Between the Lines

Between the Lines, and it's pleasant. BtL is one of those ensemble, renegade, rage-against-the-machine flicks that have always been with us, but were completely at home in Post-Watergate Land.

All I remember is that I enjoyed the actors (and if you look at the cast, it's an A-Team of talent), that Lindsey Crouse was really cute, and Jeff Goldblum insults some corporate suit or sell-out or whatever with "You pernicious eel-sh**!"

You can tell that Between the Lines didn't make much of a splash because--not counting mine--when I wrote this review, there were nine others.

I saw the movie, I think, on HBO in something like 1978 or 1979, right about the time FM came out. FM was another ensemble, renegade ratm flick, but with great music, and it was really dumb.

I don't remember Between the Lines being stupid. Unfortunately, I just watched it again on TUBI, and, although the movie isn't dumb, it's bland and predictable, an WKRP in Cinncinati kind of mish-mash of actors who have gotten old and, for the guys, bald.

I looked up Lindsey Crouse, and she has aged well. I think the last time I saw her on anything was Law and Order: SVU back in 2000. Jeff Goldblum looks like Jeff Goldblum, only with a shock of white hair. Steven Elliot did something somewhere that got him "canceled." If I'm wrong, I apologize.

John Heard died. The Venus Flytrap character was Joe Morton, and you'll remember him as the black scientist/voice of reason in Eureka. Michael J. Pollard? Passed away? Bruno Kirby? Don't know. Gwen Welles?

As you can see, Between the Lines was oozing with talent, the sort of movie that puts some oomph in an actor's resume.

I still like the movie. It's on TUBI. TUBI's free. You can afford to blow 100 minutes on a snapshot of what raging against the machine looked like in 1977.

You know what happens when you bite into unripe fruit. It is not sweet or juicy; but it is a bit sour. The same is true for this film. Most of the actors in this ensemble went on to much better roles later in their careers, but not the director or writer. That is because several of these actors had talent. But at the stage most of these actors were at when this film was made, most of them were still unpolished, unripe fruit.

Goldblum is good. Heard is interesting, but Crouse was still very raw; and would not peak until House of Games. Worth viewing only to see the development of these kid actors at a very early stage. An interesting side note for this film is the story of Bruno Kirby. He had a very good role in Godfather 2, which was a good three years before this piece of fluff was made. He actually looks younger in this film. Marylou Henner went on to do Taxi in 1978, and she was much sexier and funnier by that time. Sometimes, it takes time for fruit to ripen.

"Between the Lines" works far better as a document of its time than as a comedy or drama. The interactions between the characters are what's best here, while the actual "plot" gets lost somewhere between maybe too many characters and too many side plots which do nothing but make the whole thing feel a bit disjointed. It's characteristic of the movie that the funniest scene (about a wannabe conceptual artist) comes out of nowhere and leads to nothing, a complete non sequitur. You might think that in a story about a newspaper there would be ample opportunity for a good plot, but very little of this potential is actually used.

Recommended for the nice performances and overall atmosphere, which I liked, but don't expect anything particularly gripping or hilarious.

I had never heard of this movie until about two months ago when I was looking up actor John Heard. I had just watched 'Cutter's Way (1981)' and was extremely impressed by his performance having previously only recognized him as the dad in 'Home Alone.' Not only does 'Between the Lines' have John Heard delivering another excellent performance but it also has a terrific ensemble cast of some great actors before they gained popularity; notably Jeff Goldblum, Linsay Crouse, and Marilu Henner. 'Between the Lines' is set up very much the same way as Robert Altman's 'Nashville' with the plot (what little there is) taking a backseat to a picturesque look at a time period and delightful characters. In a nutshell the film is about an independent newspaper group who is about to be bought out by a large company; but more so it's about the relationships between all these people. An absolute breeze to watch because the actors are having so much fun. There are many random funny moments; including an absurd scene where an abstract artist comes into the office and starts wrecking the place referring to each action as art, but the movie also has a great deal to say. A charming time capsule for the late 70's and also for the displaying the talents of the young actors.

***1/2 out of ****

Joan Micklin Silver's ensemble masterpiece is watchable again and again! This is one of those rare films for which we can name 10 cast members. It captures the fading press counterculture of the late 60's and 70's in a memorable way. If you see it more than a few times, you will enjoy blurting out lines of dialog right before they are spoken... i.e. "some say 'whither rock 'n roll?...not at my house--I don't have the room" from Jeff Goldblum.

I'll wait a year or two, then watch it again. It's a 'cult' movie--at least with some friends I know-- along the lines of "Head Over Heels" a.k.a. "Chilly Scenes of Winter" another gem from Joan Micklin Silver.