Kate O'Toole | 80's Movie Guide

Taglines: A vast, merry, and uncommon tale of love. The Dead movie synopsis. John Huston's last film is a labor of love at several levels: an adaptation of perhaps one of the greatest pieces of English-language literature by one of Huston's favorite authors, James Joyce; a love letter to the land of his ancestors and the country where his children grew up; and the chance to work with his screenwriter son Tony and his actress daughter Anjelica. The film is delicate and unhurried, detailing an early January dinner at the house of two spinster musician sisters and their niece in turn-of-the-century Ireland, attended by friends and family. Among the visiting attendees are the sisters' nephew Gabriel Conroy and his wife Gretta. The evening's reminiscences bring up melancholy memories for Gretta concerning her first, long-lost love when she was a girl in rural Galway. Her recounting of this tragic love to Gabriel brings him to an epiphany: he learns the difference between mere existence and living. The Dead is a 1987 feature film directed by John Huston, starring his daughter Anjelica Huston. The Dead was the last film that Huston directed, and it was released posthumously. It was adapted from the short story "The Dead" by James Joyce, which was included in his short works collection Dubliners The film takes place in Dublin in 1904 at an Epiphany party held by three sisters. The story focuses attention on the academic Gabriel Conroy (Donal McCann) and his discovery of his wife Gretta's (Anjelica Huston) memory of a deceased lover. The Dead was nominated for two Academy Awards—for Best Adapted Screenplay and for Costume Design. The Dead (1987) Directed by: John Huston Starring: Anjelica Huston, Donal McCann, Helena Carroll, Cathleen Delany, Rachael Dowling, Kate O'Toole, Bairbre Dowling, Ingrid Craigie Screenplay by: Tony Huston Production Design by: Stephen B. Grimes, J. Dennis Washington Cinematography by: Fred Murphy Film Editing by: Roberto Silvi Costume Design by: Dorothy Jeakins Set Decoration by: Josie MacAvin Music by: Alex North Distributed by: Vestron Pictures Release Date: December 18, 1987