On B List of Movie Reviews
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Blue Sky (1994)
Rate:
5
Viewed:
11/16
11/16:
Halfway through Blue Sky, I was thinking of Oscar material for Jessica Lange, who reminded me a lot of Barbara Bouchet
in In Harm's Way, but I didn't know she won it until I looked up the internet afterwards.
I might have agreed with the assessment, but honestly, Blue Sky fell apart during the third act, taking down Lange's
performance. Maybe she going topless had a lot to do with the win. The problems began with poor editing as evidenced by
the awkward transitions from one scene to another. Then, Tony Richardson decided to speed things up to finish off the movie.
The ultimate result is a hopeless mess.
If the director took his time with the story by developing it more, then Blue Sky might have been a better
film. Tommy Jones and Jessica Lange had a thing going, and it was working out to their benefit. So, Tony Richardson's
untimely death in 1991 may have a lot to do with it.
Interestingly enough, the film was completed in 1991, but Orion Pictures' bankruptcy problems forced it to be shelved until
1994. Blue Sky didn't do well at the box office, taking in $3.4 million against a budget of $16 million. It's hard to
believe that people would've heard of the film; I know I didn't, and it took me twenty-two years to discover Blue Sky.
Jessica Lange's character is a common staple when it comes to being recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Jane Fonda did it first in 1979, receiving a Best Actress nomination for The China Syndrome. Meryl Streep was next
for Silkwood which was made in 1983. Jessica Lange finally became the first Oscar winner of this class. Then, Julia
Roberts repeated this formula, winning the Oscar, by lifting off most of Jessica Lange's performance when she did
Erin Brockovich in 2000. Of course, it's all ridiculous.
All in all, Blue Sky is a good example of how poor editing can kill a film.