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Michelle Pfeiffer in "Ladyhawke" in 1985. Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/before-maleficent-2-michelle-pfeiffers-first-fairy-tale-was-ladyhawke-1985-1247778/ (May be subject to copyright) |
The movie was a sequel that probably should never have been made, a sequel to a movie that really didn’t need one. If there is one good thing “Grease 2” did, it was give Michelle Pfeiffer her start in movies.
She seized the opportunity and turned it into a career that has seen a lot of great performances over the past 30-plus years.
I saw her on TV a few days ago. She was attending a ceremony awarding fellow actor Nicole Kidman with a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.
It made me think how far Michelle Pfeiffer had come from the days of being a member of the Pink Ladies and chasing after Maxwell Caulfield.
“Grease 2” and “Scarface”
The original “Grease” featured John Travolta as Danny Zuko, the leader of the T-Birds, a high school motor-cycle gang. He falls for Sandy Olsson, an international student played by Olivia Newton-John. “Grease 2” turns the plot upside down. Set in the same high school two years after the original “Grease”, it focuses on Stephanie, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who is the leader of the Pink Ladies, a female gang. She has tired of her boyfriend who is the leader of the T-Birds. She meets Michael, played by Maxwell Caulfield, an international student who happens to be Sandy’s cousin.
The original “Grease” featured John Travolta as Danny Zuko, the leader of the T-Birds, a high school motor-cycle gang. He falls for Sandy Olsson, an international student played by Olivia Newton-John. “Grease 2” turns the plot upside down. Set in the same high school two years after the original “Grease”, it focuses on Stephanie, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who is the leader of the Pink Ladies, a female gang. She has tired of her boyfriend who is the leader of the T-Birds. She meets Michael, played by Maxwell Caulfield, an international student who happens to be Sandy’s cousin.
I recall watching this movie back in 1996 and thinking it really wasn’t that good. It just felt like a shadow of the original movie.
I kept thinking the only good thing about “Grease 2” was Michelle Pfeiffer.
That changed in 1983 with her next role, as the wife of a drug lord in “Scarface”. She was lauded for her performance, described as her breakout role.
“Into the Night”
When I was in Grade 10, in February of 1985, I saw a review on “The Movie Show”, for a film that I really wanted to see. I made a note of it and stuck it on the bulletin board in my bedroom. It was called “Into the Night”, and starred Jeff Goldblum, who discovers his wife is messing around on him. He wants to get away and heads to the airport. There, a beautiful jewel smuggler hops into his car, and takes him on a whirlwind of intrigue.
When I was in Grade 10, in February of 1985, I saw a review on “The Movie Show”, for a film that I really wanted to see. I made a note of it and stuck it on the bulletin board in my bedroom. It was called “Into the Night”, and starred Jeff Goldblum, who discovers his wife is messing around on him. He wants to get away and heads to the airport. There, a beautiful jewel smuggler hops into his car, and takes him on a whirlwind of intrigue.
That jewel smuggler was played by Michelle Pfeiffer.
In 1996, I had left my job at the University of Alberta and was taking some time for myself. I decided to see some of the movies I had wanted to see for a long time. One was “Into the Night”, so I rented it from the video store on Whyte Avenue. I was not disappointed. It was a good movie – worth the wait.
“Ladyhawke”
It is my favourite medieval movie and has had a big influence on one of my novels. “Ladyhawke” came out in 1985, and has just stuck with me. It starts with Felipe Gaston, known as “The Mouse”, doing the impossible and escaping from an inescapable prison. While he eludes capture, he is aided by a soldier on horseback named Etienne Navarre, played by Rutger Hauer. As they travel together, Felipe sees this beautiful woman, but only at night. He discovers she is Isabeau, who is Navarre’s lover. However, a curse has been placed on them, By day Isabeau is a hawk and by night when she becomes human, Navarre becomes a wolf. Felipe dubs her the “Ladyhawke”. Sadly, they shall never meet again. Navarre is travelling to the capital to kill the man who placed the curse on them, then plans on taking his own life. Felipe, however, has other ideas.
It is my favourite medieval movie and has had a big influence on one of my novels. “Ladyhawke” came out in 1985, and has just stuck with me. It starts with Felipe Gaston, known as “The Mouse”, doing the impossible and escaping from an inescapable prison. While he eludes capture, he is aided by a soldier on horseback named Etienne Navarre, played by Rutger Hauer. As they travel together, Felipe sees this beautiful woman, but only at night. He discovers she is Isabeau, who is Navarre’s lover. However, a curse has been placed on them, By day Isabeau is a hawk and by night when she becomes human, Navarre becomes a wolf. Felipe dubs her the “Ladyhawke”. Sadly, they shall never meet again. Navarre is travelling to the capital to kill the man who placed the curse on them, then plans on taking his own life. Felipe, however, has other ideas.
It is a really good medieval movie. Pfeiffer turns in a good, understated performance, as a woman who struggles with spending half of each day in an altered state.
History and witchcraft
In 1986, Pfeiffer appeared in “Sweet Liberty”, a movie starring Alan Alda as an author who writes a book on the revolutionary war. He sells the movie rights, and watches in horror at the way his words are brought to life. Pfeiffer plays the actress who will play the female lead in this movie. Predictably, Alda character becomes attracted to her.
In 1986, Pfeiffer appeared in “Sweet Liberty”, a movie starring Alan Alda as an author who writes a book on the revolutionary war. He sells the movie rights, and watches in horror at the way his words are brought to life. Pfeiffer plays the actress who will play the female lead in this movie. Predictably, Alda character becomes attracted to her.
A year later, in “The Witches of Eastwick” in 1987, Pfeiffer plays one of three divorcees, along with Susan Sarandon and Cher. They get involved with a mysterious man, played by Jack Nicholson, who may be the devil, in the small New England town of Eastwick.
Organized crime
Pfeiffer was back in 1988 with “Married to the Mob”, where she played a woman married to a mobster, played by Alec Baldwin. After her husband is killed, she tries to avoid another gangster, and gets involved with an FBI agent played by Mathew Modine, who wants to use her to bust that gangster.
Pfeiffer was back in 1988 with “Married to the Mob”, where she played a woman married to a mobster, played by Alec Baldwin. After her husband is killed, she tries to avoid another gangster, and gets involved with an FBI agent played by Mathew Modine, who wants to use her to bust that gangster.
Pfeiffer was excellent in this role, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Later in 1988 in “Tequila Sunrise”, she played a restaurant owner. She gets caught between a cop, played by Kurt Russell, trying to bust a drug dealer, played by Mel Gibson, who is trying to go straight, and happens to be a high-school friend. This was a movie I always wanted to see. I finally got my chance when I taped it off TV when I was living in an apartment during my final year at the University of Alberta in the early months of 1996. I don’t remember much of it, but have a recording sitting on my PVR right now.
Period piece
Michelle Pfeiffer’s next role was the period piece “Dangerous Liaisons” also in 1988. She plays a virginal woman caught in a revenge plot. One woman is using a man to seduce her to hurt another man. The role garnered Pfeiffer an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Michelle Pfeiffer’s next role was the period piece “Dangerous Liaisons” also in 1988. She plays a virginal woman caught in a revenge plot. One woman is using a man to seduce her to hurt another man. The role garnered Pfeiffer an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
This movie marked a first for me. It was the first movie I saw at the Meyer Horowitz Theatre in the Students Union Building, on the campus of the University of Alberta. It was in the Fall of 1989, I was in my third year of university, and I went with my friend Bruce Freadrich. The Students Union played a lot of movies that had recently been in the theatres, and we lived a few blocks from that theatre. So, we ended up seeing a lot of movies there that year.
Lounge singer
She closed out the decade in 1989 with “The Fabulous Baker Boys”. She plays a singer who becomes involved with the piano duo the Baker boys, played by real-life brothers Beau and Jeff Bridges. Pfeiffer again was rewarded for her performance, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.
She closed out the decade in 1989 with “The Fabulous Baker Boys”. She plays a singer who becomes involved with the piano duo the Baker boys, played by real-life brothers Beau and Jeff Bridges. Pfeiffer again was rewarded for her performance, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.
The years after
Michelle Pfeiffer just keeps on acting. She appeared in movies such as “The Russia House”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama; “Frankie and Johnny”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy; “Batman Returns”, where she played the Catwoman; and “Love Field”, where she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.
Michelle Pfeiffer just keeps on acting. She appeared in movies such as “The Russia House”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama; “Frankie and Johnny”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy; “Batman Returns”, where she played the Catwoman; and “Love Field”, where she was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress and a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama.
She was was in “The Age of the Innocence”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama; “Wolf”; “Dangerous Minds”; “Up Close and Personal”; “To Jillian on Her 37th Birthday”; “One Fine Day”, which I saw with a friend on her birthday; “I Am Sam”; “White Oleander”; “Hairspray”; “Dark Shadows”; and “Murder on the Orient Express”.
Pfeiffer was in “Ant-Man and the Wasp”; “Avengers: Endgame”; “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”; “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”; “French Exit”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy; and much more.
She also appeared in the television movie “The Wizard of Lies”, where she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film, and an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie; and the anthology TV series “The First Lady” as Betty Ford.
Parting thoughts
Although I had heard about her, the first time I ever saw Michelle Pfeiffer was in “Ladyhawke”, and I was hooked. She just has this amazing presence on screen that can be captivating. The role of Isabeau showed her talent and set the stage for more than three decades of great performances.
Although I had heard about her, the first time I ever saw Michelle Pfeiffer was in “Ladyhawke”, and I was hooked. She just has this amazing presence on screen that can be captivating. The role of Isabeau showed her talent and set the stage for more than three decades of great performances.
She has come a long way from “Grease 2”.
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