Men Don't Leave

Men Don't Leave
Directed by	Paul Brickman
Produced by	Jon Avnet
Written by	Barbara Benedek Paul Brickman
Starring	Jessica Lange Chris O'Donnell Joan Cusack Kathy Bates
Music by	Thomas Newman
Cinematography	Bruce Surtees
Editing by	Richard Chew
Studio	The Geffen Company
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	February 2, 1990
Running time	115 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Men Don't Leave is a 1990 comedy-drama film that stars Jessica Lange as a housewife who, after the death of her husband, moves with her two sons to Baltimore. Chris O'Donnell, Joan Cusack, and Kathy Bates also co-star in this film.

The film, directed by Paul Brickman and co-written with Barbara Benedek, is a remake of the French film La Vie Continue. The original music score was composed by Thomas Newman. Warner Brothers released the film on DVD for the first time on September 15, 2009, as part of the "Warner Archive Collection".

Plot summary

Weighed down by her late contractor husband's debts in Bingham, Maryland, widowed mother Beth Macauley is compelled to sell her house and move to a less costly locale. She relocates in Baltimore with her sons Chris and Matt and takes a job at a ramshackle gourmet food store managed by Lisa Coleman. 17-year-old Chris turns angry and aggressive while 9-year-old Matt hides his deep sense of loss under a steely exterior. Beth is drawn into a relationship with Charles Simon, a musician who builds her self-esteem. However, after losing her job, she plunges into a five-day depression during which she refuses to leave her bedroom.

Beth is an extremely vulnerable, easily discouraged person who cannot seem to get a grip on her circumstances. Chris falls in love with Jody, an older nurse who lives in the same building. Matt falls under the influence of a young schoolmate who breaks into houses and steals VCRs. His dream is to get enough money to buy back their suburban house. She and her sons eventually pull themselves together, despite many side trips with wrong lovers and false friends. It's only a matter of time until the Macauleys realize that to abandon each other is not the answer. Beth tells her sons, "Heartbreak is life educating us," and the lessons turn out to be worth learning.

Main cast

Actor	Role
Jessica Lange	Beth Macauley
Arliss Howard	Charles Simon
Joan Cusack	Jody
Chris O'Donnell	Chris Macauley
Kathy Bates	Lisa Coleman
Charlie Korsmo	Matt Macauley
Belita Moreno	Mrs. Buckley

External links

• Men Don't Leave at the Internet Movie Database
• Men Don't Leave at AllRovi
• Men Don't Leave at Rotten Tomatoes