446:. Reese was trying to project this in a scene where she had to get angry with the boy, but it had a false ring to it. Because in real life she isn't a tomboy. She's a real "girl" girl. Just before we did another rehearsal, I told her I wanted her to chew gum. Well, she started chewing gum and all of a sudden the performance happened. She was tough. Strong. Direct. And the scene worked. Like that. In an instant, it was there. What was marvelous was, at the end of the scene, Reese knew that something happened. Her compass, her sense of what's real, kicked in. The motor was running and she knew it. It was funny because she said: "Can I always chew gum?" And I said: "Yeah."
442:...risky business, to say the least. We had a casting team that went out and saw several thousand kids and tested them on video. When I saw Reese's test, she just jumped off the screen, simply as a personality. I couldn't tell whether she could act or not, but she's got a wonderful face and there's a brightness and intelligence there. Then, when I tested her in Santa Monica, a strange breakthrough took place. Early in the movie, Dani is a bit of a
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him better. When Court comes over for dinner, he finally meets
Maureen. Dani can tell it is love at first sight for the two of them. While Dani visits her mother in the hospital, Court shows up at the Trant house where Maureen is babysitting Missy. Aware of her sister's feelings for Court, Maureen is initially reluctant to return his affections but ultimately gives in when he kisses her.
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sneaking back home and realizes she was with Court. Angry at her sister’s betrayal, she runs towards Court’s farm. A busy Court has been plowing the fields but gets distracted by daydreams of
Maureen and gets into an accident on his tractor. Dani finds Court badly injured in the field and cradled by his inconsolable mother. She races back home to tell her father.
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tells Dani that although she has a right to be hurt, being mad won't bring Court back, and
Maureen will be her sister for life. Dani comforts Maureen as she weeps on Court's fresh grave, and the film ends with Maureen and Dani talking on the porch at night as the summer draws to a close, looking up at the moon and becoming close again.
534:. As the film approached its conclusion without having stepped wrong once, I wondered whether he could do it - whether he could maintain the poetic, bittersweet tone, and avoid the sentimentalism and cheap emotion that could have destroyed this story. Would he maintain the integrity of this material? He would, and he does.
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become good friends. The two agree to meet up during the evening as Court has too much farm work to do during the day. That night, Dani and Court goof around in the water and nearly reach a point where they are about to kiss, but Court pushes Dani away and says she is a little girl who doesn't know what she's doing.
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The next day, Court brings food to the Trant house and apologizes to Dani for the other night, saying he would still like to be friends. The next time they go swimming the two share Dani's first kiss. Once Dani has made up with her father, he suggests that she invite Court over so he can get to know
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Later that day, Abigail tells Dani an old childhood friend is coming over for dinner with her children. Abigail's old friend turns out to be Marie Foster, a widow who has moved back to the area with her three sons, revealed to be Court and his younger brothers. When Dani is forced to accompany Court
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Over the next few days, Dani is alienated by Court. She goes to stay by her mother's side at the hospital as she goes into labor. Maureen has entered into a romance with Court, and the two consummate their love in a field. When Dani returns home with
Abigail and the new baby, she witnesses Maureen
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praised the performances of
Waterston, Harper, and Strickland. Maslin also wrote, "Mr. Mulligan also gets an outstandingly natural performance out of Miss Witherspoon, who has no trouble carrying a lot of the film single-handedly. It falls to her to remind the audience that this story is at heart
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When
Matthew returns home, he has some of Court's blood on his clothes and the family realizes that Court has died from his injury. Maureen hides her pain at first, while Dani bursts into tears. After Court's funeral, Dani continues to be angry at Maureen for stealing Court away from her. Matthew
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Meanwhile, Maureen breaks up with her boyfriend Billy
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Dani runs home just as a thunderstorm breaks out. Abigail runs outside looking for Dani, but accidentally trips on a root in the process and suffers an injury. Dani's father
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who is close to her older sister, the college-bound
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who experiences first love and heartbreak when older boy Court (London) moves next door. The film received critical acclaim, making
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547:and cut by
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261:. It stars
97:Tess Harper
79:Mark Rydell
75:Produced by
55:Directed by
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1206:Categories
763:Metacritic
571:References
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431:Production
331:concussion
251:drama film
232:Box office
203:99 minutes
187:1991-10-04
150:Production
134:Trudy Ship
65:Written by
1157:Time Bomb
1082:The Other
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286:Louisiana
131:Edited by
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539:Versions
216:Language
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219:English
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277:, and
224:Budget
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