September 30, 1955
| September 30, 1955 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | James Bridges |
| Produced by | Jerry Weintraub |
| Written by | James Bridges |
| Starring |
Richard Thomas Susan Tyrrell |
| Music by | Leonard Rosenman |
| Cinematography | Gordon Willis |
| Edited by | Jeff Gourson |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
September 30, 1955 (originally titled 9/30/55) is a 1977 drama film written and directed by James Bridges. Filming of this movie was delayed for a year after Richard Thomas broke his ankle. Thomas had never ridden a motorcycle before and was practicing when he had an accident resulting in the ankle injury. The original cast included some Arkansas actors, including the part of Eugene. Unfortunately, the delay in filming coincided with the young Arkansas actors' growth spurt and the part of Eugene had to be re-cast.
Plot
Set in Conway, Arkansas, the film portrays the reaction of the citizens of the town when they hear that James Dean has died in a car crash. Jimmy J. (Richard Thomas), a young man who idolizes Dean, is particularly affected.
Cast
- Richard Thomas as Jimmy J.
- Susan Tyrrell as Melba Lou
- Deborah Benson as Charlotte
- Lisa Blount as Billie Jean
- Tom Hulce as Hanley (credited as Thomas Hulce)
- Dennis Quaid as Frank
- Mary Kai Clark as Pat
- Dennis Christopher as Eugene
- Collin Wilcox as Jimmy J.'s Mother
- Ben Fuhrman as Coach Haynes
Critical reception
The New York Times called the film, "funny, solemn, dead-on-accurate."[1]