Fire with Fire (1986 film)

Fire with Fire
Fire with Fire
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Duncan Gibbins
Screenplay by	Ben Pillips; Warren Skaaren; Paul Boorstin; Sharon Boorstin
Produced by	Gary Nardino
Starring	Virginia Madsen; Craig Sheffer; Kate Reid;
Cinematography	Hiro Narita
Edited by	Peter E. Berger
Music by	Howard Shore
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	May 9, 1986;
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$4,636,169

Fire with Fire is a 1986 American romantic drama film about a young woman from a Catholic boarding school who runs away with an escapee from a nearby prison camp. The film stars Virginia Madsen, Craig Sheffer, Jon Polito, Kate Reid, Kari Wuhrer, Tim Russ and D.B. Sweeney. It was directed by Duncan Gibbins, and features a soundtrack by Howard Shore.

Plot

Joe Fisk is a juvenile delinquent who falls in love with Lisa Taylor, a beautiful Catholic girls' school student, in an Oregon forest. The two meet by accident when Joe finds her being chased by his peers in a training exercise, and sees Lisa recreating the Pre-Raphaelite painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais by floating in the lake. Both of them are strongly drawn towards each other but as their current custodians discourage contact with the opposite sex they both find themselves in trouble. Forced to run away with each other, the young lovers hope to avoid the police and find happiness.

Cast

Craig Sheffer as Joe Fisk
Virginia Madsen as Lisa Taylor
Jon Polito as Mr. Duchard, The Boss
J. J. Cohen as Myron, The Mapmaker
Kate Reid as Sister Victoria
Jean Smart as Sister Marie
Tim Russ as Jerry Washington
Kari Wuhrer as Gloria
D.B. Sweeney as Thomas Baxter
Ann Savage as Sister Harriet
David Harris as Ben Halsey
William G. Schilling as Watley
Garry Chalk as Deputy
Ian Tracey as Panther
Janne Mortil as Schoolgirl
Robyn Stevan as Schoolgirl
Dominick Brascia as Joey Burns

Release

Fire with Fire was released to theaters on May 9, 1986. The film grossed a little over $4.6 million.

Reception

Critics were generally negative at the time of the movie's release, saying the film was dull and slow-paced,^[1] and noted that the screenplay, credited to four writers, was poorly written.^[2]^[3]

Home media

It was released on VHS in 1986 by its own studio and on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on July 31, 2012, by Olive Films. As of 2021^[update], it is available through Amazon Video, iTunes Store and Vudu. The film was shot and produced under the original title Captive Hearts, but was changed to Fire with Fire just prior to the film's theatrical release. Due to the late change in title, press-kit stills are seen with the original title initials "CH", followed by a hyphen and the press still number, etched onto the film negatives and carried over onto the printed stills. The film's new title was deemed more descriptive and exciting, as well as allowing a marketing tie-in with a song of the same title, "Fire with Fire" by the 1980s band Wild Blue.

References

^ Attanasio, Paul (1986-05-12). "'Fire': Smoke, No Flames". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
^ Gire, Dann (1986-05-12). "Inane dialogue ablaze in 'Fire'". Arlington Heights Daily Herald. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
^ Goodman, Walter (1986-05-10). "There's not even any smoke in 'Fire With Fire'". New York Times. Retrieved 2022-08-26.

External links

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[1] Attanasio, Paul (1986-05-12). "'Fire': Smoke, No Flames". Washington Post. Retrieved 2022-08-26.

[2] Gire, Dann (1986-05-12). "Inane dialogue ablaze in 'Fire'". Arlington Heights Daily Herald. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-08-26.

[3] Goodman, Walter (1986-05-10). "There's not even any smoke in 'Fire With Fire'". New York Times. Retrieved 2022-08-26.

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