dunford	....	dialogue editor
Michael Feinberg	....	assistant dialogue editor (as Mike Feinberg)
Chris Martin	....	boom operator
Peter Maxwell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Budge Tremlett	....	dubbing editor
Ian Voigt	....	sound recordist
Maria Walker	....	assistant dubbing editor
Steve Hancock	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunt coordinator

Kamera und Elektrik (Stab)
George Boner	....	best boy
Tom Collins	....	still photographer
Miles Cook	....	director of photography: second unit
Dennis Kington	....	steadicam operator (as Denis Kington)
Roy Larner	....	gaffer
Brian Mcgivern	....	generator operator
Alan McPherson	....	electrician
Nic Milner	....	follow focus cameramen (as Nick Milner)
David Moroni	....	electrician
Jimmy Terry	....	electrician
Chyna Thomson	....	second assistant camera
Tony Turner	....	camera grip

Kostüm und Garderobe (Stab)
Lesley Bingham	....	wardrobe assistant
Jenny Hawkins	....	wardrobe assistant
Hilary Watson	....	wardrobe supervisor

Schnitt (Stab)
Peter Baldock	....	first assistant editor
Elaine O'Halloran	....	second assistant editor
Katrina Thurston	....	editing department trainee

Musik (Stab)
Lynn Geller	....	music consultant (as Lyn Geller)
Deborah Mason	....	music supervisor
Ingo Vauk	....	music engineer

Restlicher Stab
Rod Bellamy	....	floor runner
Tania Windsor Blunden	....	production coordinator (as Tania Windsor)
Bill Darby	....	assistant location manager
Cherry Fiddaman	....	assistant accountant
Natasha Grenfell	....	location assistant
Carl S. Griffin	....	financial controller
Sara Mata	....	assistant: S. Karsch
Rupert Meaden	....	location manager
Ben Mills	....	production runner
Karin Padgham	....	assistant to producers
Julie Robinson	....	script supervisor
E. Paige Simpson	....	assistant: S. Karsch

Produktionsfirmen

• Initial Film and Television
• Longfellow Pictures
• Virgin

Verleihfirmen

• United Artists
• Virgin Vision (1989) (UK) (theatrical)
• Virgin Vision (1990) (UK) (VHS)

Weitere Firmen

• DeLane Lea Sound Centre  dubbing facilities
• Geoff Axtell Associates Ltd.  titles and opticals
• Hackenbacker Sound  sound transfers
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment
• Rank Film Laboratories  film lab
• Salon Productions  post-production facilities

Alternativ:

Er? Will! Sie Nicht? (Bundesrepublik Deutschland) [de]

Länge:

95 Min

Produktionsland:

UK

Sprache:

Englisch

Farbe:

Farbe

Seitenverhältnis:

1.85 : 1

Tonverfahren:

Dolby

Altersfreigabe:

UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:12

Drehorte:

London, England, UK

Firma:

Initial Film and Television

Dies und das:

Although not credited, Eric Stoltz plays one of the guests at the table when Deforest, Rachel, and Charles go to the café.

Dialogzitate:

Charles Highway: Now, I'm surprisingly ineffective on the telephone so I find there are four basic requirements I need on making the first call. Number 1: visual stimulants. Number 2: other stimulants. Number 3: mood music. And, most importantly, number 4: a tight and effective working script.

Bezüge zu anderen Titeln:

Enthält ausschnittsweise Persona (1966)

Soundtrack:

I'VE GOT YOUR PREASURE CONTROL

Not absolutely horrible, but certainly not absolutely brilliant. Disappointing film

A-ha, a guide to the do's and don'ts of dating on the big screen.

I've always liked Martin Amis' works, and 1974's The Rachel Papers was his first novel, and still one of his best. Despite the fact that this 1989 film adaptation has now become something of a cult classic in the UK, however, I doubt Amis would have approved of it had it been laid before him prior to it's release.

There's a host of famous faces in this film, including Dexter Fletcher, Bill Patterson (albeit briefly), James Spader, Michael Gambon (in cameo) and Jonathan Pryce. Why they chose ex-Gamesmaster host from the post-Dominik Diamond days Dexter Fletcher (also known for his roles in Press Gang, Bugsy Malone and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) as the cocky, arrogant, obnoxious, precocious, phenomenally intelligent and highly sexed-up Charles Highway I'll never know, as he is simply too self-conscious for the part. Ione Skye, equally, made a none-too-good job out of what was, in fairness, the very difficult task of playing the seductive Rachel Noyce. That said, few male viewers would object to the chance of seeing the attractive Skye naked in any film, while Fletcher's charm, wit, and posturing do show sporadically, but not often enough. Dexter Fletcher (or Dexter Dipsh*t as 'Godspeed You Black Emperor' rather unkindly calls him) has had a lot of bad press over the years, but he is actually a far better actor than many people give him credit for, but he simply wasn't suited for the lovable rogue he aspired to be in 'The Rachel Papers' - Matthew Broderick or Gordon John-Sinclair would have been a better choice for the part.

The acting is not totally without merit; Jonathan Pryce is absolutely hilarious in his portrayal of Charles' lunatic brother-in-law Norman and revels in the role, while (the then-unknown) Jared Harris is excellent as Charles' best mate - and mentor/big brother figure - Geoff, but the rest of the cast simply look uninspired. Bill Patterson, Michael Gambon and James Spader are, unquestionably, all very talented actors (although Patterson and - in particular - Spader were both very poor in this film) - why weren't they utilised more?

The film does boast some very typically 80s music and visuals (a la "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "WarGames", "Back To The Future", "The Breakfast Club", "Gregory's Girl" etc.), which are a godsend for anyone who likes their retro 80s backdrops. Despite what 'Godspeed You Black Emperor' says, the fact that a film displays seemingly incessant 80s music and backdrops is not necessarily a bad thing in itself; after all, the film came out in 1989 and was aimed aimed at a contemporary teen audience, so just what was he expecting - that it would be set in the 1800s or something?!

The opening titles give more than a nod towards those featured in the first "Back To The Future" film, but there is some cool incidental music, plus the soundtrack boasts Willy DeVille's lovely tear-jerker "Assassin Of Love", the seductive "Electric Moon" and the sassy "You Made Me", both by Shakespeare's Sister, and Jools Holland's catchy "We're Through", which plays as the closing credits roll.

All in all, however, this film fails to recapture the spirit of Martin Amis' original novel. In summary - quite good in parts, and a noble effort to bring Martin Amis' finest work to the big screen, but falls too much into mediocrity overall.

It's nowhere near as catastrophic as 'Godspeed You Black Emperor's very harsh review makes it out to be (bearing in mind that he described it as an "embarassing train-wreck of a movie" despite then going on to admit to not having watched the whole film, which to my mind makes his comments count for very little), but there's no way it will ever be held in the same high regard as any of the other classic 80s films I've name-checked in this review.

As an aside - Notably, Dexter Fletcher took an enormous amount of criticism for trying to copy Matthew Broderick's style of monologuing to the camera in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". However, in his defence, the original novel was told from the point of view of a narrator describing physical as well as emotional experiences in a format not unlike a diary, therefore it is difficult to think of any other way that he could possibly have played Charles Highway. In this respect, the Bueller-isms could have been (and quite possibly were) accidental and unintentional. Aside from the monologuing and the fact that both films have a scene set in a gallery, "The Rachel Papers" is otherwise not even remotely similar to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", although Fletcher's skill on a computer does evoke memories of a another Matthew Broderick film ("WarGames").