Themes: Obsessive Quests, Unrequited Love, Woman In Jeopardy
Main Cast: Julian Sands, Sherilyn Fenn, Bill Paxton, Kurtwood Smith, Betsy Clark
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In this stylized art film, which marked the directorial debut of second-generation filmmaker Jennifer Chambers Lynch, a surgeon with a mommy fixation and a problem with premature ejaculation grows obsessed with a vivacious young libertine, to the detriment of her mobility. Dr. Nick Cavanaugh (Julian Sands), the son of a frosty, unfaithful society matron, can't get lovely neighbor Helena (Sherilyn Fenn) out of his head. Although the two only ever shared a one-night stand, Nick won't let Helena go -- a hang-up that bodes ill for the health of his plodding romance with the smitten Anne Garrett (Betsy Clark). After Nick's mother dies, he moves into her mansion and promptly throws a lavish gala just so he can lure Helena into his orbit. She spurns him for another bedmate, but not before Anne figures out something fishy is going on. Discovering that Helena forgot her purse during her hasty exit, Nick uses it to lure her back to his place for some attempted courtship. When she storms out, furious, she's the victim of a hit-and-run. Rather than simply call 911, Nick performs an emergency amputation of her legs and lets her convalesce in his house. When the hobbled Helena tries to leave, he makes her his prisoner, eventually removing her arms to prevent her escape. But when Ray O'Malley (Bill Paxton), her leather-trousered former lover, starts sniffing around to discover her whereabouts, Nick's fragile little fantasy world threatens to pop like a bubble. After Madonna and Kim Basinger both dropped out of the title role, Lynch settled on Fenn, who had risen to prominence working with the writer/director's father, David Lynch. After a lengthy breach-of-contract lawsuit, Basinger was eventually ordered to pay the film's producers eight million dollars in damages. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Nicolette Scorsese - China; Art Garfunkel - Dr. Lawrence Augustine; Ted Manson - Mailman; Meg Register - Marion Cavanaugh; Bryan Smith - Russell; Lloyd Williams - Sam the Clerk; Ferne Cassel; Carl Mazzocone - Pastor; Kim Lentz - Nurse Diane; Amy Levin - Flashback Party Woman #2; Marla Levine - Patricia; D. Taylor Loeb - Laura; Lisa Oz - Flower Shop Girl; Adele K. Schaeffer - Flashback Party Woman #1; Erik Shoaff - Uncle Charlie; Matt Berry - Young Nick Cavanaugh
Credit
Paul Huggins - Art Director, Brigitte Caland - Associate Producer, Laurel Ayn Selko - Associate Producer, Eric Baron - Boom Operator, Ferne Cassel - Casting, Brian Slack - Consultant/advisor, Daniel W. Victor - Consultant/advisor, Josh King - First Assistant Director, Jennifer Chambers Lynch - Director, David Finfer - Editor, Larry Sugar - Executive Producer, James R. Schaeffer - Executive Producer, Candida Conery - Hair Styles, Jillian Glass - Hair Styles, Jamal Henry - Location Manager, Graeme Revell - Composer (Music Score), Peter Afterman - Musical Direction/Supervision, Nina Port - Makeup, Meredith Soupios - Makeup, Bojan Bazelli - Cinematographer, Frank Byers - Cinematographer, Philippe Caland - Producer, Carl Mazzocone - Producer, Bobbi Page - Singer, Bayard Carey - Sound Mixer, Brion Pacassi - Sound Recordist, J.L. Parker - Stunts, Lonnie R. Smith, Jr. - Stunts Coordinator, Jennifer Chambers Lynch - Screenwriter, Philippe Caland - Screenwriter, Steven Fierberg - Additional Cinematography, Elliot Blake - Production Assistant, Carolyn Wickliffe - Production Assistant, Colin Campbell - Production Assistant, Todd Toon - Sound Effects Editor, Kini Kay - Sound Effects Editor, Mira Tweti - Publicist, Scott Ressler - First Assistant Camera, Jimmy Jensen - First Assistant Camera, Rick Tschudin - First Assistant Camera, Denise Bailie - First Assistant Camera, Brian Gunter - Gaffer, Chris Rawlins - Grip, Don "Geronimo" Telles - Grip, Eddie Evans - Key Grip, Dick Bernstein - Music Editor, David Finfer - Post Production Coordinator, Amy Stevens - Production Coordinator, David Kappes - Production Supervisor, Richard Blake Wester - Properties Master, Bill Johnson - Prosthetic Makeup Effects, Ken S. Polk - Re-Recording Mixer, Robert Thirlwell - Re-Recording Mixer, Gail Hunter - Script Supervisor, Marcei Brubaker - Second Assistant Director, Ruth Leltman - Still Photographer, Dane A. Davis - Supervising Sound Editor, Charlotte Barfield - Costume/Wardrobe, Vanessa Molina - Costume/Wardrobe, Fannie Schubert - Costume/Wardrobe, Bob Deschaine - ADR Mixer, David Jobe - ADR Recordist, Mwitu Bezout - Assistant Location Manager, Denise Kaczmarczyk - Assistant Production Coordinator, George Lee - Assistant Properties, Betty Burkhart - Assistant Sound Editor, Peter Brancaccio - Assistant Sound Editor, Lisa K. Wolf - Assistant Sound Editor, Tully McCulloch - Best Boy Electric, Tom Barrett - Best Boy Grip, Scott Satterfield - Best Boy Grip, Melanie Wester - Buyer, Robin Johnston - Camera Loader, Erich W. Schultz - Construction Coordinator, Ken Taber - Construction Coordinator, Patsy Chaney - Costumes Supervisor, Kimberly Lowe Voight - Dialogue Editor, Martin J. Bram - Dialogue Editor, C. Ashley Sudge - Dolly Grip, Stephen Crowley - Electrician, Ian Forsyth - Electrician, Jeff Funderburk - Electrician, Scott Joliff - Electrician, Jo-Anne Smith - Extra Casting, Kimberly Smith Holt - Extra Casting, Sonya Lunsford - First Assistant Accountant, Phyllis Housen - First Assistant Editor, Syd Klinge - First Assistant Editor, Ossama Khuluki - Foley Artist, Catherine A. Harper - Foley Artist, Tom Hammond - Foley Editor, Kurt Nicholas Forshager - Foley Editor, Michael Gough - Leadman, Amanda J. Flick - Lead Scenic Artist, Richard B.L. Fleming - Post Production Accountant, Kristin R. Green - Post Production Assistant, Dawn Darfus - Production Accountant, Mary Lou Harmon - Scenic Artist, Katherine "Kat" Speers - Scenic Artist, Rhonda Guthrie - Second Second Assistant Director, Linda Kay Beckstein - Set Dresser, Karen Young - Set Dresser, J.L. Parker - Transportation Captain, Cindy Parker - Transportation Coordinator, Sharon Braunstein - Set Decorator, G.W. Brown - ADR Supervisor, John Courtney - Construction Foreman, Brenda Armstrong - Craft Service/Catering, Mike Fletcher - Driver, Tommy Goodwin - Foley Mixer, Tami Treadwell - Foley Recordist, Rex Farmer - Swing Gang, William "Tripp" Norton - Swing Gang, Mel Ramsey - Swing Gang, David Trenkle - Video Playback, Huck Penzell - Title Design, Donald Gilmer Jr. - Carpenter, David Pruett - Carpenter, Barry Grafton - Assistant Carpenter, Jon Hutman - Visual Consultant, Chris Horner - Visual Consultant
Nick Cavanaugh (Sands) is a lonely Atlanta surgeon obsessed with a girl named Helena (Fenn). After she is injured in a grievous hit-and-run motor vehicle accident in front of his home, he kidnaps and treats her in his house surreptitiously, amputating both of her legs. Later, he amputates her healthy arms as well.
Though Helena is the victim of Nick's kidnapping and mutilation, she dominates the dialogue with her constant emasculating ridicule of him for all of his shortcomings.
After some time living together she becomes lonely and returns his affection.
The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. However, the media critically mauled it on its release. Helena is also remembered for the legal battle that ensued when first Madonna[1], then Kim Basinger backed out of the title role—eventually Basinger was the subject of an adverse jury verdict for over eight million dollars.[2][3] This caused Basinger to enter bankruptcy, although the verdict was set aside on appeal in 1994.[4] The film also won for "Worst Director" for Lynch from the Golden Raspberry Awards. Although the film was a huge box office bomb when it was originally released, the film has since earned a cult following among fans.[citation needed]
Music
Especially known is the music during the scene where Helena showers in a fountain, while a party crowd watches. The scene was originally scored by the film's composer, Graeme Revell, based on the "Love Theme" used sparsely elsewhere in the movie, with vocals by Bobbi Page. At the producers' request, "The Fountain Song" replaced Revell's score in the original movie-release and the DVD. It was written and performed by Wendy Levy.
Much of the film was filmed in the Atlanta mansion of famed defense attorney Ed Garland.
The Misfits song "Helena" chronicles this story, and opens with the lyric "If I cut off your arms and cut off your legs, would you still love me anyway?" continuing in the same vein.[5]
