Marie (film)

Marie
File:Marie film.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Roger Donaldson
Screenplay by	John Briley
Story by	Peter Maas
Starring	Sissy Spacek Jeff Daniels Keith Szarabajka Morgan Freeman Fred Thompson
Music by	Francis Lai
Cinematography	Chris Menges
Edited by	Neil Travis
Production company	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	MGM/UA Entertainment
Release dates	September 25, 1985 (1985-09-25)
Running time	112 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$9 million
Box office	$2,507,995

Marie, also known as Marie: A True Story, is a 1985 film starring Sissy Spacek as the real-life Marie Ragghianti, former head of the Tennessee Board of Pardons and Paroles, who was removed from office in 1977 after refusing to release prisoners whom it was discovered had bribed aides to then-Governor Ray Blanton. Ragghianti, a single mother and political appointee, was hounded for refusal to cooperate with the culture of corruption with which she found herself confronted. Many of Blanton's aides faced prosecution for their roles in the scandal. The film was based on the book Marie: A True Story by Peter Maas.

The film was directed by Roger Donaldson, with a screenplay by John Briley, best known as the screenwriter of Gandhi. It also starred Jeff Daniels, Keith Szarabajka, Morgan Freeman, Fred Thompson, Lisa Banes, John Cullum, Graham Beckel, and Macon McCalman.

Cast

• Sissy Spacek as Marie
• Jeff Daniels as Eddie Sisk
• Morgan Freeman as Charles Traughber
• Keith Szarabajka as Kevin McCormack
• Fred Thompson as Himself

Critical reception

Most reviewers praised Spacek's performance. Several reviewers praised the acting performance of Fred Thompson, who, until then, was known primarily as a peripheral figure in the Senate probe of the Watergate scandal. Thompson was Ragghianti's attorney during the actual trial, and played himself. This was his first film role.

External links

• Marie at IMDb
• Marie at Box Office Mojo
• Review by Roger Ebert
• Review in The New York Times