Of Mice and Men (1992 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Of Mice and Men

| image = OfMiceAndMenPoster.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Gary Sinise

| producer = Gary Sinise

| screenplay = Horton Foote

| based_on = {{based on|Of Mice and Men
1937 novella and play|John Steinbeck}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

John Malkovich
Gary Sinise

}}

| music = Mark Isham

| cinematography = Kenneth MacMillan

| editing = Robert L. Sinise

| distributor = Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

| released = {{Film date|1992|10|02}}

| runtime = 111 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| gross = $5.5 million

}}

Of Mice and Men is a 1992 American period drama film directed by Gary Sinise from a screenplay by Horton Foote. Based on John Steinbeck's 1937 novella of the same name, it stars John Malkovich as the intellectually disabled Lennie and Sinise as George, two farm workers who travel together and dream of one day owning their own land. Like the novella, it explores themes of discrimination, loneliness, and the American Dream, as well as the desire for a place to call home.

Of Mice and Men took part in the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, where Sinise was nominated for the Palme d'Or award, given to the director of the best-featured film. After the film debuted in the United States on October 2, 1992, it received acclaim from critics.

Plot

The film opens with George Milton reminiscing in a boxcar.

During the Great Depression, quick-witted George Milton and physically strong but mentally disabled Lennie Small are fleeing their previous employment, where Lennie was accused of attempted rape after he held onto a woman’s dress, prompted by his love of stroking soft things. They travel to work on Tyler Ranch near Soledad.

George agrees to tell Lennie again about their dream, describing how they will one day have their own piece of land where Lennie will tend their rabbits. At Tyler Ranch, the Boss is suspicious of Lennie's mental condition. George claims Lennie was kicked in the head by a horse as a child. They befriend old one-handed ranch-hand Candy; but Curley, the Boss's son and an arrogant boxer, torments them. Curley's wife flirts with Lennie and George.

George meets their colleagues, respected headman Slim, and Carlson, who suggests they shoot Candy's sick dog and give him one of Slim's puppies. After a hard day, George is proud of Lennie's work and gets him his puppy. Candy offers to pitch in with Lennie and George to buy their farm. Just as it seems their dream is moving closer, Curley accuses Slim of keeping his wife company. Curley attacks Lennie for laughing, goading him to fight back. Prompted by George, Lennie crushes Curley's hand. George fears for their jobs but Slim gives Curley an ultimatum: if Curley tries to get George and Lennie fired, Slim will humiliate Curley by telling everyone how Curley's hand really got crushed. Concerned for his reputation, Curley reluctantly agrees to say his hand got caught in a machine.

Lennie talks about being lonely, and Curley's wife attempts to engage him in conversation. Frustrated, she runs to the house in tears vowing to leave the ranch forever. In the barn that evening, Lennie has accidentally killed his puppy and is greatly upset. Curley's wife enters and admits her loneliness, confiding that her dreams of being a movie star were crushed. Learning of Lennie's love of petting soft things, she lets him stroke her hair. She soon complains that he is pulling too hard. Trying to keep her quiet, Lennie accidentally breaks her neck. He runs to hide in the brush as George told him to do if in trouble. Candy finds Curley's wife dead and informs George. Curley leads a lynch mob but George finds Lennie first and calms him by retelling their dream. As George gets to the part where Lennie tends the rabbits, he shoots Lennie in the back of the head, sparing him death at the hands of the mob.

The scene returns to George in the boxcar, heading South.

Cast

Gary Sinise as George Milton
John Malkovich as Lennie Small
Ray Walston as Candy
Casey Siemaszko as Curley
Sherilyn Fenn as Curley's wife
Noble Willingham as the Boss
John Terry as Slim
Richard Riehle as Carlson
Joe Morton as Crooks
Mark Boone Junior as the Bus Driver
Moira Harris as the Girl in the Red Dress
Alexis Arquette as Whitt{{div col end}}

Production

The first experience Sinise had with Steinbeck's work came when Sinise attended Highland Park High School. His drama class went to Guthrie Theater and observed three plays in two days, one being Of Mice and Men. After viewing the play, he "stood up and applauded" and "was trying to scream some sort of acknowledgement of my feelings ... but I was so choked up nothing came out except tears." He credits the play with {{nowrap|"[introducing]}} me to literature".{{cite news |last=Terry |first=Clifford |date=September 13, 1992 |title=Sinise To Steinbeck To Sinise: A Lifelong Passion Comes To The Screen |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |publisher=Tribune Company |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/09/13/sinise-to-steinbeck-to-sinise/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819032157/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-09-13/entertainment/9203230681_1_mice-and-men-john-steinbeck-john-malkovich |archive-date=August 19, 2014}}

Differences between the film and book

While the film and book tell the same basic story, some creative liberties are taken within the film.

In the book, Candy only has his left hand, while in the movie, he only has his right, due to the actor Ray Walston being right-handed.
For the scene depicting Lennie accidentally killing the puppy, the book portrays Lennie feeling remorse for his actions. In the film, he also appears worried and confused.
When George shoots Lennie, the film depicts George shooting Lennie with little to no hesitation, while in the book, George hesitates. George also uses a Colt revolver in the movie; in the book, he uses a Luger.
In the book, when Lennie talks to Crooks in his room, Candy joins them and they talk about the ranch and Crooks offers to join until Curley's wife comes in. She threatens to have Crooks lynched when he tells her to leave. In the movie, Lennie talks to Crooks alone and there is no interaction between Crooks and Curley's wife.
Curley's wife is depicted in the book as flirtatious and cruel; she is portrayed as less of a victim when she dies. In the film, she is characterized as more lonely and bored and therefore painted as more sympathetic.{{Cite web |last=West |first=Thomas |date=2020-04-15 |title=Of Mice And Men: 10 Differences Between The Book And The Film |url=https://screenrant.com/of-mice-and-men-differences-book-film/ |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}} This reflects changes Steinbeck himself made to the character in the stage adaptation.

Release

=Premiere=

On April 16, 1992, Gilles Jacob, director of the Cannes Film Festival, announced the 27 films competing in the "Official Competition" category, including Of Mice and Men. The film premiered the next month and was Sinise's second film to compete at Cannes, after the 1988 feature Miles from Home.{{cite news |last=Kehr |first=Dave |date=April 19, 1992 |title='Of Mice And Men' To Represent Chicago At Cannes |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |publisher=Tribune Company |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/04/19/of-mice-and-men-to-represent-chicago-at-cannes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708025149/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-04-19/features/9202040790_1_cannes-film-festival-festival-director-gilles-jacob-simple-men |archive-date=July 8, 2018}} After viewing Of Mice and Men, critic Don Marshall noted how the audience gave a standing ovation to its cast. Marshall said he was "surprised" that the film did not win an award, although Sinise was nominated for the Palme d'Or, given to the director of the best-featured film.{{cite news |last=Marshall |first=Don |date=May 22, 1992 |title='Losers' Outnumber 'Winners' 10 to 1 at 45th Annual Cannes Film Festival |newspaper=Deseret News |publisher=Deseret News Publishing Company |url=https://www.deseret.com/1992/5/23/18985561/losers-outnumber-winners-10-to-1-at-45th-annual-cannes-film-festival |access-date=February 11, 2023}}{{cite news |last=Movshovitz |first=Howie |date=May 3, 1992 |title=Cannes festival brings stars, films into spotlight glare |newspaper=The Denver Post |publisher=MediaNews Group |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DP&p_theme=dp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB1DB39C97CECEA&p_field_direct-0=document_id |url-status=dead |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315174837/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DP&p_theme=dp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB1DB39C97CECEA&p_field_direct-0=document_id |archive-date=March 15, 2017}}

=Box office=

The film made its American debut on October 2, 1992, and grossed $5,471,088 from a total of 398 theaters.{{cite web |title=Of Mice and Men |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=ofmiceandmen.htm |access-date=June 22, 2013 |website=Box Office Mojo}} The Los Angeles Daily News described the film's box office performance as poor.{{cite news |date=January 17, 1993 |title='Evidence' of Revival at MGM? |newspaper=Los Angeles Daily News |publisher=MediaNews Group |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF61906C431C880&p_field_direct-0=document_id |url-status=dead |url-access=subscription |access-date=February 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020102031/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF61906C431C880&p_field_direct-0=document_id |archive-date=October 20, 2013}}

{{quote box

|quote = The most sincere compliment I can pay them is to say that all of them – writer and actors – have taken every unnecessary gesture, every possible gratuitous note, out of these characters. The story is as pure and lean as the original fable which formed in Steinbeck's mind. And because they don't try to do anything {{nowrap|fancy{{tsp}}{{mdash}}{{tsp}}}}don't try to make it anything other than exactly what it {{nowrap|is{{tsp}}{{mdash}}{{tsp}}}}they have a quiet triumph.

|source = —{{hsp}}Roger Ebert on Of Mice and Men{{cite web|title=Of Mice and Men|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/of-mice-and-men-1992|last=Ebert|first=Roger|date=October 2, 1992|publisher=Rogerebert.com|access-date=June 22, 2013}}

|align = right

|width = 25%

}}

=Critical reception=

Of Mice and Men received positive critical acclaim. {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|97|8.0|29|Of Mice and Men honors its classic source material with a well-acted adaptation that stays powerfully focused on the story's timeless themes.|ref=yes|access-date=December 22, 2021}} {{MC film|73|20}}{{cite Metacritic|type=movie|id=of-mice-and-men-1992|title=Of Mice and Men|access-date=December 22, 2021}}

Critic Roger Ebert complimented the cast on their attention to detail. Writing for Variety, Todd McCarthy was impressed at the set design, and contrasted the film's "lovely, burnished hues" with the studio-produced 1939 film. He went on to say that the actors' performances were "sterling" and gave the supporting cast positive reception.{{cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Todd |date=May 18, 1992 |title=Of Mice and Men |url=https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/of-mice-and-men-2-1200429679/ |work=Variety}}

Vincent Canby of The New York Times also praised the physical production and supporting cast, but added that the film "is not very exciting", possibly because "looking back at Lennie and George with the perspective of time robs them of their urgency."{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=October 2, 1992 |title=Review/Film; New Facets Highlighted in a Classic |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CE3DF113FF931A35753C1A964958260}} The Austin Chronicle{{'s}} Steve Davis called Of Mice and Men "unassuming but well-made".{{cite news|title=Of Mice and Men|newspaper=The Austin Chronicle|publisher=Austin Chronicle Corporation|date=October 23, 1992|last=Davis|first=Steve|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/1992-10-23/139368/}}

=Home media=

MGM released Of Mice and Men on VHS in 1993 and on Video CD in 1995. The film was later released as a DVD by MGM Home Entertainment on March 4, 2003. The DVD is featured in widescreen with English, French, and Spanish subtitles, and has the option of French dubbing.{{cite book|title=Of Mice and Men|publisher=WorldCat|oclc = 51812005}} The film was then released on Blu-ray by Olive Films on January 19, 2016.{{cite web |title=Of Mice And Men |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/70173/of-mice-and-men/ |website=DVD Talk |access-date=4 March 2024 |date=January 23, 2016}}