Skin Deep

"The comedy that glows in the dark."

1989 1h 37m EN

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 95

RomanceComedyDrama

Synopsis

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Hard-drinking novelist Zach Hutton spirals out of control after his wife and mistress both leave him. Alone and crippled by a bad case of writer's block, Zach slips in and out of casual relationships and one-night stands, while his drinking becomes more and more severe. With the help of a bartender and his therapist, Zach confronts his demons — women and alcohol.

“The comedy that glows in the dark.”

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Cast

John Ritter
Zach
Vincent Gardenia
Barney
Alyson Reed
Alex
Joel Brooks
Jake
Julianne Phillips
Molly
Chelsea Field
Amy
Peter Donat
Sparky
Don Gordon
Curt

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Blake Edwards
Writers: Blake Edwards
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Blake Edwards, shot by Isidore Mankofsky. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Henry Mancini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Pergament shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Ritter and Vincent Gardenia and Alyson Reed carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The comedy that glows in the dark.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0098343 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Blake Edwards directs. Isidore Mankofsky behind the camera. Henry Mancini scores. Robert Pergament cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 5.3× over at the box office.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Blake Edwards, shot by Isidore Mankofsky. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Henry Mancini. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Robert Pergament shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6John Ritter and Vincent Gardenia and Alyson Reed carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "The comedy that glows in the dark.".
8IMDB entry: tt0098343 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 95 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "alcohol", "condom", "writer's block", "in flagranti".

The technical file

Cinematography: Isidore Mankofsky
Original score: Henry Mancini
Editing: Robert Pergament
Production design: Rodger Maus
Costume design: Nolan Miller
Makeup / hair: Brad Wilder
Sound: Richard D. Rogers
Stunt coordinator: Joe Dunne
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $8,500,000
Box office: $45,000,000
Return: 529% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Skin Deep (1989)

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Blake Edwards

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2024-03-07
★ 6/10
Jack Tripper as a womanizing alcoholic with writer’s block A writer (John Ritter) is caught cheating by the woman he’s cheating with and so his wife kicks him out (Alyson Reed). He gets advice from his bartender and counsel from his therapist while every attractive female in SoCal catches his tipsy eye. “Skin Deep” (1989) comes across as Three’s Company five years after it ended, except movie length, more dramatic with better production values, and Jack Tripper as a boozing writer, not to mention the addition of a little nudity. Helmed by Blake Edwards, it’s basically a combo of his “10” and “The Man Who Loved Women.” (He was no doubt writing about his own life and challenges). If you liked those two movies and Three’s Company, you’ll appreciate this, but it’s too meandering and arguably the least of the three. Ritter is his likable self though and the female cast is notable (Denise Crosby, Julianne Phillips, Chelsea Field, Diana Barton, Jean Marie McKee, etc.). One sequence that I could do without is eye-rolling crude in a juvenile way, but the payoff line is pretty funny. The movie runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles and Malibu with studio stuff done in Culver City. GRADE: B-

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