What a great cult movie!!! Can you believe over 20 years have past since it was aired? I still watch if once a year, every year!. If you are a true super-fan, or even just someone who enjoyed the movie enough to come and read this piece - a real treat is waiting for you. I have gathered some fun facts (including one very famous 'cat fight') and some information about the cast itself.
Just lay back and enjoy this trip back in time!
Now and Then was a 1995 movie directed by Lesli Linka Glatter designed to show how the impact of early life decisions can transform who we are as adults. The movie wasn't a huge hit when it was released, but is now considered to be something of a cult classic. Let's take a look at the stars and see how they've done since its release.
Did You Know? 'Now And Then' Is Based On Real Life
Marlene King, the author of the screenplay, says that Now and Then is completely based on her own childhood.
"This really was my childhood...I had some best friends, we did séances in the graveyard, we loved a good mystery," she said. "And my parents were also getting divorced at that time. It really was a true-to-life thing for me."
King says that she was a little bit of all the girls except for Chrissy.
Christina Ricci (Roberta)
Now and Then wasn't Christina Ricci's first rodeo, as she'd starred in Mermaids and The Addams Family beforehand. It was, however, the first time she'd played a supporting role as a "big star."
Christina Ricci - Today
Christina Ricci is, of course, still working today. She'll be voicing Terra in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract in 2017 and was Rebecca in the movie Mothers and Daughters in 2016. She's also the national spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network.
Gaby Hoffmann (Samantha)
Gaby Hoffman's "Samantha" is the narrator of Now and Then, and might be considered the lead actress. She's a little odd growing up and is investigating the paranormal and coming to terms with her life throughout the movie.
Gaby Hoffmann - Today
Gaby picked up two Emmy award nominations in 2015 for her work on Girls and Transparent and another two nominations in 2016 for Transparent. She also recently starred in the music video for Sia's "Unstoppable."
Did You Know? Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Starred In The Film
What would have been better in an all-female led movie than to have one of Hollywood's biggest heartthrobs in there for the audience to drool over?
Sadly, Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't able to fulfill his commitment to play the Vietnam War veteran and canceled his appearance at the very last minute.
Matt Damon was slated to replace him, but that didn't work out either. Ultimately, the role went to actor Brendan Fraser and was uncredited.
Ashleigh Aston Moore (Chrissy)
Ashleigh as Chrissy Dewitt is the "goody-goody" of the movie. She is regularly mocked by the other girls for her naivety and spends her time telling off other people for cursing. She is very loyal to the other girls, though. I could only found this creepy image... If you have a better one please do send it over to me!
Ashleigh Aston Moore - Today
Sadly, there's not much to say about Ashleigh's ongoing career. She was just 26 when she died of pneumonia and bronchitis in Canada, though according to some news sources, it might have been a heroin overdose.
Thora Birch (Teeny)
Teeny is the most outgoing and sexually aware girl of the gang. Thora Birch's performance as the rich girl with near-always absent parents is easy to like.
Thora Birch definitely went on to bigger things after Now and Then. She won an Academy Award for her work in America Beauty, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her work in Ghost World. She recently starred in 2016's Colony on TV.
Did You Know? Flop To Cult
Now and Then's portrayal of four young girls and their adult selves was seen by many critics as a poor copy of a recently successful Stephen King adaption, Stand by Me, and it was a bit of a flop at the box office.
However, the movie has gone on to be something of a cult classic with its relatable performances from some major stars and the fact that Stand by Me was about boys growing up and Now and Then was about girls (which attracts female audiences).
Rosie O'Donnell (Roberta)
Rosie O'Donnell was a big star already by the time she starred in Now and Then. She played the adult version of Roberta, an obstetrician. The movie ends with her delivering Chrissy's baby.
Rosie O'Donnell - Today
O'Donnell is an incredibly busy woman today. She regularly makes TV appearances such as in the pilot of SMILF in 2016, and in Mom and Match Game and The $100,000 Pyramid and Hairspray Live! all in the same year.
Demi Moore (Samantha)
Demi Moore portrays an adult "Samantha," still adrift in the world and confused by it. She's a successful sci-fi author by then, but somehow still lost.
Demi Moore - Today
After Now and Then, Demi Moore's career has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Her most famous film role was in 1990's Ghost, and she has since struggled to reach that level of fame again. Still, she continues to work, and her last major film role was alongside Kevin Costner in 2007's Mr. Brooks.
Rita Wilson (Chrissy)
The adult Chrissy, played by Rita Wilson, was still very much a goody-goody, and is married to Morton Williams (a nerd). She returns to town in order for her friend Roberta to deliver her baby.
Rita Wilson - Today
In addition to being an actress, Rita Wilson has been a singer, activist, and producer. Her biggest hit to date was as the producer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding in 2002. She released her AM/FM album on Decca in 2012 and joined the ONE campaign in 2015 for women's rights.
Melanie Griffith (Teeny)
Adult Teeny, played by Melanie Griffith, is much the same as her younger self, tough she's paid for breast implants and clawed her way through several marriages by the end of the movie.
Melanie Griffith - Today
After Now and Then, Griffith continued her acting career. Her last role was in The Masterpiece in 2016. She also stunned Broadway in the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago where critics said she was incredible even though they'd expected her to struggle with the part.
Devon Sawa (Scott Wormer)
Devon Sawa's big contribution as Scott Wormer was in the form of being spied on by the 4 young girls as he and his brother go skinny dipping in the town lake.
Devon Sawa - Today
He is still acting today, and while he's never hit the big time, 2016's Punk's Dead was a watchable movie and he also starred in Real Detective and Animal Kingdom in the same year on TV. He also became a father, for the second time, in 2016. So good to see he's doing well in life.
Lolita Davidovich (Mrs. Albertson)
Samantha's mother, played by Lolita Davidovich, is both concerned and somewhat distant in Now and Then. She provides a backdrop for the larger story to unfold upon.
Lolita Davidovich - Today
Recently, she appeared in True Detective and Blood & Oil on the small screen and has been in CSI, The L Word, Rizzoli & Isles and Curb Your Enthusiasm, too. Her last appearance on the big screen was in 2015's The Longest Ride, which was a box office and critical failure.
Did You Know? The Young Versions Were Cast First
The four young girls were cast before the adult actors. This is because the producers felt it was easier to find adult versions of children than child versions of specific adults.
Interestingly, Rosie O'Donnell had to be cajoled into accepting her role. She felt she'd been doing enough elsewhere and wasn't really interested in the job. It took the directors visiting her regularly to woo her over and ultimately change her mind.
Rumer Willis (Angela Albertson)
Rumer Willis is the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. Her part as Samantha's sister in Now and Then wasn't very substantial, and really only served to emotionally round out the character of Samantha.
Rumer Willis - Today
Strangely, in later life, it was Melanie Griffith's footsteps Rumer followed by playing Roxie Hart in a Broadway production of Chicago in 2015. This followed an award-winning performance in season 20 of Dancing With the Stars.
Cloris Leachman (Grandma Albertson)
Cloris Leachman was the most distinguished star of Now and Then with 9 Emmy awards and an Academy Award to her credit. She didn't get much screentime as Samantha's grandmother, however.
Cloris Leachman - Today
Yes, she's still working (!) even though she's in her 70s now. She stars in 2017's The Comedian and Is That a Gun in Your Pocket? and So B. It in 2016. She'll also be in both Justice League Action and American Gods later in 2017.
Did You Know? Leachman and Moore cat fight
After having starred together in Now and Then, you'd have thought that Leachman might have been less tempted to mock Demi Moore, but she went right ahead and did it anyway in 1997.
She recreated Demi Moore's world famous Vanity Fair cover and posed on the front of Alternative Medicine Digest. Leachman is also a big believer in animal rights, and once opened a condom with her teeth in a PETA campaign.
Who's done a better job? We'll leave it for you to decide!
Hank Azaria (Bud Kent)
As you might expect, Samantha's mom's boyfriend, in the form of Hank Azaria, wasn't a key player in the movie Now and Then, but it certainly helped him launch an acting career which continues to this very day.
Hank Azaria - Today
His most recent film work was starring as Saul Katz (really) in Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer. He's also in 2017's The Wizard of Lies as Frank DiPascali on the small screen.
Bonnie Hunt (Mrs. DeWitt)
Chrissie's mom is something of a walk on part in Now and Then, but Bonnie Hunt, who plays Mrs. Dewitt, is a well-known actress in her own right. The star of The Bonnie Hunt Show has gone on to many other roles.
Bonnie Hunt - Today
She was the voice of Bonnie Hopps in 2016's Zootopia, of Karen Graves in 2013's Monsters University and will continue her role as Sally Carrera in 2017's Cars 3.
Janeane Garofalo (Wildadene)
