Between the Lines

(1977) dir Joan Micklin Silver w/Bruno Kirby, Gwen Welles, Jeff Goldblum, Jill Eikenberry, Joe Morton, John Heard, Jon Korkes, Lane Smith, Lewis J. Stadlen, Lindsay Crouse, Marilu Henner, Michael J. Pollard [101 min; DCP]

Here’s a priceless opportunity to revisit Boston and Cambridge in the mid-1970s. This scrappy independent film was shot on location in and around the city including Copley Square, Cambridgeport, and, of course, Harvard Square as it unfolds the Altman-like tale of the final days of independence for a storied alt-weekly newspaper. Co-scripted by Fred Barron, who had written for both The Boston Phoenix and The Real Paper, BETWEEN THE LINES feels authentically Boston – even in the locations that were shot in New York City – and even though the Back Bay Mainline’s office is clearly located in Cambridge. The film went on to great success – scoring awards at the Berlin Film Festival and even launching a short-lived TV show – and it features an early performance from Jeff Goldblum as the paper’s erstwhile music critic who seems to spend much more time scoring dates than writing.