Sommersby

Sommersby (1993)

Timing: 1:49 (109 min)

6.343/10
415

7.428/10
9517

6.3/10
25000

All about film

Video 1

Photo 23

Actors and characters

Release date

1993-02-05

Country

France, United States

Production

Canal+, Regency Enterprises, Alcor Films, Le Studio Canal+

Genre

Drama, Thriller, Mystery, Romance

Budget

$30 000 000

Revenue

$140 081 992

Website

Director

Jon Amiel

Actors

Jodie Foster, Richard Gere, Bill Pullman, James Earl Jones, Lanny Flaherty, William Windom, Wendell Wellman, Brett Kelley, Clarice Taylor, Frankie Faison
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Arnon Milchan, Steven Reuther, Richard Gere, Maggie Wilde

Operator

Philippe Rousselot

Composer

Danny Elfman

Artist

Dennis Bradford, Steve Saklad, Paul Sonski

Audition

Suzanne Crowley, Billy Hopkins

Editing

Peter Boyle
All team (95)

• The original screenplay author, Nicholas Meyer, left the project after the studio refused to give him the right to also direct the film. Sarah Kernochen was invited to rewrite the script, and was greatly surprised to find before her an Americanized version of the French film “The Return of Martin Guerre” (1982). Warner Bros., clearly unwilling to buy the rights to a remake, initially denied this in every way, but the screenwriter persisted, as the similarity was too obvious. Ultimately, the studio gave in and also agreed to acknowledge the authorship of the dismissed Nicholas Meyer.
• The cow in the film is named Clarice, just like the character played by Jodie Foster in the previous year's “The Silence of the Lambs”.
• The filming of the courtroom scenes took place in the Charlotte County Courthouse in Virginia. Before this, the building was repainted and renovated, and many local residents were allowed to attend the filming in the courtroom as spectators at the trial.
• In 16th-century France, a case similar to the one shown in the film occurred. A man named Martin disappeared from a Basque village in 1548 and suddenly returned only 8 years later. His appearance had changed somewhat, but this man managed to convince his wife and other villagers that he was indeed Martin. He and his wife had two more children, and only a relative suspected that this was not Martin, but an imposter named Arnaud. This relative devised a way to bring him to trial as an imposter, and during the trial, the real Martin returned. Arnaud was sentenced to death and executed in 1560.
• The first film permitted to be filmed in George Washington National Forest. The film crew was prohibited from digging any holes in the forest for any purpose without the presence of a designated archaeologist who could identify evidence of human presence dating back over 9,000 years.
• 30 acres of tobacco were planted for the filming, and the film crew members themselves did the planting.
• The original screenwriter, Nicholas Meyer, left the project after the studio refused to allow him to also direct the film. Sarah Kernochen was brought in to revise the script and was greatly surprised to find before her an Americanized version of the French film 'Le Retour de Martin Guerre' (1982). Warner Bros. initially denied this, apparently not wanting to buy the rights to a remake, but the screenwriter insisted, as the similarity was too obvious. Ultimately, the studio conceded and also agreed to acknowledge the authorship of the dismissed Nicholas Meyer.
• Filming took place in the state of Virginia from April 13th to June 30th, 1992.