Sadly Over-hyped

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Percy (Alison Elliott), upon being released from prison, goes to the small town of Gillead, to find a place where she can start over again. She is taken in by Hannah (Ellen Burstyn), to help out at her place, the Spitfire Grill. Percy brings change to the small town, stirring resentment and fear in some, and growth in others.Roger Ebert wrote, "Watching this plot unfold, I was remembering last week's 'Heavy,' which also premiered at Sundance; its cafe was run by an older woman (Shelley Winters), and had a veteran waitress (Deborah Harry) and a young waitress (Liv Tyler), and had a regular customer whose name was Leo, not Joe, although he was played by Joe Grifasi. Also echoing in the caverns of my memory were several other movies about stalwart women running cafes and striding above the local gossip: The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Fried Green Tomatoes, Staying Together and of course Bagdad Cafe." Indeed, something about this film felt derivative or cheap, like it belonged on the Lifetime network and not as a film championed by the fine folks at Sundance. Some say this is a forgotten sleeper hit, and I disagree. Others say the score was overlooked, and that I will agree with. James Horner is one of the bigger names out there, and this effort is no exception.

My sidekick gave it a 2, I give it a 3, we both agree it's made for TV and belongs on Lifetime or Hallmark. Fine for burning a few hours on the couch on Sunday, but not a good movie. The script is evidence of the thousands of movies that came before this one and the fact that the writer and producer had to somehow come up with something "new" enough to get the project funded. So the plot is rather cockamamie, forced, and silly soapy. While there are necessary unexpected twists and turns, the predictability came in the form knowing exactly when the writer was forced to add a new twist, and our "uh-huh, sure, yeah right" reaction each time. Struck us as overwritten and overacted, with bad music and bad attempts at Maine accents. Interesting to see the 1996 version of Marcia Gay Harden, and Ellen Burstyn is a name, however I'm sure they'd agree this is not their best work. Not terrible if you have absolutely nothing to do, but go find something to do.

Whatever became of Alison Elliott, the heroine of this film? She gave an extremely believable performance here as a woman released from prison for killing the stepfather who had impregnated her and then had caused the death of the baby by beating the mother.Ellen Burstyn is the old lady who Elliott goes to work for. As always, Burstyn again proves that she is at her best when she does her mean, crotchety acting. It's another fine job.The story will tug at your heart since it's a tragic one. It again proves that you can't always judge people by what has happened in their lives. This misconception brings on the tragedy at the end that will drive you to tears.Note an interesting performance by Marcia Gay Harden, as a blond, worker of the Burstyn character who befriends Elliott.This is a very good study of rural life and human relationships.

A young woman, Percy (Elliott), is released from prison and goes to a small town in Maine to start over. She gets a job at the Spitfire Grill run by Hannah (Burstyn). Starting over in a small New England town with its clannish ways and suspicions of strangers is not easy and Percy has a hard row to hoe.A friend of mine said they don't make movies like this anymore and he is right. The owner of the Prime Time Video store says this movie is always going out the door and did surmise that it might be a cult movie. He has not seen it yet. Well, it's not a cult movie. It's simply a very good story.It's a wonderful true to life story about three women (Gay Harden being the other one) who carry their baggage with them and try to get by. Percy is haunted by her past; Hannah is guilt-ridden regarding her family; and Shelby (Gay Harden) is tormented by her husband. All three need each other to understand each is not alone.I went back to 1996 and 1997 to see if this movie or stars had been nominated for anything in the Academy Awards. Nothing was found, but there should have been something or someone nominated. I would have guessed that Marcia Gay Harden would have been nominated for a best supporting actress award. She would have had my vote.Although made in 1996, I suppose this is the type of movie that goes out the door a lot because of word of mouth. If you see this movie, pass it on. It is a very good story.BTW: the friend who recommended this to me owes me a box of Kleenix. Yeah, you're gonna need it.