27. Coppola Cast #9: Patton (1970)

This week we’re back to reviewing Francis Coppola’s work as a writer for hire with the epic war film Patton (1970). Coppola wrote his screenplay for Patton years before the film was actually made and released and was surprised how closely the final film followed his screenplay. Patton turned out to be a major hit and won 7 Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay for Coppola, an important boost to his career. We discuss Coppola’s approach to presenting the character of Patton, George C. Scott’s incredible performance, and the 1970 Oscars. This episode’s Coppola wine was: 2017 Black Label Claret.

26. Coppola Cast #8: The Rain People (1969)

The characters in Francis Coppola’s The Rain People are on a cross country roadtrip but we are sheltering in place. After directing an old fashioned studio musical, Coppola returns to a more intimate, character focused story with The Rain People. Shirley Knight stars as a young housewife that leaves on a road trip to reevaluate her decisions. Her journey of self discovery takes a turn when she picks up a former college football star with brain damage (James Caan). In terms of style and technique this is as far away from Finian’s Rainbow as you can get. We talk about road movies, the “70’s movie ending”, and the Farrelly brothers come up, naturally. This episode’s wine was: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Blue Label Merlot 2016.