Main Cast: Alan Bates, Richard Harris, Dermot Mulroney, River Phoenix, Sheila Tousey, Tantoo Cardinal
Release Year: 1994
Country: FR/US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Playwright Sam Shepard wrote and directed this bizarre combination of western film revisionism and Greek tragedy. Silent Tongue (Tantoo Cardinal) is a mute Kiowa who is raped by Eamon McCree (Alan Bates), the owner of the Kickapoo Traveling Medicine Show. Eamon attempts to make up for his crime by marrying her, hoping for forgiveness. Instead, Silent Tongue enacts a bitter retribution through her two daughters, Awbonnie (Sheila Tousey) and Velada (Jeri Arredondo). Awbonnie, as the film begins, has already died, but her grieving husband Talbot (River Phoenix) refuses to let her go, dragging around her corpse. To assuage Talbot, his father Prescott (Richard Harris) sets out to purchase Velada from Eamon, thinking that only Awbonnie's sister can replace her in Talbot's eyes. But Velada's half-brother Reeves (Dermot Mulroney) protests the attempted transaction. As a result, Prescott kidnaps Velada and flees, with not only Reeves and Eamon chasing him, but also Awbonnie's ghost. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Jeri Arredondo - Velada McCree; David Shiner - Straight Man; Billy Beck - Petrified Man; Arturo Gil - Little Person Acrobat #1; Fred Maio - Owner; Timothy Scott - The Lone Man; Red Clay Ramblers; Joseph S. Griffo - Little Person Acrobat #2; William Irwin - Comic; Tommy Thompson - Medicine Show Band Performer; Jack Herrick - Medicine Show Band Performer; Lynn Davis - Prairie Girl
Credit
Joani Yarbrough - Hair Styles; Patty Androff - Assistant Makeup; David Atherton - Makeup; Michael Bennett - Unit Production Manager; Ludi Boeken - Producer; Jack Conroy - Cinematographer; Jacques Fansten - Producer; John Frick - Production Designer; Shep Gordon - Producer; Chris Hayes - Camera Operator; Patrick O'Hearn - Composer (Music Score); Carolyn Pfeiffer - Producer; Van Broughton Ramsey - Costume Designer; Sam Shepard - Director; Sam Shepard - Screenwriter; John Stirber - Special Effects; Cary White - Production Designer; Bill Yahraus - Second Unit Director; Bill Yahraus - Editor; Bill Yahraus - Producer; Sally Jane Jackson - Casting; Gary Farr - Still Photographer; Susumu Tokunow - Production Sound; Matthew J. Clark - First Assistant Director; Gene Rosow - Producer; Dan Turrett - Camera Operator; Jacobus Rose - Production Executive; Duncan Burns - Sound Editor; Gary Burritt - Negative Cutter; Gary Gegan - Re-Recording Mixer; Bob Gorelick - Steadicam Operator; Gary A. Hecker - Foley Artist; Dan O'Connell - Foley Artist; John Joseph Thomas - Sound Editor; John A. Larsen - Supervising Sound Editor; Robert Lorenz - Second Assistant Director; Susannah McCarthy - Assistant Production Coordinator; Ed Vega - Scenic Artist; Dutch Lunak - Stunts Coordinator; Taneia Lednicky - Costumes Supervisor; Barbara Haberecht - Set Decorator; Gina Fortunato - Production Coordinator; Kristofer Lindquist - Production Assistant; Ben Zeller - Construction Coordinator; Greg Steele - ADR Recordist; Dale Myrand - First Assistant Camera; Jeffrey Schwan - Leadman; Richard Mall - Key Grip; Roberto "Tito" Blasini - Camera Operator; Shane Patrick - Set Dresser; Tal Meirson - Production Accountant; Thomas Crawford - Grip; Rachel Aberly - Unit Publicist; Charleen Richards - ADR Mixer; James Echerd - Costume Designer; Catherine Scheinman - Associate Producer; Sully Sullivan - Art Director; Jeaneen Muckerman - Assistant Hair; Patricia Frazier - Second Second Assistant Director; Kim Aeby - Scenic Artist; Stanford Gilbert - Assistant Properties; Cheri Paul - Properties Master; Alberto Aquino - Boom Operator; John Edwards-Younger - Sound Editor; Jerelyn J. Harding - Sound Editor; Lauren Palmer - Sound Editor; Rodger Pardee - Sound Editor; Wayne Elliott - Special Effects Assistant; Tom Knott - Special Effects Assistant; Micki Dahn Akard - Stunts; James "Scotty" Augare - Stunts; Pat Judge Hall - Stunts; Shelly Bird Matthews - Stunts; Rochelle Amrein - Costumes Assistant; Celine Bertrand - Production Accountant; Milo Durben - Dolly Grip; Jeffrey P. Greeley - Camera Operator; Paul Grindrod - Grip; Michael J. Harker - Post Production Supervisor; Jimmy Jones - Transportation Coordinator; Matthew T. Moles - Grip; Stephen Mullen - Electrician; David O'Shaugnessy - Assistant Production Coordinator; Paul Paguyo - Grip; Stefanie Rosen - Camera Operator; David K. Sanchèz - Production Assistant; Barbara Simpson - Location Manager; Adam C. Taylor - Production Assistant; Jason S. Turner - Production Assistant; Barbara Tuss - Script Supervisor; Rick A. West - Gaffer; Christopher Windisch - Carpenter; Randy K. Singer - Foley Mixer; David Best - Construction Foreman; Chris Browne - Electrician; Holly Gent - Swing Gang; Joe Self - Swing Gang; R. Dale Tsosie - Cable Person; Gail Compeau - First Assistant Accountant; Lee Fonvielle - First Assistant Editor; Richard Mosier - First Assistant Camera; Marty Rubin - First Assistant Editor; Elizabeth Shull - Casting Associate; Michael Warren - Grip; Michael Sullivan - Production Designer; Mark Harris - Sound Recordist; Robin Blagg - Carpenter
The film is about a young man named Talbot Roe (Phoenix), who's gone insane over the death of his wife. Talbot's father,
Presscott Roe (Harris) feels his son's pain and wants to find him a new wife. He goes back to the place where he bought Talbot's
first wife, from Earmon McCree (Bates). He finds the dead wife's sister (Tousey), who is a champion horse rider and Mr. McCree's
daughter, which makes her only half-Indian. Roe asks McCree if he could have his last daughter for his son, but McCree refuses.
Then, Roe kidnaps her and tries to get her to help him, and she takes the deal for gold and four horses. But Talbot isn't taking
any chances for her-- he's too afraid that she'll try to take his wife's corpse from him. And for the last few nights, he sees
the ghost of his dead wife, who wants him to destroy her corpse, but he won't.
This film was the last film to be released featuring a performance by River Phoenix,
who died in 1993 from drug overdose. (Note: The film's release was delayed, and Phoenix continued to work on The Thing Called
Love - the film he had just completed when he died - which was released before Silent Tongue).
Search for answers directly from your browser with the FREE Answers.com Toolbar! Click here to download now. Get Answers your way! Check out all our free tools and products.
