Sweet Liberty

1986 "Michael Burgess wrote a book about the American Revolution. Now, Hollywood's come to his town to make a movie of it -- Plunging him into a summer of madness."
5.8| 1h46m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 16 May 1986 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Michael has written a schollarly book on the revolutionary war. He has sold the film rights. The arrival of the film crew seriously disrupts him as actors want to change their characters, directors want to re-stage battles, and he becomes very infatuated with Faith who will play the female lead in the movie. At the same time, he is fighting with his crazy mother who thinks the Devil lives in her kitchen, and his girlfriend who is talking about commitment.

Genre

Comedy, Romance

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Director

Alan Alda

Production Companies

Universal Pictures

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Sweet Liberty Audience Reviews

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
vincentlynch-moonoi This is a rather laid-back, but enjoyable movie; the type that more mature audiences will enjoy.The story is relatively interesting. Hollywood types decide to make a movie based on an historical book written by Alan Alda's character. Of course, the movie company cares nothing about the historical accuracy of the Revolutionary War era script, while Alda (and the community) care a great deal. Meanwhile there are various romantic situations involving Alda and the film's starring actress (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Alda's girlfriend (Lise Hilboldt) and the film's lead actor (Michael Caine; who did not get top billing here); although these assignations are handled in a rather urbane manner. Alda and the community get their revenge when the key battle scene of the movie is filmed. It's all very good natured.Alan Alda is very good here; just right for this kind of laid-back treatment of the story. It made me wish that more Alda's acting career had been in film, rather than in "MASH". Michael Caine is fine here, although the role is clearly a supporting role, rather than a starring role. Michelle Pfeiffer is satisfactory; quite appealing in some scenes, and then not so in other scenes; an uneven performance. Bob Hoskins has a supporting role as a decidedly unclassy screenwriter; nothing very notable. Lise Hilboldt is very good as Alda's girlfriend. It's a delight to see Lillian Gish in a role as Alda's eccentric mother; her next to the last film. Saul Rubinek plays the film's director; again, nothing special here.Is this a box office smash? No. A rather casual film with a decent script and goo acting. As at least one reviewer indicated, it could have been more satirical, but I don't think that was the intent. Particularly worthwhile if you enjoy Alan Alda,
Tom H. Richardson He's pushed around by his dotty mother, by his alleged girlfriend Gretchen, by the screenwriter Stanley, the director Bo, and by the leading man played by Michael Caine. There isn't one time Alda's character stands up for himself and sticks to it. His scenes with Gretchen are 100 percent blab and 0 percent chemistry. At the end of the movie, after he has just learned that Gretchen had been sleeping with Michael Caine, she tells him that she's willing to marry him for eight months, "with an option for four more." Rather than telling her to get lost, he is overjoyed and hugs her.The movie has sharp things to say about the Hollywood movie-making process. But that for me was overshadowed by my annoyance at Alda's character. Only twice in the movie does he grow a pair, but at the end of the story he is back to being a wimp again.My girlfriend Carolyn has an opinion even harsher than I -- she rates "Sweet Liberty" even lower than _Mummy's Kiss_, a soft-porn film with Ed Woods-quality bad writing.Score: 3 out of 10 from me; 1/10 from Carolyn.
£ynette Alan Alda plays an historian who has written about an historical character. When his book is made into a film, the character he feels he knows so well is brought to life by an actress. The history he knows so well is translated into an "historical" film, with the fact gradually draining away. The film gently, lyrically plays on the interface between reality and fantasy.An irony is that in "Sweet Liberty" Michael Caine plays an actor who plays a character based on Banastre Tarleton, a British commander of Tory troops in America during the Revolution. In 2000, the German director Roland Emmerich made a film called Patriot in which Jason Isaacs plays a character based on Banastre Tarleton. In the Emmerich film, the fact has drained away and the British commit atrocities more appropriate to Germans in the Second World War.
willrams I just saw this on AMC the other day, and thought it was extremely funny! Michael, played by AlanAlda has written an American History which was bought by a Hollywood studio and turned into a movie; but the movie is entirely screwed up; or the battle scenes were screwed up; beautiful Michelle Pffeifer plays the girl friend; Michael Caine steals the show with his pomp and egotism; Lillian Gish plays mom of Alda; and all have a riotous time. It was good to see Gish again; I almost forgot who she was! Not much sense to this but it was fun