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The Majestic (2001)
Starring Jim Carrey, Martin Landau, Hal Holbrook, and Bruce Campbell. Cinematography by David Tattersall. Edited by Jim Page. Produced by Frank Darabont. Written by Michael Sloane. Directed by Frank Darabont.
In 1951 screenwriter Peter Appleton just had his first script put into production when he is suddenly accused of being a communist. He tries to escape up the California coast line, but he crashes his car into the ocean and washes up on shore with a case of amnesia. He is welcomed into a small town where he is mistaken for a lost war hero. He literally cannot remember who he is or how he got there so it seems pointless to argue to the contrary. He slowly slips into his new role and tries to remember the people that appear to remember him. Together, Peter and his new father reopen the town’s movie theater, The Majestic. But memories are starting to slip back into his mind and he begins to doubt if he really belongs there.
Frank Darabont has spent his life being a fan of motion pictures and he created this film to be an homage to the industry in its Golden Age. The Majestic is not only set in and around a movie theater, it is also put in motion by one of Hollywood’s blackest moments. After the Second World War, American had a new kind of danger looming in the on the horizon; the threat of communism. The government feared that communists were infiltrating American borders and recruiting sympathizers. A group called the House of Un-American Activities was assembled in 1947 to detect and eliminate the so called “Red Scare”. It was opinion of the committee that many communists would likely search for jobs in the film industry in order to effectively spread their propaganda to millions of viewers across the country. Ten writers and directors, now known as “The Hollywood Ten”, were blacklisted and eventually imprisoned. This chapter in the history of film had always fascinated screenwriter Michael Sloane and he wanted to somehow work it into a story.
Darabont and Sloane grew up together and graduated in the same class from Hollywood High School. In early 1996 Darabont found a script titled The Bijou that Slone had left on his doorstep. Sloane was interested in getting Darabont’s criticism on the piece, and so like a good friend Darabont spent the evening reviewing it. He absolutely loved the story and called Sloane the very next morning to tell him that he wanted to direct it. The only problem was that he already had a project in development (The Green Mile) and would have to wait until that film was completed. And so three years and one title change later, production began on The Majestic. Darabont ended up with another winner, though it was not nearly as critically or financially successful as his previous projects. The Majestic is a beautifully assembled film, and is a must for classic film fans. Just beware that it has a tendency to drag along a bit slowly in sections, so go to Starbucks first.
Budget: $72,000,000
Total US Gross: $27,796,042
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 152 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/21/01
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: none
Tagline: Sometimes Your Life Comes Into Focus One Frame At A Time.
Quote: “That's why we call it The Majestic. Any man, woman, child could buy their ticket, walk right in. Here they'd be, here we'd be. "Yes sir, yes ma'am. Enjoy the show." And in they'd come entering a palace, like in a dream, like in heaven. Maybe you had worries and problems out there, but once you came through those doors, they didn't matter anymore.”
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