This is one movie that seeped into me slowly.
A compelling story with strong and difficult characters......and flashes of dark humor, which I, as is, struggle with. It also cracked through some deep mindsets, which I didn't realize I had.
As story goes, after her husband runs off with his secretary, Terry (Joan Allen) is left to fend for herself and her four daughters. In the words of the youngest daughter, you get introduced to Terry as the once very sweet woman who is now in the total grip of anger and resentment.
The daughters deal with the abandoning by their father way better than their mother. They all seem smart and focused on what they want, and headstrong enough to handle their mom's quiet seething anger and resentment in their own ways. Like Terry herself says, 'one of them hates me and the other three are working on it.'
As she slips into the stupor of anger and alcohol, she finds companionship in her neighbor and drinking buddy Danny (Kevin Kostner) a former base ball player, and current radio game host.
While the four girls are moving their own paths, and fairly comfortable accepting the quiet relationship between their mom and Danny, it's Terry who doesn't seem able to let them be. She's always trying, and making a royal mess of their situations. Intrusive, opinionated, rude.....all coming out of her own seething anger.
Joan Allen and Kevin Costner create these powerful but disturbing characters.... smart, intelligent ..... depressing, alcoholic ..... angry, unorganized ..... disrespectful, exasperating even and totally impervious to any need or suggestions of normalcy or goodness....and you learn to give them their space....or rather they take it.
It's a serious movie as is, but if you watch, you'll see it's transcending even the leveling with anger and resentment. It's intense and deep in provoking thought and a kind of horror at the tricks that life can play on you.
No comments:
Post a Comment