Newstroom comedy features up-and-coming stars
“Between the Lines,” directed by Joan Micklin Silver and released in 1977, is a comedy about the last days of a fictional Boston alternative weekly newspaper, The Back Bay Mainline. Millionaire mogul Roy Walsh (Lane Smith) is set on buying the newspaper, changing its focus, and firing its more vocal muckrakers. The staff is composed of former 1960s radicals who fear that the paper’s glory days are in the past.<br /><br />Harry Lucas (John Heard) was once the paper’s foremost crusader but these days he turns out fluff lifestyle pieces, such as one on strippers. Star reporter Michael (Stephen Collins) is writing his Great American Novel about the death of the counterculture and hardly ever comes to work. While he hopes for a lucrative publishing deal his girlfriend, Laura (Gwen Welles), works two jobs to pay the bills. Office manager Lynn (Jill Eikenberry) encourages the writers’ dreams and feeds their outsize egos. Photographer Abbie (Lindsay Crouse), one of the more pragmatic characters in the film, has an on-again, off-again relationship with Harry.<br /><br />Max Arloft (Jeff Goldblum) is the resident rock critic. Ever ready with a wisecrack and perennially broke, he sells his review copies of LPs to a scruffy dealer and hustles free drinks at local bars. David Entwhistle (Bruno Kirby) is a cub reporter whose idealism and drive echo the spirit that long since left the newsroom. The sole salesperson, known only as the Hawker (Michael J. Pollard), maneuvers through heavy traffic to sell the papers at 25 cents each. Stanley (Lewis J. Stadlen) is the paper’s one-man advertising department, an establishment type in a non-establishment setting. Frequently the butt of the reporters’ practical jokes, Stanley is the source of many of the film’s comic moments.<br /><br />Personal stories of the staff dominate the film, while the work of reporting takes a back seat. Harry and Abbie interview a stripper (Marilu Henner). Inexperienced David, who knows little about pursuing a story, is repeatedly rebuffed by his subject and gets himself into a dangerous predicament. This is the point. Little excitement is brewing at the Mainline these days, yet the staff hangs in, longing for the time when their efforts mattered.<br /><br />Director Silver put together an excellent acting ensemble. The interaction among the characters feels real. These are flawed individuals whose shortcomings grate on others. They still thrive on the newsroom environment but changing times have reduced them to just going through the motions of journalism. Only Abbie seems to retain the enthusiasm and drive that have evaporated among her colleagues. When she learns that there are still abuses at the nursing home that Harry once exposed, for instance, she suggests rushing there instantly to photograph it.<br /><br />It’s fascinating to see so many now established actors as newcomers. Silver sure had a knack for casting; nearly every actor in the film went on to a successful career. The episodic structure of the film allows stand-out moments for each of the principal characters.<br /><br />The film has a meandering quality that reflects the loose working atmosphere of the paper, but not every scene works. A man comes in, trashes a typewriter, and announces he’s a conceptual artist available for an interview. This sparks a chain reaction of destruction that’s both unlikely and rather silly. A long sequence in a nightclub where the entire staff attends a music business showcase turns into a mini music video of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. This interrupts the narrative, though it does inject some fire and moves the action out of the newsroom.<br /><br />There’s a nostalgic feel to “Between the Lines.” Writer Barron worked for a couple of alternative weeklies, and his affection for that form of journalism is apparent. In the 2000s, many newspapers have struggled to stay afloat or simply gone out of business so, for younger viewers, the film’s concentration on a brick and mortar place where people congregate to pursue muckraking stories may seem quite odd.<br /><br />Bonus features on the R-rated Blu-ray release include an interview with director Joan Micklin Silver, original trailer, restoration trailer, and a booklet.
The movie title "Between the Lines [Blu-ray]," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.2 from 47 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Blu-ray and Movies. 
The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Drama, Drama/Love & Romance, DVD Movie, Blu-ray Movie", "Format": "NTSC, Subtitled", "Contributor": "Joe Morton, Stephen Collins, Lindsay Crouse, Jeff Goldblum", "Language": "English (PCM Mono)", "Runtime": "1 hour and 42 minutes", "Aspect Ratio": "1.85:1", "MPAA rating": "R (Restricted)", "Product Dimensions": "0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.47 Ounces", "Media Format": "NTSC, Subtitled", "Run time": "1 hour and 42 minutes", "Release date": "June 18, 2019", "Actors": "Lindsay Crouse, Jeff Goldblum, Stephen Collins, Joe Morton", "Studio": "Cohen Media Group", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : At the offices of a Boston alternative newspaper, the staff members enjoy a positive and open-minded work environment. Music critic Max (Jeff Goldblum) uses his influence to score dates, while news reporter Harry (John Heard) is dating the lovely Abbie (Lindsay Crouse), the publication's lead photographer. However, it seems as though their relatively carefree days are numbered when the owner of a major publishing company buys the paper, leading to more money, but even more changes. The sophomore film by trailblazing writer/ director Joan Micklin Silver marked her second independent production and theatrical follow up to the acclaimed Hester Street. Cohen Film Collection is proud to present a new 2K restoration of this classic workplace comedy.Bonus Content:.