In Praise of Older Women (1978 film)

In Praise of Older Women is a Canadian film directed by George Kaczender. It is based on Stephen Vizinczey's book In Praise of Older Women.

In Praise of Older Women
Directed byGeorge Kaczender
Written byPaul Gottlieb
Barrie Wexler
Based onIn Praise of Older Women
by Stephen Vizinczey
Produced byRobert Lantos
Claude Héroux
StarringTom Berenger
Karen Black
Susan Strasberg
Helen Shaver
Marilyn Lightstone
Alexandra Stewart
Narrated byHenry Ramer
CinematographyMiklós Lente
Edited byGeorge Kaczender
Peter Wintonick
Music byTibor Polgár
Production
companies
Distributed byAstral Films
Release date
  • September 22, 1978 (1978-09-22)
Running time
109 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5 million
Box office$1,150,000[1]

Plot

András Vayda (Tom Berenger) grows up in a turbulent, war-torn Hungary, where he procures local girls for the occupying G.I.s during World War II. Disappointed by the girls his age, he meets Maya (Karen Black), a married woman in her 30s, who tutors him in love and romance. Maya is only the first of many mature women whom András will meet through his teenage and young adult life.

Cast

Production

The film was shot from 12 September to 18 October 1977. The film was initially budgeted at $890,000, but cost $1.5 million, with $300,000 coming from the Canadian Film Development Corporation.[2]

Release

The film was distributed by Astral Films in Canada and Embassy Pictures in the United States. It was shown at the 1978 Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September, and released in Montreal on 22 September. The French dub was released in Montreal on 14 March 1980.[2] The film earned over $20 million.[3]

In 2023, Telefilm Canada announced that the film was one of 23 titles that will be digitally restored under its new Canadian Cinema Reignited program to preserve classic Canadian films.[4]

Reception

Before its release, the Ontario Film Review Board demanded the removal of a 35 second sex scene from the film. However, the original cut of the film was shown during the Toronto International Film Festival, and despite a subway strike and a rainstorm, hundreds of people waited outside the Elgin Theatre to see the film.[5] According to some sources, counterfeit tickets were distributed, and a riot almost formed as ticket holders were turned away.[5][6] The film received mostly negative reviews.[3]

Accolades
List of awards and nominations
AwardCategoryRecipients and nomineesResult
Canadian Film Awards, 1978[7] Art Direction (Feature) Wolf Kroeger Won
Performance by a Lead Actress (Feature) Helen Shaver Won
Supporting Actress (Feature) Marilyn Lightstone Won
Cinematography (Feature) Miklós Lente Won

See also

References
  1. Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 297. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  2. Turner 1987, p. 253-254.
  3. Knelman 1987, p. 28.
  4. Pat Mullen, "Oscar Winning Doc Leads List of Restored Canadian Classics". Point of View, May 9, 2023.
  5. David Berry (September 3, 2015). "TIFF: An oral history". National Post. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  6. "Fun facts about TIFF". CBC News. September 3, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  7. "Awards Database". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. April 8, 2014. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2015.

Works cited


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