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Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Mono Audio, English, French, Spanish, Subtitled
She's an ex-gun moll and showgirl suddenly forced to protect a kid whose parents have been rubbed out by the mob. But now the mob wants the kid dead too -- but first they'll have to deal with Gloria (Gena Rowlands in an Oscar-nominated performance, Best Actress 1980.) Director John Cassavetes, known for his unique approach to filmmaking, creates a powerful, tension-filled story. An accountant (Buck Henry) is in possession of a ledger which could put a number of mob bosses behind bars for a long time. Before he is killed, however, he manages to entrust the ledger and his son to a neighbor, Gloria, for protection. Gloria reluctantly takes the kid on the run while keeping the mob at bay, sometimes at the point of a gun. Finally, tired of running, she decides to confront them head-on!
"Gloria is tough, sweet and goofy." Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"Unique and suspenseful and thoroughly satisfying. Gloria is glorious." Rex Reed, Vogue
"A fine action film with a thrilling heroine." David Denby, New York Magazine
Editor's Note
Writer-director John Cassavetes presents one of his most touching motion pictures with this story of the unlikely bond between a cynical New Yorker and a young boy. Gloria (Gena Rowlands), the quintessential "tough-talkin' dame"--complete with time in prison and ties to the mob--has put those days behind her, now living a quiet, solitary life. That changes when the Mafia marks her neighbors for death and Gloria is asked to care for their young son, Phil (John Adames). She reluctantly agrees, but because the boy knows incriminating information, they must immediately go into hiding, which takes them on a journey through New York City and ends up sparking a mother-son bond that neither could have ever expected. Cassavetes creates an empowering female role with Gloria, and Rowlands (his real-life wife) runs with it, making her transformation from bitter ex-criminal to overprotective, yet still tough, mother figure seem honest and believable. It is this budding maternal relationship that gives the film a sweetness even amid the gun smoke.
Plot Summary
John Cassavetes's GLORIA is an affecting story about a bitter woman who learns to embrace her maternal instincts. When her neighbors convince her to take in their 8-year-old son, tragedy strikes and and she is left behind to protect him. Her criminal past emerges when it becomes known that she once worked for the Mafia men from whom she must now flee. Rowlands (Cassavetes's wife and regular in his films) delivers an unforgettable performance as the trigger-happy cynic who learns to let love into her heart.
| Features | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Remastered In High Definition | | Subtitles: English, French, Korean, Spanish | | Bonus Trailers | | Widescreen Version | | Audio: Dolby Digita Mono | | Digitally Mastered Audio & Anamorphic Video |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Columbia Tri-Star |
| Release Date: 5/27/2008 |
| Running Time: 121 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1980 | | Catalog ID: 08569 | | UPC: 00043396085695 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Oscar (1981) | | | Gena Rowlands, Nominee, Best Actress | |
Golden Globe (1981) | | | Gena Rowlands, Nominee, Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama | |
Venice Film Festival (1980) |  | John Cassavetes, Winner, Golden Lion Award |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...Rowlands has a lot of talent and realizes it with gusto in GLORIA..." 10/01/1980 p.C19Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
...Precisely because the material of this movie is so familiar, almost everything depends on the performances. And that's where Cassavetes saves the material and redeems the corniness of his story. Rowlands propels the action with such appealing nervous energy that we don't have the heart to stop and think how silly everything is... Gloria is tough, sweet and goofy. - Roger Ebert
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