Making It (film)

Making It is a 1971 dramedy directed by John Erman and written by Peter Bart and James Leigh. It stars Kristoffer Tabori, Bob Balaban, Lawrence Pressman, Joyce Van Patten, Marlyn Mason, and a number of character actors familiar to TV audiences of the 1970s.[2] Adapted from Leigh's novel What Can You Do?, the movie follows several months in the life of an intelligent, precocious 17-year-old high school student who fancies himself a smooth Lothario.[3]

Making It
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Erman
Produced byAlbert S. Ruddy
Screenplay byPeter Bart
Story byJames Leigh
StarringKristoffer Tabori
Carol Arthur
Bob Balaban
Joyce Van Patten
Lawrence Pressman
Music byCharles Fox
CinematographyRichard C. Glouner
Edited byAllan Jacobs
Production
company
Alfran Productions
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Release date
  • March 21, 1971 (1971-03-21)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$850,000[1]

Plot summary

Phil Fuller (Tabori) is a 17-year-old high school student who lives in a small apartment with his young single mother. He assumes a facade of cynicism and tells his English teacher (Pressman) that he considers himself "smarter that 99% of the people". Seduction is his hobby. He beds the neglected wife of the high school basketball coach (Mason) by feigning being a sexually pent up virgin. Phil seduces a virginal classmate (Sherry Miles) by inviting her for a swim. Instead of a swim though, he pretends to make dinner for the two of them and spikes her food with pot. He even picks up a college girl by slapping on a fake mustache and hanging around the college bookstore.

Phil seems to sail through life not taking his actions seriously until the repercussions of his actions begin to hit home. First, the classmate he deflowered tells him that she might be pregnant. While the girl wants to get married, Phil convinces her mother (Louise Lasser), who also tried to seduce him, that her daughter should get an abortion instead. Next, he finds out that the gym teacher's wife, who has a phobia about growing old, told her husband about the affair after Phil dumps her. Then the coach defends his wife's honor by strong-arming Phil into a deserted weight room and kneeing him in the crotch.

After arranging an illegal abortion for his pregnant girlfriend, he finds out that she is not pregnant but his mother is. Since her fiancé has been killed in an auto accident, she decides to get an abortion. Phil uses the money he had gotten for his girlfriend and brings his mother to the doctor instead. The doctor assumes that Phil is responsible for the pregnancy. Full of scorn and wanting to teach Phil a lesson, he forces Phil to assist in the abortion. On the drive home afterward, Phil's mother sees that this episode has rendered him less cocky and more mature and responsible.[4][5]

Music

The film score was composed by Charles Fox who composed hits such as "Killing Me Softly with His Song" and "I've Got a Name" as well as the theme songs for Love, American Style; Happy Days; and Laverne and Shirley. The movie featured two songs, "Morning Song" and "The All American" with music by Fox and lyrics by his frequent collaborator, Norman Gimbel.[6]

Cast
gollark: I think so. It says 0d1h.
gollark: IBSG3xx:45:23AR at xx:43:20(I really hope I got the numbers right...)
gollark: In that case, not cancelling, I guess.
gollark: Of all the stuff to run out of... I'm cancelling one experiment due to lack of Magis.
gollark: My experiments are today in about five hours; I'll post the codes/times when I get home.

See also

References
  1. New Movie Financing Deal Seen New York Times 3 May 1970: 148.
  2. "Making It Cast & Director - Yahoo! Movies". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  3. Holden, Stephen (29 June 2012). "MOVIE REVIEW; Old Man Of Rock Takes A Road Trip". The New York Times. p. 8.
  4. Canby, Vincent (March 22, 1971). "Movie Review: Making It". The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  5. "Making It - Synopses". AllMovie. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  6. American Film Institute Catalog. "Making It". American Film Institute. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
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