INSIDE MOVES MOVIE

It made my heart warm to hear this incredible film was finally coming out on DVD and I can truly say it was my pleasure to re-experience this true original film that has echoes of Hal Ashby and any other 1970's 'golden age' film of its waning era on the cusp of a new decade that would more or less push nuance aside. Bare bones for all the world to see but a precious heart at its center with flawless performances by its three leads and some truly heart-wrenching yet not maudlin moments (Savage's climactic confrontation with both Morse and Scarwid are for the film vault and should be viewed by students of acting to see what true acting really is!)

INSIDE MOVES MOVIE

Based on a novel by Tony Walton and adapted superbly with finesse, wit and humanity by scribe team Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson (who would go on to his own acclaim as an Oscar winning filmmaker for RAIN MAN), the movie is a minor miracle in acting, directing and screen writing. characters pop up out of nowhere with no backgrounds on them but just like life, accepted as part of the fabric of society). It is here that Roary eventually comes out of his shell, finds a best friend in Jerry and a possible soulmate in Louise, and more importantly a new outlook on life itself.ĭirected with aplomb, reassurance and tender care by veteran helmsman Richard Donner (LETHAL WEAPON, THE OMEN, SUPERMAN, etc.) the film unspools very gradually and certain likelihoods are just accustomed for the way the story unfolds (i.e. He discovers it at Max's Bar, a dive that houses many handicapped denizens, misfits and colorful types including a trio of elderly men (veteran character actors Bill Henderson, Bert Remsen and Academy Award winner Harold Russell, who won a special Oscar for THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, a WWII vet who lost both his hands with hooks for substitutes) an affable bartender named Jerry (David Morse in one of his earliest and memorable turns) who has a lame leg as well and a beautiful waitress named Louise (Diana Scarwid, who would gain an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress).

I recall seeing this quirky sleeper gem in 1980 on HBO when I was about 13 and was enthralled with the unique story about a man named Roary (John Savage, best known for his superb similar work in THE DEER HUNTER, and a highly underrated actor)whose failure at suicide in a freefall off a 10 story building in LA leads to a painful recovery and his gradual acceptance of a second chance at life. Reviewed by george.schmidt 10 / 10 One of the unsung miracles of 1980 (the last official year for the '70s 'golden age' an indie sleeper gem

Inside moves