Between the Lines (1977)

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Siskoid
Rather loose and plotless, Between the Lines is an ensemble drama/comedy about the struggling staff of a struggling independent newspaper in the late 70s, which is to say, it (and they) started as boisterous activism and is now headed to formulaic corporatization as the 80s come into view. Who will stay, who will leave, who will be forced out maybe? Multiple character studies that, to my tastes, could have focused a little more on the work entailed, but there's some of that too. What's perhaps most fascinating about this relatively obscure movie is that about 90% of its speaking parts are held by recognizable faces from (usually later) movies and TV, with first feature film roles for John Heard, Marily Henner, Joe Morton and L.A. Law's Jill Eikenberry especially. But Jeff Goldbloom, Lindsay Crouse, Bruno Kirby, and the cancelled Stephen Collins (heck, even Lane Smith) hadn't exactly been swimming in high-profile roles before. It's almost like this movie fell into the orbit of casting agents who then promoted most of the cast to some measure of stardom. So while the stories are perfectly engaging, if nothing else, it's worth watching to see a lot of these early performances. 1 year 10 months ago