Today I Learned That Jennifer Connelly Was In "Once Upon A Time In America"...

[SteyrAUG]

She played the young Deborah.



Been a favorite film since I saw it in 1984 but never put it together. Like most I didn't become very interested in Connelly until the film "Career Opportunities" (1991).

For anyone thinking what the hell movie are you talking about, it's currently available on Netflix if you are into old school gangster sagas.

Another thing I never noticed until this recent viewing, the same pan flute music featured in the "Karate Kid" (1984) is also used in this film.

[Averageman]

Great Movie

[titsonritz]

Yep, it was her fisrt movie. They had a body double for her little tush because she was underage to show her's off.

ETA: She is one of those women that keeps getting better looking with time.

[SteyrAUG]

Yep, it was her fisrt movie. They had a body double for her little tush because she was underage to show her's off.

ETA: She is one of those women that keeps getting better looking with time.

She was also a bit older than the character she portrayed but yeah, still underage. I also found out that a nearly completely restored directors cut is now available so I will be going down that rabbit hole. And I thought this version was long at 229 mins.

[Delta-3]

Great movie! I've watched it many, many times (far better than the Godfather IMHO). As for Jennifer, she grew into one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. If you want to see a more "mature" view of her you need to watch Mulholland Falls.

[SteyrAUG]

Great movie! I've watched it many, many times (far better than the Godfather IMHO). As for Jennifer, she grew into one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. If you want to see a more "mature" view of her you need to watch Mulholland Falls.

Ironically Sergio Leone was offered The Godfather but passed in order to move this project forward. It's hard to say this film is better than The Godfather or vice verse, even though they are in the same genre they are very different films despite many similarities.

I think The Godfather is almost a perfect film, and even though I can watch it over and over, I don't watch it in the same way I watch Once Upon A Time In America. What floors me in both films is the little details, but in some ways Once Upon A Time is the weaker film, the plot twists are seen from a mile away and of course it matters which version of the film you are watching.

They also wasted the main crew half way through the film which hurt it badly. That was necessary to achieve the "predictable" plot twist but still hurt the film. But these fumbles were made up with a savagery that is probably realistic but one that we seem to forget. Noodles actually rapes two women, including one he wanted to marry, and we still see him as sympathetic. I also think Woods character "Max" just isn't developed enough or believable enough to be a counterpoint to DeNiro.

And if Leone were allowed to do a Part I and Part II, both two hour films, one film with their childhood into early adulthood and the second film from early adulthood to late adulthood, things would have worked a lot better.

We also saw virtually nothing of the syndicate, that operated behind the scenes and directed most of the plot twists of the story. They were mentioned in passing and nothing more.

The Godfather, while not spoon feeding you everything, at least put most of it on the table.

[glocktogo]

Yep, it was her fisrt movie. They had a body double for her little tush because she was underage to show her's off.

ETA: She is one of those women that keeps getting better looking with time.

I was in a discussion on another platform about past movies which couldn't be made today (or couldn't be made the same way). At some point underage nudity came up and how it can't be done anymore. It was pointed out that Ana de Armas was nude in her first film at 16 in 2006. Back in '84 when this movie came out, Michelle Johnson was nude in sexual situations with a much older Michael Caine in Blame it on Rio, and she was 16 (also the nude debut for Demi Moore, pre-implants).

The Blue Lagoon was just 4 years prior to that with an underage Brooke Shields, and she had to convince Congress that all the nude shots were done with of age body doubles. Yet 3 years prior to that she appeared nude in Pretty Baby at the age of 11, and that movie was all about prostitution. I honestly can't comprehend how that movie EVER got made, much less MPAA rated.

I just don't get how they can get away with some things because it's "art" where others are banned. Seems like a double standard depending on who's making it and who's cast.

[SteyrAUG]

I was in a discussion on another platform about past movies which couldn't be made today (or couldn't be made the same way). At some point underage nudity came up and how it can't be done anymore. It was pointed out that Ana de Armas was nude in her first film at 16 in 2006. Back in '84 when this movie came out, Michelle Johnson was nude in sexual situations with a much older Michael Caine in Blame it on Rio, and she was 16 (also the nude debut for Demi Moore, pre-implants).

The Blue Lagoon was just 4 years prior to that with an underage Brooke Shields, and she had to convince Congress that all the nude shots were done with of age body doubles. Yet 3 years prior to that she appeared nude in Pretty Baby at the age of 11, and that movie was all about prostitution. I honestly can't comprehend how that movie EVER got made, much less MPAA rated.

I just don't get how they can get away with some things because it's "art" where others are banned. Seems like a double standard depending on who's making it and who's cast.

In 1968 Olivia Hussey was not allowed to view her own film, Romeo and Juliet, because she flashed some boobies in one scene. Everyone else was allowed to see it but she was underage.

And yeah, Pretty Baby was probably the most extreme example.