BETWEEN THE LINES gets good marks from reviewers, citing the work from the ensemble cast, all of them fresh to scene in 1977, several of them making their feature debuts. It’s a 4-C entry–a Counterculture Co-opted by Capitalism Comedy, this time centering around an alternative newspaper, the likes of which having been mercilessly ground down by new editions of the Old Guard.

Boston. ‘The Back Bay Mainline’—with its post-hippie but still hip staff of truth seekers, justice scouts and self-righteous smartasses—has always been fractious but free. Now it looks to be fractured and fettered, taken over by a corporate entity intent on pushing circulation thru advertisements, a buyout that to the staff vets is really a sellout. While this roto-rooting is set to flush, intertwining bylines of the prickly personalities underline the problem that the Mainline in particular, democracy in general and people as a rule are faced with—everyone’s always arguing.

Written by Fred Barron (he’d been in the trenches for a couple of alternative weeklies), it was directed by Joan Micklin Silver, who’d scored with her first feature Hester Street.  According to journalist vets of the time & type it does well in capturing the look and vibe of the creative anarchy, collective passion and individual ambition such messenger dens grew from and fell victim to (making the topple job easier for behemoths). It was marketed and often reviewed as a romantic-comedy, but given how sexist and miserable the ‘romances’ are it’s best digested as ‘farce with benefits’, or ‘smug with hugs’. Likable characters are scarce as facts on Fox, yet with a few exceptions the cast puts it across.

Catching the vibe most effectively are John Heard (30, debut, as an arrogant jerk), Jeff Goldblum (24, 9th part, 1st substantial role, and the slyest, most entertaining character), Stephen Collins (30, 2nd film, another jerk), Gwen Welles (24, her best movie role), Jill Eikenberry (29, feature debut, the nicest character in the group), Bruno Kirby (one of the likable set), Lane Smith (aces as the new corporate honcho) and Raymond J. Barry (38, debut, as a nutjob performance artist)

Cogerson reports a gross of $8,800,000, placed 62nd in 1977; a number of reviews offer it made much less: where’s a good investigative reporter (with a line of bull and a doobie attitude) when you need one? With Lindsay Crouse, Lewis J. Stadlen (obnoxious), Jon Korkes (more obnoxious), Marilu Henner (24, debut), Michael J. Pollard (37, gonzo weird as always), Joe Morton (29, debut), Robert Costanzo. 101 minutes.