Happy New Year (1987 film)
| Happy New Year | |
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 VHS cover |
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| Directed by | John G. Avildsen |
| Produced by | Jerry Weintraub |
| Screenplay by | Warren Lan |
| Based on | La bonne année by Claude Lelouch |
| Starring | Peter Falk Charles Durning |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Cinematography | James Crabe |
| Editing by | Jane Kurson |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $41,000[1] |
Happy New Year is a 1987 film directed by John G. Avildsen. The screenplay was written by Warren Lane, based on the French film La bonne année. The director of the French film, Claude Lelouch, has a cameo as a man on a train.
Although the film had extremely limited success in the theaters, it became something of a cult film.[1] The film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988 for best make-up, losing to Harry and the Hendersons.[2] Bill Conti composed the score and produced a cover of the song I Only Have Eyes for You performed by The Temptations which was featured extensively throughout the film.
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Plot [edit]
Nick (Peter Falk) and Charlie (Charles Durning) are two suave but low class jewel thieves. They spend time preparing to rob a Florida jewelry store managed by Edward (Tom Courtenay). They meticulously pre-plan their heist, which includes false identities and costumes. During their planning, Nick starts to fall for Caroliine (Wendy Hughes), who owns an antique shop next to the jewelry store, which threatens their "perfect" crime.
Cast [edit]
- Peter Falk as Nick
- Charles Durning as Charlie
- Tom Courtenay as Edward Saunders
- Wendy Hughes as Carolyn
- Fritz Bronner as Steve
- Anthony Heald as D.G.
- Daniel Gerrollas Curator
- Claude Lelouch as Man on train
Critical reception [edit]
Vincent Canby of The New York Times thought that the film was bad which is also what he thought about the original but had praise for the actors:
| “ | Happy New Year didn't look very original or very funny back in 1973, when the original French film, written and directed by Claude Lelouch, opened in New York. The curious thing about the American remake is that although it's no better, it's certainly not worse... the new film has the advantage of good comic performances by Peter Falk, as the brains of the jewel heist, Charles Durning, as his partner, and Wendy Hughes... The new version also has the advantage of the comic presence of Tom Courtenay, who plays the fastidious manager of the jewelry store and shares the film's funniest moments with Mr. Falk. These are the sequences in which Mr. Falk cases the store disguised, alternately, as a doddering Palm Beach socialite and the socialite's flirtatious, battleship-shaped sister. It's first-rate revue-sketch material. Everything else is vamping for time.[3] | ” |
References [edit]
- ^ a b Erickson, Hal. "Happy New Year > Overview". AllMovie. Retrieved 2010-07-26.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093145/awards
- ^ Original New York Times review (subscription required)
External links [edit]
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