7/24/2023 0 Comments Night shift movie michael keaton![]() That this scene is actually the catalyst for the narrative isn’t obvious right away, but the subsequent darkly humorous misdirect is immediately engaging. ![]() Night Shift opens with iconic shots of a pre-Guiliani New York City: smoke rising from manhole covers, honking taxicabs, vagrants and hookers walking the streets, and a pimp with a long fur coat. It’s a surprisingly frank and forward-thinking portrayal of a sex worker that is only somewhat undercut by an ending in which Chuck “saves” her from a life of sin (this was still 1982, after all). When Chuck asks Belinda why she doesn’t find another career because she’s “very bright,” her frustration and subsequent apology speaks volumes, as does her insistence that she’s not like Jane Fonda in Klute because she doesn’t wear a watch. ![]() She’s neither a bimbo nor an airhead, but she’s not tough as nails, either. Shelley Long, who embodies not only the everywoman qualities of Teri Garr but also the glamour of Madeline Kahn, is Belinda Keaton, the “hooker with a heart of gold,” and the eventual love interest of Chuck. In fact, Keaton was so convincing as this kind of character that he would ultimately turn down scripts featuring similar comedic roles for fear of being typecast. In his first starring role, Michael Keaton imbues Bill Blazejowksi with a lovable pathos, setting the stage for several films in which he would play a hapless but well-intentioned goofball who not so secretly wants to be a macho stud. Chuck Lumley is the ultimate nebbish, a man so unused to the idea of success or happiness-much less confidence-that he would sooner suffer the slings and arrows of a thankless career, an overbearing mother, and an aggressively neurotic girlfriend than try and improve his lot in life. The tone of Night Shift wavers between sweet and sarcastic, frequently achieving the perfect balance of both, and often containing a surprising amount of heartwarming, yet artfully conveyed, moments.įor those who only knew Henry Winkler as Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli from the staggering ten-season run of Happy Days, Night Shift is a revelation. Yet Night Shift’s script is sly and sharp, neither of which should be a surprise to anyone whose followed the careers of Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz ( Splash, Parenthood, City Slickers). The story of two misfits who concoct a plan to operate a brothel out of a morgue during the titular night shift, seems at best, far-fetched, and at worst, supremely silly. One of his earliest and best creative accomplishments was 1982’s Night Shift, a comedy starring Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton, and Shelley Long. The movie also boasts a host of actors you’ll recognize from other roles–Vincent Schiavelli, Jim Staahl, Charles Fleischer, Kevin Costner, Shannen Doherty, and of course, Clint Howard.įrom its poster art, Night Shift might appear to be nothing more than a wacky, low-budget sex comedy along the lines of contemporaries like H.O.T.S. Ron Howard’s career trajectory has evolved from beloved television star to respected director of such epic tales as Apollo 13 and this year’s In the Heart of the Sea.
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