The Morning After (1986 film)
The Morning After is a 1986 American neo noir mystery thriller film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Jane Fonda, Jeff Bridges and Raul Julia. The film received generally favorable reviews and was a moderate commercial success, grossing $25.1 million against its $15 million budget. Fonda received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Plot. A washed-up, alcoholic actress, Alex Sternbergen (played by Fonda), wakes up on Thanksgiving 1986 next to a murdered man, a sleazy photographer. She feels sick and remembers nothing from the night before. She calls her  friend Jackie about what happened the night before. (We find out later that he is her husband, they are separated.) He informs her that she missed out on getting what could have been her best gig in a while the night before because she was drunk and rude. She tells him about the body. He tells her to call the cops and she says that she is scared but he insists, telling her it will be all right. She retorts saying "ya wanna bet?" She leaves the apartment, and it is implied that she has not called the police. While  trying to flee at the airport, Alex encounters an ex-policeman, Turner (Jeff Bridges), who believes in her innocence. Raul Julia plays Jackie, a hairdresser who wants to divorce her, as he has fallen in love with socialite Isabel Harding (Diane Salinger). Reception. The film holds a 63% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 19 reviews. Awards. Jane Fonda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.