The Moderns

Plot summary

Nick Hart (Keith Carradine) is an expatriate American artist living in Paris among some of the great artists and writers of the time, including Ernest Hemingway (Kevin J. O'Connor), Gertrude Stein (Elsa Raven), and Alice B. Toklas (Ali Giron). Nick is torn between his wife Rachel (Linda Fiorentino) and Nathalie de Ville (Geraldine Chaplin) who hires him to forge her paintings. He must also contend with Rachel's current husband, Bertram Stone (John Lone), who does not know that his wife is still married to another man.

Cast

Keith Carradine as Nick Hart

Linda Fiorentino as Rachel Stone

John Lone as Bertram Stone

Wallace Shawn as Oiseau

Geneviève Bujold as Libby Valentin

Geraldine Chaplin as Nathalie de Ville

Kevin J. O'Connor as Ernest Hemingway

Production

Meg Tilly was set to play the part of Rachel Stone, but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts and Linda Fiorentino eventually signed on to replace her. Mick Jagger and Sam Shepard were considered to play Bertram Stone, before John Lone was immediately cast. Isabella Rossellini screen-tested for the role of Nathalie de Ville, but lost to Geraldine Chaplin.

Reception

The film received fairly positive reviews from critics, as it currently holds a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards including Best Supporting Male for John Lone, Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography.

American film critic, Roger Ebert, in his review stated that The Moderns is:

"sort of a source study for the Paris of Ernest Hemingway in the 1920s; it's a movie about the raw material he shaped into The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast, and it also includes raw material for books by Gertrude Stein, Malcolm Cowley and Clifford Irving."