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Between the Lines is a 1977 ensemble drama from Midwest Films directed by Joan Micklin Silver and produced by her husband Raphael D. Silver. The film won two out of the three awards it was nominated for at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.[1]

Between the Lines
VHS cover
Directed by	Joan Micklin Silver
Written by	Fred Barron David M. Helpern Jr.
Produced by	Raphael D. Silver
Starring	John Heard Lindsay Crouse Jeff Goldblum Gwen Welles Bruno Kirby Stephen Collins Joe Morton Marilu Henner Richard Cox Michael J. Pollard Lane Smith Raymond J. Barry Guy Boyd Charles Levin
Cinematography	Kenneth Van Sickle
Edited by	John Carter
Music by	Michael Kamen Steve Van Zandt
Distributed by	Midwest Films Vestron Video
Release date	April 27, 1977 (1977-04-27)
Running time	101 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

The story revolves around a group of people who work at The Back Bay Mainline, an alternative newspaper in Boston,[2] as it is bought out by a major corporation.

Cast

Actor	Role
John Heard	Harry Lucas
Lindsay Crouse	Abbie
Jon Korkes	Harry
Gwen Welles	Laura
Jeff Goldblum	Max Arloft
Stephen Collins	Michael
Bruno Kirby	David Entwhistle
Jill Eikenberry	Lynn
Joe Morton	Ahmed
Michael J. Pollard	The Hawker
Marilu Henner	Danielle
Susan Haskins	Sarah
Guy Boyd	Austin
Charles Levin	Paul

Notes

Fred Barron, who had written for both The Phoenix and The Real Paper, used his alternative newspaper experiences as the basis for his Between the Lines screenplay. The director Silver once had worked for The Village Voice.[3] Doug Kenney, co-founder of the National Lampoon, has a cameo role.

The success of the film led to a short-lived TV sitcom, also titled Between the Lines.

Reception

The film received positive reviews at the time and is still regarded as an excellent 'snapshot' of the alternative newspaper era. Matthew Monagle of Film School Rejects writes:

What makes Between the Lines such a timely film even decades later is its depiction of the diminishing space offered journalism in a world of corporate takeovers. Pages of copy are cut to make way for more advertisements; writers are asked to choose between walking out and compromising their integrity. The film makes it clear that the Back Bay Mainline, even in its diminished capacity, still has its finger on the pulse of the Boston community in a way no major newspaper could. When that is gone, something vital goes with it...

Those looking for the newspaper industry’s answer to Broadcast News will find a welcome film in Between the Lines. The film has countless moments of insight into the struggle of the American journalist, from the staff’s shabby living conditions — the film offers perhaps the most realistic look at big city apartments ever committed to film — to how well-meaning writers navigate the competing interests of truth and financial trendlines. With an all-star cast and some great comedic bits — enjoy watching Goldblum engage in a battle with a local performance artist at the Back Bay Mainline headquarters — Between the Lines is a late addition to the already impressive canon of essential 1970s cinema.[4]

References

External links

• Between the Lines at IMDb
• Between the Lines at AllMovie
• Between the Lines at Rotten Tomatoes

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