Drama: 385

In the film Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), written and directed by Woody Allen, two main characters are introduced: Judah Rosenthal, a successful ophthalmologist, and Clifford Stern, a documentary filmmaker. Despite being a respected family man from the upper-class society, Judah is having an affair with flight attendant Dolores Paley. When Dolores realizes that Judah has no intention of leaving his marriage for her, she threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, Miriam. In addition, Dolores also knows about some questionable financial transactions Judah made before becoming wealthy which only adds to his worries. ...

New York Stories (1989) is an American anthology film featuring three segments with a central focus on the bustling metropolis of New York City. The first segment, Life Lessons, is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Richard Price. It stars Nick Nolte. The second segment, Life Without Zoë, is helmed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Coppola and his daughter,

Adapted by Mary Agnes Donoghue, the American comedy-drama film Beaches (1988) is based on Iris Rainer Dart’s 1985 novel of the same name and directed by Garry Marshall. During a concert rehearsal in Los Angeles, New York actress and singer Cecilia Carol ‘C.C.’ Bloom receives a note and hastily departs to be with her friend Hillary Whitney, a San Francisco heiress and lawyer. As she drives through the night, C.C. reflects on their lifelong friendship that ...

Bird (1988) is a biographical musical drama film, directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. In Kansas City, Missouri during 1939, young saxophonist Charlie Parker plays at the Reno Club, but his fast and erratic playing leads to a negative response from the audience. Moving to New York City, he performs at various jazz venues on 52nd Street and meets Dizzy Gillespie. Together, they develop a unique style of jazz that gains popularity as ‘bebop’. While playing with Dizzy, Charlie meets Chan Parker, a dancer and fellow fan of jazz. Despite his persistent attempts to ask her out, she rejects him and relocates to ...

Shot on scene in Portland, Oregon and Yaquina Head near Newport on the Oregon Coast, Permanent Record (1988) delves into the weighty topic of suicide and its impact on loved ones. The main character, David Sinclair, appears to have an enviable life – he’s intelligent, gifted, humorous, and well-liked. His closest companion is Chris Townsend, a unique individual. However, despite appearances, David struggles with mounting academic pressure and familial expectations. As a result, he chooses to keep his emotional turmoil hidden from those around him. During a gathering with his schoolmates by the shore, he strolls to the ...

Clean and Sober (1988) is an American drama film directed by Glenn Gordon Caron. It follows Daryl Poynter, a successful but self-destructive real estate salesman in Philadelphia who struggles with cocaine addiction. After embezzling $92,000 from his company’s escrow account, he loses an additional $52,000 to his drug habit and poor stock market investments. One morning, he wakes up next to a woman who suffered a cocaine overdose and attempts to hide the situation from the police. However, they are aware of what happened. On top of that, there is the issue of the missing money. With no escape plan, Daryl heads to ...

The American-Yugoslavian drama film, The Dark Side of the Sun (1988), directed by Božidar Nikolić, follows Rick, a young American who suffers from a rare skin disease. This condition prevents him from being exposed to any type of light, including sunlight. Despite his illness, Rick is known for his expert motorcycling skills and can always be seen wearing full leather gear. After attempting various treatments with no success, Rick’s father takes him to a village in Croatia where they meet a healer who claims to have the cure. Unfortunately, the treatment does not work and when an American actress falls for him, ...

Distant Thunder (1988), an American drama directed by Rick Rosenthal and featuring John Lithgow and Ralph Macchio, follows the story of Mark Lambert, an ex-Navy SEAL and Vietnam War veteran. After returning from the war, he abandons his family and retreats to the remote wilderness of Washington state where he lives off the land for 10 years. Dealing with posttraumatic stress disorder, Mark eventually decides to rejoin society and reconnect with his now teenage son Jack, who is living in Illinois. As a distant father and ...

Rain Man (1988) is an American road comedy-drama film, directed by Barry Levinson and written by Barry Morrow and Ronald Bass. Collectibles dealer Charlie Babbitt has imported four grey market Lamborghinis to Los Angeles for resale. The cars are being held at the port by the EPA due to failing emission tests, causing Charlie stress as he needs to deliver them to buyers who have already made down payments. He directs one of his employees to deceive the buyers while he deals with his creditor. Amidst this chaos, Charlie ...

The American drama thriller film, Talk Radio (1988), was directed by Oliver Stone. The main character, Barry Champlain, is a Jewish radio host in Dallas, Texas. Known for his sharp sense of humor and bold political opinions, he often talks down to his listeners. Despite this, Champlain’s show is gaining popularity and is set to go nationwide. Before becoming a radio personality, Champlain worked as a salesman under the name Barry Golden. He slowly made a name for himself through guest appearances on the Jeff Fisher show, using different aliases until settling on Champlain. As his fame grows, Champlain’s ...

Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) is a biographical comedy-drama movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Detroit’s Preston Tucker harbored a passion for car-making since his youth. During the Second World War, he created an armored vehicle for the military and earned profits producing gun turrets for planes in a small workshop near his Ypsilanti residence. With the unwavering support of his extended family, especially his wife Vera, children Preston Jr., Noble, and Marilyn Lee, Tucker embarks on a mission to create the ‘car of tomorrow’. The ‘Tucker Torpedo’ boasts groundbreaking safety ...

Another Woman (1988), an American drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of Marion Post, a New York philosophy professor on leave from her job to work on a new book. In need of peace and quiet, she sublets a furnished apartment downtown due to construction in her building. However, her work there is disrupted by the voices of a therapist and his client in an adjacent office. Listening in on their sessions, Marion becomes increasingly intrigued by the words of another woman, Hope. Hope expresses feelings of emptiness and falseness in her life, which deeply resonates with Marion.

The Last Rung on the Ladder (1987) is a short film that is based on Stephen King’s story of the same name, which was first published in his 1978 collection Night Shift. The film follows Larry, who is devastated to discover that his estranged sister has taken her own life. He reflects on a significant memory from their childhood when they were playing in their family’s barn. Without their parents’ supervision, they engage in a forbidden game of taking turns climbing an old and unsafe ladder to the top and leaping into a haystack. On Larry’s final turn, ...

Cry Freedom (1987), an epic apartheid drama film directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, takes place in late-1970s South Africa during the time of apartheid. After seeing news coverage of a slum being demolished in East London, journalist Donald Woods seeks out more information and meets with anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. Biko is a member of the Black Consciousness Movement and has been banned from leaving his designated ‘banning area’ in King William’s Town by the South African government. While Woods disagrees with Biko’s political views, he is invited to witness the conditions in ...

Oliver Stone’s drama film, Wall Street (1987), tells the story of Bud Fox, a junior stockbroker at Jackson Steinem & Co. in New York City. Bud idolizes Gordon Gekko, an influential Wall Street player. Despite calling Gekko’s office 59 days straight in hopes of securing an appointment, Bud finally takes matters into his own hands and shows up at Gekko’s office on his birthday with a box of Cuban cigars – Gekko’s favorite forbidden indulgence. Impressed by Bud’s boldness, Gekko agrees to meet with him and listen to his stock pitches. However, none of them impress Gekko until Bud ...

September (1987), a drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, takes inspiration from Anton Chekhov’s 1899 play Uncle Vanya. However, the gender roles in the film are often challenged. Following a suicide attempt, Lane retreats to her country house in Vermont to recover. To accompany her for the summer, Lane’s best friend Stephanie joins her, seeking a break from her husband. Along with them comes Lane’s bold and tactless mother, Diane, and Diane’s husband Lloyd, who is also a physicist and Lane’s stepfather. Lane finds solace ...

The film Power (1986), directed by Sidney Lumet and featuring Richard Gere, follows the story of Pete St. John, a ruthless media consultant. He finds himself handling multiple political candidates when he is approached to join the campaign of Jerome Cade, a wealthy businessman vying for a Senate seat. This race happens to be for the position that is being left vacant by St. John’s close friend, Sam Hastings. However, complications arise as St. John clashes with Arnold Billings, a public relations expert hired by Cade’s team.

The George McKenna Story (1986), a biographical television film directed by Eric Laneuville, features Denzel Washington and Lynn Whitfield from St. Elsewhere. It depicts the true story of a teacher in Los Angeles who becomes the Principal of George Washington Memorial High School. The school and its students struggle with the pervasive presence of gangs and drugs in their community. McKenna’s goal was to provide the students with a real choice in education and all the opportunities it offered for their ...

Gung Ho (1986) is an American comedy film directed by Ron Howard and starring Michael Keaton. In fictional Hadleyville, Pennsylvania, the town’s main source of employment, the local auto plant, has been shut down for nine months. Former foreman Hunt Stevenson travels to Tokyo in hopes of persuading the Assan Motors Corporation to reopen the plant. The Japanese company agrees and upon their arrival in the U.S., implements several changes among the desperate work force. This includes prohibiting unionization, reducing wages, rotating workers throughout different job ...

Resting Place (1986) is an American TV movie directed by John Korty. In 1972, Major Kendall Laird is tasked with providing assistance to the families of fallen soldiers. He is currently accompanying the remains of Army Lieutenant Dwight Johnson to his hometown of Rockville, Georgia. Despite initially expecting a short and uneventful assignment, Major Laird soon realizes that he has a seemingly impossible task ahead of him. The small town is deeply segregated and its authorities refuse to allow the deceased to be buried in the local cemetery designated solely for caucasians. This poses a significant challenge for Major ...