''Bobby Deerfield'' is a 1977 American

romantic drama Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

film directed by

Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Pollack is known for directing commercially and critically acclaimed studio films. Over his forty year career he received numerous accolades ...

and starring

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

and Marthe Keller. Based on Erich Maria Remarque's 1961 novel '' Heaven Has No Favorites'', it is about a famous American race car driver on the European circuit who falls in love with an enigmatic Swiss woman who is terminally ill. Pacino was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. The movie uses clips from the 1976 Formula One season.

Plot

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

auto racer Bobby Deerfield is a calculating, control-obsessed loner who has become used to winning the checkered flag on the track. But when he witnesses a fiery crash that kills a teammate and seriously wounds a competitor, he becomes unsettled by thoughts of death. During a visit to the survivor, Deerfield's world is further set askew when he meets Lillian Morelli, a quirky, impulsive woman who is racing against time after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Cast

as Bobby Deerfield * Marthe Keller as Lillian Morelli * Anny Duperey as Lydia * Walter McGinn as The Brother * Romolo Valli as Uncle Luigi * Stephan Meldegg as Karl Holtzmann * Jaime Sánchez as Delvecchio * Norm Nielsen as The Magician * Mickey Knox as Tourist * Dorothy James as Tourist * Guido Alberti as Priest in the Garden * Monique Lejeune as Catherine Modave * Steve Gadler as Bertrand Modave * Van Doude as The Flutist * Aurora Maris as Woman in the Gas Station *

Gérard Hernandez Julio Gerardo "Gérard" Hernandez (born 20 January 1933) is a Spanish-French actor. Biography Hernandez was born in Valladolid, Spain and was naturalized French only in 1975. He is mostly famous for his mustache and for having voiced several ...

as Carlos Del Montanaro * Maurice Vallier as Priest *

Antonino Faà di Bruno Antonino Faà di Bruno (15 December 1910 – 2 May 1981) was an Italian actor and former military officer. Biography A member of the aristocratic Faà di Bruno family, Antonino Faà di Bruno was born in London, the son of Marchese Alessandr ...

as Vincenzo * André Valardy as Autograph Hound * Féodor Atkine as Tommy (as Fédor Atkine) * Patrick Floersheim as Mario * Bernie Pollack as Head Mechanic * Al Silvani as Mechanic * Isabelle de Blonay as Nurse * Franco Ressel as Man with Dog * Dominique Briand as Reporter

Reception

Critical response

The film has a 29% rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, 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 ...

, based on 14 reviews. Critics panned ''Bobby Deerfield'' as an over-the-top melodrama with a plodding story line; audiences reportedly laughed at scenes intended to be dramatic. Race-film fans, expecting another '' Grand Prix'' or ''

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

'', were disappointed that the story did not play out on the race track. However, the action footage was filmed by racing

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

s during the 1976 Formula One season and featured actual drivers, including Carlos Pace, Tom Pryce, James Hunt, Patrick Depailler and

Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said that it "may turn out to be the year's most cynical movie made by people who know better, including Sydney Pollack, the director, and Alvin Sargent, who wrote the screenplay". '' Time Out'' magazine stated that it was a "classic example of a Hollywood director being struck down by a lethal 'art' attack as soon as he sets foot in Europe".

Box office

''Bobby Deerfield'' grossed $9,300,000 in the United States on a budget of $5.6 million, failing to recover its costs and classifying it as a flop.

Awards and nominations

* 1978 Golden Globe Award Nomination for Best Motion Picture Actor, Drama (Al Pacino)

References

External links

* * * {{Sydney Pollack 1977 films 1977 romantic drama films American romantic drama films Films directed by Sydney Pollack Films based on works by Erich Maria Remarque Warner Bros. films American auto racing films Films about diseases and disorders Films based on German novels Films scored by Dave Grusin Films with screenplays by Alvin Sargent Films produced by Sydney Pollack 1970s English-language films 1970s American films English-language romantic drama films Columbia Pictures films First Artists films