Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1984 film)
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a 1984 American made-for-television drama film directed by Jack Hofsiss, and starring Jessica Lange, Tommy Lee Jones, Rip Torn, Kim Stanley, David Dukes, and Penny Fuller. The film was written by Tennessee Williams, produced by American Playhouse,[1] and originally premiered on Showtime on August 19, 1984.
| Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Screenplay by | Tennessee Williams |
| Directed by | Jack Hofsiss |
| Starring | Jessica Lange Tommy Lee Jones |
| Theme music composer | Tom Scott |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Lou LaMonte |
| Producers | Phylis Geller Elizabeth Ashley (associate producer: I.T.G.) Marilyn Larson (associate producer) Alan Pierce (associate producer: I.T.G.) |
| Editor | Roy Stewart |
| Running time | 144 minutes |
| Production companies | Showtime Entertainment American Playhouse International Television Group KCET |
| Distributor | Showtime |
| Release | |
| Original network | Showtime |
| Picture format | Color |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release |
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Plot
This adaptation revived the sexual innuendos which had been muted in the 1958 film. The script is the substantially revised and restored version that Williams made for the 1974 Broadway revival, including the ending, which suggests that the protagonists' future together is anything but certain.
Awards and nominations
Both Stanley and Fuller were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special, and Stanley went on to win. It was a re-union of sorts for Stanley and Lange, who received Oscar nominations for playing mother and daughter in 1982's Frances. The film was also nominated for a plethora of CableACE Awards, specifically, Actor in a Theatrical or Dramatic Special (Rip Torn), Art Direction on Video Tape (John Retsek, David Jenkins, Showtime Networks), Theatrical Special (Lou LaMonte, Phylis Geller, Showtime Networks), Writing a Theatrical or Dramatic Special (Tennessee Williams, Showtime Networks), and Lighting Direction on Video Tape (Danny Franks, Ken Dettling, Showtime Networks).[2]