Of Mice and Men (1992)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Gary Sinise

Writers (WGA):

John Steinbeck (novel)
Horton Foote (screenplay)

Release Date:

2 October 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

We have a dream. Someday, we'll have a little house and a couple of acres. A place to call home.

Plot:

Two drifters, one a gentle but slow giant, try to make money working the fields during the Depression so they can fulfill their dreams.

Plot Keywords:

California | Mentally Impaired | Rural | Actor Director | Character Driven

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Malkovich	...	Lennie Small
Gary Sinise	...	George Milton
Ray Walston	...	Candy
Casey Siemaszko	...	Curley
Sherilyn Fenn	...	Curley's Wife
John Terry	...	Slim
Richard Riehle	...	Carlson
Alexis Arquette	...	Whitt
Joe Morton	...	Crooks
Noble Willingham	...	The Boss
Joe D'Angerio	...	Jack
Tuck Milligan	...	Mike
David Steen	...	Tom
Moira Harris	...	Girl in Red Dress
Mark Boone Junior	...	Bus Driver

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some scenes of violence.

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | France:U | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The girl in the red dress, running through the field at the beginning of the movie, was played by Moira Harris, the wife of director/star Gary Sinise.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Lennie and Curley fight, Lennie has no scratches on his right cheek. In the next scene, George cleans out wounds on Lennie's right cheek.

Quotes:

Curley's Wife: Nobody can't blame a person for looking. See y'around.
[She exits the bunkhouse]
Lennie: She's pretty.
George: Lennie! Listen to me, God damn it! Don't you even look at her! I don't care what she says or what she does, she's a rat trap if I ever seen one.
Lennie: But I wasn't doing nothing.
George: No, but when she was shoving her legs around you weren't looking the other way neither. Keep away from her!
Lennie: I don't like this place.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Friends: The One with the Chick and the Duck (#3.21)" (1997)

This one will touch you...

This is a masterful and faithful portrayal of Steinbeck's classic novel. The screenplay brings to life the tragic yet uplifting story of loyalty and the kind of bond that can grow between men that we are often reluctant to acknowledge, much less show.

Aside from the story, the cast is what really makes this film. I have always held a soft spot for Gary Sinise after his role in Forrest Gump, wherein his character portrayed another facet of the bonding between men made brothers by cruel circumstance, yet can grow and flourish as the years and other circumstances come to pass. Here, as Lenny's friend and protector against a world that baffles and confuses him, he shows the kind of rough-edged tenderness and affection that both endears us to his plight, and fills us with the dread of what we know must come between the men. John Malkovich shows his depth as an actor by bringing to life the dull-witted but pure-hearted Lenny, in a way that will tug at your heartstrings. I found myself both laughing (in a sad way) at Lenny's ineptness in dealing with a world clearly more confusing than his limited wits can manage, and crying over his being targeted for taunting and abuse by cruel and crude men, and ultimately done in by his brute strength when it was lacking the direction and temper given by his friend George.

A pleasant surprise was Ray Walston as the aged but gentle and good-hearted ranch hand Candy, who has no one in life to love but his old sheepdog, who, like him, he knows, must ultimately be "put down" because of age and the wear and tear that a life of hard labor has worn down. The scene of his finally surrendering his faithful canine companion to be euthanized by a gunshot to the back of the head by another well-meaning field hand is very heartbreaking. Having grown up with the "Uncle Martin" of "My Favorite Martian" Walston, seeing his adept performance in a dramatic role gave me a new appreciation for his versatility as a character actor.

Those who watch this film should allow plenty of time alone to view it straight through with no interruptions. Swallow your pride and keep a box of tissues handy, and some time afterwards for quiet contemplation and "recovery".