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Opening Night

Opening Night

Drama · 1977

Actress Myrtle Gordon is a functioning alcoholic who is a few days from the opening night of her latest play, concerning a woman distraught about aging. One night a car kills one of Myrtle's fans who is chasing her limousine in an attempt to get the star's attention. Myrtle internalizes the accident and goes on a spiritual quest, but fails to finds the answers she is after. As opening night inches closer and closer, fragile Myrtle must find a way to make the show go on.

Movie details

Opening Night

“The Show Must Go On…”

1977 Drama 2h 24m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.6 / 10

Community rating

Actress Myrtle Gordon is a functioning alcoholic who is a few days from the opening night of her latest play, concerning a woman distraught about aging. One night a car kills one of Myrtle's fans who is chasing her limousine in an attempt to get the star's attention. Myrtle internalizes the accident and goes on a spiritual quest, but fails to finds the answers she is after. As opening night inches closer and closer, fragile Myrtle must find a way to make the show go on.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Opening Night?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Cassavetes

Written by

John Cassavetes

Gena Rowlands

Gena Rowlands

Myrtle Gordon

John Cassavetes

John Cassavetes

Maurice Aarons

Ben Gazzara

Ben Gazzara

Manny Victor

Joan Blondell

Joan Blondell

Sarah Goode

Paul Stewart

Paul Stewart

David Samuels

Zohra Lampert

Zohra Lampert

Dorothy Victor

Laura Johnson

Laura Johnson

Nancy Stein

Court is in session

Put Opening Night on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.