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Wise Blood

  • 1979
  • PG
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
6.7K
YOUR RATING
Brad Dourif, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, Dan Shor, and Amy Wright in Wise Blood (1979)
Trailer for this film based on the Flannery O'Connor novel
Play trailer2:41
1 Video
17 Photos
Dark ComedyComedyDrama

Fresh out of the army, Hazel Motes attempts to open the first Church Without Christ in the small town of Taulkinham.Fresh out of the army, Hazel Motes attempts to open the first Church Without Christ in the small town of Taulkinham.Fresh out of the army, Hazel Motes attempts to open the first Church Without Christ in the small town of Taulkinham.

  • Director
    • John Huston
  • Writers
    • Flannery O'Connor
    • Benedict Fitzgerald
    • Michael Fitzgerald
  • Stars
    • Brad Dourif
    • John Huston
    • Dan Shor
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    6.9/10
    6.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • Flannery O'Connor
      • Benedict Fitzgerald
      • Michael Fitzgerald
    • Stars
      • Brad Dourif
      • John Huston
      • Dan Shor
    • 67User reviews
    • 48Critic reviews
    • 84Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 nominations total

    Videos1

    Wise Blood
    Trailer 2:41
    Wise Blood

    Photos17

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    + 11
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    Top cast36

    Edit
    Brad Dourif
    Brad Dourif
    • Hazel Motes
    John Huston
    John Huston
    • Grandfather
    Dan Shor
    Dan Shor
    • Enoch Emory
    Harry Dean Stanton
    Harry Dean Stanton
    • Asa Hawks
    Amy Wright
    Amy Wright
    • Sabbath Lily
    Mary Nell Santacroce
    • Landlady
    Ned Beatty
    Ned Beatty
    • Hoover Shoates
    William Hickey
    William Hickey
    • Preacher
    J.L. Parker
    • Karl
    Marvin Sapp
    • Raymond
    Richard Earle
    • Jakob Winslow
    Herb Kossover
    • Jacob Wood
    Betty Lou Groover
    • Leora Watts
    John Tyndall
    • Loki Martinson
    Gillaaron Houck
    • Stranger #1
    Philip Mixer
    • Stranger #2
    Sharon Johnson
    • Stranger #3
    Joe Dorsey
    Joe Dorsey
    • Stranger #4
    • Director
      • John Huston
    • Writers
      • Flannery O'Connor
      • Benedict Fitzgerald
      • Michael Fitzgerald
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The reason why John Huston's name is incorrectly spelled as "Jhon Huston" in the credits is because the producers hired a little girl to write the titles. The producers decided to leave it the way it was because the story was very strange anyway. There is also a shot of a headstone in a cemetery that has the word angel misspelled as " angle".
    • Goofs
      Sabbath's bra strap goes from down to up between shots.
    • Quotes

      Hazel: No man with a good car needs to be justified!

    • Crazy credits
      Director John Huston is credited in all the titles as "Jhon Huston". Producer Michael Fitzgerald later explained that, wanting to have a child-like look to the credits, they had an actual child write the names. The child misspelled Huston's first name, but they liked it and kept it, as a metaphor for the artificial, off-kilter tone of the story.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Something Short of Paradise/Wise Blood/In Search of Historic Jesus/Woyzeck (1979)
    • Soundtracks
      Tennessee Waltz
      (uncredited)
      Written by Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King
      Heard as a theme during the opening credits and during the film

    User reviews67

    Featured review

    Weird Film with a Strong Dourif Performance

    Vignette styled look at southern towns, corruption, hypocrisy, and the hidden 'evils' of evangelism. Has a atmosphere that is so thick you can almost taste it.

    Dourif's performance is so good, so solid, and so powerful that it literally propels you through the story no matter which avenue it takes (and it does take some strange avenues). His performance should have won him the Academy award and shows just how poorly used he has been. This is for all those who think Chucky in CHILD'S PLAY is the best thing he has done.

    Although never completely satisfying, the final 20 minutes do have some rather 'odd' twists that may stay with you even after it's long over.
    • rwint
    • Feb 24, 2002
    • Permalink

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    FAQ15

    • How long is Wise Blood?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 17, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • John Huston's Wise Blood
    • Filming locations
      • Macon, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Anthea Film
      • Ithaca
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    Brad Dourif, Ned Beatty, Harry Dean Stanton, Dan Shor, and Amy Wright in Wise Blood (1979)
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