david and lisa is a 1962 american drama film directed by frank perry .

it is based on the second story in the novel jordi , lisa and david by theodore isaac rubin ; the screenplay , written by frank perry 's wife eleanor perry ( née rosenfeld ) , tells the story of a bright young man suffering from a mental illness which , among other symptoms , has instilled a fear of being touched in him .

this lands him in a residential treatment center , where he meets lisa , a similarly ill young woman who displays a split personality .

the film earned perry a nomination for the 1963 academy award for directing and one for eleanor perry for her screenplay .

the film was later adapted into a stage play in 1967 and a made-for-television film in 1998 .

david and lisa

david , say something ,
lisa pushed david after an awkward silence .
kyle sandilands and jackie o had david and lisa oldfield in the studio this morning .
harry ainlay students mercedes rubenok and sophia iligan in the cappies show david and lisa .
a great movie - - - from 1962 : ' david and lisa . '
jordan , neil , and david leland , mona lisa , london , 1986 .
: david . . . david look at me . who do you see ?
harry ainlay students , from left , jaden boero , sophia iligan and ethan crane in david and lisa .
harry ainlay students , from left , rudra patel , emma brown and john kim in david and lisa .
harry ainlay students , from left , michael lees , sophia iligan and tristan holm in david and lisa .
with the headline : screen : ' david and lisa ' ; odd romance involves mentally ill children .
lisa also admitted to regularly checking david’s phone and email accounts — and at one stage posing as david while using his phone to text abuse to another ex - girlfriend .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing david and lisa near you .
it was five long years before lisa came clean and admitted to david that she’d faked his ex - girlfriend’s death .
moments of love , comfort , and vulnerability came together during harry ainlay’s minimalist interpretation of david and lisa , from a script by james reach set in the 1960s . this production of david and lisa triumphed , proving to be supremely affecting in every vignette and scene .
david and lisa follows david’s story from the moment he enters his new boarding school and treatment centre for students with psychiatric challenges . transitioning through serious moments with glimmers of comedy , it is revealed that david suffers from a debilitating fear of being touched . at the school , david eventually encounters lisa , a young woman with multiple personality disorder . encouraged by an entourage of equally eccentric classmates and nurturing employees of the facility , david and lisa break through each other’s barriers and life - changing moments ensue .
david and lisa oldfield , seen here doing their best not to push each other in the pool . picture : justin lloyd
as another contrast to iligan’s prancing lisa , david crowfoot offered a warm and paternal voice as john that enabled this fatherly relationship to flourish . his calm portrayal played wonderfully off david , who shone with just as much intensity as lisa .
the oldfields recounted the story of an ex - girlfriend of david’s who moved to the us but whom david’s friends still asked after fondly — much to lisa’s annoyance .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing david and lisa ( 1998 ) near you .
kyle and jackie o had troubled couple lisa and david oldfield in the studio this morning for a bizarre stunt even kyle himself admitted was awful .
harry ainlay’s production of david and lisa highlighted the blossoming friendship between two unique individuals through a series of vignettes . adapted from a movie and short story of the same name , david and lisa’s story was first told in 1962 . the film version quickly gained notoriety and was received positively by the public .
the ending was so sweet and i loved all of the scenes with david and the psychiatrist .
the understated charm of david and lisa is what set the movie apart from so many other attempts at depicting the problems of the mentally ill .
posing alongside david schwimmer , jennifer aniston , courteney cox and lisa kudrow with her co - stars , kaley couldn ' t hide her excitement .
i watched the
oprah winfrey presents
made - for - tv remake of david and lisa on abc in early november . what a disaster .
tristan holm was touching as david , the boy who does not like to be touched at all , and was dynamic in the treatment centre and school settings that were evoked throughout the production . sophie iligan’s portrayal of lisa was in stark contrast to holm’s david . with exuberance and childlike energy opposite holm’s brusque demeanour , iligan challenges the boundaries that david has constructed . as the relationship between david and lisa builds , the demarcation between lisa’s alternate personalities breaks down . one speaks only in rhyme , and the other , muriel , communicates through the written word .
david schwimmer is taking a stand against sexual harassment in the tv and film industry .
nina arianda and hugh dancy in “venus in fur , ” written by david ives .
on their annual trip to wisconsin in june 2015 , lisa and david , in coordination with her aunt ka ( the lovely matron of honor ) and her uncle ge ( groomsman ) , thought it would be a great idea to surprise her family while they were vacationing in wisconsin dells . to lisa and her family ' s surprise , david had an unexpected and unforgettable twist to the already amazing cross country adventure . after a long day at the water park , lisa ' s family came to huddle by the fireplace and that is when david decided it was time to ask lisa to marry him .
dr . miller works hard to bust through david’s impenetrable facade , but it’s lisa — an emotionally disconnected waif who will speak only in rhyme — who is finally able to lower david’s defenses with her pouty lips and puppy - dog vulnerability .
dr . miller works hard to bust through david’s impenetrable facade , but it’s lisa — an emotionally - disconnected waif who will speak only in rhyme — who is finally able to lower david’s defenses with her pouty lips and puppy - dog vulnerability .
harry ainlay’s production of david and lisa consistently proved that the subject matter of mental health could be handled appropriately and the captivating performances served as a reminder that there is dignity within every person .
from the happy to the heart - wrenching , harry ainlay’s production of david and lisa brought the importance of mental health support and respecting boundaries to the stage . though the character david did not like to be touched , the performances and technical aspects of the show touched the lives of many .
sorry guys , but jennifer aniston , courteney cox , lisa kudrow , matthew perry , matt leblanc and david schwimmer will not be returning to our screens for a friends reunion .
david and lisa lives up to it ' s tagline of
an unusual love story
. a movie whose primary concern is human connection , it ' s all explosive emotion and sharp edges .
“an unusual love story” as advertised in the playbill by isabelle richardson , mercedes rubenok , and ethan franz , david and lisa has been viewed by audiences previously in both film and short story form , and has had many iterations since its 1962 debut . in harry ainlay’s interpretation of this material , “unusual” refers to the mental hurdles that lisa and david overcome during their respective treatments and the camaraderie that ensues after their characters are brought together .
david clemens is diagnosed with a torturous fear of touching , or being touched by another person . he is admitted to a private psychiatric school where he encounters lisa , an energetic teenager who possesses a split personality disorder . while initial interactions are rocky , an enthralling relationship evolves throughout the tender progression of david and lisa’s trust in each other , and themselves .
david storch ( left ) , kelly mcnamee and liisarepo - martell bring ian brown’s memoir to life .
through their masterful performances as david and lisa , tristan holm and sophie iligan helped portray a convincing , touching and emotional picture of mental illness . holm’s quiet , understated performance as david served as a perfect contrast to iligan’s manic and heartbreaking portrayal of lisa . iligan’s role stood out in particular , carefully avoiding being over the top . holm’s subtle expression of david’s uptight nature and iligan’s portrayal of lisa’s wild behaviour achieved near perfection . the chemistry the two actors had onstage truly shone in nearly every moment they shared together , whether they were speaking in rhyme or chasing one another around the stage .
lisa and david oldfield made a bizarre appearance on the kyle and jackie o show this morning , casting more light on their dysfunctional relationship — and submitting to a listener phone - in about whether or not they should stay together .
congratulations lisa and david – we had a fantastic time playing for you and your guests – so full of energy , up for all the styles of music we threw at them . have a great honeymoon !
david and lisa is a wonderful play about young love and finding light in the darkest of times . harry ainlay’s cast and crew united to put on a fantastic performance filled with laughs , tears , and a message about how love can come from anywhere .
the small mannerisms from the actors brought the story to life . working within a minimalistic set , the cast of david and lisa were able to pull the focus to themselves and draw the audience into their world .
join us for a reception celebrating the opening of our new art exhibit , second look : oil paintings by lisa david . david is a prolific painter , artist , and local teacher . her works , including scenes from around schenectady county , will be on display through may .
occasionally interrupting the narrative are klezmer - flavored songs and music by lisa gutkin and aaron halva , who play instruments and are active participants in the action . the fluent choreography , by david dorfman , also contributes to the almost cinematic flow .
i found it an incredibly moving film , and while some of its depictions are a bit laughable , it ' s beautifully photographed and doesn ' t rush david and lisa ' s stories or recovery . small steps of understanding and recovery are taken , and although the film does end with…
david also begins to open up to the other kids . one day , he and another boy are spending time together when lisa comes and bothers them . david gets frustrated and yells at her . lisa runs away . everyone goes looking for her . david is upset and worried , but he remembers the museum they went to and suggests looking for her there . when he goes , he finds her , and tries to get her to come back with him , but realises he has to put his trust in her as well for both of them to be healed .
with the help of the eccentric classroom ensemble , some of the centre’s doctors , and even the lighting technicians ( connor campbell , rebecca cave , robyn shaw , and ismail surtina - azarov ) , the cast of david and lisa traverse many locales , from david’s bedroom to a city alleyway , growing as characters along the way .
“call us now . david and lisa oldfield , should they stay together or should they call it a day ? ” asked jackie o breezily as the phone lines for the kiis 1065 show opened .
courteney cox , jennifer aniston , lisa kudrow , matt leblanc and david schwimmer reminisced about the good ol ' days during upcoming show must see tv : an all - star tribute to james burrows .
and just to confirm , lisa said she ' d never actually been asked to agree to that . cheeky .
courtney also shared that her lisa and jennifer ate lunch together during the show ' s 10 years of filming .
want to know why we think that ? friends creators marta kauffman and david crane have pretty much stressed it .
a remake of frank and eleanor perry ' s 1962 film
david and lisa ,
based on the book by theodore isaac rubin about two teenagers who live at the borders school , a school for disturbed youth . david is a brilliant but troubled teen obsessed with time and death . no one seems to be able to reach him , until the arrival of lisa , a young woman trapped in her own world , who speaks only in rhymes . as david and lisa slowly fall in love , they find in each other the power to rebuild their lives with the help of dr . jack miller , who runs the school .
lisa oldfield announced her divorce the old - fashioned way : an instagram e - card .
luckily , lisa took the news on the chin but still . . . how awks !
*
david & lisa
airs sunday at 9 p . m . on abc . the network has rated it tv - pg ( may be unsuitable for young children ) .
a remake of frank and eleanor perry ' s 1962 film
david and lisa ,
based on the book by theodore isaac rubin about two teenagers who live at the borders school , a school for disturbed youth . david is a brilliant but troubled teen obsessed with time and death . no one seems to be able to reach him , unt
by dr . theodore isaac rubin ) . the film was remade for television by co - producer oprah winfrey in 1998 with sidney poitier as the psychiatrist , lukas haas as david and brittany murphy as lisa .
the lead performance from keir dullea as david is powerful , if perhaps a bit shaky at times . janet margolin is at least as good , and brings a lot of pathos to the role of lisa .
so , after all this time , you probably think you know every scandal that rocked the set made famous by jennifer aniston , lisa kudrow , courteney cox , david schwimmer , matt leblanc and matthew perry .
david kelly , center , and other cast members of berkeley repertory theater’s “it can’t happen here” rehearsing earlier this month .
david clemens mrs . clemens porter secretary dr . alan swinford mrs . ferris maureen hart josette carlos sandra simon kate lisa barbara robert ben john mr . clemens girl woman first boy second boy
teenager david clemens ( keir dullea ) develops a hysterical fear that he will die if he comes into physical contact with another person . perturbed , david ' s overbearing mother places him in a home for mentally disturbed young people , but david remains withdrawn from the other patients and his psychiatrist . over time , however , david grows interested in 15 - year - old lisa ( janet margolin ) , who suffers from multiple personalities - - one who can only speak in rhyme , and the other , a mute .
a stand out technical aspect of david and lisa was the costume work : costumes either made or altered by hannah weaver , meltem atak and crew effectively fit the era , with some female characters sporting distinguishably bright dresses reminiscent of the ’60s .
david clemens is an emotionally disturbed adolescent who lives in constant terror of being touched . when his mother places him in a home for disturbed youngsters , he rejects both the other children and his psychiatrist , alan swinford . gradually , however , he becomes interested in lisa , a 15 - year - old schizophrenic : as
muriel
she is completely mute , and as lisa she talks only in rhyme . as the relationship between the two develops , david ' s attitude toward alan relaxes , and he begins to talk with the doctor . david ' s mother , however , is unsatisfied with her son ' s progress and removes him from the home . unable to bear his mother ' s domination and his parents ' quarreling , david runs away and returns to the home . lisa is so delighted at his return that she ceases speaking in rhyme . during a student party the two youngsters quarrel , and lisa runs away ; after an all - night search , david finds her at a nearby museum . to persuade her to return to alan , david shows his trust by finally reaching out to touch her , and two walk off together , holding hands .
in the case of abc ' s
david & lisa ,
the third entry to arrive under the
oprah winfrey presents
banner , the motivation was probably a mixture of both .
lisa gutkin ( playing the violin ) oversaw the period and original pastiche songs , with aaron halva , in “indecent . ”
the parents of david clemens send him to a private school that deals with youth who have mental illness issues . outwardly , david ' s mental health issues manifest themselves in not wanting to be touched , as he believes human touch will potentially kill him . and he has a recurring dream where he chops off the heads of people he knows using the arm of a large clock which acts like a guillotine . david does not respond well to authority , has a need of precision in his life , and acts with an air of superiority and arrogance to those around him . that is why he has made few to no friends at the school . the only exception is lisa brandt , who he correctly surmises suffers from adolescent dissociative identity disorder . initially , david seems to like lisa solely as a clinical case . however , as he goes through his own counseling with the compassionate head of the school , dr . swinford , david begins to open up emotionally to lisa , and she to him . potential problems are david ' s parents , especially his controlling mother who seems to care more about what the outside world thinks than if david is truly well , and david needing to come to an understanding of what he needs compared to what lisa needs in their fragile mental states .
david bowie in labyrinth , directed by jim henson in 1986 . photograph : allstar / tristar pictures
lisa ordered supplies from cards and pockets and designed the stationery herself . with a little help from her bridesmaids , she assembled them and mailed them off in slate gray envelopes .
thanks to the troubled concerns of his mother , adolescent david clemens is enrolled in a boarding school for mentally ill teenagers and left in the care of dr . alan swinford and his staff . the immediate unhappiness that david feels is soon undermined as he learns to deal with the school’s eccentric students and forms a remarkable relationship with lisa , a teenage girl with split personalities .
prior to the ceremony , lisa and david saw each other for the first time in the magnificent garden of the ballyvolane house , where their reception would later take place . of the private time together , lisa recalls how it helped her not be clouded by nerves for the ceremony and use it as an opportunity to absorb the emotion of the day .
a boy , a girl , and a boarding school for kids with mental illness . harry ainlay’s production of david and lisa tells the story of two young patients and their growing bond as they journey through the darkness of their illness , finding love in the most unexpected of places .
the quality of the costumes produced by hannah weaver , meltem atak , and the rest of their crew was truly admirable , as their authenticity and craftsmanship helped make the world of the play even more believable . under stage manager rebecca cave’s watchful eye , david and lisa truly excelled .
the original film , about hypersensitive oddballs , was deeply affecting . by contrast , this made - for - tv “david and lisa” lacks the surrealistic sense of disconnection and despair embodied in the boffo work of keir dullea and especially janet margolin . the remake instead carries a spirited message that love conquers all , even if you happen to be a teenager who is certifiably wacko . unfortunately , “david and lisa” never really gives us a sense of why its protagonists are the way they are , other than misfiring synapses .
david and lisa has always been one of my favorite movies . i saw it originally in 1962 when i was a sophomore in high school . ( i remember the dramatic tension was too much for my friend barry levine , who ' d come to the movie with me . just as david and lisa touch at the grand finale , barry burst into uncontrolled , uproarious laughter . i thought the other people in the theater were going to kill him . )
while at times david and lisa was emotionally distressing to watch , it stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of the cast and crew of harry ainlay . the remarkable maturity exhibited by everyone involved was crucial to handle the delicate topic of the play , and the end result was undoubtedly worth it .
lukas haas portays david , a withdrawn but apparent near genius , who fears being touched . brittney murphy plays lisa , a young woman seemingly suffering from split personalities who speaks . . . see full summary »
adapted from frank perry’s 1962 film of the same name , david and lisa follows david clemens , a 16 - year - old boy with mental illness , who fears that if someone touches him he will die . after arriving at a special treatment centre for young people , he meets lisa , a patient with schizophrenia who has multiple personality disorder . in one moment , she is a lively , excitable girl who can only speak in rhymes , in the next she is a girl who cannot speak , communicating in her notebook , through pictures and writing . the young couple grow closer throughout their time at the centre , and lisa begins to open up to david . through ups and downs , they help each other face their individual disorders and find happiness with one another .
“i wanted her gone , dead , ” said lisa — so that’s what she did . oldfield faked an online obituary and police report declaring her husband’s former flame had died , then broke the ‘news’ to david that she had passed away .
tristan holm took on the challenging role of david with elegance and charm . upheld by intense character work , holm portrayed david and all of his emotions with ease . his performance was complemented by sophie iligan’s portrayal of lisa . iligan brought lisa to the stage with endless energy and skill . her work with lisa highlights the complex humanity of a young person wrestling with mental illness . the performance peaked without ever patronizing those who experience childhood schizophrenia and similar disorders . the ensemble of the classroom offered both comic relief and insight into the perpetual exhaustion a youth might experience within a similar facility . the ensemble performances never wavered and the subtle details of character often exhibited some of the most commendable skill on stage .
with the help of its engaging cast , dedicated crew , and a boatload of energy , harry ainlay’s students delivered a stunning performance of david and lisa . their empathetic approach to challenging material , combined with an all - star effort by cast and crew , came together to give the audience a show full of laughter and emotion .
“none of it’s surprising to me nowadays , which is sad , ” said david of his wife’s dishonesty .
before they took calls from listeners , lisa — who last week announced plans to divorce david on instagram , before calling in to kyle and jackie o the next morning to backtrack — gave a few shocking insights into the couple’s 17 - year marriage .
poor lisa only recently found out that she was the only cast member made to audition for her role twice .
i ' m not going to name names , but it may not be [ david ] schwimmer .
the newlyweds paused to greet david’s grandmother peg who traveled from a couple hours away to share in the celebration .
by contrast , this made - for - tv “david and lisa” lacks a similar surrealistic sense of disconnection and despair as was embodied in the boffo work in ’62 of newcomers kier dullea ( who would go on to star as dave in “2001 : a space odyssey” ) and especially janet margolin . what it carries instead is a spirited message that love conquers all , even if you happen to be a teenager who is certifiably wacko . unfortunately , “david and lisa” never really gives us a sense of why its protagonists are the way they are , other than clearly misfiring synapses .
it became clear that wasn’t to be the case when the opening scenes of “sparrow” revealed lisa’s plan to die by suicide . ironically , lisa’s death proved a wake - up call for mary jane , who realized that part of her grudge had played in lisa’s guilt over david . with a frank dialogue about mental illness and suicide within the black community supporting mary jane’s new resolve to “tell everyone that you love them , that you will love them no matter how ugly their truth is , ” tuesday’s episode proved one of the series’ most emotional to date . ( especially with mj’s touching eulogy . ) but why did lisa have to die ? will we ever learn the full extent of her relationship with david ? and what about those crazy revelations about lisa’s past ? here , rose answers our burning questions , reflects on saying goodbye to her character , and reveals details about the show’s surprising plot twist .
first and foremost , dr . theodore isaac rubin , nearing 94 , is one of the finest and most honest authors and clinicians in psychology and psychiatry of our time . his writing is exciting in both fiction and non - fiction . it is his book that is adapted for this film ; the screenplay by eleanor perry . david ( keir dullea ) and lisa ( janet margolin ) are 2 deeply troubled adolescents - - david having symptoms of severe ocd and lisa of schizophrenia . their illnesses isolate them from even their peer residents of the same psychiatric facility . little by little they come together , liking each other and honoring and respecting each ' s idiosyncrasies . this is a powerful , emotion - packed , tender film , exquisitely and authentically acted and directed ( frank perry ) . dullea , margolin , and da silva and all the cast are top - notch . a timeless classic and a must see !
even if you’ve seen lisa kudrow and mira sorvino go back to school , you can probably still find new nuggets to enjoy in their classic comedy .
at first , the gang look a little embarrassed but after an awkward silence , lisa finally decided to speak up .
two young people meet in a home for disturbed teenagers and become fascinated with each other ' s illnesses . david has a phobia of being touched , and lisa / muriel has two distinct personalities . they form a bond that brings them out of their isolation , and in the end , they cure each other . so well played and written , it ' s intense and believable from start to finish .
the award - winning motion picture has been adapted for the stage with the utmost fidelity . it retells the strange , appealing , and utterly fascinating story of two mentally disturbed adolescents : david , the only son of wealthy parents , who is tortured by his mania against being touched , and lisa , the wa…
cast : keir dullea ( david clemens ) , janet margolin ( lisa ) , howard da silva ( dr . swinford ) , neva patterson ( mrs . clemens ) , clifton james ( john ) , richard mcmurray ( mr . clemens ) .
addressing the controversial stigma regarding mental health in a manner that doesn’t dehumanize , or disrespect those affected is an arduous feat that the cast of david and lisa swiftly accomplished . giving voice to a misunderstood community , harry ainlay’s production truly eradicates any assumption that plays performed by high school students , are nothing more than what david clemens himself describes as “kids with no talent making a disgusting spectacle of themselves . ”
traditional flirting tactics take a back seat to childish rhymes and clock talk as a relationship absent of touch turns a girl from a “clinical study” to first love . in harry ainlay’s david and lisa , the cast gifted the audience with a performance that intertwined values of love and trust with a realistic , yet respectful portrayal of those diagnosed with mental illness .
teleplay from helmer lloyd kramer ( with assists from eleanor perry and from theodore isaac rubin , who penned the book on which the original movie was based ) sticks closely to the simplicity that guided the first “david & lisa . ” but for some reason , the dialogue comes across here as a bit trite and repetitive .
harry ainlay high school kicked off the cappies season with their poignant , unconventional love story about two adolescents who fall in love while attending a school for youth with special needs . david suffers from a phobia of being touched , and lisa has multiple personality disorder . the pair led a remarkable cast and created a captivating production .
nina arianda and hugh dancy in a scene from david ives ' s play at the samuel j . friedman theater . ( video courtesy of manhattan theater club . )
“we didn’t want a traditional wedding guest book that gets put away and gathers dust , ” lisa said . “we wanted a memento of the day that we could look upon and laugh at and remember the good times . ” lisa’s brother painted a canvas black and gold pens were set out for guests to use to write their well wishes with . the board now hangs in the lounge of the couple’s home .
another impressive performance came from david crowfoot as lisa’s primary caretaker , john . coupled with silent but dominant strength , crowfoot supported the cast in its entirety with few lines . it is genuine work like this that maintained the realism of the story . the actors were backed by impressive technical aspects : ismail surtina - azarov served as a jack of all trades , assisting in both lighting and sound alongside connor campbell working the lights . the crew of david and lisa supported the actors’ performances with ease through frequent scene changes . their work made the passage of time seem believable and impressive . set changes were accomplished by the crew with lightning speed .
“we were up until s * * * head here started bragging about his love life as an ageing lothario , ” said lisa .
courtney cox , jennifer aniston , lisa kudrow , matt leblanc and david schwimmer joined over 40 stars of burrows ' best - known shows for must see tv : an all - star tribute to james burrows . sadly , matthew perry was absent , due to his contract for a new west end play .
originally based on a true story , david and lisa was thrust into the theatre spotlight by james reach in 1967 when he combined the book written by theodore isaac rubin in 1960 , and the screenplay by eleanor perry in 1962 . while the play only commanded the stage for a brief period of time , the theatrical adaptation was nominated for two academy awards and a bafta award .
the script — credited to helmer lloyd kramer , eleanor perry ( who wrote the 1962 script ) and theodore isaac rubin ( who penned the book on which the original movie was based ) sticks closely to the simplicity that guided the first “david & lisa . ” but for some reason , the dialogue comes across as a bit trite and repetitive .
such conscientiousness has its downside . for all its resourceful stagecraft — which includes the fluent use of period and original pastiche song ( overseen by ms . gutkin and mr . halva ) and dance ( by david dorfman ) — “indecent” can be deflatingly earnest in its dialogue and timeline exposition .
according to tmz , matt leblanc , matthew perry , and david schwimmer were not invited to the big day - a decision which reportedly triggered some bad feelings amongst the actors .
once the host had convinced jen to read lines as rachel , while he played ross , it wasn ' t long before courteney cox and lisa kudrow swung by to join them .
according to the hollywood reporter , film - maker fede alvarez will write and direct the film , while lisa henson , daughter of the original film’s director jim henson , will produce .
new york . an odd little boy - meets - girl romance is rather crudely but courageously played in the picture called
david and lisa ,
now at the plaza theater . it is the strange tenderness that develops between a psychoneurotic youth and a schizoid girl who are thrown together as lonely patients in a private psychiatric school . view full article in timesmachine »
there ' s a frankness here that i wasn ' t expecting from a movie released in 1962 . this frankness fits well with the story of young people who are tired of bullshit and desperately in search of real answers and connections . when david takes the step to connect with lisa ( in a rather odd setup , this is achieved by rhyming ) , …
lukas haas portays david , a withdrawn but apparent near genius , who fears being touched . brittney murphy plays lisa , a young woman seemingly suffering from split personalities who speaks only in rhymes and withdraws from anyone who doesn ' t speak to her likewise . meeting in the psychiatric ward , the two ' s eyes lock and an obvious attraction is indicated . first each must learn to approach each other in their own sphere . enter sidney poitier as a caring psychologist who helps david to come to terms with his emotional failure to deal with his father ' s death at an early age . debi mazar also appears as lisa ' s case worker .
like us , david schwimmer is also bummed that his old friend matthew perry won ' t be there , but he ' s not annoyed .
the news was revealed at the nbc panel for the television critics association , and not to be a party pooper , but the network ' s robert greenblatt warned us that courteney cox , jennifer aniston , lisa kudrow , matthew perry , matt leblanc and david schwimmer won ' t all be in the same room during the special , but they will all take part .
david wore a tom ford tuxedo and his groomsmen looked just as dapper in sharp black suits . they posed for a cheeky portrait snapped by photographer katie stoops with a classic , and very irish , accessory—a pint of guinness .
about halfway in , as david is beginning a chess game , lisa picks up a white knight , puts it various places on the board and then on the opponent ' s head . there , though , it has become the white queen . when she returns it to the board the piece is once again a knight . '
while both iligan and holm were individually magnificent , together they were a powerhouse on the stage , each being the emotional catalyst for the other . the unique romantic dilemma within the show could only have been accomplished within the dazzling dynamic created by holm and iligan , whose chemistry was exceptionally believable . while the love story between david and lisa may be unusual , the ending is right out of a fairy tale .
first , a personal note : the first time i saw the original “david and lisa , ” i was all of 5 years old , the son of parents who didn’t understand that maybe this wasn’t exactly appropriate material for an impressionable little kid to watch on a bigscreen . it deeply affected me to see hypersensitive oddballs weren’t restricted [ … ]
james , joy ,
black femmes fatales and sexual abuse in progressive ' white ' cinema : neil jordan ' s mona lisa and the crying game ,
in camera obscura ( bloomington ) , no . 36 , september 1995 .
david ( keir dullea ) , a young man suffering from an overwhelming fear of being touched , is admitted to a home for disturbed teenagers run by dr . alan swinford ( howard da silva ) . though at first resistant to interacting with the other patients , david finds himself drawn to lisa , a schizophrenic girl who speaks only in rhymes . their relationship , which grows from antagonism to one of trust , gives them both the strength to confront their inner demons and hope for the future .
starring as david clemens , tristan holm flawlessly captured the demeanour and mannerisms of a troubled teenager with paranoia . throughout the play , holm stayed in character with rigid posture and cold looks , flinching whenever another character came close to him .
so many wonderful details to lisa and davids brandywine manor house wedding reception . i guess that’s what happens when a stylist plans her own wedding . i wonder if lisa arranged the perfect sunset too ! ceremony and reception venue : brandywine manor house flowers and décor : green meadows florist makeup and hair : claudia seyler bridal gown : ivy & astor from jennifer’s bridal shoes : angela nuran caterer : williamson caterers cake : the master baker entertainment : groove place invitations : diy paper source
we learned a lot about lisa posthumously : she went to kenya to find herself and came back with twists , she was mentor at the boys & girls club , and was open to all faiths . how did that backstory come about ?
first , a personal note : the first time i saw the original “david and lisa , ” i was all of 5 years old , the son of parents who didn’t understand that maybe this wasn’t exactly appropriate material for an impressionable little kid to watch on a bigscreen . it deeply affected me to see hypersensitive oddballs weren’t restricted to my dysfunctional family .
a follow - up to labyrinth , the 1980s musical fantasy film that starred the late david bowie as a villainous goblin king , is in the works .
. i ' d walk down a street and people would come over and say , ' hello , david , can i touch you ? ' and . . . i just couldn ' t break the mold professionally in either the movies or tv work i got after it .
i can’t really say too much about their relationship , but in terms of backstory , i believe it was something where lisa had real affection for david . whether she never really made room for herself to have love , or wasn’t able to because of what had happened to her , lisa probably wasn’t capable of pursuing real love . and when her friend mj was like , “you’re not going anywhere , ” i think that probably cements that fact . when i read the scripts and saw that line , i thought “how did their friendship devolve to this ? ”
lukas haas is all doe - eyes , oversized ears and tortured angst as david , a genius who has a pathological fear of being touched and excruciating recurrent nightmares in which he uses a giant clock to behead anyone who dares invade his tortured space . his perplexed mother commits to a school / institution for troubled youth where he meets the compassionate dr . jack miller ( sidney poitier ) and a luminous young woman named lisa ( brittany murphy ) .
one day , he notices a girl , lisa . she ' s dancing around , talking in rhyme . when one of the doctors tries to talk to her normally , she becomes agitated . a few days later , lisa passes a note to david , asking him to play with her . for some reason , david is intrigued . he agrees to play , but since he didn ' t say it in rhyme , she gets mad and goes away . later , he gets the hang of things and starts speaking to her in rhyme . he figures out that she ' s schizophrenic . she thinks that if she doesn ' t talk in rhyme , she ' ll turn into
muriel
another side of herself . david has a hard time talking constantly in rhyme . when he asks her if he can talk normally , she gets angry and threatens to touch him . but , they soon make up when david agrees to keep speaking in rhyme . they join the rest of the students on an outing to a museum , where people begin to mock them for being mentally ill .
latarsha rose : i got a call from [ creator ] mara [ brock akil ] before the season , and we met , had breakfast and talked about it . she talked about her inspiration and lisa’s journey , mainly that she wanted to have the opportunity to explore suicide in a character .
lukas haas is all doe - eyes , oversized ears and tortured angst as david , a genius who has a pathological fear of being touched and excruciating recurrent nightmares in which he uses a giant clock to behead anyone who dares invade his tortured space . his perplexed mother commits him to a school / institution for troubled youth , where he meets the compassionate dr . jack miller ( sidney poitier ) and a luminous young woman , lisa ( brittany murphy ) .
david slowly begins to open up to dr . swinford , and to continue his friendship with lisa . he even begins to relate to the other people there . but , his mother comes and takes him back home . when he hears that she ' s coming , he asks dr . swinford if he ' ll let that happen . he shows that he hopes dr . swinford will fight to keep him there . when dr . swinford says that she has a right as his mother , david feels betrayed . he goes home , and spends his time listening to his mother demean his father . david winds up in bed , almost catatonic . he finally runs away , back to the treatment center . he has finally learned to trust dr . swinford . his parents allow him to stay . he starts up his friendship with lisa again . she even accepts him not speaking in rhyme , although she still won ' t speak any other way .
the movie crosses two dependable story structures : ( 1 ) the romance between lovers widely separated in age , and ( 2 ) a mistaken identity that leads to complications . the trouble begins when rafi gardet ( uma thurman ) and david bloomberg ( bryan greenberg ) fall in love . they know there is an age difference , but because they both lie a little , they don ' t realize how big it is : rafi is 37 and david is 23 .
a big
little
film . prior to this , there had been many films like the snake pit and the three faces of eve , but the understated charm of david and lisa is what set the movie apart from so many other attempts at depicting the problems of the mentally ill . dullea is a bright young man who cannot bear to be touched by anyone . his overly protective mother . . . read more
the traditional catholic service was performed by a jesuit priest and incorporated specific readings and prayers selected by the couple . contemporary music performed by the bride and groom’s friends added a special touch . “the reflection at the end of the mass was composed and read by one of my best friends , ” lisa said . “the only point that i cried ! ”
sophie iligan in the role of lisa was outstanding and truly captured the split personality of her character , with well - considered facial expressions and body language that made it easy to determine which of the two personas she was playing . her devotion and dedication to her role pulled the audience into the story , engaging them in the character’s struggles and problems .
despite awareness and treatment of mental illness growing in our modern era , it can still be easy to forget the people who are struggling behind their condition . the portrayals of individuals facing these burdens are rarely handled with empathy or professionalism ; very few productions truly capture the anguish and alienation these individuals feel . as one of the few to truly accomplish this sensitivity , harry ainlay’s production of james reach’s david and lisa effortlessly translates itself from the silver screen to the spotlighted stage .
the support from the other cast members was just as delightful , from the empathetic guidance of dr . swinford ( shashank bhat ) to the pleading regret of david’s father , played by dennis huseinovic . particular praise must be given to the diverse and hilarious group of students who accompanied lisa and david , led by john kim as carlos , who gave a standout performance . his character’s antics helped provide a much - needed sense of comedic relief to the sometimes intense scenes of the play . the actors quickly saved any mishaps onstage , with some wonderful commitment to character helping to integrate these into the scenes .
david storch is wonderful as brown , all wound up and ever on the move . he gives you the sense that he feels a little guilty about his occasional jokes through just a shrug or a small smile . lisa repo - martell gives depth to schneller , playing her slightly hunched over throughout as if carrying an immense burden . kelly mcnamee drifts in and out playing their daughter haley and other characters , notably members of the not very helpful medical team who patronize the parents .
first , a personal note : the first time i saw the original
david and lisa ,
i was all of 5 years old , the son of parents who didn ' t understand that maybe this wasn ' t exactly appropriate material for an impressionable little kid to watch on a bigscreen . it deeply affected me to see hypersensitive oddballs weren ' t restricted to my dysfunctional family .
urltoken david and lisa : keir dullea , janet margolin , howard da silva , neva patterson , clifton james , richard mcmurray , nancy nutter , mathew anden , jaime sánchez , coni hudak , karen lynn gorney , janet lee parker , leonard hirschfield , frank perry , irving oshman , lee r . bobker , paul m . heller , eleanor perry , theodore isaac rubin : movies & tv
what’s more , “indecent” delivers not only a history of styles of theater and their political contexts but also a portrait of asch ( played by max gordon moore and tom nelis ) , as he progresses from youthful enthusiasm to embittered old age . this is achieved by a tight ensemble of chameleon performers — who also include mimi lieber and steven rattazzi and the musicians matt darriau , lisa gutkin and aaron halva — glowing with devotion to their craft and its possibilities .
if winfrey wanted
to introduce david and lisa to a new generation of viewers ,
as was stated in the prologue , why didn ' t she just show us the original film ? who needed oprah telling us at the outset that
this movie is about the healing power of love
? hey ! if the director couldn ' t get that across in two hours . . .
i absolutely love it when i uncover films like this . i had been aware of the title for years , but i didn’t bother to find out anything about it . then , i see it and i’m very impressed . stories about mental illness and the treatment of it intrigue me . the problem is that they are often not artfully done with a heavy emphasis on the maudlin to wring the emotions . that wasn’t the case with david and lisa . the characters in this story felt so real . keir dullea is obviously too old for the role of david , but his acting choices are spot - on . i want to see him be helped , but he is so prickly and aloof that my empathy was…


mighty joe young is a 1998 american adventure film based on the 1949 film of the same name .

it was directed by ron underwood and stars bill paxton and charlize theron .

in the newer film 's version , the ape is much larger than in the original .

the film grossed $ 50.6 million in the united states against a production budget of $ 90 million .

mighty joe young ( 1998 film )

mighty joe youngmighty joe youngmighty joe youngmighty joe young it have closed caption and is very good , funny some .
the film was originally intended for a summer 1998 release before being pushed to the 1998 christmas season .
terry moore as elegant woman at party - moore starred as jill young in the original mighty joe young .
what dreams may come ( 1998 ) this oscar winner for best achievement in visual effects defeated the disaster film armageddon ( 1998 ) and mighty joe young ( 1998 ) . it was one of the few films shot with fuji velvia film , known for its high levels of color saturation , and smooth finish .
ray harryhausen as gentleman at party - harryhausen was an animator for the original mighty joe young .
mighty joe young movie ( vhs , 1999 , clamshell case ) . disney . charlize theron .
mighty joe young received an academy award nomination for best visual effects , losing to what dreams may come .
the melody being played on the boardwalk is
beautiful dreamer ,
the favorite of joe in mighty joe young ( 1949 ) .
the film was released with the disney cartoon short skating the half pipe ( 1998 ) .
director ron underwood ' s adventure film was a remake of the original 1949 film . there were a number of visual effects techniques for
mighty joe young
:
unfortunately , it catches fire . luckily , mighty joe young is there to ensure all the children are saved .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing mighty joe young near you .
mighty joe young tells the story of the title character , an abnormally large gorilla who is studied by dr . ruth young and her young daughter jill in the african . . . continue reading
soon there will be two mighty joe youngs . . . . . . .
john alexander as mighty joe young - he is a big gorilla who is brought to california to be safe from poachers .
this film was one of two released in summer 1998 where the top of the chrysler building is destroyed and plummets to the street below . the other was armageddon ( 1998 ) .
a childhood favorite . absolutely love the chemistry by these characters , and this film is very well made for 1998 .
` mighty joe young
is a mighty big movie about a mighty big gorilla . and a lot of it is mighty bad - - unless you ' re a devotee of high tech and low camp , elephantine effects and mouse - sized stories , politically correct nostalgia and / or charlize theron and bill paxton in jungle outfits .
i ' ve never seen the original mighty joe young , i ' m not even sure if it ' s supposed to actually be good or , y ' know , old harryhausen . it was apparently remembered as remakeable enough in 1998 .
( 1991 ) . the film established a new back story for joe and jill . as a little girl , jill young (
charlize theron as jill young - she is a young woman who raised joe since he was a baby after their mothers were killed by poachers .
let’s talk remakes again . our series continues as we look at a remake which is just as good - - and maybe better - - than the original . cinelinx goes ape this week as we look at the 1998 remake of mighty joe young .
the indian in the cupboard & disney ' s mighty j . . . the indian in the cupboard & disney ' s mighty j . . .
maybe that ' s reason enough to remake
mighty joe young .
still , let ' s hope no big - budget moguls get around to
bedtime for bonzo .
for shots where the action was simply too complicated to be handled by the full size or ' miniature ' joe , dream quest and ilm teamed up to create a fully computer generated joe . mighty joe young features some of the most advanced character animation and computer generated hair ever made .
ferris wheel of doom : the burning orphanage is replaced by a burning carnival in the 1998 remake , with a young boy trapped on the ferris wheel and joe going to save him before it collapses . the rescue is considered one of the most memorable scenes of the film .
mighty joe young is the name shared by a 1949 film and its 1998 remake . the original film combined live action and stop motion animation . the designs for the animation and effects are credited to willis o ' brien , better known for king kong 1933 . in practice , much of the actual animation was completed by his protege ray harryhausen . this was the first major film work of the younger animator . the remake used animatronic models and puppets , with some cgi animation .
schoedsack and cooper teamed up for 1949 ' s mighty joe young , another giant ape tale ( with special effects by o’brien and a young ray harryhausen ) that starred armstrong as a man who thinks gorillas should perform in nightclubs . ( it was remade in 1998 . ) but though mighty joe was certainly influenced by king kong . . . he wasn’t king kong . and neither was the beast in 1961 ' s konga , a british monster movie that blatantly rips off its biggest influence while also being kinda charmingly cheesy in its own right .
joe ( as a young gorilla ) attacks strasser and bites off his thumb and index finger ( not graphically seen ) . another poacher then hits joe with his rifle butt .
the marketing campaign surrounding mighty joe young has been interesting . originally , when the film was planned for a summer release , it was being touted as a monster movie . wary of godzilla , however , disney shifted mighty joe young ' s opening to the end of the year and , after godzilla tanked , the magic kingdom began advertising their film as family - suitable fare by playing up the cute aspects . although joe ' s size makes him a monster , his disposition makes him cuddly . despite not being daring in style or story , mighty joe young is nevertheless a charming and enjoyable adventure , and a rare remake that ' s better than the original . it may not have the box office punch to exceed the $ 100 million mark , but it ' s good enough to entertain an audience .
“mighty joe young” is wholesome , well - crafted family fare like hollywood used to make . disney’s new version of the 1949 rko film about an oversized african gorilla out of his element in urban america makes the most of modern technology , adding color , computer graphics and impressive animatronics to a rather predictable storyline . positioned as the major live - action family adventure of the season , “mighty joe” ought to have no trouble finding its footing .
with : jill young . . . charlize theron gregg o ' hara . . . bill paxton strasser . . . rade sherbedgia garth . . . peter firth harry ruben . . . david paymer cicily banks . . . regina king kweli . . . robert wisdom pindi . . . naveen andrews dr . baker . . . lawrence pressman dr . ruth young . . . linda purl young jill . . . mika boorem mighty joe young . . . john alexander
at the 1998 golden raspberry awards , the film was nominated for five razzies , including worst picture , worst director and worst screenplay . it took home two overall for maria pitillo as worst supporting actress and for the film as worst remake or sequel .
as a kid , i watched the old b & w ; tv movies of mighty joe young . it was so great when this came out , and i found that i actually preferred many of the changes to make it timely .
in a 2014 interview for the british film magazine empire , roland emmerich admitted that he wanted to make a disaster movie about meteors rather than a godzilla flick . however , armageddon ( 1998 ) and deep impact ( 1998 ) had already been made by the time he was done directing this movie , which frustrated him as he wanted to make one first .
bill paxton stars in mighty joe young , ron underwood ' s latest project . the remake of the 1949 film features live - action creature effects from rick baker ' s cinovation studios , fresh off of their enormous duties on 1997 ' s men in black , with cg creature duties handled by dream quest and ilm .
the original film of mighty joe young , dating back to 1949 . there are obvious differences when comparing to the later version , cgi , effects etc , but the general plot of the film remains the same . this version ' s joe , does look a little ' reet petit ' , but i still feel that was good for the year it was made . an interesting watch , if only to see the evolution of an animated creature .
with key people in the visual effects crews of mighty joe young , including dq vfx supervisor hoyt yeatman , dq ' s digital effects supervisor dan deleeuw , dq ' s animation supervisor chris bailey , and industrial light & magic ' s animation supervisor daniel jeannette .
although what’s shocking to me is that given the unoriginality of the film might joe actually won an oscar in 1950 , although that was special effects so maybe i shouldn’t be too surprised . in fact one of the better things about this film is that the special effects were mostly done by legendary ray harryhausen . this was the first film that his newly created stop - motion animation technique . and thus the film deserved an oscar for that work , however the film itself did very poorly at the box office . there were plans in 1950 to do a sequel which would have teamed up our gorilla with tarzan , but the bad reception for the first film killed that off ( and maybe that’s not a bad thing ? ) . sadly disney would go on to remake mighty joe young in 1998 — but this time good taste prevailed and they were denied an oscar !
when mighty joe young first reached screens in 1949 , nearly everyone recognized it as an attempt to re - create the magic and mystique of king kong . many of the same people were involved - - ernest b . schoedsack in the director ' s chair , robert armstrong ( carl denham in kong , max o ' hara in joe young ) in a leading role , a story by merian c . cooper , stop - motion animation by willis o ' brien - - but lightning didn ' t strike twice . mighty joe young received a lukewarm reception when it was first released , and , years later , few would label this particular monster movie a
classic .
terry moore , ray harryhausen : the star of the original mighty joe young ( 1949 ) , and the legendary stop - motion animator ( who did most of the animation on the 1949 film ) appear as an elderly couple at the gala . looking at jill young , moore states ,
she reminds me of somebody , but i can ' t think who .
harryhausen replies ,
you , when we first met .
“mighty joe young” is wholesome , well - crafted family fare like hollywood used to make . disney’s new version of the 1949 rko film about an oversized african gorilla out of his element in urban america makes the most of modern technology , adding color , computer graphics and impressive animatronics to a rather predictable storyline . positioned as the major [ … ]
this film breaks my heart every time i see it ! it’s just so emotional . that song that a young jill and her mom sing is pure tears ! i’m getting upset just thinking about it now ! just a great film !
had succeeded , it was supposed to lead to a crossover with the tarzan franchise , creating a shared universe for both characters . sadly for joe , when the big ape fizzled at the box office , the idea was dropped . would “tarzan meets mighty joe young” have been any good or were we spared a cinematic disaster ? we’ll never know .
james cameron ' s film was the most expensive film ever made - up to its time , at approximately $ 200 million . and it was the first film to reach the billion - dollar threshold ( worldwide ) .
( cameo ) terry moore , ray harryhausen : the star of the original mighty joe young ( 1949 ) , and the legendary stop - motion animator ( who did most of the animation on the 1949 film ) appear as an elderly couple at the gala . looking at jill young , moore states ,
she reminds me of somebody , but i can ' t think who .
harryhausen replies ,
you , when we first met .
see more »
many people believe that the failure of this movie single - handedly ruined the giant monster genre for several years , but another reimagining of a classic creature - feature that came out the same year , mighty joe young ( 1998 ) , bombed much worse and made american audiences turn away from the genre . many foreign markets , where the movie actually was a success , continued fruitlessly waiting for the never - produced sequel , confused as to why none ever came .
who cares ? the wizardry involved in making joe look like an actual rampaging but kind - hearted monster seems utterly wasted . why throw around money like this unless you have some good ideas ? or at least some spectacular bad ones ? frankly , the ' 49
mighty joe young
was so mostly mediocre that this swollen remake only improves your opinion of the first .
. . vfx hq produced by todd vaziri . . urltoken . . e - mail : tvaziri @ urltoken . . all text copyright © 1998 todd vaziri , unless otherwise noted
tomoyuki tanaka had produced all of the japanese godzilla movies , died only a month before this film began actual production . this film is dedicated to him .
ungrateful bastard : in the original film , joe saves one of the men who harassed him from a lion . when he runs into gregg , jill , and max later on he claims that joe tried to kill him .
this old - fashioned feeling film will undoubtably do much better than the last gorilla picture to hit the big screen (
buddy
) , but it ' s unlikely it will ever emerge from the shadow of its more famous ancestor who appeared in a much better film some sixty years ago . good enough for what it ' s trying to accomplish ,
mighty joe young
will entertain the kids and won ' t bore the parents who ' ve been brought along to see it . we give the film a 6 out of 10 .
as cinematic simians go , joe young is not as well remembered as king kong or caesar from the planet of the apes films , but the original 1948 film has enough of a cult following to rate a remake , which came out exactly 50 years later .
an animated series called godzilla : the series ( 1998 ) was made which continued the storyline of the film . in the series , tatopoulos accidentally discovers the egg that survived the destruction of the nest . the creature hatches and imprints on nick as its parent .
an old - fashioned adventure film that ranks with the best of the genre .
a moderate amount of suspenseful and action - oriented music occurs during the film .
the movie poster that is briefly seen at grauman ' s chinese theater is wagon master ( 1950 ) , a john ford / merian c . cooper production , starring ben johnson . all three were involved in the original mighty joe young ( 1949 ) . ford and cooper as producers , and johnson as the lead .
two more of dream quest ' s cg joe shots . in all , dream quest completed 35 all - cg joe shots , while ilm completed 18 .
cut to a few months later and joe is being used in a demeaning way on stage by night while living in a cage by day . jill realizes her mistake and wants to go home but o’hara stalls her . while she is romanced by cowboy greg , joe is sulking in his cage . when some random drunks walk unhindered to joe’s unguarded cage , they torment the big ape and burn him with cigarettes . joe breaks out of his cage and goes berserk . after he is recaptured , joe is sentenced to death . o’hara has a change of heart and helps jill and her cowboy boyfriend rescue joe . after spiriting joe away in a truck and being chased by a police , they pass the corniest of clichés—an orphanage on fire ! with some help from joe , jill and the cowboy rescue the kids , although joe is almost killed in the process . due to this , the authorities allow joe to live and jill returns to africa with mighty joe and her cowboy boy - toy in tow .
peterman was injured in 1997 during filming of
mighty joe young
when a crane holding a platform 18 feet off the ground snapped , sending it crashing to the ground . peterman , who was on the platform , suffered a broken leg , broken ribs and head injuries , his wife said . a camera operator also was injured .
animal lovers will be charmed by joe , a giant but gentle gorilla . in an attempt to show how endangered some species really are , mighty joe young includes a couple of hard - hitting sequences , but it remains thrilling family fun . there are times when you just have to shake your head at hollywood ' s desire to remake a classic . this is not one of those times . the 1949 rko version of mighty joe young is a tired monster film of the ape - runs - amuck variety that tried ( unsuccessfully ) to cash in on the popularity of king kong . in contrast , this disney version has plenty to offer a young audience . with a nod to the more adult gorillas in the mist , the movie centers on the daughter of a dian fossey - like primatologist . as jill follows in her mom ' s footsteps , this environmentally - friendly story provides serious food for thought . it also provides plenty of comic relief .
animal nemesis : joe is this to strasser after having bite his fingers off .
like king kong , the 1948 mighty joe young was done by the technique of stop - motion , invented by willis o’brien for the lost world ( 1925 ) and made famous in king kong ( and later improved upon in the 1950s by harryhausen with films like jason & the argonauts and 20 million miles to earth ) . in the 1998 version , mighty joe was done by a man in a radio controlled animatronic gorilla suit created by legendary make - up artist rick baker ( who did the creature make - up for star wars ) although in a few scenes , joe was completely digitized by the fx crew . for their respective eras , both films had excellent fx and both were nominated for sfx oscars . ( the 1948 version won that year . ) the newer one , however , had a better story than the original .
peterman ' s last film was
how the grinch stole christmas
in 2000 .
it combined the experience of watching a fully cgi film with polarized / anaglyphic glasses .
there was enough paint used on the film to paint the entire golden gate bridge .
if the plot of
mighty joe young
sounds familiar , it ' s probably not just because it ' s a remake of the 1949 rko film of the same name that ' s best known for jump starting the career of legendary special effects wizard ray harryhausen . no , it ' s because it bears a striking resemblance to the most famous ape movie of all time , 1933 ' s
king kong .
mighty joe young ,
the story of a well - meaning gorilla pitted against the evil human forces of greed and exploitation , is wholesome , well - crafted family fare like hollywood used to make . disney ' s new version of the 1949 rko film about an oversized african gorilla out of his element in urban america makes the most of modern technology , adding color , computer graphics and impressive animatronics to a rather predictable storyline .
having both been orphaned on the same night , the girl and the baby gorilla have only each other . the most disturbing sequence of the film , the double killing might be too upsetting for young viewers .
scientist dr . ruth young ( linda purl ) and her young daughter jill ( mika boorem ) are studying the behavior of a family of apes in tanzania . among the gorillas is young joe , whose rare genetic mutation makes him grow faster than his peers . playing up the innocence and harmony of a natural world at peace , the early scenes make a fitting counterpoint to the violence and devastation that ensue when deadly poachers arrive on the scene .
while congenial , this tale about a girl and her ape lacks the excitement and the lively characters that kids have come to expect of animal adventure movies . years after the phenomenal popularity of king kong , rko brought out mighty joe young , a film with a similar plot but a happier ending . it seems clunky by contemporary standards , but the special effects won an oscar in 1949 and were considered the best feature of the film . thus the story that ties together the many gorilla sequences is definitely second priority , and it shows .
joe purposefully flicks gregg with his large finger , knocking the man to the ground .
every film that has ever been nominated for an academy award in any category . enjoy !
deep in the jungles of africa , dr . ruth young ( linda purl ) and her young daughter , jill ( mika boorem ) are living amongst a family of gorillas , including one they ' ve named joe , who despite his young age , is already huge due to a rare genetic disorder . with the help of kweli ( robert wisdom ) , a local guide , the youngs hope to protect the apes , but when a group of poachers led by the ruthless strasser ( rade sherbedgia ) arrive , both jill and joe ' s mothers end up dead .
this hungarian film is a careful , compassionate and beautifully acted character drama with a social conscience .
this 12 minute warner bros . film was the first computer - animated cg film that was to be viewed with 3 - d glasses . it was a composition of two different art forms :
it was the first animated feature film to use major hollywood stars in all the voice parts .
kb toys dubbed itself
godzilla headquarters
around the time of the film ' s release .
charlize theron is great as is bill paxton in this movie about a giant gorilla . nice price and a good family film , though some kids might be scared by joe going ape .
after seeing that joe is playing hide - n - seek with harry , gregg jokes ,
it ' s a good thing joe didn ' t want to play doctor .
after formulating the gorilla ' s dimensions , the materials to be used , and the mechanics for operating joe , designers spent about a year creating the animal . three big joes were created in three different postures - - quadruped joe ( on all fours ) , sitting joe , and sleeping joe . | the jungles and mountains of oahu ' s kualoa valley doubled for the pangani mountains in tanzania , africa , where the early scenes of the film are set .
one positive aspect is the film ' s relative civility . so many special - effects movies seem angry and aggressive ; smaller kids are blown out of the theater by the force of the noise and special effects .
mighty joe young
is not meek and harmless ; it ' s a full - blooded action picture , all right , but with a certain warmth and humor instead of a scorched - earth approach . you feel good at the end , instead of merely relieved .
as long as the green - lighters of hollywood present keep monkeying around with the b - movie icons of hollywood past , it was inevitable they ' d finally get around to
mighty joe young ,
that big gorilla who swooned to terry moore ' s piano rendition of
beautiful dreamer
before running amok in a hollywood night club and getting chased around an earlier l . a .
a legendary fifteen - foot tall mountain gorilla named joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in california by a zoologist and a young woman whom he grew up with . a poacher from the past returns to seek vengeance on him .
a legendary fifteen - foot tall mountain gorilla named joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in california by a zoologist and a young woman whom he grew up with . a poacher from the past returns . . . see more »
after the service , he started working at the hal roach studios as a film loader . peterman ' s first feature film credit as director of photography was
when a stranger calls
in 1979 .
obviously strasser , garth and the other poachers / animal traders that appear in the film have both .
the film contained in its opening a continuous single digital fx shot , reportedly the longest ever created at the time . it was inspired by the short documentary film , powers of ten ( 1977 ) .
mighty joe young had a better critical reception than the other big monster remake of the year , godzilla ; however it was ultimately judged a disaster by some critics as being typically ' disney ' in plot and outcome . the movie holds a rating of 51 % from rotten tomatoes . the movie grossed $ 50 , 632 , 037 with a production budget of $ 90 million thus a box office bomb .
run time : 1 : 50 u . s . release date : 1998 - 12 - 25 mpaa rating :
pg
( violence , profanity ) genre : adventure subtitles : none theatrical aspect ratio : 1 . 85 : 1
if the story of a kindly 15 - foot ape struggling to find his place in a modern world feels like an anachronism , it’s because films of the last few years have seen a succession of giant , destructive forces attacking the planet , ranging from gargantuan lizards to aliens and asteroids . “mighty joe young , ” by contrast , pits a well - meaning gorilla against the evil human forces of greed and exploitation .
charlize theron plays a woman who ' s grown up with and cared for joe , the giant ape , since she was a little girl . throughout the film , he ' s her continual interest .
plot - wise , there ' s not much going on here . mighty joe young is like a low - rent king kong with a little more emphasis on the humanity of the primate . in fact , a great deal of effort is undertaken to make joe a likable character ( as opposed to a walking special effect , a la godzilla ) - - he is shown to be intelligent , childlike , and gentle ( except when provoked ) . the movie contains elements of comedy and romance ( between gregg and jill , although joe is jealous ) , but the silliest aspects of the original have been eliminated .
things seem to be going well in the sanctuary until strasser shows up , harboring an ahab - like grudge because joe bit off his finger when they last met 15 years earlier . strasser gets joe—who recognizes him—to go on a rampage . after being tranquilized , joe is sentenced to death . joe gets loose and is chased across the city by the cops . he is reunited with jill in an amusement park . strasser shows up to kill joe and accidently starts a fire before getting killed himself . when the ferris wheel catches fire , it’s up to joe to rescue the kids . joe is given a pardon and the public—inspired by some random little boy who offers a dollar—donates money to jill to take joe to a bigger , nicer preserve back in africa , where he can live safely .
the sense of place is as pervasive as a character in “moss , ” a film by daniel peddle .
film of the same name . in this version , the ape is much larger than in the original .
. the film starts somewhere in africa . a little girl , jill young ( lora lee michel ) , asks her father to buy her a baby gorilla . he does so , against his better judgment . jill names her new pet
joe
and treats him like any other baby , feeding him milk from a bottle and singing him to sleep .
after being discovered in the african outback , a twenty foot ape and his young woman companion escape to los angeles where the become an instant sensation .
it is all very hollywood , but a watchable film none - the - less . a remake of the old black and white classic and a landmark of how far film effects have come during that length of time .
charlize theron plays jill young , a woman whose mother is a famed gorilla expert of the
gorillas in the mist
variety . jill is raised with joe , who even as a baby is big for his size . they grow up together , and joe just keeps on growing , until you can tell he ' s approaching because the treetops shake .
the climactic chase winds up at a carnival , and in one of the film’s most emotionally manipulative yet undeniably effective moments , joe performs a feat of heroism and self - sacrifice that may leave him for dead .
the disney remake of
mighty joe young
is an excellent film , but nothing beats the charm of the original film . having said that , i think both versions are worth owning . there is a common thread that runs through both the original and this remake , and both share a somewhat similar climatic ending . but there are enough differences to make the two films unique and quite interesting in side - by - side comparisons . of course with disney ' s version you have state - of - the art cgi . joe looks so real , it will blow your mind ! a sweet tearjerker that the whole family will enjoy . the remake mjy was filmed in color and widescreen . with the original
mighty joe young
you don ' t get the state - of - the - art special effects of the remake , but what you do get is a much better story which tugs at all your emotions . the climax of the film is very exciting , and so touching that it brings tears to the eyes . i won ' t give it away as to not spoil it . the original mjy was filmed in black & white and full screen . great news , this film is finally being released in november 2005 along with the original
king kong
and
son of kong
as a special collection . it most likely will be available as a single dvd as well . it should be a winner !
he also wrote and directed with his life partner , hunter hill , the 2008 film
lake city .
the film ' s trailer used music from stargate ( 1994 ) and stargate sg - 1 ( 1997 ) .
in the newsroom early in the movie , a tv is showing barney , a kid ' s dinosaur film .
that movie , made by the much of the team behind 1933 ' s
king kong ,
is a weak , pinched echo of
kong .
enjoyable to watch ,
mighty joe young
lacks
kong ' s
tremendous mythic power and energy . it ' s a cheap little production , mostly written and acted on a saturday afternoon serial level . a classic ? no way . the effects are what make it fun .
bill paxton as professor gregory
gregg
o ' hara - he is a wildlife teacher who comes to africa to study animals and befriends jill young .
what is this one about ? a legendary fifteen - foot tall mountain gorilla named joe is taken to an animal sanctuary in california by a zoologist and a young woman whom he grew up with . a poacher from the past returns to seek vengeance on him .
while joe isn ' t exactly kong , jr . ( that character appeared in
son of kong
that hurriedly arrived in 1933 hoping to make some quick bucks ) , the people behind the first
mighty joe
- - writer merian c . cooper and stop motion pioneer willis h . o ' brien - - were also responsible for the more well - known ape and his legendary movie .
according to guinness , pleasantville had the most computer generated effects in a film to date - 1 , 700 digital visual effect shots , compared to the average hollywood film which had 50 at the time . the next film to have a larger number of digital effects shots was star wars : episode i - the phantom menace ( 1999 ) .
jill young ( charlize theron ) makes a promise to her dying mom : she will protect joe , an infant gorilla . this turns out to be a tricky promise to keep when joe grows to astounding proportions , making him the target of wildlife poachers everywhere . when zoologist gregg o ' hara ( bill paxton ) offers joe sanctuary at a los angeles preserve , jill packs up her 2000 pound gorilla and heads for hollywood . just as she and joe are warming up to life in california , trouble hits . the poacher who orphaned them both 12 years earlier comes back to finish the job . joe escapes through downtown los angeles and faces off with the evil strasser at an amusement park .
after shooting the film entirely in color , it was scanned , processed , and recorded digitally . most of the effects in this time - travel fable involved selectively de - saturating the color film , and digitally adjusting the contrast .
the two films seem to come at the material from different angles . the new film has a definite message with its environmental awareness plot - points , unlike the 1948 film which seemed more interested in reviving the old ‘giant creature on the loose’ plots that willis o’brien had worked on previously , like king kong and the lost world . original joe didn’t seem to even like other animals very much because he repeatedly pounds on lions . in the new version , he rescues them . depending on how you feel about political messages in films , this is either a good or bad thing for the 1998 version .
jill young , as a child , witnesses the death of her mother , ruth young , and the mother of joe , a baby gorilla , at the hands of poachers led by andrei strasser . strasser loses his right thumb and trigger finger to joe , and swears revenge on joe for the damage . before she dies , ruth tells jill to take care of joe , to which jill agrees . twelve years later , jill has raised joe ( who , because of a rare genetic anomaly , has grown to the size of 15 feet ( 4 . 6 meters ) and weighs 2000 pounds ( 910 kilograms ) ; as a result , the other gorillas won ' t accept him ) and both are living in relative peace until a wildlife refuge director , gregg o ' hara , convinces jill that they would be safer from poachers if they relocate to the united states .
a family film about the heroics of a gorilla trying to stay alive in the face of human greed and violence .
this was the first film with 2d all - cgi backgrounds ( digitized virtual sets ) before which live actors performed .
bullying a dragon : the original film has a trio of drunkards give the titular giant gorilla alcohol — enough to inebriate him . this clears them out of booze and in retaliation , one of them burns his hand as joe begs for more . joe then bursts out of his cage for a drunken roaring rampage of revenge through a nightclub .
but , monkey business aside , the movie itself is one more example of movie remake bloat . spending many times the budget of the 1949 rko original , this
mighty joe young
team simply gets a big , silly ape jape . not all the best efforts of theron as heroine jill young , the enthusiastic paxton as hero gregg o ' hara , and the scurvy villainy of rade sherbedgia as the evil poacher strasser , can goose it up . here is a movie about a huge ape running around hollywood , clambering over movie marquees and squashing cars , that often makes you wonder if there are any good parties anywhere else .
years pass , and the adult jill ( charlize theron ) and joe live in peace and seclusion on their mountain . joe has become local folklore , and few believe that he actually exists , until scientist gregg o’hara ( bill paxton ) arrives and , in the course of his research , stumbles onto evidence of joe . word spreads quickly , and gregg’s discovery inadvertently prompts the poachers’ return . believing joe is no longer safe on the mountain , gregg persuades a reluctant jill to move the gorilla to a california wildlife preserve , where she will remain joe’s caretaker .
strasser shoots joe ' s mother and then does the same to jill ' s mother ( both die ) .
as a child living in africa , jill young saw her mother killed while protecting wild gorillas from poachers led by andrei strasser . now an adult , jill cares for an orphaned gorilla named joe - - who , due to a genetic anomaly , is 15 feet tall . when gregg o ' hara arrives from california and sees the animal , he convinces jill that joe would be safest at his wildlife refuge . but strasser follows them to the u . s . , intent on capturing joe for himself .
joe is a masterpiece of special effects wizardry , looking more real than any giant primate ever to walk across the silver screen . by combining animatronics , computer - generated images , and a man in a costume , mighty joe young creates a compelling illusion . hollywood monkeyman rick baker ( who was responsible for , among others , the ape in the ' 76 king kong and the gorillas in gorillas in the mist ) is in top form here , and he ' s helped out by actors who don ' t have difficulty performing opposite a giant puppet or an
x
on the floor .
beauty brings down the beast again in this remake of the 1949 girl and her monkey movie . stunning jill young ( charlize theron ) , the daughter of a dian fossey - like primatologist ( linda purl ) , has dedicated her life to protecting
joe ,
a mutant gorilla
joe is more curious george than king kong . his favorite pastime is hide and seek , yet he doesn ' t seem to realize that at 15 feet tall , he is a bit too big to hide behind a bush . joe is a feat of technical wizardry ; he ' s so life - like that it ' s hard to believe he ' s a composite of animatronic and digital effects . children will warm to him , especially since joe is particularly sweet to kids . they will also enjoy theron ' s and paxton ' s engaging performances , and applaud ( as an 8 year - old viewer did ) when this couple inevitably gets together . if the climactic sequence is too intense for small children , it certainly ends happily . mighty joe young turns out to be a heart - warming experience with an environmental message .
so shouldn ' t the new
mighty joe young ,
with an effects budget that dwarfs the original , be just as good or better ? not with as blah - blah and perfunctory a script as this . this new movie has several dozen cliches and one interesting character : naveen andrews as gregg ' s hipster indian guide , pindi . but the rest of it is strictly connect - the - dots screenwriting , with a
cut - to - the - chase
refrain .
( though one eventually proves slightly less bad than the other ) . joe ' s los angeles rampage is more elaborate than the one at the end of the lost world : jurassic park ( and nicer as well - - joe doesn ' t eat any doggies ) , but the sight of joe pounding his chest atop graumann ' s chinese theater is
rade šerbedžija as andrei strasser - he is the poacher who killed both joe ' s and jill ' s mothers .
regina king as cecily banks - she is a doctor at the animal preserve in california where joe is brought to .
chekhov ' s skill : joe playing hide and seek in the ' 98 version helps him to evade police copters .
bill paxton plays a zoologist who discovers joe and persuades jill into bringing the ape back to the u . s .
rade sherbedgia plays a poacher who illegally sells exotic animal parts and wishes to acquire joe to make himself even richer .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
it was the first computer - animated film to receive a pg rating , and the first computer - animated feature film to use computer software to create and simulate the properties of water - - hence , digital water , especially in its flood sequence .
. the picture ends with the words ,
goodbye from joe young .
in the onscreen credits , set dresser james altwies ' name is incorrectly spelled as
george altwils .
arko , inc . was formed to make this picture by rko and argosy pictures , a production company owned by presenters john ford and merian c . cooper . cooper also produced and co - directed rko ' s 1933 hit film
when joe loses his temper and wreaks havoc on a black - tie benefit , preserve chairman dr . baker ( lawrence pressman ) has the ape sedated and incarcerated . trusting strasser’s invitation , jill arranges for a truck to take joe away . but jill soon realizes strasser has set her up . fighting him off , she engineers a traffic accident that enables joe to escape , setting off a chaotic series of events in which joe roams through hollywood , inadvertently terrorizing dumbstruck throngs .
a little girl named jill young is living on her father’s ranch in africa and decides to buy herself a baby ape to keep her company . cut to 12 years later and 20 year old jill ( terry moore ) has inherited her late father’s ranch and the ape , named joe , is now 15 feet tall . when theatrical producer max o’hara ( armstrong ) and his young cowboy sidekick gregg ( ben johnson ) arrive to collect animals for a strange nightclub act that o’hara is planning , they spot giant - sized joe and try to capture him . jill comes to break up the confrontation . o’hara convinces jill to come to new york and experience fame and fortune by displaying joe as an attraction .
strasser poses as an enviromentalist who is interested in returning joe back to africa . he has henchmen of his use a noisemaker to have joe go on a rampage . in the process , joe recognizes strasser and attacks him . for attacking a human , the authorities condemn joe to death . jill wants to smuggle him out of the country and assigns strasser with the mission . she realizes too late who strasser actually is . joe and jill have to fight their way out of strasser ' s hands while gregg searches for them - partially out for their safety , partially out of falling for jill .
patrick tatopoulos , the godzilla designer and supervisor , created a mechanically operated suit for the monster as well as scale models , but in a 1998 interview , volker engel , the visual effects supervisor , estimated that less than ten percent of the effects shots featuring godzilla used prosthetic and mechanical effects .
was released in the united states . i grew up with this film because it was always paired up as the double feature with
the original plans called for two sequels to be produced . these plans were scrapped due to the poor reception of this film .
the lead role was written specifically for matthew broderick . indeed , the actor committed to the film without reading a finished screenplay .
terry :
doesn ' t that beautiful young lady remind you of anyone , dear ?
ray :
yes . . . you when you were her age !
mighty joe young
is an energetic , robust adventure tale : not too cynical , violent or fragmented for kids , not too tame for adults . after all the calculation behind
godzilla
or
armageddon ,
it has a kind of innocence . it ' s not about a monster but about a very big , well - meaning gorilla that just wants to be left in peace . and about a woman who treasures the gorilla . and about a zoologist who loves the woman . all that stuff .
gentle giant : joe is a very docile giant gorilla , unless you give him a reason to be mad at you .
deconstruction : the 1998 version is arguably a deconstruction of king kong . the ape isn ' t an island - dwelling monster , but an otherwise normal african gorilla with extreme giantism . the female lead has more in common with jane goodall than the screaming damsel in distress of kong . and when joe finally does go on his
rampage
it ' s because he ' s confronted with the poacher that killed his mother .
the next time we meet joe and jill ( now played by charlize theron ) , it ' s 12 years later . poachers are threatening joe ' s existence and gregg o ' hara ( bill paxton ) , an adventurous zoologist who works for the california animal conservatory , has arrived with an offer of sanctuary for joe if jill is willing to bring him to a preserve in america . reluctantly , she agrees . soon , joe is acclimating to his new home , but all is not well . the conservatory , anxious to use their new attraction as a fund - raising tool , has put joe in the media spotlight , and strasser is eager to capture him . eventually and inevitably , joe escapes from the preserve and begins romping around hollywood .
2 . 4 million gallons ( ~ 321 , 000 cubic feet ) , of water were used to create rain for the film .
enough non - toxic smoke was created on the film to completely fill the los angeles coliseum 24 hours a day for one week .
as the human leads , mighty joe young features one established actor and one rising star . bill paxton , who has already been in a quintet of box office blockbusters ( aliens , true lies , apollo 13 , twister , titanic ) brings his affable personality to this movie in a try for number six . opposite paxton is blond bombshell charlize theron , who is best remembered for her part in two days in the valley ( her feature debut ) , and who recently appeared in woody allen ' s celebrity . it ' s in large part because of paxton and theron ' s performances that we accept joe as more than a clever construct of modern technology .
king kong has had quite the run of animated renderings ever since , including a recent appearance in the lego batman movie . other kid - friendly cartoon kongs : 1998 musical the mighty kong , which has the voices of dudley moore and the little mermaid ’s jodi benson ; kong : the animated series , which spawned a few straight - to - dvd movies and aired on fox kids in the early 2000s ; and current netflix series kong : king of the apes , which is set in the year 2050 and features evil robotic dinosaurs .