Courtship

1987 1h 24m EN

🤯

10.0

MASTERPIECE

⭐

5.9

IMDB

★10.0TMDB · 1★5.9IMDB · 143

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1915, Elizabeth has fallen in love with Horace Robedaux, a young man her father condemns as a "wild boy." No matter how strict and protective, her parents cannot deter their daughter's growing independence.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Hallie Foote
Elizabeth Vaughn
William Converse-Roberts
Horace Robedaux
Amanda Plummer
Laura Vaughn
Richard Jenkins
Bobby Pate
Horton Foote Jr.
Steve Tyler
Tonea Stewart
Aunt Charity
Rochelle Oliver
Mrs. Vaughn
Steven Hill
George Tyler

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Howard Cummings
Writers: Horton Foote
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "The Orphans' Home Cycle" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Howard Cummings, shot by Peter Sova. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Hallie Foote and William Converse-Roberts and Amanda Plummer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0092789 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Howard Cummings directs. Peter Sova behind the camera. William A. Anderson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
239 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Part of the "The Orphans' Home Cycle" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Howard Cummings, shot by Peter Sova. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor William A. Anderson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Hallie Foote and William Converse-Roberts and Amanda Plummer carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0092789 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 12 themes, including "small town", "texas", "based on true story", "based on play or musical".

The technical file

Cinematography: Peter Sova
Editing: William A. Anderson
Costume design: Van Broughton Ramsey
Runtime: 84 min · 1h 24m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Courtship (1987)
IMDB rating: 5.9/10 · 143 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Part of

The Orphans' Home Cycle

CORRECT VIEWING ORDER: (1) Convicts (2) Lily Dale (3) Courtship (4) On Valentine's Day (5) 1918 // The Orphans' Home Cycle is a 3-part drama written by Horton Foote. Each of the three parts in the trilogy comprises three one-act plays: The Story of a Childhood (Part 1), The Story of a Marriage (Part 2), and The Story of a Family (Part 3). The focus is on Horace Robedaux (inspired by Foote's father) and Elizabeth Vaughn (inspired by Foote's mother) at the turn of the 20th Century to the beginning of the Depression, following Horace through three decades, as "seen through three generations of three families." Some of these plays were made into movies, released individually and not in order.