Director Ted Kotcheff was brought on as director and he's a solid choice. A veritable jack of all trades with genres, he was coming off of a decade of big box office with North Dallas Forty (1979), First Blood (1982) and Weekend at Bernie's (1989). Like I said, a jack of all trades with many different genres. But with Winter People, it's either the story or the setup but whatever it is, Kotcheff doesn't get the same life from the uncivilized surroundings as he did from the mountains of First Blood. It looks good and does little wrong, but it just doesn't do much in the way of doing anything compelling.
It's a shame because of all the talent involved. Kurt Russell had grown into a serious dramatic actor after a decade of kid's movies and, as said before, McGillis was already recognized as a real talent with the chops to carry any movie on her own. It's almost as if no one gave Kotcheff, Russell and McGillis anything to work with because the very idea that it was sort of like Witness would surely be enough to work. And there are things that do work. The movie looks great, filmed on location in North Carolina and set in the 1930s: the sets, costumes and vistas all feel just right. But the actors don't have the kind of chemistry necessary to pull it beyond that.
So what went wrong? Well, the screenplay simply doesn't provide the story, words or actions that Kotcheff, Russell, and McGillis need. Or maybe the source material itself wasn't enough from the start. It looks great, and everyone does good work, but in the end, the story itself keeps holding everything back from every truly coming alive.
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Producer: Robert H. Solo
Screenplay: Carol Sobieski, based on the novel by John Ehle
Editor: Thom Noble
Cinematography: Francois Protat
Music: John Scott
Production Design: Ron Foreman
Art Direction: Chas. Butcher
Set Decoration: Leslie Morales
Costume Design: Ruth Morley
Cast: Kurt Russell (Wayland Jackson), Kelly McGillis (Collie Wright), Lloyd Bridges (William Wright), Mitchell Ryan (Drury Campbell), Jeffrey Meek (Cole Campbell), Don Michael Paul (Young Wright), Lanny Flaherty (Gudger Wright), Eileen Ryan (Annie Wright), Amelia Burnette (Paula Jackson), David Dwyer (Milton Wright), Bill Gribble (Skeet Campbell)
By Greg Ferrara
