Grace Quigley
Grace Quigley (also titled The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley) is a 1985 American black comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and Nick Nolte, produced by Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan and directed by Anthony Harvey. The film is noted for being Hepburn's last leading role in a movie for the big screen, as well as the last appearance, stage or otherwise, of Walter Abel.
Grace Quigley | |
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theatrical poster | |
Directed by | Anthony Harvey |
Produced by | Yoram Globus Menahem Golan |
Written by | A. Martin Zweiback |
Starring | Katharine Hepburn Nick Nolte |
Music by | John Addison |
Cinematography | Larry Pizer |
Edited by | Robert Reitano |
Production company | |
Distributed by | The Cannon Group, Inc. |
Release date |
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Running time | 102 minutes (premiere) 87 minutes (theatrical) 94 minutes (revised cut) |
Country | |
Language | English |
Budget | $5 million[1] |
Plot
The plot centers on Grace, an elderly widow who lives alone in a dreary New York City apartment. She has twice tried and failed to commit suicide, so she decides to hire Seymour, a hit man, to kill her and then do in others like her who are old, alone and tired of living. To her way of thinking, this professional killer will be committing acts of mercy, not murder.
Cast
- Katharine Hepburn as Grace Quigley
- Nick Nolte as Seymour Flint
- Kit Le Fever as Muriel
- Chip Zien as Dr. Herman
- William Duell as Mr. Jenkins
- Elizabeth Wilson as Emily Watkins
- Walter Abel as Homer Morrison
Versions
In addition to the version of the film originally released in 1985, two other versions are known to exist: the original cut, which premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival running 102 minutes; and the alternate and re-edited version titled The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley, assembled by screenwriter A. Martin Zweiback, running 94 minutes. The latter version is considered superior by some critics.[2]
References
- "Nick Nolte Far From Down, Out" by Glenn Lovell, Orlando Sentinel April 29, 1987 accessed 6 February 2015
- Honeycutt, Kirk (July 2, 2003), Critic's notebook: Hepburn's hidden finale, The Hollywood Reporter.