The Films of Alan Parker, 1976-2003 PDF
Preview The Films of Alan Parker, 1976-2003
The Films of Alan Parker, 1976–2003 This page intentionally left blank The Films of Alan Parker, 1976–2003 David F. Gonthier, Jr., and Timothy M. O’Brien McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA Gonthier, David, author. The Films of Alan Parker, 1976–2003 / David F. Gonthier, Jr., and Timothy M. O’Brien. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-9725-6 (softcover : acid free paper) ♾ ISBN 978-1-4766-1927-9 (ebook) 1. Parker, Alan, 1944–—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Motion picture producers and directors—Great Britain. I. O’Brien, Timothy M., 1982– author. II. Title. PN1998.3.P3587G66 2015 791.4302'33092241—dc23 2015023894 BRITISHLIBRARYCATALOGUINGDATAAREAVAILABLE © 2015 David F. Gonthier, Jr., and Timothy M. O’Brien. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. On the cover: Bob Geldof in the 1982 film Pink Floyd—The Wall(MGM/Photofest) Printed in the United States of America McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com To my son, Isaac, my best buddy and fellow viewing companion… —David F. Gonthier, Jr. To my late grandmother, Lillian Pelletier. And also to my mother, whose light will always lead me home. —Timothy M. O’Brien This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments Co-writing this book on the films of Alan Parker has been a completely pleas- urable and rewarding experience. I want to first thank my c o-a uthor, former student and good friend Timothy O ’Brien, who has proven that you canindeed make a l ong- distance professional relationship work. For a majority of this project, Tim and I cor- responded back and forth via emails, text messages and phone calls from New Hamp- shire to New York City. When I began thinking about this project in the summer of 2009, I asked Tim if he wanted to c o-w rite this manuscript with me and from that moment forward we juggled our busy lives and made it happen. This has by far been the best collaboration I’ve ever had; it was fun and seamless and we were completely compatible along the way. I am also very grateful for the generous participation of Sir Alan Parker, the subject of this book, who provided us with a plethora of infor- mation that has helped us write this first book on his films. It’s been an honor to have gotten to know him over the years while studying his very impressive and ambitious canon of films. I also thank my wife, Caron, for all of her dedication, advice, help and support. Finally, I would like to thank my parents who first exposed me to a film called Midnight Express, which to this day remains one of my all- time favorites. —David Gonthier Firstly, I’d like to thank my co-author David Gonthier. I am honored and grateful that you came to me with this project (now I get to brag to my snotty academic friends that I’m getting a book published!). It was an absolute pleasure writing with you, and I look forward to doing it again in the future. Many thanks to Pamela Bloom, and to all the librarians and archivists at the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library. Your help transformed what could have been a chaotic nightmare into a navigable research process. Thank you. Thanks also to the extremely helpful staff at Jerry Ohlinger’s Movie Materials in New York City. Because of your colossally expansive collection of stills and movie photos, you were literally the one-stop-shop for all the photographs in this book. Appreciation is also due to the two amazing women I dedicated this book to. Without them, this book would not have been possible: Firstly, my grandmother, Lillian Pelletier, who recently passed away, God rest her soul. Thanks, Grandma, for always doing the crossword puzzles and word searches with me when I was a kid. When most boys were out subjecting themselves to possible concussions, and contusions uncounted, you helped me realize that my fascination with letters and words was not only acceptable, but something to aspire to. It meant vii viii Acknowledgments the world to me, and every time I struggle to write a word, sentence, or thought, I will ask myself: “What would Grandma think of this?” Love you, Grandma, wherever you are. But no one can have a grandmother without a mother, and I also devote this book to my mother. There’s an old saying: “A Mother knows.” I wholeheartedly endorse this truism because my mom always knows: she knows when to coddle me, when to kick my ass, and when to remain silent because she knows I can figure it out for myself. You’ll always be my candle on the water, Mom. —Timothy M. O’Brien Table of Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction by David Gonthier, Jr. 1 1. The Early Life and Career of Alan Parker 11 2. Bugsy Malone, 1976 22 3. Midnight Express, 1978 40 4. Fame, 1980 63 5. Shoot the Moon, 1982 83 6. Pink Floyd—The Wall, 1982 103 7. Birdy, 1984 120 8. Angel Heart, 1987 138 9. Mississippi Burning, 1988 162 10. Come See the Paradise, 1990 183 11. The Commitments, 1991 199 12. The Road to Wellville, 1994 215 13. Evita, 1996 233 14. Angela’s Ashes, 1999 252 15. The Life of David Gale, 2003 269 Conclusion 290 Chapter Notes 295 Bibliography 301 Index 303 ix
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