The Conversation

''
The Conversation'' is a 1974 American
neo-noir mystery thriller film written, produced, and directed by
Francis Ford Coppola. It stars
Gene Hackman as surveillance expert Harry Caul who faces a moral dilemma when his recordings reveal a potential murder. Supporting cast members include
John Cazale,
Allen Garfield,
Cindy Williams, and
Frederic Forrest.
Harrison Ford and
Teri Garr appear in credited roles, and
Robert Duvall in an uncredited role.
Mackenzie Phillips, who had just worked for Coppola on
American Graffiti along with Williams and Ford, had a supporting role as Harry Caul's niece that was dropped during the film's editing stage. Likewise,
Abe Vigoda's role as Caul's lawyer also ended up on the cutting room floor.
''The Conversation'' premiered at the
1974 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d'Or, and was released theatrically on April 7, 1974, by
Paramount Pictures to critical acclaim. It made $4.4 million during its original release, and after several re-releases, its total rose to $4.8 million on a $1.6 million budget. The film received three nominations at the
47th Academy Awards:
Best Picture,
Best Original Screenplay, and
Best Sound.
In 1995, it was selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry by the
Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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