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FilmographyLakeboat
Directed by Joe Mantegna
Genre: Drama
Plot Outline: Film adaptation of David Mamet's comic play Lakeboat about a grad student who takes a summer job on a Great Lakes freighter and sees life through the eyes of his low-brow crew members.Coming-of-age tale set aboard a shipping freighter traveling America's Great Lakes. Creating a memoir of his own experiences, writer and Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross, American Buffalo) tells the story of Dale, an Ivy League college student who gets a summer job working on one of the freighters operating on the Great Lakes. Once on board, he meets a gallery of old lags and long-time workers and learns about their various on and off-shore lives. In so doing, he gains an empathy for these men, while also becoming relieved that his life won't be circumscribed by the limitations of work aboard ship. This semi-autobiographical story contains all the best characteristics of Mamet's writing for theatre and film; there is an acute understanding of male experiences, an earthy humour and brilliant dialogue which authentically reflects the rhythm and cadences of the way these world-weary characters talk in private to each other. Lakeboat is also a fine directorial debut for actor Joe Mantegna, himself a long-term associate of Mamet. Using the various cramped interiors of the boat to great effect, he draws out exceptionally good performances from the marvelous cast.
Cast overview, first billed only:
CHARLES DURNING - Skippy
PETER FALK - The Pierman
ANDY GARCIA - Guigliani
DENIS LEARY - The Fireman
GEORGE WENDT - First Mate Collins
ROBERT FORSTER - Joe Pitko
J.J. JOHNSTON - Stan
TONY MAMET - Dale Katzman
JACK WALLACE - Fred
ROBERTA ANGELICA - Prostitute
DIANE FABIAN - Janice, age 50
LORI GORDON - Janice, age 18
STEVEN GRAYHM - Fred, age 18
JASON JAZRAWY - Joe Litko, age 20
PATRICK PATTERSON - Janice's Husband
MPAA: Rated R for strong language and some sexual content.
Runtime: 98 min
Country: USA/Canada
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital