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Still of the Night

Catalog Number
4711
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Primary Distributor (If not listed, select "OTHER")
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VHS | N/A | Fox Box
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Still of the Night (1982)

Additional Information

Additional Information
Did she...or didn't she? By the time he finds out he could be her next victim.

In Still of the Night, a mystery thriller written and directed by Robert Benton, a psychiatrist falls in love with a woman who is suspected of the murder of one of his patients. Dr. Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) is treating a married museum curator. When the man is killed, Sam is visited by his dead patient's mistress and co-worker Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep) who wants him to return a watch -- that was left at her home -- to the patient's wife. Sam is immediately attracted to the cool, aloof Brooke, who has been discussed during numerous therapy sessions. When he hears about the mysterious death of Brook's father, and he himself is stalked by a woman who resembles Brook, he begins to both desire and fear her. Despite its rather leisurely pace, and some dream sequences which distract from the suspense, Still of the Night is an effective thriller despite a contrived surprise ending when the killer is revealed. Scheider is believable as the doctor in love, but Streep is rather strained in a role that demands a sexual allure and eroticism which she seems uncomfortable portraying. Benton's cinematography is moody and frightening, particularly when Scheider is followed through Central Park. Despite its flaws, Still of the Night should please fans of psychological thrillers

Manhattan psychiatrist Dr. Sam Rice (Roy Scheider) is visited by glamorous, enigmatic Brooke Reynolds (Meryl Streep), who works at Crispin's - an art auction house apparently modeled after Christie's. Brooke was having an affair with one of Rice's patients, George Bynum (Josef Sommer), who has just been murdered. Brooke asks the doctor to return a watch to Bynum's wife and not reveal the affair.

Rice is visited by NYPD Detective Vitucci (Joe Grifasi) but refuses to give any information on Bynum, a patient for two years. After the police warn him that he could become a target because the killer may believe he knows something, Rice reviews the case files detailing Bynum's affairs with various women at Crispin's, including Brooke. Bynum had also expressed concern, claiming a wealthy friend had once killed someone, and Bynum was the only person who knew about this. He wondered if this friend might kill again.

The police believe Bynum's killer is a woman. Rice gradually falls for Brooke but believes he is being followed. He is mugged by someone who takes his coat, whereupon the mugger is killed in the same manner as Bynum.

Rice tries to interpret clues from the case file with his psychiatrist mother, Grace (Jessica Tandy), including a strange dream of Bynum's in which he finds a green box in a cabinet in a dark house and is then chased up a narrow staircase by a little girl carrying a bleeding teddy bear.

Brooke's behavior becomes increasingly suspicious. Rice tails her to a family estate on Long Island. She explains her guilt in the accidental death of her father, and claims Bynum threatened to reveal this secret if she broke off their affair.

Rice pieces together that Bynum's previous girlfriend was Gail Phillips (Sara Botsford) who blames Brooke for their breakup. Phillips is trying to frame Brooke and she has killed Vitucci. Now she arrives at the estate to kill Brooke and Rice.

As they are about to leave, Brooke forgets her keys and goes back into the dark house, alone, to retrieve them, while Rice waits in his car. Gail appears in the back seat of the car and stabs Rice with a knife. Gail then chases Brooke through the house, recapitulating Bynum's dream. Brooke narrowly escapes, as Gail falls to her death over a railing. Sam is not seriously hurt and is embraced by Brooke.

Still of the Night received an aggregate score of 67% fresh from the rottentomatoes.com website. A review in Variety stated: "It comes as almost a shock to see a modern suspense picture that's as literate, well acted and beautifully made as Still Of The Night. Despite its many virtues, however, Robert Benton's film has its share of serious flaws, mainly in the area of plotting."

When Streep appeared on the Bravo talk show, "Watch What Happens Live," in August, 2012, host Andy Cohen asked her to “Name one bad film that you have made.” Streep replied, “Still of the Night.” “What was that about?” asked Cohen. Streep replied, “Never mind.”

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