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Lost in the Stars (film)
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Wikipedia article
'Lost in the Stars' is the 1974 film version of the Kurt Weill-Maxwell Anderson musical adaptation of the Alan Paton novel 'Cry, the Beloved Country'. The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series.
Plot
Directed by Daniel Mann, the film follows a Zulu preacher, Reverend Stephen Kumalo (Brock Peters), in his journey to Johannesburg to search for his long-missing son, Absalom (Clifton Davis). He discovers his son is a paroled felon living in a shantytown with his pregnant girlfriend (Melba Moore). Absolom becomes involved in a robbery plan that results in the death of a white anti-apartheid advocate. Absolom is jailed, tried and sentenced to death, leaving his father unable to continue his ministerial work.[http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=56188 DVD Times review]
Cast
Production
Due to the films criticism of the apartheid system, it could not be shot on location in South Africa, requiring exterior footage to be shot in Cottage Grove, Oregon.[http://www.mopan.org/mpf/mpfmovielist1.shtml MOPAN's Oregon Locations Digital Photo File: Movies Made in Oregon]
Critical response
'Lost in the Stars' has been poorly received by critics. At the time of its release, Vincent Canby of 'The New York Times' called it "a very bad movie" and questioned why the film version dropped the reconciliation between Reverend Kumalo and the murdered mans father, which was integral to the Paton novel and the original stage version.[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9903EFDE143DEF3ABC4F53DFB366838F669EDE New York Times review]
When the film was released on DVD in 2003, its received more unfavorable reviews. 'Time Out New York' called it "a series of well-intentioned clichs"[https://archive.today/20130204081010/http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/80730/Lost_in_the_Stars.html Time Out New York]
while 'Film Threat' stated it was "not the missing classic that one hopes it could be."[http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=5288 Film Threat review]
See also
* List of American films of 1974
References
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