Inside Moves

''Inside Moves'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Richard Donner. The film is based on the book of the same name by Todd Walton, with a script by then writing duo Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson.

Plot

After a suicide attempt leaves a man named Roary ( John Savage) partially crippled, he finds himself living in a rundown house in Oakland, California. He spends a lot of time at a neighborhood bar, which is full of other disabled people, and becomes best friends with Jerry (David Morse), the barman with a bad leg.

Jerry gains the attention and respect from the Golden State Warriors when he scrimmages a player and loses narrowly. After the bar owner suffers a heart attack, a new waitress named Louise (Diana Scarwid) is hired. Roary develops romantic feelings for Louise.

Jerry's luck turns round when one of the professional basketball players lends him the money for an operation to fix his leg. Once he is fully healed, Jerry goes on to become a basketball star, fulfilling his lifelong dream. However, he abandons his old friends by pretending they never existed.

Later, Jerry's old friends begin to resent him for his negligence, Roary visits Jerry and pressures him to visit the bar. Jerry offers up a half-hearted excuse for his absence, and despite Roary's feelings, begins seeing Louise in secret.

Roary finally confronts Jerry about his behaviour, and offers some final thoughts on their friendship, and what the bar and its patrons meant during his recovery. After Roary leaves, Jerry angrily reflects on his past decisions.

Roary reunites with Louise. Jerry returns to the bar and reveals his insecurities to his old friends, who understand right away.

For the first time in twenty-five years Max closes the bar, so everyone can attend Jerry's basketball game.

Cast

* John Savage as Roary
* David Morse as Jerry Maxwell
* Diana Scarwid as Louise
* Amy Wright as Anne
* Tony Burton as Lucius
* Bill Henderson as Blue Lewis
* Steve Kahan as Burt
* Jack O'Leary as Max
* Bert Remsen as Stinky
* Harold Russell as Wings
* Pepe Serna as Herrada
* Harold Sylvester as Alvin Martin
* Arnold Williams as Benny
* George Brenlin as Gil
* Gerri Dean as Hooker
* William Frankfather as Fryer

Production

In his 2006 audio commentary for '' Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut'', Donner states that he agreed to direct ''Inside Moves'' only to take his mind off of being fired and replaced from ''Superman II''. He referred to ''Inside Moves'' as "the smallest film I could do that was just very near and dear to me, at that point, and I felt this is going to take my mind totally off that."

Diana Scarwid's performance as Louise, Roary's girlfriend, earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The movie also marked the return to the screen by disabled veteran Harold Russell, thirty-four years after his Oscar-winning role in ''The Best Years of Our Lives''.

Donner's biographer James Christie relates how the director would often confuse cinematographer Kovács with his fellow Hungarian, Vilmos Zsigmond. When Zsigmond visited the set, Donner had T-shirts made up that read "MY NAME IS NOT LÁSZLÓ" and "MY NAME IS NOT VILMOS" for each of them. Later, they switched shirts and confused everyone.

Reception

Emanuel Levy gave it a grade C+.

References

External links

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{{Golden State Warriors

1980 films
1980 drama films
American drama films
1980s English-language films
American basketball films
Golden State Warriors
Films about disability
Films set in Oakland, California
ITC Entertainment films
Films directed by Richard Donner
Films scored by John Barry (composer)
1980s American films