''A Breed Apart'' is a 1984 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Philippe Mora Philippe Mora (born 1949) is a French Australian film director. Early life and career Philippe Mora was born in Paris, France in 1949, and grew up at the centre of the Australian arts scene of the 1950s and began making films with an 8mm camera ...

. It stars Kathleen Turner,

Rutger Hauer Rutger Oelsen Hauer (; 23 January 1944 – 19 July 2019) was a Dutch actor. In 1999, he was named by the Dutch public as the Best Dutch Actor of the Century. Hauer's career began in 1969 with the title role in the Dutch television series ' ...

and

Powers Boothe Powers Allen Boothe (June 1, 1948 – May 14, 2017) was an American actor. He won an Emmy in 1980 for his portrayal of Jim Jones in '' Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones''. He also played saloon owner Cy Tolliver on '' Deadwood'', "C ...

. The screenplay by Paul Wheeler concerns the need to protect endangered species, in this case the bald eagle.

Plot

Obsessive bird egg collector J.P. Whittier is determined to obtain the eggs of a newly discovered species of bald eagle nesting high up on the private island of reclusive Vietnam veteran Jim Malden. Whittier hires

mountaineer Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...

Mike Walker to pose as a photographer and win Malden's confidence in order to gain access to the eggs. Subplots include locals seeking revenge on Malden after being caught hunting on his island without permission and Malden's inability to express his affection for local store owner Stella Clayton and her son Adam. At Walker's suggestion, Malden visits Stella to tell her how he truly feels. Walker uses the opportunity to scale the mountain where the eggs lie, only to fall victim to his conscience when his goal is within his grasp. Malden, Stella & Adam are united at the end, while Walker provides a local reporter with a scoop about Whittier's illegal hobby.

Cast

as Jim Malden *

as Mike Walker * Kathleen Turner as Stella Clayton *

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

as J.P. Whittier * Andy Fenwick as Adam Clayton *

Brion James Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. He portrayed Leon Kowalski in ''Blade Runner'' and appeared in ''Southern Comfort'', ''48 Hrs.'', '' Another 48 Hrs.'', '' Silverado'', '' Tango & Cash'', ...

as Peyton

Production

At the time the film was made, the bald eagle was on the brink of

extirpation Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

in the continental United States. The bird now has a stable population and was removed from the federal government's list of endangered species in June 2007. The film was shot on location in

Asheville Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous ci ...

, Biltmore Estate, Chimney Rock State Park, and

Lake Lure Lake Lure is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. In 2020 the town population was 1,634. Lake Lure was incorporated in 1927, and acquired the lake after which it is named in 1965. History In 1902, Dr. Lucius B. Morse and ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. After principal filming had finished, the film reels were sent back by plane to Los Angeles. One reel (of 4) never arrived, so the film was substantially reorganized around the missing scenes (shot out of order) in editing. This partly explains why some sub-plots are incomplete and Malden has no back story.

Principal production credits

Producers Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

..... John Daly, Derek Gibson * Original Music .....

Maurice Gibb Maurice Ernest Gibb (; 22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) was a British musician. He achieved fame as a member of the pop group Bee Gees. Although his elder brother Barry Gibb and fraternal twin brother Robin Gibb were the group's main lea ...

Cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to foc ...

..... Geoffrey Stephenson * Production Design ..... William Barclay * Art Direction ..... Jeff Ginn * Set Decoration ..... Ed Sears *

Costume Design Costume design is the creation of clothing for the overall appearance of a character or performer. Costume may refer to the style of dress particular to a nation, a class, or a period. In many cases, it may contribute to the fullness of the arti ...

..... John Boxer *

Film Editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology. The film ed ...

.....

Chris Lebenzon Christopher Lebenzon is an American film editor with more than 36 film credits dating from 1976. The films he has edited have grossed over 10 billion dollars worldwide. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the ...

Critical reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' said the film "lacks reason, dramatic tension or emotional involvement."''Variety'' review
/ref>

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Breed Apart, A 1984 films 1984 drama films American drama films Films shot in North Carolina 1980s English-language films Orion Pictures films Films directed by Philippe Mora 1980s American films