Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle Movie Review 1994

Bio of witty, suicidal writer Dorothy Parker and her equally witty friends, including theatre critics, playwrights, and novelists, who lunched together at New York's Algonquin Hotel for most of the 1920s. An irreverant band known as the Algonquin Round Table, their numerous bon mots were regularly reported in the papers. Their private lives were often less than happy with alcohol, drug addiction and depression prominent factors. Parker's downward spiral is depressing though compelling to watch, thanks to Leigh's performance (in spite of much criticism for her lockjawed accent) but many of the characters come and go so quickly they make little impression.

Distribution

Image Entertainment, 20525 Nordhoff St., Ste 200, Chatsworth, CA 91311, Phone: (818)407-9100, Email: inquiries@image-entertainment.com, URL: http://www.image-entertainment.com

Available on VHS
Running time 124 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

New York, New York, Period Piece: 1920s, Front Page, On the Rocks, Drug Use & Abuse, Biopics: Writers, Writers

Screenplay

Rudolph Coburn, Randy Sue Coburn

Cast

Mina (Badiyi) Badie, Natalie Strong, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Broderick, Andrew McCarthy, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Beals, Tom McGowan, Nick Cassavetes, Sam Robards, Rebecca Miller, Wallace Shawn, Martha Plimpton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Peter Gallagher, Lili Taylor

Cinematography

Jan Kiesser

Director

Alan Rudolph

Music

Mark Isham

Producer

Robert Altman, Fine Line Features, Miramax Films

Awards

Natl. Soc. Film Critics 1994: Actress (Leigh).