The film was made and released about seven years after its source novel of the same name by Michael Mewshaw had been first published in 1984. The book was semi-autobiographical. Mewshaw is a former Newsweek correspondent.
The film takes place in 1978.
The picture was filmed entirely in Italy. The film's crew and supporting cast were predominantly Italian.
The picture was made and released about thirteen years after the real life events, on which the film's source novel was based, had taken place in 1978.