''Inside Moves'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by
Richard Donner
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg; April 24, 1930 – July 5, 2021) was an American film director, producer and actor. Described as "one of Hollywood's most reliable makers of action blockbusters", Donner directed some of the mo ...
from a screenplay by
Valerie Curtin and
Barry Levinson
Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Rain Man'' (1988). His other best-known works are ''Diner'' (1982), '' The Natural'' (1984 ...
, based on the novel of the same name by
Todd Walton. The film stars
John Savage,
David Morse,
Diana Scarwid, and
Amy Wright
Amy Wright is an American actress and former model. She has appeared in such films as '' The Deer Hunter'', '' Breaking Away'', '' The Accidental Tourist'', '' Hard Promises'', '' Crossing Delancey'', and '' Miss Firecracker''. She is the wido ...
. At the
53rd Academy Awards, Scarwid was nominated for
Best Supporting Actress for her performance.
Plot
After a suicide attempt leaves a man named Roary 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, the barman with a bad leg.
Jerry gains the attention and respect from the
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
when he scrimmages a player and loses narrowly. After the bar owner suffers a heart attack, a new waitress named Louise is hired. Roary develops romantic feelings for Louise.
Jerry's luck turns around when one of the professional basketball players lends him the money for an operation to fix his leg. Once he is fully healed, Jerry becomes 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 behavior 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 25 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
Amy Wright is an American actress and former model. She has appeared in such films as '' The Deer Hunter'', '' Breaking Away'', '' The Accidental Tourist'', '' Hard Promises'', '' Crossing Delancey'', and '' Miss Firecracker''. She is the wido ...
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
Harold John Avery Russell (January 14, 1914 – January 29, 2002) was an American World War II veteran and actor. After losing his hands during his military service, Russell was cast in the epic drama film ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (1946 ...
as Wings
*
Pepe Serna as Herrada
*
Harold Sylvester
Harold Sylvester (born February 10, 1949) is an American film and television actor.
Early life and education
Sylvester was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a graduate of New Orleans' St. Augustine High School and Tulane University. Turnin ...
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 being fired and replaced from ''
Superman II
''Superman II'' is a 1980 superhero film directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David Newman (screenwriter), David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the second installment i ...
''. 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."
The film marked the return to the screen by disabled veteran
Harold Russell
Harold John Avery Russell (January 14, 1914 – January 29, 2002) was an American World War II veteran and actor. After losing his hands during his military service, Russell was cast in the epic drama film ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (1946 ...
, 34 years after his Oscar-winning role in ''
The Best Years of Our Lives
''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (also known as ''Glory for Me'' and ''Home Again'') is a 1946 American drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Harold Ru ...
''.
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
Critical response
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Janet Maslin
Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...
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 ...
'' wrote that "''Inside Moves'' is such a well-acted movie, and parts of it are so effectively offbeat, that it rises above its own potential for sappiness, just as surely as its characters triumph over their troubles." Maslin also called it "a modest and sentimental movie, but also one that, on its own terms, accomplishes what it means to."
Emanuel Levy described the film as "a compassionate, well acted melodrama about what it means to be a disabled American."
Accolades
See also
*
List of basketball films
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Golden State Warriors
1980 films
1980 drama films
American drama films
1980s English-language films
American basketball films
Golden State Warriors
Films about friendship
Films about disability in the United States
Films about suicide
Films set in Oakland, California
ITC Entertainment films
Films directed by Richard Donner
Films scored by John Barry (composer)
1980s American films
English-language drama films