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Daryl Hannah in the film "Legal Eagles" in 1986. Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091396/mediaviewer/rm3963371776/ (May be subject to copyright) |
Although she may be everyone’s favourite mermaid, she will always be the innocent artist accused of murder who is defended by the unlikeliest of legal teams.
It is Darryl Hannah’s birthday today, and it reminded me of “Splash”, “Legal Eagles”, “Blade Runner”, and the great roles she played in all of them.
Early on
Daryl Hannah got her start in 1978 with a spot in “The Fury”, a horror film directed by Brian DePalma. Hannah was just 17 at the time. Wikipedia reveals she was also in the “The Final Terror” which was shot in 1981 but not released until 1983; “Hard Country” released in 1981; and “Summer Lovers” released in 1982.
Daryl Hannah got her start in 1978 with a spot in “The Fury”, a horror film directed by Brian DePalma. Hannah was just 17 at the time. Wikipedia reveals she was also in the “The Final Terror” which was shot in 1981 but not released until 1983; “Hard Country” released in 1981; and “Summer Lovers” released in 1982.
She gained attention as an android, or replicant, in the 1982 classic “Blade Runner”. She played Pris Stratton, the girlfriend of the leader of a group of rebel androids.
Hannah would then appear in “Reckless” in 1984, but it was another 1984 movie that propelled her to stardom.
Making a “Splash”
“Splash” received a lot of critical acclaim for both Hannah and her co-star Tom Hanks. She plays Madison, a woman who is secretly a mermaid, who proceeds to fall in love with a mere mortal. It was directed by Ron Howard and was the first production released by Touchstone Pictures, a company created by Walt Disney Studios to make more adult-themed movies.
“Splash” received a lot of critical acclaim for both Hannah and her co-star Tom Hanks. She plays Madison, a woman who is secretly a mermaid, who proceeds to fall in love with a mere mortal. It was directed by Ron Howard and was the first production released by Touchstone Pictures, a company created by Walt Disney Studios to make more adult-themed movies.
The movie would also earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
I recall my sister going to see it and just loving it. I didn’t see it until we rented it. It was also the first movie aired when Disney started its “Disney Sunday Movies” in 1985.
More movies
Hannah would play opposite Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts in “The Pope of Greenwich Village” in 1984. She played the pregnant girlfriend of Rourke’s character. This is a movie I heard a lot about but have never seen.
Hannah would play opposite Mickey Rourke and Eric Roberts in “The Pope of Greenwich Village” in 1984. She played the pregnant girlfriend of Rourke’s character. This is a movie I heard a lot about but have never seen.
Her next role was in 1986 in “The Clan of the Cave Bear”, a movie based on the book of the same name written by Jean M. Auel. Hannah plays a cro-magnon woman who is orphaned. The movie is done with grunts and hand gestures, with the audience following along through subtitles.
I recall my good friend and neighbour Mat reading this book on the school bus, and telling me about it. When I moved into student residence at the University of Alberta, we had pay TV and one day “The Clan of the Cave Bear” was playing. As Hannah grunted back and forth with another character, one of my floormates said, “Wouldn’t Mark Messier be great in this movie?”
Flying with eagles
It is still one of my favourite movies. I saw “Legal Eagles” again about a year or so ago, and the 1986 movie holds up to the test of time.
It is still one of my favourite movies. I saw “Legal Eagles” again about a year or so ago, and the 1986 movie holds up to the test of time.
Hannah plays Chelsea Deardon, a woman on trial for murder, being defended by Laura Kelly, a solo practitioner played by Debra Winger. Robert Redford plays Tom Logan, a district attorney who becomes disillusioned and ultimately joins Kelly in defending Deardon. In the process, Logan sleeps with Deardon, drawing the ridicule of Kelly who has her own feelings for Logan.
Hannah is awesome, playing a seemingly naïve artist who is actually quite manipulative, but not in a bad way.
The movie is also punctuated by the song “Love Touch” by Rod Stewart which was a chart hit that summer of 1986.
Cyrano says
Hannah was back the next year playing the title character in “Roxanne” in 1987. The movie is an update of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. In this case, Chris McConnell, played by Rick Rossovich, enlists the aid of his friend “C.D.” Bales to woo the woman of his dreams, Roxanne Kowalski. The problem is that Bales also has feelings Roxanne but, with a birth defect he is self-conscious about, he does not believe she would love him back. Steve Martin does an excellent job as the modern-day Cyrano.
Hannah was back the next year playing the title character in “Roxanne” in 1987. The movie is an update of the Cyrano de Bergerac story. In this case, Chris McConnell, played by Rick Rossovich, enlists the aid of his friend “C.D.” Bales to woo the woman of his dreams, Roxanne Kowalski. The problem is that Bales also has feelings Roxanne but, with a birth defect he is self-conscious about, he does not believe she would love him back. Steve Martin does an excellent job as the modern-day Cyrano.
Again, Hannah is awesome in this role, caught between two nice men, and trying to follow her heart.
We saw that movie on the farm. When my parents bought me a VCR for Christmas in 1985, 50 free movie rentals came with it. Every week, my sister who lived in Lethbridge, would rent a movie, bring it out to the farm, we’d watch it, and she’d take it back to the city to return it.
“Roxanne” was one of the first movies we rented. I recall vividly all of us gathered around the TV in the living room after a big Sunday dinner at noon time, and intently watching that movie.
We were not disappointed.
The rest of the decade
Later that same year, Hannah appeared in “Wall Street”, opposite Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, playing Sheen’s girlfriend.
Later that same year, Hannah appeared in “Wall Street”, opposite Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, playing Sheen’s girlfriend.
In 1988, she was in “High Spirits” then closed out the ‘80s with “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and “Steel Magnolias”, both in 1989.
The years after
Hannah continued to act, appearing in films such as “At Play in the Fields of the Lord”; “Memoirs of an Invisible Man”; “Grumpy Old Men” and its sequel “Grumpier Old Men”; “The Little Rascals”; “The Gingerbread Man”; “My Favourite Martian”; “Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2”; and so much more.
Hannah continued to act, appearing in films such as “At Play in the Fields of the Lord”; “Memoirs of an Invisible Man”; “Grumpy Old Men” and its sequel “Grumpier Old Men”; “The Little Rascals”; “The Gingerbread Man”; “My Favourite Martian”; “Kill Bill: Volume 1 and 2”; and so much more.
She has also appeared in TV shows such as “Sense8” for 17 episodes; and “The Now” for 11 episodes.
Parting thoughts
Every good legal drama needs compelling characters. Usually they are lawyers, but can be judges or clients. In “Legal Eagles”, the on-screen chemistry between Robert Redford and Debra Winger is immediate. Yet, what adds another dimension to the movie is the client – Chelsea Deardon. She seduces Tom Logan, and the aftermath provides some of the funniest moments in the movie.
Every good legal drama needs compelling characters. Usually they are lawyers, but can be judges or clients. In “Legal Eagles”, the on-screen chemistry between Robert Redford and Debra Winger is immediate. Yet, what adds another dimension to the movie is the client – Chelsea Deardon. She seduces Tom Logan, and the aftermath provides some of the funniest moments in the movie.
At one point, he describes Chelsea’s eyes. Kelly said they are fine. Logan continues to describe them as hypnotic.
“Fine, I’ll pick the adjectives,” Kelly said.
It was a funny moment, made possible by great acting by Daryl Hannah.
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