By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: John Sayles
Starring: Alfre Woodard | Angela Bassett | David Strathairn | Mary McDonnell | Nancy Mette | Nora Dunn | Sheila Kelley | Vondie Curtis-Hall
Country: united_states
Year: 1992
Running time: 135
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105107/reference
Michael says: “I can’t believe that it’s been nearly 30 years since John Sayles directed his eighth feature, the glorious PASSION FISH. Sayles was a top independent writer/director at the time, already having produced such work as MATEWAN, EIGHT MEN OUT, and CITY OF HOPE. He still had some major films coming, including THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH, LONE STAR, and LIMBO. His directorial efforts have slowed, his last film being 2013’s GO FOR SISTERS, although he’s still writing up a storm. I’m a big fan of John Sayles as a filmmaker, with even some of his less well-received films providing having artistic merit for me.
“With PASSION FISH, Sayles really knocked it out of the park for me. Back in the 90’s, I probably watched that film a dozen times, but today, I watched it after an absence of probably 15 years or so. Many great films retain their greatness largely due to their historic merit, but PASSION FISH, and the many issues it explores resonates with me today as if it were brand new. Perhaps it’s because it’s one of Sayles’ most intensely personal films, as it is primarily a film about rebirth, renewal and relationships. Sure, Sayles makes insightful observations about race, class, substance abuse, and acting, but those observations are woven so beautifully into the story that they don’t seem preachy or didactic; just issues that people have to deal with every day.
“The plot is straight-forward: May Alice, a popular soap actress is involved in a terrific auto accident and loses the use of the lower half of her body. Depressed and unable to deal with her reality, she leaves New York for her family home in the Louisiana bayou, disappears into alcohol, spending her days and nights in front of the TV and tormenting a stream of home nurses until they leave. Enter Chantelle, a quietly sassy ‘almost-nurse’ from Chicago, who needs the money, and the second chance, enough that no amount of bad behavior from May Alice can drive her away.Together, the two struggle to find their way together to each earn a second chance on life. It’s all set in a culture so unique to Louisiana and the bayou specifically that the setting is half the story in and of itself.
“Kudos to Sayles’ exquisitely subtle and funny writing to really elevate this story far about TV Movie of the Week fare, and most exceptionally, kudos to the magnificent acting from this cast. From the incredible lead performances from Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard, to the strong supporting work from David Strathairn and Vondie Curtis-Hall, to smaller support appearances from the likes of Angela Bassett, Nora Dunn, and early Sayles’ Nancy Mette. Woodard was already a favorite, with her work in EXTREMITIES, SCROOGED, MISS FIRECRACKER, but her performance in PASSION FISH is so elegant, and real, a woman balancing a dark past, fragile but tough as nails, with a quiet wit and sarcasm ready when she needs it. It’s a beautifully written character, and Woodard fills it perfectly. I was also a fan of McDonnell’s work in DANCES WITH WOLVES, and her slow, believable transformation in PASSION FISH is just a delight to watch.
“You can’t talk about PASSION FISH without mentioning the ‘anal probe’ scene, which is so spot on, and yet so unnecessary to move the plot forward that some might wonder why it wasn’t cut from the already 2-hour plus running time. And what makes Sayles such a great filmmaker is that he knows when to keep something that might seem unnecessary, but adds SO much to what is already a perfect film. So glad that after more than a decade, I can still return to an old favorite and fall in love again. 5 cats“