The Dead (1987 film)

The Dead
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Huston
Written byTony Huston
Based on"The Dead"
by James Joyce
Produced byWieland Schulz-Keil
Chris Sievernich
Starring
CinematographyFred Murphy
Edited byRoberto Silvi
Music byAlex North
Production
companies
Vestron Pictures
Zenith Entertainment
Liffey Films
Channel 4
Delta Film
Distributed byVestron Pictures
Release date
  • 18 December 1987 (1987-12-18)
Running time
83 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
United States
West Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.5 million[1] or £2.26 million[2]
Box office$4,370,078[3]

The Dead is a 1987 drama film directed by John Huston, written by his son Tony Huston, and starring his daughter Anjelica Huston. It is an adaptation of the short story of the same name by James Joyce, which was first published in 1914 as the last story in Dubliners. An international co-production between the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Germany,[4][5] the film was Huston's last as director, and it was released several months after his death.

The film takes place in Dublin in 1904 at an Epiphany party hosted by two sisters and their niece. The story focuses on the academic Gabriel Conroy (Donal McCann) and his discovery of his wife Gretta's (Anjelica Huston) memories of a deceased lover. The ensemble cast also includes Helena Carroll, Cathleen Delany, Dan O'Herlihy, Marie Kean, Donal Donnelly, Seán McClory, Frank Patterson, and Colm Meaney.

At the 60th Academy Awards, Tony Huston was nominated for the award for Best Adapted Screenplay and Dorothy Jeakins was nominated for Best Costume Design for their work on the film. John Huston posthumously won the award for Best Director at the 3rd Independent Spirit Awards, and Anjelica Huston won the award for Best Supporting Female at the same ceremony.

  1. ^ Segaloff, Nat (2013), Final Cuts: The Last Films of 50 Great Directors, Bear Manor Media, pp. 137–141
  2. ^ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s - An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 21.
  3. ^ The Dead at Box Office Mojo
  4. ^ "The Dead (1987)". BFI. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "The Dead (1987)". AFI|Catalog. Retrieved May 25, 2021.