Themes: Women's Friendship, Innocence Lost, Haunted By the Past
Main Cast: Sandy Dennis, Cher, Karen Black, Sudie Bond, Marta Heflin
Release Year: 1982
Country: US
Run Time: 109 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Robert Altman directed this low-budget film version of the play by Ed Graczyk, also directed by Altman on Broadway with the same cast. The film takes place in the small Texas town of McCarthy in 1975. Inside of a five-and-dime store, a reunion is planned for the members of a local 1950s James Dean fan club. An odd assortment of women arrive, revealing hidden secrets, as Altman flashes back, showing the women as young James Dean fans, and then jumps forward to present day to reveal the ravages of time and lost innocence. Among the women returning for the reunion is Mona (Sandy Dennis), a disturbed woman who, in the '50s, got a job as an extra on the Giant shoot and nine months later gave birth to a son, who she claims is James Dean's child. There is Sissy (Cher), a wisecracking waitress, and also Joanne (Karen Black), who holds a shocking secret that is revealed at the reunion. Besides the three main players, a collection of supporting characters maneuver around the periphery. They are Stella Mae (Kathy Bates), the wife of a rich petroleum executive; Edna Louise (Marta Heflin), a shy, withdrawn woman with numerous children; Juanita (Sudie Bond), the manager of the five-and-dime store; and Joe Qualley (Mark Patton), a young man who likes to dress up in women's clothing. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Review
Call it a guilty treasure or a triumph of good filmmaking over weak material, but Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean is an entertaining movie despite its flaws. Screenwriter Ed Graczyk, who adapted his own play, has admitted the influence of William Inge and Tennessee Williams on his work; unfortunately, his writing doesn't transcend these influences. His ideas aren't very original and his dialogue isn't particularly witty or incisive; also, the screenplay's theatrical origins are evident in the archetypal characters, fixed setting, and excessive overuse of dialogue for exposition. But the director of Nashville and Three Women seems well-suited to a film about pop celebrityhood in which female characters rattle each other's nerves. Robert Altman, who helmed this film after directing several performances of the play, has a strong feel for both the characters and the setting. Altman, cinematographer Pierre Mignot, and the rest of the crew do a fine job of conveying the textures of the room and emotional states of the characters through camera placement and lighting (e.g., the way sunlight shines through the store front's window and muscles tense in the women's faces), avoiding a claustrophobic feel by using a mirrored wall to create the illusion of space, and providing further insight into the characters by showing how they position themselves in relation to each other. Furthermore, Sandy Dennis, Cher, and Karen Black all provide fine performances in their respective roles. Dennis manages to bring humanity to her portrayal of Mona instead of making her seem like nothing more than a pathetic madwoman; Black gives a relatively subdued performance that lends dignity to her character; and Cher's convincing portrayal of Sissy was a major step in her career transformation into a respected actress. The other performances vary in quality -- unfortunately, Kathy Bates and Sudie Bond seem like they hadn't fully adapted to the transition from the stage to the screen -- but this is still a strong enough acting ensemble to make the film worth seeing. ~ Todd Kristel, All Movie Guide
Kathy Bates - Stella May; Mark Patton - Joe Qualley; Caroline Aaron - Martha; Gena Ramsel - Sue Ellen; Ann Risley - Phyllis Marie; Dianne Turley Travis - Alice Ann; Ruth Miller - Clarissa
Credit
Scott Bushnell - Costume Designer, Robert Altman - Director, Jason Rosenfield - Editor, Peter Newman - Executive Producer, David Gropman - Production Designer, Pierre Mignot - Cinematographer, Scott Bushnell - Producer, David Gropman - Set Designer, Ed Graczyck - Screenwriter, Ed Graczyck - Play Author
