Genre: Action/Drama.
Studio:
Twentieth Century Fox.
Production Company:
Phoenix Pictures.
Project Phase: In the Can.
Who's In It:
Adrien Brody; Jim Caviezel; Ben Chaplin; George Clooney; John Cusack; Woody Harrelson; Nick
Nolte; Sean Penn; Bill Pullman; John Savage; John Travolta; John D. Smith (unconfirmed);
Lukas Haas; Elias Koteas; Jared Leto; Donal Logue; Gary Oldman; Mickey Rourke; Nick Stahl.
Who's Making It:
Terrence Malick (Director, Screenwriter); Robert Geisler, John Roberdeau, Grant
Hill (Producers); George Stevens, Jr. (Executive Producer); John Toll (Director
of Photography); Bill Webber, Leslie Jones (Editors); Jack Fisk
(Production Designer); Hans Zimmer (Musical Score); based upon the 1962
autobiographical novel The Thin Red Line by James Jones.
Premise: Jones' novel recalled his experiences in the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.
Release Date: December 25, 1998.
Comments: None.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
May 27, 1997... [Thanks to 'widgett', 'x94trexler', and a big thank you to 'LAlla16102' for drafting up the film's page!]
June 3, 1997... We're informed Edward Norton bowed out of the project to do Joel Schumacher's The Runaway Jury. [Sent in by 'Josh the Sandman'.]
September 21, 1997... Hans Zimmer associate composer John Powell tells this CA reader that the veteran composer will score this flick. Zimmer's most recent credit was Face/Off. [Submitted anonymously.]
May 18, 1998... "I am a resident of Townsville, Queensland, near where the film was shot. As part of his appreciation of being able to film in Australia, director Terence Mallick secretly invited a test audience of ordinary Queenslanders to see a rough edit of The Thin Red Line. I was invited and what I saw left me in awe. The films opening and closing credits were missing, as was the music, which was still being 'fine tuned'. But this film, which clocked in at around 3 hrs, I didn't keep track of the running time, is a masterpiece. Everything about it, from the acting, especially Nick Nolte and Woody Harrelson, to the cinematography to the battle scenes are fabulous. I am supposed to sworn to silence so I will say no more, but the movie is a surefire hit with critics and audiences. I'm sure it will be remembered at Oscar time next year and, really, I can't imagine such a great film NOT winning a load of awards." [Sent in anonymously.]
May 30, 1998... 'Private Joker' reports to us that Malick reporedly spotted actress Miranda Otto (Love Serenade) on local television and immediately cast her in his film. According to our scooper, Otto is seen in a brief dream sequence one of the characters has. [Filed by 'Private Joker'.]
Another scooper tells us this is the film debut of a new actor, John D. Smith. "This twenty year old from Knoxville, TN was handpicked by Terrence Malick," our scooper reports. ['Moody-Blake' gets the word out.]
And a polite request from the gang here: would our May 18th scooper please get in contact with us? We'd like to ask you some additional questions concerning the Queensland test screening. Actually, we'd like to hear from *anyone* who saw that screening!
"Well, I first heard about The Thin Red Line in January 1997 and this was because I received a phone call from my uncle who lives in Cairns. He told us he was picked off the street to star as an extra in a new movie being filmed in Port Douglas, Australia. We were all excited about this great news and the movie itself sounded terrific. Luckily my uncle, 'Conrad Hinz' was later chosen in the group of one of the 25 main extras and well, I just can't wait to see this brilliant movie because he said he had a great time working with the cast and apparently was good friends with Nick Nolte. They even enjoyed a few beers together and 'Nick' bragged about how much he loved Port Douglas! Overall, I would like to congradulate the entire crew involved in this magnificent production and for giving my uncle the opportunity to star in a movie that was made in Australia. I'm really looking forward to seeing it on the silver screen and many times at that, our family has even our own momento with photo's of Conrad in his battle costume." [Sent in by 'Poppy77'.]
June 7, 1998... The Thin Red Line is being targeted for a December 11th release...or so this scooper tells us. The scooper also reports that additional advance screenings are being arranged and that more news should be made avaliable by mid-June. [Anonymous.]
June 29, 1998... It looks like we just had our first real big break for this film. A scooper has appraoched us to offer a first-hand account of what it was like to work on the set of the film! Let's cut to the chase and give you what the anonymous individual wanted to report to you...
"I began work on Terrence Malick's film on June 15, 1997. The first week consisted of a bootcamp training session attended by 18 featured extra's selected by Terrence Malick and his assistant directors Skip Cosper and Karen Collins. The 13 principle actors also attended this camp; arranged by Warriors Inc., an L.A.-based company specializing in military training for the film industry. The shoot lasted five months in Queensland, one month in the Solomon Islands (where the story takes place), and a further month on stage in L.A. The shooting was one of the best experiences I've had in film. Terrence is one of the most generous, understanding, and focused directors to work with. He treated everyone from cast, crew and extras with the upmost patience and respect. The actors that make this film unforgetable will be the up and comers. I've been fortunate enough to hook up again with Jim Caviezel on Ang Lee's Ride With the Devil presently finishing principle photography in Kansas City. He is very excited to see the end result. Jim's performance will be talked about highly....this film is definitely his stepping stone. In addition, the audience will not forget Ben Chaplin, Adrian Verveen, Dash Mihok. Truly great stuff by these young actors! I've heard the release date is Dec. 19th, same launch date as was Titanic...to appeal to the holiday crowd, and still attract the 1998 Oscars. John Toll (D.O.P.) and Terrence Malick were never more happy than to plug in the faces of eager extras and even throw them a line when possible. Skip and Karen worked their asses off for these two men and it definitely will show!!!"
The scooper offers to provide more info if there's interest from the readers. Hell, we want to know more!
[Credit the Anonymous Soldier.]
August 18, 1998... Credit our scooper with giving you a confirmed release date of December 25th. [Thanks to 'C'.]
December 7, 1998... The first review of the final cut to Malick's eagerly-anticipated film has arrived. Eric Lurio has this to say about 1998's other World War II film event...with a minor character SPOILER included that you have to swipe to see.
"The film begins very slowly. Happy Melanesian children playing in the forest. Pvt. Witt (James Caviezel) wanders among the children and their parents, taking in the peace, calm and love. Then comes the troop ship to pick him up from AWOL. Sgt. Welsh (Sean Penn) bawls him out, demoting Witt to stretcher detail.
"Up topside, Lt. Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte) muses to himself as he listens to General Barr (John Travolta) pontificate as to why the heck they had to invade an island as insignificant as Guadalcanal.
"Down in the bowls of the ship, Corporal Bell (Ben Chaplin) dreams of his beautiful wife (Miranda Otto), while he and the others get ready for that thing they dread most: battle. We can almost feel the desperation.
"C company gets on the landing craft, and heads toward the beach. The carnage begins off screen. We see nothing and hear nothing until one soldier points out a couple of dead bodies. Then we begin to hear shots.
"Nolte's colonel has a great time chewing the scenery as he calls Captain Staros (Elias Koteas) on the walkie-talkie and orders Charlie company to attack the Japanese troops head on. It is only then that we hear the bullets and see men fall. We do not see the Japanese except at a distance, for much of the film. It all builds to a crescendo, and when it is reached all hell breaks loose.
"This is a film of cameos. Dozens of stars have been allotted a few minutes each, and for the most part these are golden. Woody Harrelson leads his men up the ridge...[BEGIN SPOILER] only to accidentally blow himself up with a hand grenade. [END SPOILER] John Cusack leads the attack on the Japanese bunker. If you blink, you'll miss George Clooney, but that's okay, you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen.
"Non stars give great performances too. Adrien Brody is great as the initially timid Corporal Fife, John C. Reilly, Arie Verveen, Dash Mihok and John Savage also acquit themselves very nicely.
"But it's Nolte, Chaplin, Koteas, Penn and Caviezel who shine the brightest, the conflict between the various characters is as much a part of this as the conflict against the Japanese.
"The only drawback is the time. At almost three hours, one's butt begins to throb around twenty minutes before the end. It's a perfect bookend to Steven Speilberg's Saving Private Ryan. Better, too."
[Reviewed by Eric Lurio.]
Only the truly observant would've caught the new alteration on the new poster for The Thin Red Line. Our scooper explains: "I am a manager at a theater, and we were recently told to take down our display poster of The Thin Red Line and told to destroy it. We were given a new poster, with one small change: John Travolta's name no longer appears. From what I understand, Travolta's name is being taken off ALL of the promo material from this movie, with exception to the trailers. The only rumor I heard about the cause of all this was that Travolta is displeased with the way he is being talked about by the cast and crew in their pre-release interviews and such, and no longer wants to be associated with this picture because of this treatment. Seems a little far-fetch to me, but that's the only answer I've been given." ['Ripper'.]
Actually, we've heard that because Touchstone's A Civil Action is opening on the same day as this Fox film, the two studios see it as bad ettiquette to mention Travolta's name in the latter film, not that the actor was upset about his performance or the film itself.
Of course most of you know by now that it's an ensemble picture. Major actors that command huge salaries have cameos in the film, while other lesser-known actors get the major roles. We've been told the fate of one of the characters a certain well-known actor plays, and while we're post what we've been scooped, you have to swipe the space below with your mouse to uncover the SPOILER:
George Clooney's character Capt. Charles S. Boshe does not live very long in the film. We can't tell you more for fear of our lives. (END SPOILER)