''Between the Lines'' is a 1977 ensemble drama from Midwest Films directed by

Joan Micklin Silver Joan Micklin Silver (May 24, 1935 – December 31, 2020) was an American director of films and plays. Born in Omaha, Silver moved to New York City in 1967 where she began writing and directing films. She is best known for Hester Street (film), ' ...

and produced by her husband Raphael D. Silver. The film won two out of the three awards it was nominated for at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.

Plot

The story revolves around a group of people who work at ''The Back Bay Mainline'', an

alternative newspaper An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting l ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, as it is bought out by a major corporation.

Cast

Notes

Fred Barron, who had written for both ''The Phoenix'' and ''

The Real Paper ''The Real Paper'' was a Boston-area alternative weekly newspaper with a circulation in the tens of thousands. It ran from August 2, 1972, to June 18, 1981, often devoting space to counterculture and alternative politics of the early 1970s. The o ...

'', used his alternative newspaper experiences as the basis for his ''Between the Lines'' screenplay. The director Silver once had worked for ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...

''.

Doug Kenney Douglas Clark Francis Kenney (December 10, 1946 – August 27, 1980) was an American comedy writer of magazine, novels, radio, TV and film who co-founded the magazine ''National Lampoon'' in 1970. Kenney edited the magazine and wrote much of its ...

, co-founder of the National Lampoon, has a cameo role. The success of the film led to a short-lived TV sitcom, also titled ''Between the Lines''.

Reception

The film received positive reviews at the time and is still regarded as an excellent 'snapshot' of the alternative newspaper era. Matthew Monagle of

Film School Rejects Film School Rejects is an American blog devoted to movie reviews, interviews, film industry news, and feature commentary. It was founded by Neil Miller in February 2006. The site was nominated for Best News Blog by ''Total Film'' magazine and na ...

writes:

What makes ''Between the Lines'' such a timely film even decades later is its depiction of the diminishing space offered journalism in a world of corporate takeovers. Pages of copy are cut to make way for more advertisements; writers are asked to choose between walking out and compromising their integrity. The film makes it clear that the ''Back Bay Mainline'', even in its diminished capacity, still has its finger on the pulse of the Boston community in a way no major newspaper could. When that is gone, something vital goes with it...
Those looking for the newspaper industry’s answer to '' Broadcast News'' will find a welcome film in ''Between the Lines''. The film has countless moments of insight into the struggle of the American journalist, from the staff’s shabby living conditions — the film offers perhaps the most realistic look at big city apartments ever committed to film — to how well-meaning writers navigate the competing interests of truth and financial trendlines. With an all-star cast and some great comedic bits — enjoy watching Goldblum engage in a battle with a local performance artist at the ''Back Bay Mainline'' headquarters — ''Between the Lines'' is a late addition to the already impressive canon of essential 1970s cinema.

References

External links

* * * 1977 films 1977 comedy-drama films American comedy-drama films Films about journalists Films directed by Joan Micklin Silver Films set in Boston Films set in Massachusetts Films shot in Massachusetts Harvard Square Vestron Pictures films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films {{1970s-comedy-film-stub