T R I N I   C O N N E C T I O N

This one is for die-hard (Trini-) film enthusiasts only...
A table of films and a listing of personnel cross-connections
and mutual references in films where Trini has appeared in the cast.

Someone may ask: "so what?" So this: At least I find it quite interesting
that despite having been severely underrated, Trini has at least had chances
to work with several other distiguished actors and actresses during her long
career. It is also interesting to see some of the projects the co-actors have
appeared together in, or where the directors or producers link these films.

To see the connection(s) of the person to other film actors or personnel,
click on the letter link after the name. This gets you to the listing of
connections. The link letter and the list letter correspond.
FILMS TABLE:

FILM PRODUCER DIRECTOR ACTORS
RICH KIDS Robert Altman a John Lithgow b c
TIMES SQUARE Robert Stigwood d Allan Moyle e Tim Curry f Robin Johnson g h i Miguel Pinero i
Jay Acovone *
PRIVATE CONTENTMENT Peter Gallagher a
JACOBO TIMERMAN Roy Scheider b Joanna Merlin St
MRS. SOFFEL Gillian Armstrong j Diane Keaton k Mel Gibson d l m Matthew Modine a c g n o 25
Paula Trueman p
SWEET LORRAINE A. and J. Saleh q Giancarlo Esposito r Jerry Lott s Paula Trueman p
Jerry Lott s
SATISFACTION Justine Bateman t Julia Roberts i u v Liam Neeson i m w x
NITTI 24
THE CHAIR A. and J. Saleh q James Coco y Paul Benedict z Paul Calderon i 1 3
Jerry Lott s Mike Starr * Jerry Lott s
STELLA Bette Midler k 4 Stephen Collins k John Goodman 5 6
Marsha Mason y z Ben Stiller i 7 8
SENSIBILITY AND SENSE Eric Stoltz c n 1 9 25 Lili Taylor a 2 3 Lori Singer a
Jean Simmons 10
AMERICAN FRIENDS Alfred Molina i w 11 12 Michael Palin 13 14 Connie Booth 13
Bryan Pringle 12 Roger Lloyd Pack 15 David Calder 16
Simon Jones 17 Sheila Reid 18 Edward Rawle-Hicks 14
Wensley Pithey 16
THE BABE 24 Arthur Hiller 4 John Goodman 5 6
LITTLE WOMEN Gillian Armstrong j Winona Ryder 7 10 Claire Danes x 10 Samantha Mathis 10
Robin Swicord (scr) 19 Kirsten Dunst 6 15 Susan Sarandon f Eric Stoltz c n 1 9 25
Christian Bale 8 18 20 Gabriel Byrne r 20
THE PEREZ FAMILY Robin Swicord (scr) 19 Alfred Molina i 11 Chazz Palminteri r
THE FRIGHTENERS Robert Zemeckis 21 22 25 Michael J. Fox t 17 21 24 Peter Dobson i 23 R. Lee Ermey i o
THE CHRISTMAS TREE Sally Field u 22 23 Andrew McCarthy 3
PAULIE Cheech Marin h
THE LAST DANCE Eric Stoltz c n 1 9 25

THE CONNECTIONS:

a: Robert Altman (producer of Rich Kids) also directed Short Cuts (1987), casting Lori Singer, Lili Taylor (both from Sensibility and Sense), Peter Gallagher (Private Contentment) and Matthew Modine (Mrs. Soffel).
b: John Lithgow (Rich Kids) appeared in All That Jazz (1979) and 2010 (1984) with Roy Scheider (Jacobo Timerman).
c: John Lithgow (Rich Kids), Matthew Modine (Mrs. Soffel) and Eric Stoltz (Little Women) all appeared in Memphis Belle (1990).
d: Robert Stigwood (producer of Times Square) produced Gallipoli (1981), casting Mel Gibson (Mrs. Soffel).
(Moreover, in Stella, Gibson's name is mentioned, and there is a book called "Gallipoli" visible behind Midler's back as she's visiting 'Janice's' office...)
e: Allan Moyle (director of Times Square) directed Empire Records (1995), casting Anthony LaPaglia (Nitti).
(The film also has an ample soundtrack of contemporary youth music, like Times Square did at its time.)
f: Tim Curry (Times Square) appeared in Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) with Susan Sarandon (Little Women).
g: Robin Johnson (Times Square) appeared in Baby, It's You (1983) with Matthew Modine (Mrs. Soffel).
h: Robin Johnson (Times Square) appeared in After Hours (1985) with Cheech Marin (Paulie).
films table
i: Robin Johnson (Times Square), Miguel Pinero ["Calderone"] (Times Square), Liam Neeson, Julia Roberts (both from Satisfaction), Paul Calderon (The Chair), Ben Stiller (Stella), Alfred Molina (American Friends and The Perez Family), R. Lee Ermey and Peter Dobson (both from The Frighteners) have all guested in Miami Vice (1984-) TV series.
j: Gillian Armstrong directed both Mrs. Soffel and Little Women.
(She also directed the feature film version (1982) of the Starstruck "Afterschool Special" which had starred Trini.)
k: Diane Keaton (Mrs. Soffel), Bette Midler (Stella) and Stephen Collins (Stella) all appeared in The First Wives Club (1996).
l: Mel Gibson (Mrs. Soffel) appeared in Maverick (1994) with Alfred Molina (American Friends).
m: Mel Gibson (Mrs. Soffel) appeared in The Bounty (1984) with Liam Neeson (Satisfaction).
n: Matthew Modine (Mrs. Soffel) appeared in Fluke (1995) with Eric Stoltz (Little Women).
o: Matthew Modine (Mrs. Soffel) appeared in Full Metal Jacket (1987) with R. Lee Ermey (The Frighteners).
p: Paula Trueman appeared in both Mrs. Soffel and Sweet Lorraine.
q: Angelika and Joseph Saleh were producers of both Sweet Lorraine and The Chair.
r: Giancarlo Esposito (Sweet Lorraine), Gabriel Byrne (Little Women) and Chazz Palminteri (The Perez Family) all appeared in The Usual Suspects (1995).
films table
s: Jerry Lott (co-producer of Sweet Lorraine and The Chair) appeared in minor roles (appropriately, as a businessman) in both these films he co-produced.
t: Justine Bateman (Satisfaction) appeared in Family Ties (1983-) TV series with Michael J. Fox (The Frighteners).
u: Julia Roberts (Satisfaction) appeared in Steel Magnolias (1989) with Sally Field (director of The Christmas Tree).
v: Julia Roberts (Satisfaction) appeared in Stepmom (1998) with Susan Sarandon (Little Women).
w: Liam Neeson (Satisfaction) appeared in Before and After (1995) with Alfred Molina (American Friends).
x: Liam Neeson (Satisfaction) appeared in Les Miserables (1998) with Claire Danes (all Little Women).
y: James Coco (The Chair) appeared in Only When I Laugh (1981) with Marsha Mason (Stella).
z: Paul Benedict (The Chair) appeared in The Goodbye Girl (1977) with Marsha Mason (Stella).
1: Paul Calderon (The Chair) appeared in Pulp Fiction (1994) with Eric Stoltz (Little Women).
2: Paul Calderon (The Chair) appeared in The Addiction (1994) and Four Rooms (1995), with Lili Taylor (Sensibility and Sense).
3: Lili Taylor (Sensibility and Sense) appeared in Things I Never Told You (1995), with Andrew McCarthy (The Christmas Tree).
4: Arthur Hiller (The Babe) directed Outrageous Fortune (1987), casting Bette Midler (Stella).
5: John Goodman appeared in both Stella and The Babe.
6: John Goodman (Stella and The Babe) appeared in Mother Night (1996) with Kirsten Dunst (Little Women).
films table
7: Ben Stiller (Stella) directed and appeared in Reality Bites (1994) with Winona Ryder (Little Women).
(Also Dave Pirner, Ryder's boyfriend -- on whose album Let Your Dim Light Shine Trini later sang -- appeared in that film.)
8: Ben Stiller (Stella) appeared in Empire of the Sun (1987) with Christian Bale (Little Women).
9: Eric Stoltz appeared in Sensibility and Sense, Little Women and The Last Dance.
10: Jean Simmons (Sensibility and Sense), Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Samantha Mathis (all Little Women) all appeared in How to Make an American Quilt (1995).
11: Alfred Molina appeared in both American Friends and The Perez Family.
12: Alfred Molina (American Friends) appeared in The Steal (1994) with Bryan Pringle (American Friends).
13: Michael Palin (American Friends) appeared in Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-) TV series, as well as in film Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) with Connie Booth (American Friends).
14: Michael Palin (American Friends) appeared in East of Ipswich (1987) TV play with Edward Rawle-Hicks (American Friends).
(Both of these films here are also personal Palin family biographies, American Friends telling the story of how Palin's great-grandfather, played by Palin, met his future wife, East of Ipswich about Michael Palin's meeting of his own wife, Rawle-Hicks playing the part of young Palin.)
15: Roger Lloyd Pack (American Friends) appeared in Interview with the Vampire (1994) with Kirsten Dunst (Little Women).
16: David Calder (American Friends) appeared in Bramwell (1996) TV series with Wensley Pithey (American Friends).
films table
17: Simon Jones (American Friends) appeared in The Concierge/For Love or Money (1993) with Michael J. Fox (The Frighteners).
18: Sheila Reid (American Friends) appeared in Henry V (1989) with Christian Bale (Little Women).
19: Robin Swicord wrote the script for both Little Women and The Perez Family.
20: Christian Bale (Little Women) appeared in Prinsen af Jylland (1994) with Gabriel Byrne (Little Women).
21: Robert Zemeckis (producer of The Frighteners) directed the Back to the Future trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990), casting Michael J. Fox (The Frighteners).
22: Robert Zemeckis (producer of The Frighteners) directed Forrest Gump (1994), casting Sally Field (director of The Christmas Tree).
23: Peter Dobson (The Frighteners) appeared in Forrest Gump (1994) with Sally Field (director of The Christmas Tree).
(Intentional or not, the "floating" statue of Elvis in The Frighteners refers to Dobson's role as a young Elvis in Forrest Gump.)
films table
24: Spoiler: Both Nitti and The Babe have surprisingly much in common, despite both being based on actual events as biographical films. In both the main character rises into prominence and power before his falldown; both take place in the 1920s/30s (with newsreel films of Babe Ruth taking championship in both); in both Trini plays a young wife (both main characters' first) who can't have babies herself; the couple adopts a baby; Trini's character dies before the end of the film.
25: Sidenote: When the original casting for the role of "Marty" in Back to the Future (1985) (directed by Robert Zemeckis (producer of The Frighteners)), Eric Stoltz (Sensibility and Sense and Little Women), was fired [Stoltz as Marty], the role was first offered to Matthew Modine (Mrs. Soffel), who however declined (as he didn't want to replace his friend Stoltz -- a mistake careerwise?), and the role went to Michael J. Fox (The Frighteners) instead...
films table
Staged In stage play Levin Trini appeared with Joanna Merlin (Starstruck and Jacobo Timerman) and the play was directed by Arthur Masella (director of stage musical Yours, Anne). Merlin is also given a "special thanks to" on the cast recording of Yours, Anne.
Starstruck-actors Merlin and Lee Curreri also appeared in previous year's Fame.
Also, in Levin, Trini's character is called Kitty which is also the name of her character's, Anne Frank's, diary in Yours, Anne...
I N T R O D U C T I O N

© e t dankwa 6 August 2000