Jonathan Livingston Seagull (film)

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Theatrical poster
Directed byHall Bartlett
Screenplay byHall Bartlett
Richard Bach (uncredited)
Based onJonathan Livingston Seagull
by Richard Bach
Produced byHall Bartlett
StarringJames Franciscus
Juliet Mills
Hal Holbrook
CinematographyJack Couffer
Edited byFrank P. Keller
James Galloway
Music byNeil Diamond
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • October 23, 1973 (1973-10-23)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.5 million[1]
Box office$1.6 million[2]

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a 1973 American drama film directed by Hall Bartlett, adapted from the 1970 novella of the same name by Richard Bach. The film tells the story of a young seabird who, after being cast out by his stern flock, goes on an odyssey to discover how to break the limits of his own flying speed. The film was produced by filming actual seagulls, then superimposing human dialogue over it. The film's voice actors included James Franciscus in the title role, and Philip Ahn as his mentor, Chiang.

Whereas the original novella was a commercial success, the film version was poorly received by critics, though it was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. The soundtrack album, written and recorded by Neil Diamond, was a critical and commercial success, earning Diamond a Grammy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

  1. ^ "Jonathan Livingston Seagull review". Film4. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  2. ^ "Jonathan Livingston Seagull box office data". The Numbers. Retrieved November 11, 2011.