Taglines: In every woman there is the girl she left behind.
Now and Then movie storyline. In 1991, four childhood friends reunite in their hometown of Shelby, Indiana. Samantha Albertson (Demi Moore), a science-fiction writer, narrates the story. As an adolescent (played by Gaby Hoffmann) Samantha was considered the “weird” girl who liked performing seances and was interested in science fiction and the supernatural.
Roberta Martin (Rosie O’Donnell), a doctor, was a tough tomboy (played by Christina Ricci) whose mother died when she was four years old. Chrissy DeWitt (Rita Wilson), who lives in her childhood home, is married and about to give birth to her first child. As a naïve youngster (played by Ashleigh Aston Moore), she was overly sheltered by her mother. Tina “Teeny” Tercell (Melanie Griffith) is a successful Hollywood actress; as a child (played by Thora Birch), she had always dreamed of fame. Teeny and Samantha have not visited their hometown in ten years.
The story flashes back to 1970 when the girls had two goals: saving enough money to buy a tree house and avoiding the Wormer brothers. One night, they sneak out to the cemetery to perform a seance. A cracked tombstone convinces them they have resurrected the spirit of a young boy identified only as Dear Johnny, who died in 1945 at the age of twelve. Intrigued, they search for information at the library but find nothing.
Later, while heading for the library in a nearby town, they spy the Wormer brothers skinny dipping in the lake. To retaliate for a prank the boys played on them, the girls steal the boys’ clothes, tossing them onto the road while riding off. At the library, Roberta discovers an article about her mother being killed in a car accident, a fact previously unknown to her. Samantha finds a story about Dear Johnny and his mother tragically dying, but a part is missing, leaving the cause of their deaths a mystery. The girls then visit a local psychic (Janeane Garafalo) who determines he was murdered.
Samantha goes home and unexpectedly meets Bud Kent (Hank Azaria), a man her newly-single mother invited to dinner. Upset, she storms out and flees to Teeny’s. They hang out in the tree house display at the store where Samantha confesses her parents are getting divorced. Teeny comforts her, then breaks her favorite necklace in two, giving one half to Samantha as a “best friends for life” bracelet.
On their way home during a thunder storm, Samantha loses it in a storm drain. When she climbs down to retrieve it, the water rises, trapping her. Crazy Pete, an old vagrant, pulls her out. Grateful, the girls now see him differently. At the same time, Roberta is playing basketball in her driveway when Scott Wormer (Devon Sawa) suddenly arrives. They question why they fight all the time before sharing a kiss.
Now and Then is a 1995 American coming-of-age film directed by Lesli Linka Glatter and starring Christina Ricci, Rosie O’Donnell, Thora Birch, Melanie Griffith, Gaby Hoffmann, Demi Moore, Ashleigh Aston Moore and Rita Wilson. The supporting cast features Hank Azaria, Janeane Garofalo, Cloris Leachman, and Bonnie Hunt, among many others. The plot follows four women who recount a pivotal summer they shared together as adolescents in 1970.
It was filmed largely in Savannah, Georgia, although called Shelby, Indiana in the movie, using the Gaslight Addition and Old Town Cemetery, highlighting the downtown area. Additional filming was done in Statesboro, Georgia in locations including the Bulloch County Court House (also featured in the film “1969”) and the building now housing the Averitt Center for the Arts.
Now and Then (1995)
Directed by: Lesli Linka Glatter
Starring: Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Rita Wilson, Lolita Davidovich, Janeane Garofalo
Screenplay by: I. Marlene King
Production Design by: Gershon Ginsburg, Anne Kuljian
Cinematography by: Ueli Steiger
Film Editing by: Jacqueline Cambas
Costume Design by: Deena Appel
Set Decoration by: Anne Kuljian
Art Direction by: Gershon Ginsburg
Music by: Cliff Eidelman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for adolescent sex discussions.
Distributed by: New Line Cinema
Release Date: October 20, 1995 (United States), June 7, 1996 (UK)
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