Opening Night

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4:43

Opening Night

PG-13

1977

2h 24m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

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27 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Actress Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) is a functioning alcoholic actress who is a few days from the opening night of her latest play, concerning a woman distraught about aging. One night a car kills one of Myrtle's fans who is chasing her limousine in an attempt to get the star's attention. Myrtle internalizes the accident and goes on a spiritual quest, but fails to find the answers she is after. As opening night inches closer and closer, fragile Myrtle must find a way to make the show go on.

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Critics Consensus

Opening Night is as dense and difficult as one would expect from John Cassavetes, but even the director's detractors will be unable to deny the power of Gena Rowlands' performance.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

Mar 23, 2019

4/5

Tying back to A Woman Under the Influence... [Cassavetes] explores what happens when women don't play their prescribed roles.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Jul 5, 2016

Cassavetes's most cleverly constructed film is also a definitive lesson in the death-defying, all-consuming art of acting, proof of a madness beyond the Method.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Jul 28, 2008

Gena Rowlands turns in another virtuoso performance as the troubled actress. Cassavetes' highly personal work will please his coterie of enthusiasts, but for general audiences it will be viewed as shrill, puzzling, depressing and overlong.

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David Schwartz

Screen Slate

Aug 24, 2026

Opening Night’s stature has steadily grown in the years since its release.

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Justine Smith

Vague Visages

Jun 6, 2024

As the film progresses, the truth comes to the surface, and it hits with bludgeoning force.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Mar 14, 2019

3.5/4

Rowlands takes the movie by the throat...

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Jasmine W

@jasniquejewels Aug 31, 2026

gena rowlands acting never fails to amaze me! this film was outstanding and fascinating to watch this is definitely up there with my favorite cassavetes films.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone May 4, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Mar 29, 2026

Another classic by Cassavetes. Great performance by Rowlands as always. Cassavetes is a master of capturing emotional intensity. The film is long but rewarding.

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Chelsea C

@Tuzinelda Jan 28, 2026

I saw this movie at Alamo this week. I checked the reviews here before I went and I am so perplexed how its reviews are so high. Opening Night is sloppy and lazy. Most of the characters are very poorly written, and there were many missed opportunities to explore anything substantial. The older female playwright was given a very disrespectful amount of creative attention. This movie wishes it was about an actress aging, it sure says it is. But it isn’t. It’s more about alcoholism and it isn’t saying anything interesting about that. The play we are asked to believe was being produced had minimal thought given to it, and we suffer through multiple rounds of meandering off tone improv. It’s unclear what the play even needed to be from the beginning, because I think Cassavetes didn’t make those choices. Perhaps, the main character, like Cassavetes, can get away with doing bad work because they are or were beautiful. And the emperor can have no clothes as long as they once were a star.

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Rare T

@RT00283363 Sep 10, 2024

Very well filmed and acted out.

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Charles B

@RT57688612 Jul 13, 2024

fell asleep in parts of the movie so I had a hard time following the plot. but it was quite intense. The movie projects lots of authentic emotion which is more than can be said for most movies

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John Cassavetes

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Gena Rowlands

Myrtle Gordon

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Opening Night: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Actress Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) is a functioning alcoholic actress who is a few days from the opening night of her latest play, concerning a woman distraught about aging. One night a car kills one of Myrtle's fans who is chasing her limousine in an attempt to get the star's attention. Myrtle internalizes the accident and goes on a spiritual quest, but fails to find the answers she is after. As opening night inches closer and closer, fragile Myrtle must find a way to make the show go on.

Director: John Cassavetes
Producer: Al Ruban
Screenwriter: John Cassavetes
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1977, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 29, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.5K
Runtime: 2h 24m

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