PASSION FISH
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Running Length: 2:15 Rated: R (Language, mature themes)
Starring: Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, David Strathairn,
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Director: John Sayles
Producers: Sarah Green and Maggie Renzi
Screenplay: John Sayles
Music: Mason Daring
Released by Miramax Films
After being rendered a paraplegic following a freak New York City automobile accident, soap opera star May-Alice (Mary McDonnell) retreats to the house in Louisiana which she inherited from her parents. There, she is cared for by nurses who come and go with revolving door regularity, driven away by May-Alice's bitterness--until the arrival of Chantelle (Alfre Woodard), that is. Desperately needing a job and pursued by her own personal crises, Chantelle has no choice but to stick it out.
PASSION FISH will win no awards for originality. It embodies some of the oldest storytelling motifs around: the growth of a relationship between two mismatched people and the valiant fight of someone to conquer a disability. In a way, the movie is a little like DRIVING MISS DAISY, with a healthy dose of THE WATERDANCE thrown in.
In its portrayal of paraplegics and the struggles they have to endure adjusting to their disabilities, PASSION FISH is inferior to THE WATERDANCE. In his 1992 film, Neal Jimenez may have given a definitive portrayal of how a once-normal person comes to grips with the sudden loss of mobility. PASSION FISH does a good job telegraphing May-Alice's pain, but the presentation isn't as powerful.
This isn't the most accomplished "buddy film" of recent memory, either, but it is one of the rare few featuring women, and possesses all the candor and openness of a FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. Sayles' strength has always been characters and, in PASSION FISH, he manages to create a pair of vibrant, complex ones.
The film starts in the middle of the story, and, as it progresses, we are treated to revelations of both future and past. There are no flashbacks. Everything that we learn about what was comes through dialogue--a snippet here, a snippet there. As is the case when we meet someone in real life, we aren't made aware of everything at one time.
The relationship between the two main characters is at times too strained to attain the level of emotional honesty that the movie expects. Nevertheless, perhaps that's one of the elements that differentiates PASSION FISH from the legion of other films in its genre. Also, the May-Alice's abrasive temperament could have been toned down without detracting much from the movie. While the experience of becoming a paraplegic admittedly gives a person the right to be bitter, there are times when this trait threatens to transform May-Alice into a stock character.
Because John Sayles is a great writer and director, and because his two leads are more-than-capable in their roles, PASSION FISH overcomes its many shortcomings to provide a clear look at an unusual relationship. While there isn't much life to the supporting characters, May-Alice and Chantelle are intriguing enough to keep the audience involved.
There was a 1992 film called SOAPDISH that took over ninety minutes in a mostly-unsuccessful attempt to lampoon daytime television. As almost a throw-away element of PASSION FISH, John Sayles manages a more humorous and incisive satire in this movie. Few elements of soap operas are spared a dig.
The bayous of Louisiana provide a rich backdrop to the film. None of the cinematography is epic in nature, but there's something about the wetlands, with their alligators and snakes, that captures the attention. It's also interesting to note how well Mary McDonnell allows May-Alice's accent to slowly reassert itself.
PASSION FISH, primarily because it is so deeply character-driven, is short on action, but heavy on drama. This is a film for those who love to watch real-seeming people struggle through different-but-unspectacular lives. It's a small movie, about small changes in attitude and understanding, and it knows when to be serious and when to laugh.
Rating: 8.6 (A-, ***)
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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