{"id":26676,"date":"2012-07-24T13:32:21","date_gmt":"2012-07-24T20:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=26676"},"modified":"2023-09-09T16:16:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T23:16:35","slug":"interiors-1978","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=26676","title":{"rendered":"Interiors (1978)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;She has no direction; I expected such great things from her.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Poster-193x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-26681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Poster-193x300.jpg 193w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Poster-82x128.jpg 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Poster.jpg 487w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThree grown sisters &#8212; a successful poet (Diane Keaton) married to a struggling novelist (Richard Jordan); a would-be artist (Mary Beth Hurt) in a relationship with a political writer (Sam Waterston); and an aspiring actress (Kristin Griffith) &#8212; all deal differently with the increasingly unstable mental state of their mother (Geraldine Page), and with the lively new girlfriend (Maureen Stapleton) their father (E.G. Marshall) has recently started dating.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diane Keaton Films<\/li>\n<li>Divorce<\/li>\n<li>E.G. Marshall Films<\/li>\n<li>Geraldine Page Films<\/li>\n<li>Sam Waterston Films<\/li>\n<li>Siblings<\/li>\n<li>Woody Allen Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that watching this &#8220;unusual Woody Allen film&#8221; when it was released in 1978 was &#8220;an excruciating experience&#8221; for many viewers, given that &#8220;ready to laugh, we saw before us a humorless Bergman-esque drama (without Allen in the cast)&#8221;. However, he notes that seeing it again later, he finds it a &#8220;truly beautiful, painstakingly written and directed, outstanding if&#8230; too serious film&#8221; about three adult sisters who &#8220;all grew up considering themselves failures&#8221;. Much like he argues in his review of Allen&#8217;s later <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=26621\"><em>Hannah and Her Sisters<\/em> (1986)<\/a> &#8212; which possesses numerous thematic similarities &#8212; he notes that Keaton, Hurt, and Griffin are all &#8220;emotional cripples, afraid of one another because of the damage each is capable of inflicting&#8221;, and &#8220;jealous of [each] other&#8217;s successes.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Siblings.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Siblings.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"704\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68748\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Siblings.png 704w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Siblings-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Siblings-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Siblings-495x270.png 495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He writes that &#8220;what&#8217;s most impressive about Allen&#8217;s film is that he creates a logic for why his characters respond to each other as they do&#8221;; even if we don&#8217;t particularly enjoy watching these sisters (and Keaton&#8217;s dissatisfied husband) wallow in their sorrows &#8212; and find the &#8220;snobby pretentiousness&#8221; of their &#8220;criticism of books, plays, [and] articles&#8221; unbearable &#8212; they&#8217;re indisputably all-too-human. <\/p>\n<p>Indeed, with a mother like Page &#8212; who during the film &#8220;suffers a breakdown and attempts suicide&#8221;, yet was clearly mentally unhinged long before the action begins &#8212; it&#8217;s no surprise at all to see what a mess Keaton et al. are (nor to question the desire of Marshall to get out of the marriage as gently yet quickly as he can).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-Page.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-Page.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"704\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68747\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-Page.png 704w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-Page-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-Page-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-Page-495x270.png 495w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Page&#8217;s tragic performance is note-perfect, as is Marshall&#8217;s &#8212; though arguably the most memorable &#8220;older&#8221; performance is given by Stapleton, &#8220;whose bright clothes are a jolt to the picture&#8221;, and who &#8220;brings life to the drained group&#8221;. Peary notes that a final scene involving Stapleton and Hurt (which I won&#8217;t spoil here like Peary does) is the &#8220;most special&#8221; moment for him, in a film filled with &#8220;<em>many<\/em> emotionally devastating moments&#8221;. To that end, how well you ultimately respond to <em>Interiors<\/em> depends largely on: a) your willingness to suspend preconceived judgments about what a Woody Allen film &#8220;should&#8221; be, and b) your willingness to invest in the outcome of these (mostly) not-very-likable characters. For my part, I was resistant at first (as Peary notes, it&#8217;s still far &#8220;too serious&#8221; a film), but quickly found myself caught up in the power of Allen&#8217;s uncompromising vision. Good for him for daring to make a movie just the way he envisioned it, and to foil his fans&#8217; expectations. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Geraldine Page as Eve<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Page.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Page.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"704\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Page.png 704w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Page-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Page-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Maureen Stapleton as Pearl<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Stapleton.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Stapleton.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"704\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Stapleton.png 704w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Stapleton-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Stapleton-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>E.G. Marshall as Arthur<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"704\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26679\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall.png 704w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Marshall-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine cinematography by Gordon Willis<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"704\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-26678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Cinematography.png 704w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Cinematography-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Interiors-Cinematography-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an unexpectedly powerful family drama by Allen. Nominated by Peary as one of the Best Films of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0077742\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/22857\/interiors#articles-reviews?articleId=153613\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1978\/08\/02\/archives\/screen-interiors-a-departure-for-woody-allenculture-shock.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=4917&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/reviews\/76065\/interiors.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;She has no direction; I expected such great things from her.&#8221; Synopsis: Three grown sisters &#8212; a successful poet (Diane Keaton) married to a struggling novelist (Richard Jordan); a would-be artist (Mary Beth Hurt) in a relationship with a political writer (Sam Waterston); and an aspiring actress (Kristin Griffith) &#8212; all deal differently with the increasingly unstable mental state of their mother (Geraldine Page), and with the lively new girlfriend (Maureen Stapleton) their father (E.G. Marshall) has recently started dating&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=26676\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26676"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91375,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26676\/revisions\/91375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}