The Whole Wide World
{{About|the 1996 film|other uses|Whole Wide World (disambiguation)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Whole Wide World
| image = The Whole Wide World.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| writer = Michael Scott Myers
| based_on = {{basedon|One Who Walked Alone|Novalyne Price Ellis}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
- Vincent D'Onofrio
- Renée Zellweger
- Ann Wedgeworth
- Harve Presnell
- Benjamin Mouton
}}
| director = Dan Ireland
| producer = Carl Colpaert
Dan Ireland
Vincent D'Onofrio
Kevin Reidy
| music = Harry Gregson-Williams
Hans Zimmer (uncredited)
| cinematography = Claudio Rocha
| editing = Luis Colina
| studio = The Kushner-Locke Company{{cite web|title=The Whole Wide World (1996)|website=AFI Catalog of Feature Films|access-date=15 May 2024|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/60621-THE-WHOLEWIDEWORLD?sid=70da0bf1-52f6-44fe-bc0f-873832d7a64a&sr=12.720271&cp=1&pos=0}}
Cineville
| distributor = Sony Pictures Classics
| released = {{Film date|1996|01| |Sundance|1996|12|23|Los Angeles}}
| runtime = 106 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $1.35 million{{cite magazine |last=Van Hise|first=James|date=January 1997 |title= Whole Wide World|url= https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2028%20No%207%20%28Jan%201997%29/page/n47/mode/1up?view=theater&q=million|magazine=Cinefantastique|location= |publisher= Fourth Castle Micromedia|access-date=January 9, 2023}}
| gross = $375,757[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=wholewideworld.htm Box Office Mojo]
}}
The Whole Wide World is a 1996 American independent biographical film produced and directed by Dan Ireland in his directorial debut. It depicts the relationship between pulp fiction writer Robert E. Howard (Vincent D'Onofrio) and schoolteacher Novalyne Price Ellis (Renée Zellweger).
The film was adapted by Michael Scott Myers from Ellis's memoir One Who Walked Alone.
Premise
In 1933 Texas school teacher and aspiring writer Novalyne Price is introduced by friends to pulp fiction writer Robert E. Howard. A relationship soon develops between the two but, it is doomed by personality conflicts and life events, such as the terminal illness of Howard's mother.
Cast
- Vincent D'Onofrio as Robert E. 'Bob' Howard
- Renée Zellweger as Novalyne Price
- Libby Villari as Etna Reed Price, Novalyne's mother
- Ann Wedgeworth as Mrs. Howard
- Harve Presnell as Dr. Howard
- Benjamin Mouton as Clyde Smith
- Michael Corbett as Mayor Booth Adams
- Helen Cates as Enid
;Cast notes
- Olivia d'Abo was intended for the role of Novalyne Price but was pregnant when shooting began.[https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/whole-wide-world-the Reelviews], retrieved 11 July 2007
Soundtrack
Original music was provided by Harry Gregson-Williams and his mentor Hans Zimmer. This was their first collaboration as mentor and protégé.
Reception
The film holds a score of 76% – indicating "Fresh" – on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 17 reviews with an average rating of 7.0/10.{{Cite web |title=The Whole Wide World |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whole_wide_world |access-date=January 29, 2025 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}
Legacy
When auditioning for the film Jerry Maguire, Zellweger met director Cameron Crowe several times but had trouble convincing him that she could play "a 20-something woman" rather than a girl. This was solved by Zellweger's agent sending Crowe a tape of The Whole Wide World.{{cite web |last=Beale |first=Lewis |date=December 10, 1996 |title=Don't Walk Away, Renee Everybody Is Chasing Zellweger, But Hot New Actress Isn't Sure Why |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1996/12/10/dont-walk-away-renee-everybody-is-chasing-zellweger-but-hot-new-actress-isnt-sure-why/ |accessdate=2025-03-31 |website=New York Daily News}}
Awards and honors
;Nominated
- Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival
- Best Female Lead for Renée Zellweger at the 1997 Independent Spirit Awards[https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000349/1997/1 Film Independent Spirit Awards (1997) - IMDb]
- Best First Screenplay for Michael Scott Myers at the 1997 Independent Spirit Awards[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwC2g6a2lKk 12th annual Spirit Awards ceremony - FULL SHOW | 1997 | Film Independent on YouTube]
- Best Film at the 1996 Verona Love Screens Film Festival
;Won
- American Independent Special Jury Prize at the 1996 Seattle International Film Festival
- Best Actor for Vincent D'Onofrio (Golden Space Needle Award) at the 1996 Seattle International Film Festival
- Best Actress for Renée Zellweger at the 1996 Mar del Plata Film Festival
- Best Actor for Vincent D'Onofrio at the 1998 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
- Best Screenplay for Michael Scott Myers at the 1998 Lone Star Film & Television Awards
- Best Cinematography for Claudio Rocha at the 1996 Ft Lauderdale International Film Festival
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0118163|title=The Whole Wide World}}
- {{Rotten Tomatoes|whole_wide_world}}
- [http://www.barbariankeep.com/wwwreh.html The Whole Wide World at Barbarian Keep] (Robert E. Howard site)
{{Dan Ireland}}
{{Robert E. Howard 2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whole Wide World, The}}
Category:1996 directorial debut films
Category:1996 independent films
Category:1990s biographical films
Category:American biographical films
Category:American independent films
Category:1990s English-language films
Category:Films directed by Dan Ireland
Category:Films scored by Harry Gregson-Williams
Category:Biographical films about educators
Category:Biographical films about writers
Category:Films based on biographies
Category:Works about Robert E. Howard
Category:Sony Pictures Classics films
Category:The Kushner-Locke Company films
Category:Films set in the 1930s