The performances in this movie are brilliant, but, it also gave me the creeps. I say this because it was so dead-on accurate in portraying the neighborhood I grew up in, and, the lives of "quiet desperation" that many there lived. At the time in which this movie takes place, I was working in a factory in upstate New York. The mentality displayed in this picture, of "you're born, ya work, ya party...." is how most of the people I was around at that time unquestioningly and comformingly lived their lives. I am not crazy about most actors today, but, Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis have always been two of the few exceptions. In this made for HBO film, they immerse themselves so totally in their co-dependant characters that there is not a sign of a *star*, nor that they are performing...they simply "are" the two lost, searching souls with nowhere to go, and no way to get there if they did. The '80's were such a tacky decade, and these girls have it all "down". Watching them flounder, knowing that they want more out of life than their circumstances have thus far allowed, but not having a clue as to how to begin change, is painful to behold. As are their sad attempts at intimacy and self validation with disinterested men who want nothing more than quick sex. Watching Uma Thurman almost beg a creepy, cavalier one night stand who's just using her to "talk to me..." is heartbreaking. When she asks the bartender "what's wrong with me?", it is not a casual comment, but, a cry from the depths. Gena Rowlands is wonderful also as Thurman's waitress mom, who probably was an early training ground for her daughters bad habits, and lack of self esteem. These are not bad people, but, they want desperately to connect, and just don't know how. Also watching Thurman's character, after another night of rejection, crawl into bed with her mother in a desperate and pained reaching out for unconditional comfort, is a very emotional moment. This movie is about depressing lives, but, is ultimately hopeful, and shows that change, growth, and possibilities can sometimes begin with something as simple as a new living room set. And, the slow realization that, while we're all vulnerable, true happiness begins from within, and, with knowing thyself. I happened upon this movie by chance, and it surprisingly and completely cast its spell on me. A wonderful character study, made into something very special because of the portrayals of Uma Thurman and Juliette Lewis. Watching actors like this is almost an honor. If this sounds like a too extravagant appraisal, it is also because it is so rare. A wonderful experience.
