Pat Quinn Movies

A New York wife learns about the satisfactions of single life in this landmark 1970s "woman's film." Unlike her dysfunctional friends, vibrant Erica (Jill Clayburgh) seems to have it all: a nice Upper East Side home, a well-adjusted teenage daughter (Lisa Lucas), a job at a Soho art gallery, and a loving husband, Martin (Michael Murphy). Erica falls apart, however, when Martin leaves her for a younger woman. Finally, at her female therapist's urging, Erica ventures out into the world of singlehood, finding solace in female bonding and even casual sex. As she adjusts to her new life, Erica realizes that she likes her freedom and independence. But when she falls in love with sensitive bearded artist Saul (Alan Bates), Erica must decide whether to turn down a lucrative job to spend the summer with her man in Vermont or forge ahead with her new existence. One of a group of new "women's pictures" made in the wake of post-1960s feminism, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and The Turning Point (1977), An Unmarried Woman updated the genre's concern with relationships and love by turning the heroine's unwedded status into a positive growth experience. The great female stars of the past like Joan Crawford and Bette Davis may be gone, as Erica and her friends mourn, but so is the all-consuming suffering of classical weepies, as writer/director Paul Mazursky ends the film on a note of reserved affirmation. While some critics (including feminists) complained that Saul was too much of a romantic fantasy, An Unmarried Woman was praised for Clayburgh's performance, and earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. A hit with 1978 audiences, An Unmarried Woman provoked viewer debate over Erica's final choice and its meaning for women. Either way, An Unmarried Woman astutely pointed to how far the new 1970s woman had come -- and how far she still needed to go. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

The directorial debut of Glenn Gordon Caron, the creator of the television series Moonlighting (1985-89), this intense, gritty drama was received as one of the best-ever cinematic treatments of substance abuse. Michael Keaton stars as Daryl Poynter, a hustling, successful Philadelphia real estate agent who has become addicted to cocaine. He's already got problems, including nearly a $100,000 embezzled from his employer and lost on the stock market, when he wakes up one morning with a young woman dead in his bed from a coke overdose. His company is asking questions about the missing funds, and the dead girl's father is plastering his neighborhood with posters accusing Daryl of being a murderer, so he decides to hide out in an anonymous drug treatment program. There, however, Daryl runs into tough-minded counselor and former addict Craig (Morgan Freeman), who has heard all of Daryl's lies and tricks before. Daryl also finds romance with an abused fellow addict, Charlie Standers (Kathy Baker), and understanding with his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor (M. Emmet Walsh). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

This curious made-for-TV movie stars Alan Alda as a police detective in a small New England town. The community's elderly are dying at an unusual rate, prompting Alda to investigate. He deduces that the old folks are being murdered, but can't find a motive (there are no robberies involved, and none of the victims have any enemies to speak of). The hunt for the killer becomes personal when Alda's best friend, police chief Lloyd Nolan, falls victim to the unknown assailant. With the help of his funky girlfriend Louise Lasser, Alda assembles the clues and arrives at a startling conclusion. Isn't it Shocking? is enhanced by the presence of several veteran character actors, including Ruth Gordon as a disheveled cat fancier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In order to pay for his tuition at the music conservatory, Jason (Jon Walmsley) takes a job at the Dew Drop Inn, a local roadhouse. Naturally, Olivia (Michael Learned) and Grandma (Ellen Corby) are opposed to this, terrified that their darling boy will fall in with a "bad crowd." As the story progresses, Jason reconnects with Red Turner (Merle Haggard), a former musician who has given up on his career--and on life--since the dead of his own son Seth, who'd been Jason's best friend. Songs heard in this episode include "Ironing Board Blues", written and performed by Jon Walmsley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This western is permeated with the culture of the early '70s; it features contributions by writers for the Firesign Theatre, a counter-culture comedy troupe of the period, as well as music from groups such as The James Gang, Doug Kershaw, White Lightening and others--a rock/folk/country fusion. With highly stylized sets, music and story, this movie is full of surprises. Don Johnson as Matthew and John Rubinstein as Zachariah are two friends who go on the run. Together and separately they explore life as outlaws, at first enjoying and later being repelled by the reckless violence involved in gunfighting, bank robbing, and the other kinds of mayhem which come from the outlaw life. Along the way, they meet up with guides and gangs of various kinds, from a troupe of traveling, bank-robbing musicians (Country Joe and the Fish), to the greatest gunfighter in the world. Their paths diverge until Matthew comes gunning for Zachariah in a dramatic final confrontation. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide