Home | Movies By Year | Movies from 1984


Hard to Hold (film)

Buy Hard to Hold (film) now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the movie. And once you've experienced the movie, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




'Hard to Hold' is a 1984 musical drama film directed by Larry Peerce. It was meant as a starring vehicle for Rick Springfield, who had a solid television acting resume and a blossoming rock-pop career, but had yet to break out in feature films. It stars Springfield, Janet Eilber, and Patti Hansen. The film features many Springfield songs which are included on the soundtrack.

Plot summary



James "Jamie" Roberts (played by singer-songwriter Rick Springfield), being a pop idol, is used to having his way with women. He meets child psychologist Diana Lawson (Janet Eilber) in a car accident; however, she has never heard of him and doesn't swoon at his attention. He tries to win her affection, but complicating things is his ex-lover, Nicky Nides (Patti Hansen), who remains a member of his band.

Production



Springfield had been performing music and acting for over a decade when his career went to a new level in the 1980s, due to a successful run of singles and a popular role on 'General Hospital'.ROCK: Rick Springfield's got it all... or does he?

Lynn Van Matre. Chicago Tribune 3 July 1983: k18.
He was approached to act in the film. He later recalled:

It was one of those guys that said, [Uses an old-time Hollywood voice.] "We can make some money on this, kid." And I thought the script was so awful that I threw it across the room; I remember physically throwing it across the room and saying, "This is a piece of shit." Then they offered me a lot of money and I remember picking it up and saying, "I can make this work!" [Laughs.] Which I didn't, because it was still a crappy movie, but I did my best in it and I still make jokes about it actually ... That's probably the only time I'll say my ego got the better of me was when I did that film. I said, "I can make this work".[https://www.avclub.com/article/rick-springfield-true-detective-meryl-streep-and-h-222917 "Rick Springfield on True Detective, Meryl Streep, and horseshit 70s TV gigs" By Gwen Ihnat 'Random Roles' Aug 5, 2015] accessed 15 August 2015


Director Larry Peerce said "like everyone else, I was skeptical about using Rick. But he is a marvelous, talented, well-trained young man with a wonderful sense of comedy - and sexy as hell.... Anyone who can make it through the soaps can make it through anything. Then, too, he has that thing that happens to people who've been up and down a few times." Peerce added that Springfield "not only appeals to youth, but to mature women, too - and he's also one of those rare handsome, sexy men who doesn't put other men off."SPRINGFIELD 'NO PROBLEM' FOR DIRECTOR

Selvin, Rick. Philadelphia Daily News; Philadelphia, Pa. [Philadelphia, Pa]22 June 1983: 34.


Springfield said, "The freedom of the movies after TV was like going from a wading pool to the ocean."Rock & Roller General Hospital Heartthrob Stars in HARD TO HOLD

Smith, R Sue. Los Angeles Times 8 Nov 1983: o8.


The female lead, Jennifer Eilber, was a former dancer. When she was offered the film, she says, "I thought it would be rated PG. After all, the majority of Springfield's fans are teenage girls. But the script plainly called for a nude love scene. I convinced myself it would be a matter of doing the scene under a sheet or something. But two or three days after we shot the scene I realized there was no sheet and there would be no PG."DANCING IN THE STARK

Vernon, Scott. Philadelphia Daily News 8 Nov 1983: 52.


In December 1983 Springfield said, "Hopefully it will be the only music movie I'll make, because I want to branch out and stretch my wings. I guess you could say it was just a safer script than some of those I was given. I even looked at one script about a case of mistaken identity where a guy is locked up in a garage with a guy who thinks he's somebody else and is trying to kill him. So the music movie looked pretty good."SHORT CUTS; SOUND

Morse, Steve. Boston Globe 9 Dec 1983: 1.


The film had to be edited so it would be rated PG rather than R.NY CLIPS Woody Allen decides lookalike's for the birds

O'Toole, Lawrence. The Globe and Mail 2 Mar 1984: E.1.


Springfield followed making the movie with a tour.Rick Springfield draws on multitude of talents to establish credentials

Los Angeles Times 1 May 1983: y25.


Reception



Critical

Janet Maslin of the 'New York Times' found the film an exercise in narcissistic excess:

Dripping sweat, with the backstage lights glinting off his jeweled belt and his single earring, James Roberts escapes to his dressing room, collapsing beside the Space Invaders machine. He's drained. He's exhausted. He's a very famous rock star, and he has just whipped another adoring audience into a lather. ... 'Hard to Hold' is a movie for anyone who thinks this sounds like real behind-the-scenes rock-and-roll ambiance and for anyone who thinks Rick Springfield is a real rock star. It's not a movie for anyone else, except perhaps film students, who will find that Larry Peerce has included more weak transitions, conversational clichs, unflattering camera angles and ethnic restaurant scenes in this film's mere 93 minutes than some directors manage in an entire career.Janet Maslin, "[https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/06/movies/hard-to-hold-with-rick-springfield.html 'Hard to Hold' with Rick Springfield]" Apr. 8, 1984


Gene Siskel of the 'Chicago Tribune' had a similar sentiment:

It's too bad something different didn't happen in "Hard to Hold," something right out of that old Mad magazine feature "Scenes We'd Like to See." Springfield bumps into the uptight psychologist and tries and tries to woo her but fails. Then, just when she is having second thoughts about him, he gives up chasing her and rededicates himself to his old girlfriend, to solving her drug problem and to writing beautiful music with her. Not surprisingly, that story probably would have more appeal for the rock audience for which "Hard to Hold" was made.Gene Siskel, "[https://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/clip/42287255/gene_siskel_movie_reviewhard_to_hold/ 'Hard to Hold' clings to tired plot]" Apr. 10, 1984


Box office

The film opened in seventh place with $3.4 million.FANS GOING APE FOR COPS AND TARZAN

Philadelphia Daily News 12 Apr 1984: 48.


Legacy

Rick Springfield would later make jokes about the film in his act. He said:

The fans and a lot of people say they don't like it when I make fun of 'Hard to Hold' because a lot of them liked it. I mean, it wasn't 'War and Peace', and they took it for the light, romantic comedy it was. It had a lot of good music in it and a lot of guys and women have said, "You know, dude, I liked that movie! It was great!" But I was expecting more and it wasn't the right mix involved, I think.


References




Buy Hard to Hold (film) now from Amazon

<-- Return to movies from 1984



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1108067488.