Taglines: Grace & Seymour have hit on a new solution to an age old problem.
Grace Quigley centers on an elderly widow (Katharine Hepburn) who lives alone in a dreary New York City apartment. She has twice tried and failed to commit suicide, so she decides to hire a hit man (Nick Nolte) to kill her – and then, do in others like her who are old, alone and tired of living. To her way of thinking, this professional killer will be committing acts of mercy, not murder. The film is noted for being Hepburn’s last leading role in a movie for the big screen, as well as the last appearance, stage or otherwise, of Walter Abel.
In addition to the version of the film originally released in 1985, two other versions are known to exist: the original cut, which premiered at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival running 102 minutes; and the alternate and re-edited version titled The Ultimate Solution of Grace Quigley, assembled by screenwriter A. Martin Zweiback, running 94 minutes. The latter version is considered superior by some critics.
Grace Quigley (1985)
Directed by: Anthony Harvey
Starring: Katharine Hepburn, Nick Nolte, Kit Le Fever, Chip Zien, William Duell, Elizabeth Wilson, Walter Abel, Christopher Murney
Screenplay by: A. Martin Zweiback
Production Design by: Gary Weist
Cinematography by: Larry Pizer
Film Editing by: Robert M. Reitano
Costume Design by: Ruth Morley
Set Decoration by: Christian Kelly
Art Direction by: Jack Blackman
Distributed by: The Cannon Group
Release Date: May 17, 1985
Visits: 70
