Cannery Row (movie)

Cannery Row does not get good reviews from the professional critics, but those that love it, really love it.This film came out in 1982,directed by David S. Ward.

Related Topics:
1982 - David S. Ward

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The movie is about the skid row denizens of Monterey, California, set in USA's Great Depression before WWII. As declining fish stocks are shutting down a previously rich fishery and the dependent fish canning industry, bums and hookers lead colorful and adventurous lives in a balmy seaside setting.

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The movie is based on John Steinbecks novel Cannery Row.

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John Steinbeck - Cannery Row

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Nick Nolte and Debra Winger are the central characters and the love interest, and have a highly stormy and entertaining time with each other. Nick plays Doc, a marine biologist living in a dockside warehouse and researching octopuses, Debra is a hooker at the local whorehouse. She's not very good at it, as she's only doing it out of necessity and she doesn't cover her feelings very well. A fine collection of drunken, down-and-out characters get plenty of screen time. Nolte's character is from Steinbecks side inspired by the life and personality of Ed Ricketts, american marine biology pioneer.

Related Topics:
Nick Nolte - Debra Winger - Ed Ricketts

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This is a highly sentimental and somewhat surreal look at depression-era times. Doc has a closely-held secret from his past as a baseball player, Mac is as loveable a scamp as they come, Debra as Suzy is both lovable and highly unstable, The Seer is much more important to the plot than he will at first seem, and Hazel is unforgettable.

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This film is probably more charming for the camera work and the music (they are both unforgettable) than the actual plot and shenanigans, but those parts work too. This is more a collection of vignettes than a complete story, until the resolution of Doc's past and he & Suzy's relationship pull it together in a suprising way.

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Cannery Row has never been released on DVD, and VCR copies are hard to come by.

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