''The Morning After'' is a 1986 American

neo noir Neo-noir is a revival of film noir, a genre that had originally flourished during the post-World War II era in the United Statesroughly from 1940 to 1960. The French term, ''film noir'', translates literally to English as "black film", indicating s ...

mystery

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

film directed by

Sidney Lumet Sidney Arthur Lumet ( ; June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American film director. He was nominated five times for the Academy Award: four for Best Director for ''12 Angry Men'' (1957), '' Dog Day Afternoon'' (1975), ''Network'' (1976 ...

and starring

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent ac ...

and Raul Julia. The film received generally favorable reviews and was a moderate commercial success, grossing $25.1 million against its $15 million budget. Fonda received a nomination for the

Academy Award for Best Actress The Academy Award for Best Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year ...

Plot

A washed-up,

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

actress, Alex Sternbergen (played by Fonda), wakes up on

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...

1986 next to a murdered man, a sleazy photographer. She feels sick and remembers nothing from the night before. She calls her friend Jackie about what happened the night before. (We find out later that he is her husband, they are separated.) He informs her that she missed out on getting what could have been her best gig in a while the night before because she was drunk and rude. She tells him about the body. He tells her to call the cops and she says that she is scared but he insists, telling her it will be all right. She retorts saying "ya wanna bet?" She leaves the apartment, and it is implied that she has not called the police. While trying to flee at the airport, Alex encounters an ex-policeman, Turner (

), who believes in her innocence. Raul Julia plays Jackie, a hairdresser who wants to divorce her, as he has fallen in love with socialite Isabel Harding ( Diane Salinger).

Cast

as Alexandra "Alex" Sternbergen / Viveca Van Loren *

as Turner Kendall * Raul Julia as Joaquin "Jackie" Manero, Alex's Husband * Diane Salinger as Isabel Harding, Jackie's New Lover *

Richard Foronjy Richard Foronjy (born August 3, 1937) is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the mobster Tony Darvo in the 1988 film ''Midnight Run''. Partial filmography *'' Serpico'' (1973) - Corsaro *'' The Gambler ...

as Sergeant Herb Greenbaum *

Bruce Vilanch Bruce Gerald Vilanch (born November 23, 1948) is an American comedy writer, songwriter and actor. He is a two-time Emmy Award-winner. Vilanch is best known to the public for his four-year stint on ''Hollywood Squares'', as a celebrity participan ...

as Harry, The Bartender * Geoffrey Scott as Bobby Korshack * James Haake as Frankie, Drag Queen and Friend of Alex's * Don Hood as Mr. Hurley, The Lawyer *

Corey Everson Corinna "Cory" Everson (née Kneuer; born January 4, 1958) is an American female bodybuilding champion and actress. Everson won the Ms. Olympia contest six years in a row from 1984 to 1989. Education Corinna Kneuer was born in Racine, Wisconsi ...

as Miss Olympia *

Kathleen Wilhoite Kathleen Wilhoite (born June 29, 1964) is an American actress and musician. She made her feature film debut in '' Private School'' (1983) before having a leading role in '' Murphy's Law'' (1986), followed by supporting parts in ''Witchboard'' (a ...

as "Red", Jackie's Assistant At His Salon *

Kathy Bates Kathleen Doyle Bates (born June 28, 1948) is an American actor and director. Known for her roles in comedic and dramatic films and television programs, she has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, includ ...

as Korshack's Neighbor *

Frances Bergen Frances Bergen (née Westerman; September 14, 1922 – October 2, 2006) was an American actress and fashion model. She was the wife of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and the mother of actress Candice Bergen and film and television editor Kris ...

as Mrs. Harding, Isabel's Mother

Reception

The film holds a 63% "Fresh" rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

from 19 reviews.

Awards

Jane Fonda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morning After, The 1986 films 1980s mystery thriller films 20th Century Fox films American mystery thriller films Films about alcoholism Films directed by Sidney Lumet Films scored by Paul Chihara Films set in 1985 Films set in Los Angeles Thanksgiving in films 1980s English-language films 1980s American films