Passion Fish (1992)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

John Sayles

Writer (WGA):

John Sayles (written by)

Release Date:

11 December 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

May-Alice Culhane was a successful soap opera star, but a car accident has left her bound to a wheelchair...

Plot Keywords:

Louisiana | Accident | Actress | Soap Opera | Bayou

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Mary McDonnell	...	May-Alice Culhane
Alfre Woodard	...	Chantelle
Lenore Banks	...	Nurse Quick
Vondie Curtis-Hall	...	Sugar LeDoux
Will Mahoney	...	Max
David Strathairn	...	Rennie
Leo Burmester	...	Reeves
Nelle Stokes	...	Therapist #1
Brett Ardoin	...	Therapist #2
Nora Dunn	...	Ti-Marie
Michael Mantell	...	Dr. Kline
Mary Portser	...	Precious
Angela Bassett	...	Dawn / Rhonda
Daniel Dupont	...	Therapist #3
Chuck Cain	...	Attendant

Runtime:

135 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DuArt)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Peru:14 | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Elton, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Atchafalaya

Trivia:

The "Passion Fish" myth that Rennie tells appears nowhere in Louisiana lore and is completely a creation of director John Sayles.

Goofs:

Continuity: Rennie's bass turned into a catfish when he opened it up for the passion fish.

Quotes:

Rennie: No matter where you at, there you is.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Grosse Pointe: Passion Fish (#1.16)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Bwanas' Garden

An intimate and nuanced film

John Sayles gives the viewer a two-second break at the end of every scene in this small, perfectly-acted film. The conversations slow or stop, the action halts, sometimes the screen goes blank. The viewer has a chance to appreciate the scene, think about what just happened, savor the moment. Not every pause happens after something significant -- or was that scene important? Everyone who watches this movie will appreciate something else, I think.

"Passion Fish" is so detailed that there is a wealth of emotional content for the audience. Watch for Alfre Woodard's excitement when she is reunited with her daughter. Was that tiny squeal in her voice just good acting or did we just witness the manifestation of a mother's spontaneous, overwhelming love that happened to take place in front of a rolling camera? And what about the hilarious monologue a soap-opera actress speaks when she related the worst role she ever played, the victim of alien medical experiments in a low-budget sci-fi picture? It has nothing to do with the plot of "Passion Fish," or does it? Maybe it tells of the indignities we all go through to achieve success, love, self-respect.

Can you tell that I really liked this movie?