a Carlsson train, at the same spot he watched the trains pass as a child. Cast Matt Dillon as Jonathan Corliss Sean Young as Ellen/Dorothy Carlsson Max von Sydow as Thor Carlsson Diane Ladd as Mrs. Corliss James Russo as Dan Corelli Ben Browder as Tommy Roussell Martha Gehman as Patricia Farren Jim Fyfe as Terry Dieter Lachele Carl as Reporter Shane Rimmer as Commissioner Malley Adam Horovitz as Jay Faraday Production The producers of A Kiss Before Dying wanted River Phoenix to play Jonathan. They approached him several times for the role, and kept increasing their offers, but he didn't feel a connection to the material and felt he was unsuitable to play the part, so he repeatedly turned it down and Matt Dillon was then cast. Diane Lane and Penelope Ann Miller were each considered for the dual roles of Ellen and Dorothy, but both rejected it. Bridget Fonda was originally cast, but quit the production due to scheduling conflicts and Sean Young signed on to replace her. Locations The film was primarily shot in Great Britain, with secondary locations in the United States. British locations include: Port Talbot steelworks, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, (opening sequence at "Abbey Coke Ovens area of Port Talbot Steel works, with Main Pumphouse, cooling tower and water storage towers in the background"); Brocket Hall, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England; Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England; Lee International Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England; and London, England. United States: Charlottesville, Virginia; New York City; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Distribution The film opened in wide release on 26 April 1991 in the United States. In England it opened on 14 June 1991. The box-office receipts were poor. The first week's gross was $4,348,165 and the total receipts for the four-week run were $14,478,720. The film was in wide release for thirty-one days. In its widest release the film was featured in 1,546 theatres across the country. Reception Critical response Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert praised the direction of the picture and Matt Dillon's work, writing, "This is Matt Dillon's first film since Drugstore Cowboy, and demonstrates again that he is one of the best actors working in movies. He possesses the secret of not giving too much, of not trying so hard that we're distracted by his performance... [and director] Dearden helps it work because he doesn't press his point." Rolling Stones Peter Travers was not