Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

John Berendt (book)
John Lee Hancock (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

Welcome to Savannah, Georgia. A City Of Hot Nights And Cold Blooded Murder.

Plot:

A visiting city reporter's assignment suddenly revolves around the murder trial of a local millionaire, whom he befriends.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Trial | Reporter | Murder Trial | Christmas

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

John Cusack	...	John Kelso
Kevin Spacey	...	Jim Williams
Jack Thompson	...	Sonny Seiler
Irma P. Hall	...	Minerva
Jude Law	...	Billy Hanson
Alison Eastwood	...	Mandy Nicholls
Paul Hipp	...	Joe Odom
Lady Chablis	...	Chablis Deveau (as The Lady Chablis)
Dorothy Loudon	...	Serena Dawes
Anne Haney	...	Margaret Williams
Kim Hunter	...	Betty Harty
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Luther Driggers
Richard Herd	...	Henry Skerridge
Leon Rippy	...	Detective Boone
Bob Gunton	...	Finley Largent
Michael O'Hagan	...	Geza Von Habsburg
Gary Anthony Williams	...	Bus Driver
Tim Black	...	Jeff Braswell
Muriel Moore	...	Mrs. Baxter
Sonny Seiler	...	Judge White
Terry Rhoads	...	Assistant D.A.
Victor Brandt	...	Bailiff
Patricia Herd	...	Juror #1
Nick Gillie	...	Juror #20
Patrika Darbo	...	Sara Warren
J. Patrick McCormack	...	Doctor
Emma Kelly	...	Herself
Tyrone Lee Weaver	...	Ellis
Greg Goossen	...	Prison Cell Lunatic (as Gregory Goossen)
Shannon Eubanks	...	Mrs. Hamilton
Virginia Duncan	...	Card Club Woman #1
Rhoda Griffis	...	Card Club Woman #2
Judith Robinson	...	Card Club Woman #3
Jo Ann Pflug	...	Cynthia Vaughn (as Joann Pflug)
James Moody	...	Mr. Glover
John Duncan	...	Gentleman in Park
Bess S. Thompson	...	Pretty Girl
Jin Hi Soucy	...	Receptionist
Michael Rosenbaum	...	George Tucker
Dan Biggers	...	Harry Cram
Georgia Allen	...	Lucille Wright
Collin Wilcox Paxton	...	Woman at Party
Charles Black	...	Alpha
Aleta Mitchell	...	Alphabette
Kevin Harry	...	Phillip (as Michael 'Kevin' Harry)
Dorothy Kingery	...	Jim Williams' Sister
Amanda Kingery	...	Jim Williams' Niece Amanda
Susan Kingery	...	Jim Williams' Niece Susan
Ted Manson	...	Passer-by
Margaret R. Davis	...	Ruth
Danny Nelson	...	Senator
Bree Luck	...	Woman at Club
Ann Cusack	...	Delivery Woman
Jerry Spence	...	Hair Dresser
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Victor López	...	Inmate (uncredited)
Lawrence Mandley	...	Inmate (uncredited)
Ray Wineteer	...	Photographer (uncredited)

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (WGA)
John Berendt		(book)
John Lee Hancock		(screenplay)

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Michael Maurer	....	associate producer
Tom Rooker	....	co-producer
Arnold Stiefel	....	producer
Anita Zuckerman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lennie Niehaus

Cinematography by
Jack N. Green		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joel Cox

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Art Direction by
Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Makeup Department
Eryn Krueger Mekash	....	makeup artist (as Eryn Krueger)
Vivian McAteer	....	hair stylist
Tania McComas	....	key makeup artist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	key hair stylist
Linda Boykin-Williams	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Julie Callihan	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Michael Maurer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David M. Bernstein	....	second second assistant director: Los Angeles (as David Bernstein)
Robert Lorenz	....	first assistant director
Tom Rooker	....	second assistant director (as T. Rooker)
Dodi Lee Rubenstein	....	second assistant director (as Dodi L. Rubenstein)
Rosemarie Unite	....	second second assistant director: Savannah (as Rose Unite)

Art Department
John H. Anderson	....	set decorator: Savannah (as John Anderson)
Ron Ashmore	....	stand-by painter
Cate Bangs	....	lead set designer
Steve Belin	....	art department researcher
Jann K. Engel	....	lead set designer (as Jann Engel)
Frank M. Fleming	....	leadperson: Savannah
Richard C. Goddard	....	set decorator: Los Angeles (as Richard Goddard)
Chuck Herrmann	....	assistant property master
Sylvia Shaw Judson	....	artist: Bird Girl statue
Peter J. Kelly	....	lead set designer (as Peter Kelly)
Al Mouradian	....	greensman
James J. Murakami	....	art director: Savannah
Charles Nixon III	....	leadperson (as Charles Nixon)
Joseph G. Pacelli Jr.	....	lead set designer
Sandra Renfroe	....	leadperson: Los Angeles
John J. Rutchland Jr.	....	construction coordinator (as John Rutchland)
Michael Sexton	....	property master
Blue Sullivan	....	art department researcher
Stacy Weddington	....	buyer
Sean Bernard	....	painter (uncredited)
Kenneth Bryant	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Joe Connolly	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Patrick Fuhrman	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Lillian Heyward	....	signwriter (uncredited)
Damon Hight	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Eric Luling	....	on-set dresser (uncredited)
Laura M. O'Brien	....	construction buyer (uncredited)
James Passanante	....	paint foreman: Savannah (uncredited)
Larry Sauls	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Scott D. Warner	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bub Asman	....	supervising sound editor
Neil Burrow	....	foley editor
Scott Burrow	....	foley editor
Willie D. Burton	....	sound mixer (as Willie Burton)
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as David Campbell)
Kevin E. Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	supervising dialogue editor
Samuel C. Crutcher	....	dialogue editor
Mike Dobie	....	sound effects editor
Juno J. Ellis	....	adr supervisor
Patrick J. Foley	....	dialogue editor (as Patrick Foley)
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Denise Horta	....	adr editor
David L. Horton Jr.	....	foley supervisor (as David Horton Jr.)
Doug Jackson	....	sound effects editor
Scott D. Jackson	....	foley editor
Stephen Janisz	....	adr editor
Adam Johnston	....	sound effects editor
Constance A. Kazmer	....	dialogue editor
Andy Kopetzky	....	foley editor
Gary Krivacek	....	sound effects editor
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator (as Marvin Lewis)
David Linton	....	cable person
Darrin Martin	....	assistant sound editor
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Craig Nolan	....	assistant sound editor
Kim Nolan	....	assistant sound editor (as Kim Nolan-Morrell)
Jayme S. Parker	....	sound effects editor (as Jayme Parker)
Michelle Pleis	....	assistant sound editor
John F. Reynolds	....	dialogue editor
Bruce Richardson	....	dialogue editor
Karen Spangenberg	....	dialogue editor
Paul C. Warschilka	....	assistant sound editor (as Paul Warschilka)
Jay Wilkinson	....	sound effects editor
Robb Wilson	....	assistant sound editor
Butch Wolf	....	foley editor
Eric Gotthelf	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Phil Hadaway	....	adr engineer (uncredited)
Troy Porter	....	adr mixer (uncredited)
Casey Stone	....	additional recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ken Ebert	....	special effects
John Frazier	....	special effects consultant
Jim Jolly	....	special effects (as Jim Jolley)
Tim Moran	....	special effects
Joe Pancake	....	special effects coordinator
Frances Pennington	....	special effects (as Francis Pennington)
Steve Riley	....	special effects coordinator: Savannah

Stunts
George Orrison	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Denise Bailie	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera (as Denise Bailey)
Ed Blakely	....	24 frame video operator
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	Steadicam operator
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Paul Caven	....	rigging chief lighting technician
Bill Coe	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Sam Emerson	....	still photographer (as Sam Young Emerson)
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip (as Tony Garrido)
Jan Gould	....	best boy
Peter N. Green	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera (as Peter Green)
Frank Helbig	....	assistant chief lighting technician: Savannah
Frank R. Jimenez Jr.	....	assistant chief lighting technician: Los Angeles (as Frankie Jimenez)
William McConnell	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Bill McConnell)
Charles Saldana	....	key grip (as Charlie Saldaña)
Kevin Thompson	....	chief lighting technician (as Kevin A. Thompson)
Paul Varrieur	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Charles W. Wayt	....	dolly grip (as Chuck Wayt)
Tom Bradley	....	additional grip (uncredited)
Mark Duncan	....	camera loader (uncredited)
Tom Fendley	....	electrician (uncredited)
Mark Hochman	....	24 frame video operator (uncredited)
Jacqueline J. Nivens	....	second assistant camera: Los Angeles (uncredited)
Randy Tharpe	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Shay Griffin	....	additional casting
Olivia Harris	....	casting associate
Claudia Ramsumair	....	casting assistant
Dennis Adams	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Kevin Goldson	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Kim Petrosky	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cindy Evans	....	set costumer
Sybil Gray	....	key costumer
Deborah Hopper	....	costume supervisor
Kate Sawyer	....	costumer (as Kathleen Sawyer)
Peggy A. Schnitzer	....	set costumer (as Peggy Schnitzer)

Editorial Department
Michael Cipriano	....	assistant film editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Bob Putynkowski	....	color timer
Gary Roach	....	assistant film editor
Don Roth	....	assistant film editor
Brandon K. Hogan	....	post-production (uncredited)

Music Department
Charlie Haden	....	musician: bass
Donald Harris	....	music editor (as Don Harris)
Ernie Watts	....	musician: tenor sax
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Pete Bianco	....	transportation captain
Keith Dillin	....	transportation coordinator
John Lybrand	....	picture vehicles
Gina August	....	driver (uncredited)
Robert Ballentine	....	transportation (uncredited)
Ronald F. Debranski II	....	driver (uncredited)
Tom Sweeney	....	transportation office administrator (uncredited)
Hank Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation: Savannah (uncredited)

Other crew
J. Thomas Bailey	....	set assistant
Marco Barla	....	unit publicist
David Becton	....	insect wrangler
Laura Bryant	....	assistant location manager
Marc Anthony Coar	....	set assistant (as Marc Antony Coar)
Matthew Cope	....	set assistant
Erin Corzine	....	assistant: Ms. Zuckerman
Doug Dearth	....	assistant: Mr. Cusack
Laurence Ducceschi	....	set assistant
Greg East	....	first aid
John Findley III	....	assistant location manager
Megan Fogarty	....	animal trainer
John Guss	....	set assistant
Cate Hardman	....	script supervisor
Bob Hartman	....	production accountant (as Robert Hartman)
Craig Hosking	....	helicopter pilot
Don Kincade	....	set assistant
Antoinette Levine	....	location manager
Jason D. McGatlin	....	production coordinator (as Jason McGatlin)
April Melcher	....	animal trainer
Dennis Miyamoto	....	assistant accountant
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Danny Morris	....	craft service: Los Angeles
Sam Nesbitt	....	location staff assistant
Ian Parker	....	set assistant
Derry J. Pearce	....	assistant accountant (as Derry Pearce)
Jeffrey Phelps	....	set assistant
Michael Scott Reid	....	set assistant
Melissa Rooker	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
Mika Saito	....	assistant production coordinator
Talley Singer	....	set assistant (as Taylor Singer)
Jerrell Skinner	....	set assistant
Heidi Smith	....	assistant accountant
Blanche Sypher	....	craft service: Savannah
Kristin Webb	....	set assistant
Mike Welch	....	assistant: Mr. Spacey
Andrew White	....	production secretary
Doris Wood	....	dance choreographer
Robert Yacobian	....	assistant accountant
Doug Burch	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Lisa Harrison	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jerry Hunt	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Tony Kerum	....	caterer (uncredited)
Grey Moore	....	video (uncredited)
Brian Ransom	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Alice Hayes	....	acknowledgment: The BIRD GIRL Statue was made available for use in the film by the artist's daughter (as Mrs. Alice Hayes)

Production Companies

• Malpaso Productions
• Silver Pictures (in association with)
• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (2001) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1998) (Finland) (all media)
• Warner Bros. (Argentina)
• Warner Bros. (Germany)
• Warner Bros. (France)
• Warner Bros.
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (France) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Avid Film Composer  edited on
• Behind the Scenes Freight  shipping by
• City of Savannah, Georgia  the producers gratefully acknowledge the invaluable help and cooperation of (as the community of Savannah) (for their support and friendship during the production of this film)
• Georgia Film Commission  the producers gratefully acknowledge the invaluable help and cooperation of
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Kodak  motion picture products
• Malpaso Records  soundtrack
• Mirage  titles and opticals
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Savannah Film Commission  the producers gratefully acknowledge the invaluable help and cooperation of
• Tony's Food Service  catering
• Warner Bros. Records  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Medianoche en el jardín del bien y del mal (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Minuit dans le jardin du bien et du mal (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Mitternacht im Garten von Gut und Böse (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Полночь в саду добра и зла (Russia) [ru]
Keskiyö hyvän ja pahan puutarhassa (Finland) [fi]
Meia-Noite no Jardim do Bem e do Mal (Portugal) [pt]
Meia-noite no Jardim do Bem e do Mal (Brazil) [pt]
Mesanyhta ston kipo tou kalou kai tou kakou (Greece) [el]
Mezzanotte nel giardino del bene e del male (Italy) [it]
Midnat i det gode og ondes have (Denmark) [da]
Midnatt i ondskans och godhetens trädgård (Sweden) [sv]
Ponoc u vrtu dobra i zla (Serbia) [sr]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief violence.

Runtime:

155 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG (original rating) (cut) | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (TV rating) | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Mexico:C | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Churchill's - 9 West Drayton Street, Savannah, Georgia, USA

Company:

Malpaso Productions

Trivia:

The Mercer House, the house Jim Williams lived in, was originally built for Hugh Weedon Mercer. Hugh Mercer was the great-grandfather of Johnny Mercer, who co-wrote most of the songs included in the movie's soundtrack. The movie's opening shot, by the way, is of Johnny Mercer's gravestone.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: As Minerva looks up from her Forsyth Park bench to see the plane coming in for a landing, it is headed straight toward downtown Savannah and the harbor. The airport there is actually located north of the city.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Minerva: Quit eye balling me, Flavius. I knew you when you was a two bit hustler on Bull Street.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Damn Good Dog (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Days Of Wine And Roses

Spacey rocks. Think of it as an art-house film.

I haven't read the book. Might have hated the film if I had. But I liked it. I did read some reviews before viewing the film, and I was prepared to dislike it. A lot of the criticism has some validity. The movie isn't really a linear type of murder mystery. It's partly that and partly a quirky travelogue of Savannah. The Lady Chablis character gets way too much screen time, apparently because Eastwood thinks that it will entertain us. It does, but only to a point. However, this is a different sort of movie, so I understand why Eastwood includes so much of Chablis, and the voodoo woman, and the fly guy. Also, John Cusack plays it with the same dead-fish expressionlessness that he brings to most of his roles. This isn't really bad, it's just that he's always the same.

I had never seen one of Kevin Spacey's films before, and I am impressed at how he really nailed the role. I thought his performance made this film.

A word or two about the accents. Most non-Southern actors really murder Southern accents. I'm from Texas, not the Georgia coast, but I thought Spacey hit the accent just right all the way through. It was always there, but was never the focus. (Streepian in its apparent effortlessness) Jack Thompson did his accent very well, also, particularly since I understand that he's an Aussie. Some other cast members didn't do well with the Southern accent, like Alison Eastwood. She overdid it. It seemed strained. And oh, yeah, Cusack sounds like an accentless Californian rather than a New Yorker.

Overall, I guess I've written a lot more criticism than praise, but that wasn't my intent. This was a good movie. Think of it more as an art-house film rather than a mass-market picture, and you might have more realistic expectations.