Heartburn (film)

Infobox_Film
name = Heartburn


caption = Theatrical poster
director = Mike Nichols
producer = Robert Greenhut
Mike Nichols
writer = Nora Ephron
starring = Meryl Streep
Jack Nicholson
music = Carly Simon
cinematography = Néstor Almendros
editing = Sam O'Steen
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = July 25, 1986
runtime = 108 minutes
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0091188

"Heartburn" is a 1986 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Nora Ephron is based on her semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, which was inspired by her tempestuous second marriage to Carl Bernstein and his affair with Margaret Jay.

The film's score was composed by Carly Simon. The main theme, "Coming Around Again," as well as the end credits song, "Itsy Bitsy Spider," were included in Simon's 1987 album "Coming Around Again".

Plot

New York City food writer Rachel Samstat and Washington, D.C. political columnist Mark Forman meet at a mutual friend's wedding and, after a whirlwind courtship, they marry, despite Rachel's reservations. They purchase a dilapidated Georgetown townhouse in Washington and the ongoing and seemingly never-ending renovations create some stress in their relationship. Rachel, overjoyed to discover she is pregnant, is determined to make her marriage work and becomes a full-time housewife and mother. When she discovers evidence of Mark's extramarital affair with socialite Thelma Rice during her second pregnancy, she leaves him and takes their daughter Annie to New York, where she moves in with her father and tries to jump start her career. Mark eventually convinces her to return home, but when it's obvious his philandering will never end, Rachel leaves him for good.

Production

Mandy Patinkin originally was cast as Mark Forman but was replaced after filming began [ [http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=4630&category=Misc%20Notes "Heartburn" at Turner Classic Movies] ] .

The film was shot on location in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia.It grossed $25,314,189 in the US [ [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=heartburn.htm BoxOffice Mojo.com] ] .

Featured cast

*Meryl Streep ..... Rachel Samstat
*Jack Nicholson ..... Mark Forman
*Stockard Channing ..... Julie Siegel
*Jeff Daniels ..... Richard
*Miloš Forman ..... Dmitri
*Steven Hill ..... Harry Samstat
*Catherine O'Hara ..... Betty
*Mamie Gummer ..... Annie
*Joanna Gleason ..... Diana
*Anna Maria Horsford ..... Della
*Richard Masur ..... Arthur Siegel
*Maureen Stapleton ..... Vera
*Mercedes Ruehl ..... Eve
*Kevin Spacey ..... Subway Thief

Critical reception

Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" called it "a bitter, sour movie about two people who are only marginally interesting" and placed much of the blame on screenwriter Nora Ephron, who "should have based her story on somebody else's marriage. That way, she could have provided the distance and perspective that good comedy needs." He felt "she apparently had too much anger to transform the facts into entertaining fiction." [ [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19860725/REVIEWS/607250301/1023 "Chicago Sun-Times" review] ]

"Variety" thought it was "a beautifully crafted film with flawless performances and many splendid moments, yet the overall effect is a bit disappointing" and added, "While the day-to-day details are drawn with a striking clarity, Ephron's script never goes much beyond the mannerisms of middle-class life. Even with the sketchy background information, it's hard to tell what these people are feeling or what they want." [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117791547.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 "Variety" review] ]

Awards and nominations

Meryl Streep was named Best Actress at the Valladolid International Film Festival for her performance.

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0091188|title=Heartburn