Director: SAYLES, JOHN(19??) 8.8
Beautifully acted and directed film about soap opera star
who is paralyzed in an accident and retreats in apparent
bitterness to her Louisiana home. She is caustic and
cynical and refuses to invest any effort into her
rehabilitation. She drives away one attendent after another
with her shrill peevishness until a stubborn black nurse
arrives who can't afford to quit, because of her own abject
position. The nurse gradually weans her away from
self-pity and begins to inspire her with renewed confidence.
Invites comparison to some of the most cliched
stereo-types in the Hollywood playbook, but this movie is a
class act all the way. It defies convention, takes
delightful, poignant turns, and delves beneath surfaces.
Rich character study, carefully nuanced. The authentic
Cajun background music is a real treat.
