Street Smart (film)

Street Smart is a 1987 American dramatic crime thriller film directed by Jerry Schatzberg and starring Christopher Reeve, Morgan Freeman and Kathy Baker.[1] It was shot in New York City and Montreal, Quebec.

Street Smart
Directed byJerry Schatzberg
Produced byYoram Globus
Menahem Golan
Written byDavid Freeman
Starring
Music byRobert Irving III
CinematographyAdam Holender
Edited byPriscilla Nedd
Distributed byCannon Group
Release date
March 20, 1987
Running time
97 minutes
Budget$6 million
Box office$1,119,112

Despite being well-received by audiences and critics, the film was a commercial failure.

Plot

Magazine reporter Jonathan Fisher (Christopher Reeve), in danger of losing his job, promises to write a hard-hitting story on prostitution. When no one on the street will talk to him, he fabricates a story of a pimp that is so well-received it puts his career back on track. However, the police and the district attorney think the story is of a real pimp who is wanted for murder and start pressuring him to reveal the identity of his subject. Fast Black (Morgan Freeman), a pimp and police suspect, believes that the story is about him and wants to know who betrayed him to Jonathan. From there a battle of wits and wills ensues between Jonathan and Fast Black, and Jonathan becomes involved with Punchy (Kathy Baker), one of the pimp's call girls.

Cast

Production

Street Smart was a long-time pet project of Christopher Reeve, but he was having difficulty getting the film financed. When the Cannon Group acquired the rights to Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Reeve agreed to do the film partly because Cannon promised to give Street Smart the financial backing it needed.

Miles Davis and Robert Irving III recorded the complete soundtrack.

Reception

The film gained positive reviews.[2][3][4][5] It currently holds a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 14 reviews.

The film performed poorly at the box office, primarily attributed to Cannon Films' failure to properly market the theatrical release.[6]

Awards and nominations

Morgan Freeman was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. Despite having appeared in The Electric Company during the 1970s, Freeman considered Fast Black to be his breakthrough role. He also considers the role to be his favorite Oscar-nominated performance.[7][8]

References
  1. Mills, Bart (1987-07-27). "And Now . . . Mighty 'Superman Iv' To The Rescue - Page 2 - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  2. Maslin, Janet (1987-03-27). "Film: Christopher Reeve Stars In 'Street Smart' - New York Times". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  3. Maslin, Janet (1987-03-27). "Movie Review - Street Smart - FILM: CHRISTOPHER REEVE STARS IN 'STREET SMART' - NYTimes.com". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  4. Ebert, Roger (2013-09-20). "Street Smart Movie Review & Film Summary (1987)". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  5. Benson, Sheila (1987-03-20). "Movie Review : The Word on the 'Street' Is Smart - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2013-09-29.
  6. Reeve, Christopher (1998), pp 221-224, 228
  7. Morgan Freeman talks 'Street Smart', winning an Oscar and reveals that acting isn't hard on YouTube
  8. Morgan Freeman Talks About His Big Career Break on YouTube
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