''Cutter and Bone'' is a 1976

thriller novel Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Su ...

Newton Thornburg Newton Kendall Thornburg Jr. (13 May 1929 – 9 May 2011) was an American novelist. He is most known for his 1976 novel '' Cutter and Bone'', which was adapted into the 1981 film ''Cutter's Way''. Early life Thornburg was born in Harvey, Illinois ...

about a

Vietnam veteran A Vietnam veteran is a person who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. The term has been used to describe veterans who served in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States Armed Forces, and oth ...

, Alexander Cutter, who tries to convince his friend, Richard Bone, that Bone witnessed a murder. It was adapted to film by director

Ivan Passer Ivan Passer (10 July 1933 – 9 January 2020) was a Czech film director and screenwriter, best known for his involvement in the Czechoslovak New Wave and for directing American films such as '' Born to Win'' (1971), ''Cutter's Way'' (1981) and '' ...

as ''

Cutter's Way ''Cutter's Way'' (also known as ''Cutter and Bone'') is a 1981 American neo noir thriller directed by Ivan Passer. The film stars Jeff Bridges, John Heard, and Lisa Eichhorn. The screenplay was adapted from the 1976 novel '' Cutter and Bone'' by ...

'' (1981) which starred John Heard as Cutter,

Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning over seven decades, including an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Bridges comes from a prominent a ...

as Bone, and

Lisa Eichhorn Lisa Eichhorn (born February 4, 1952) is an American actress, writer and producer. She made her film debut in 1979 in the John Schlesinger film '' Yanks'', for which she received two Golden Globe nominations. Her international career has includ ...

as Mo (Maureen).

Release details

* Thornburg, Newton. ''Cutter and Bone''. Serpent's Tail (reprint), 2001. 1976 American novels American thriller novels American novels adapted into films Little, Brown and Company books {{1970s-thriller-novel-stub