This film surprised me a lot. I liked it very much. It was well-written, acted, and worth watching Mary McDonnell who received her second Oscar nomination for this performance. Alfre Woodard should be nominated for best supporting actress. I was surprised to find two equally challenging roles for women in an almost extinct era. The relationship between the two women grows slowly. It is nice to see friendship between these two very different characters. May Alice becomes a likable person after awhile. Angela Bassett has a small role as her friend from New York City. David Straitharn plays an old flame who has since married and remain local in the Louisiana swamps of their hometown. It's a great story overall with characters that you grow to like over the time we spend with them.
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Sylviastel21 August 2002
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Passion Fish, showcases its 2 principal characters' (May-Alice and Chantelle) hopefulness and hopelessness in a light which I had never realized previously. Where May-Alice relapses into a daze of misery and alcohol-induced mist of self-centeredness, Chantelle struggles alone towards her self-rehabilitation - two unlikely individuals who are connected at a very obvious level, by the conflict of their motivations for existence but at a deeper plane, related not by conflict but by identification of a shared identity.
Named after a Cajun superstition about finding love, the movie opens with a close-up of May-Alice's eyes as she lays on a hospital bed, victim of a freak accident and now, very mean-tempered inheritor of a crippled body. Her soap acting rendered futile and raging at the seeming dithering uselessness of all hospice personnel in uniform (nurses, physical therapists, doctors, psychiatrists), May-Alice moves back to the family home by a Louisiana bayou in a clear attempt at drinking herself into oblivion. Bound to a wheelchair and perennially in front of the television with a wine bottle as an unshakeable appendage, she has an attendant nurse in the form of a feisty black nurse (Chantelle – who takes up this work for far more substantial reasons than what initially appear.
May-Alice's curmudgeonly self-indulgence in wine and TV collide with the blunt denials and admonitions of Chantelle, with decidedly un-"nursey" approaches. This conflict of wills between two strong and set women lies at the heart of this film; a conflict which does not get manifested in typical conventionally hoarse and piquant scenes. What interested me immensely are the numerous tiny battles which emerge in the course of this war of wills – a tug here, a pull there followed by a push. Several times in the movie, I expected the dam of unresolved and unsatisfied emotions to burst into a torrent of screams and the inevitable firing of the nurse. It never came.
Passion Fish intensely resists the easy transition of such a story into a likely tale of maudlin sentimentalism and spiritual upliftment. When I think of it, the movie is less of a motif for human tragedy or that of people who have suffered mentally or physically coming out of the ordeal as veritable angels.
Then there is the Louisiana landscape and the comic portraits of an assortment of Alice-May's visitors, and a repressed but tender romance which materializes with an old acquaintance. To the back of the house, there are verdant and soothing wetlands teeming with herons, alligators and snakes while towards the front, the track which leads to it is dusty and decidedly un-photogenic with what I can only presume to be factories, pumping affluents into this seemingly serene lake. This two-tinged sepia is present everywhere in the movie. This many-layered portrayal of a story of two women is marked by engaging performances all-round and a screenplay which does not veer into the realm of the tear-jerker.
One more thing, I love the "I didn't ask for the anal probe" monologue for its intensity and the sheer range of emotions it seeks to explore – from thrill to determination to anticipation to frustration to dismay and finally, resignation. -
JuguAbraham6 January 2003I have only caught up with two of Sayles' directorial works "Limbo" and "Passion Fish". Though the subjects of the two films are quite dissimilar, Sayles penchant for building interesting character profiles is unmistakable in both. Both films have an interesting screenplay, developing anecdotes that seem to be strung together like beads on a necklace. In "Passion Fish", a somewhat successful actress watches TV soaps and makes comments. Zoom out of the situation and you realize that situation itself is close to a TV soap opera. Now directors like Robert Altman and Paul Mazursky have done similar themes with considerable success. European cinema (Claude Sautet for one) has numerous examples of what Sayles did in the US a decade before in Europe. Yet Sayles like Mazursky ("An Unmarried Woman","Harry and Tonto", etc.) is able to instill humor and pathos into his celluloid essays with considerable felicity.
What makes "Passion Fish" tick? At a very obvious level there is a remarkable performance by Mary MacDonnell. You need to be a stage actress to have done justice to the demanding role of a paraplegic--perhaps Billie Whitelaw or Anne Bancroft or Joanne Woodward would have fared as well as Mary. Much of Mary's acting is limited to voice modulation and restricted body movements.
Two other performers stand out: Alfre Woodard and David Strathairn. I have watched Strathairn perform in other movies but he is just superb when working for Sayles.
"Passion Fish" like "Limbo" has a strong musical selection. Sayles, like Michael Mann and Peter Weir, has a good ear for music and sound editing. Yet "Limbo" outclasses "Passion Fish" by a mile in this department, thanks mainly to the song sung by lead actress herself.
Finally the film "Passion Fish" survives on a strong screenplay and above average direction. The screenplay is loaded with social comments expressed in a documentary style: comments on a "business manager" who never appears, race relationships, religion ("she took to it after the second child.."), etc. The film expects us to follow the obvious childhood sweethearts-meet-again route but interestingly does not.
This is the stamp of Sayles--a filmmaker who makes a sudden twist towards the end that makes all what preceded look better than it did. He did this in "Limbo" with aplomb, but "Passion fish" seems to anticipate the more accomplished storytelling of "Limbo"--the dark swamp metaphor of "Passion Fish" seems to be heralding the cloudy sky of "Limbo". One thing is certain--Sayles is an important screenplay writer comparable to David Mamet and Terrence Malick. As a director one could argue that his work is not new in style ("Limbo" harks back to "The Oxbow Incident") yet he cannot be dismissed--his work stands out amongst contemporary American movies, especially independent cinema. -
Writer/Director John Sayles' 1992 outing tells the tale of a soap opera star (Mary McDonell), who's been in a car accident, and is now wheelchair bound, and her unlikely friendship with her live-in nurse (Alfre Woodard). Excellent supporting roles from the great David Strathairn (A Sayles fave, star of Limbo), Vondie Curtis-Hall (who went on to direct Gridlock'd), and Angela Bassett. I gotta say this. Sayles always writes believable characters, and his dialogue is amongst the best in filmdom. I knew my wife would like this, which was my main motivation for renting it. I'd seen it before, but had forgotten just how good it is. McDonell garnered a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her role in this largely overlooked gem. 4 (of 5) stars on this one.
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gavin69426 June 2016May-Alice Culhane was a successful soap opera star, but a car accident has left her bound to a wheelchair. She returns to her now-empty family home in the bayous of Louisiana which she had eagerly left years before. She drinks heavily and vents her bitterness on the succession of nurses who are hired to take care of her and immediately quit because she is so unbearable.
I write "more than a chick flick" because that's what you might assume from a film about two women bonding. But that just is not a fair summary, because this is really about character. The plot is thin, but the characters are deep. Even the secondary characters, like Sugar and "Bad News", are interesting. Oh, and the anal probe joke is priceless.
If there was one big negative, though, it tends to run a bit long at well over two hours. If you don't mind a slow burn, you probably won't mind, because it's an interesting two hours. But for those who like their movies to be 90 minutes and not a second more, this will try your patience. -
sfboy10115 February 1999John 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? -
Ziglet_mir29 August 2011A film about a woman struggling to live with herself after a life changing accident. She is paralyzed from the waist down and drinks by the hour. She goes through a slew of nurses at her Louisiana home until she finally comes to terms with one played by Alfre Woodard. The film is supported by strong character moments and superb dialog.
Overall, it is a beautifully written and well crafted film. John Sayles does an amazing job directing, writing and editing. He extracts memorable performances from Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard, and never once shows an unnecessary scene or line.
Look out for a supporting role from David Straithairn and the subtle yet poignant cinematography that drives the film to its end. (The Louisiana Bayous never looked so good!) -
davidals4 March 2004It's regularly noted that director John Sayles is a master at creating detailed characters; this film (like especially his earlier MATEWAN) proves his genius at capturing the oft-overlooked variety of American life: dialects, and the smallest (but most meaningful) moments of work, anger, tragedy, or sweetness. This skill was surely refined during his earlier years as a novelist, and - in maturity - makes his work (and this film in particular) far more human and gimmick-free than Amer-indie contemporaries like David Lynch or Jim Jarmusch.
I first saw this when it was released, and was very impressed (it was the first Sayles film I'd seen), and after a much-belated second viewing, I'd say it's one of the great American films of the 90s. Sayles' feel for detail shows continually - the small, but continual bits of personal history revealed about all of the characters throughout; the intricacy of even incidental encounters (an afternoon of zydeco music, or the COOLEY HIGH reference that slips quickly between Angela Bassett and Alfre Woodard) is stunning.
Evoking Robert Flaherty's LOUISIANA STORY, the boat-trip-to-Misere scene is particularly memorable, with well-deployed Cajun lore blending with very memorable cinematography (courtesy Roger Deakins, cinematographer for FARGO, KUNDUN, SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION & SID AND NANCY, among other recent classics) to create one of the most unforgettable moments of Sayles' career.
As most of the primary characters are either outsiders, or are returning after long absences, the common problem of show-biz fake accents is avoided nicely - Sayles (and Deakins) manage to capture an image of rural Louisiana that is enveloping and authentic, while never forgetting the reality that accents will vary widely even in local areas. Thus the fact that many characters refuse to lay on the drawl - even as many others in the film nail the sound of rural Louisiana perfectly - only makes PASSION FISH stronger.
Overall this is a tale of growth and friendship that moves with the speed and emotions of life - none of it feels fake or forced, and though slow-to-start (another strength, though only seen as one by the film's end), PASSION FISH quietly develops into something unique and great. At every moment where this could've degenerated into movie-of-the-week sap, Sayles instead elegantly and confidently steers the film into DeSica (or Woody Guthrie and Steinbeck) territory: there's not a sour note to be seen here. -
Mary McDonnell had a brief spate of success in films in the early 1990s before disappearing from the scene and reemerging recently on the television series "Battlestar Galactica." First she came to major attention in "Dances with Wolves," for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and then she graduated to the lead category in 1992 for her performance in "Passion Fish."
McDonnell gives a lovely performance as a bratty soap opera actress who's confined to a wheelchair after an accident, and who must rely on a no-nonsense nurse (Alfre Woodard, lovely as well) for help. The film follows all of the requisite trajectories you'd expect from a movie like this, and the fish that give the film its name serve a heavy-handed symbolic purpose that seemed too much for me even at the time (and I was only seventeen). But the film does have a relaxed indie vibe to it, and I can see why people like it.
Grade: B+ -
hcrethar16 July 2000John Sayles is a truly brilliant filmmaker. This film combines great story writing with precise interpersonal direction. Both Mary McDonnel and Alfre Woodard deliver characters who develop clearly throughout the story. Mr. Sayles' depiction of Cajun culture as it crosses with Yankee cultures is really quite impressive. Although the screenplay leans towards sentimentality, it never becomes trite as so many interpersonal dramas have a tendency to do. Sayle's scathing commentary on the self-centeredness of mainstream American culture through his depiction of people associated with daytime drama while avoiding any negative commentary on southern culture is refreshing and a pleasure to watch.
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blissey_s12 August 2021Honestly, this movie was kind of depressing to me, and maybe that's the emotion it was supposed to stir in me but I felt weighed down by it. The main character was a former soap opera star but found herself confined to a wheelchair with almost no remaining ability to care for herself. She was shuttled off to a secluded cottage in the middle of nowhere to be cared for by nurses who seem to have worse lives than she does. However, I was endeared by the kooky visitors she had show up on the property to rub in her face how she's a shell of her former self. The movie is basically one encounter after another to humble her and as you can imagine this has her in a sour mood 24/7. She does cheer up by the end, probably because she had become accustomed to her new lifestyle and maybe even came to enjoy the simplicity of it a little bit. I appreciated her acting so much - she has nerve and attitude, and a lot of both. As someone who finds small towns and country life depressing in general I wasn't so fond of this movie, but I could appreciate it for what it was and thought the story was original and the characters had a lot of sparkle which made them unique and fun to watch.
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howiewins20 December 2000John Sayles is one of the finest film makers around, and "Passion Fish" ranks as his most human, funny, and provoking film. Fueled by tremendous performances by the always reliable Mary McDonnell and the extraordinary Alfre Woodard, "Passion Fish" takes a slow, easy pace through the Louisiana bayous and through difficult adjustments with life. David Strathairn, Vondie Curtis Hall, are McDonnell and Woodard's love interests, respectively, and add wonderful colors of both subtle and flamboyant hues. We find ourselves laughing at McDonnell's crude humor as paralyzed soap opera actress May Alice, especially in an amusing segment in which she drives away a number of interestingly characteristic nurses. Then, May Alice meets Woodard's Chantelle, a Chicago woman looking to rectify her own life. Their friendship is stunning, the ride is a pure joy. "Passion Fish" is a quiet film, and meant for those who enjoy those voyages through life with patience, humor, and camaraderie through the most difficult of circumstances, ultimately finding the true gifts of life.
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SnoopyStyle24 April 2021Soap star May-Alice Culhane (Mary McDonnell) wakes up in the hospital after a car accident leaving her a paraplegic. She's frustrated and bitter. She goes through countless doctors, trainers, and nurses. She goes back to her old Louisiana home alone. She goes through various caregivers until Chantelle (Alfre Woodard) shows up.
This is the equivalent of sitting on the porch sipping ice tea on a cool summer night. It has two great actresses doing their standard good work. It's not the most taxing for them in terms of intensity. The most memorable line may be the anal probe which is telling. While three big time actresses sitting around, an unknown delivers a big time monologue. It's memorable. It's not necessarily original but it is very memorable. In the movie, McDonnell and Woodard are doing this quiet banter. In a way, they are just hanging out on the porch and some rando shows up with the biggest watch-me scene. It's all good. It's a good John Sayles indie which made some awards season noise at the time. -
This film could have been made in Hollywood with a similar cast and similar setting, and it would have been awful.
But in the hand's of Sayles it's another gem. All his usual characteristics are there in a slow, well-written story. Not overly sentimental, despite the feel-good ending. This is good stuff. -
Doctor_Bombay23 January 1999In this current era of moviemaking, it's rare than an idea as soft, as pure as Passion Fish, will be given an opportunity to be made. Thankfully John Sayles has the ability to circumvent the by-committee' filmmaking which would have ultimately turned this wonderful little film into God know's what.
Mary McDonnell will never be better-she is brilliant, than in her portrayal of May-Alice Culhane (for which she was Oscar-nominated), the once-on-top Soap Opera star to whom tragedy has taken the use of her legs, and forced a re-evaluation of her life.
Alfre Woodard, as the hired home-care worker/nurse Chantelle provides the perfect complement as both these women find more of themselves through each other, then they might ever have found otherwise. Again, Ms. Woodard has rarely disappointed.
The early montage of health-care applicants is clever and funny. And John Sayles always is able to find brilliance in his supporting cast: notably Vondie Curtis-Hall, Leo Burmester, and David Strathairn, as well as a small role early in the career of Angela Bassett.
Sayles' script was also nominated for an Academy Award. -
pc954 October 2011"Passion Fish", directed and written by John Sayles, is a sturdy very good watch on the whole. I thought there was obviously a lot of thought that had gone into the lead characters plights and what each were struggling through. However, sometimes knit-picking isn't too fun but must be done, and there were 2 different things that brought the movie down from great to good. One was about a 5 minute diatribe that a side-character blathers about "anal-probes". My wife and I were sitting there watching and both looked at each other saying "wth was that", the editor completely asleep at the wheel. And secondly, the ending sort of fizzled. Correct these 2 inconsistencies, and I think the movie was an 8/10. Great job by leads McDownell and Woodard nonetheless, especially McDownell.
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yamapajama-226 October 1999I love this movie as much today as I did when I first viewed it. The performances by the actors were wonderful, the soundtrack is really fantastic, and John Sayles' script was funny and thought provoking. I loved the whole May Alice-Rennie angle, the May Alice-Chantelle, and the Chantelle-Sugar story lines, all woven together masterfully. One of the things I love best about John Sayles' movies is his ability to add supporting characters in such a fun and useful way. And he chooses REAL actors for those parts (note Angela Bassett). I thought he really captured the feel of bayou land, LA. and friction? boy! was there ever friction!
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lasttimeisaw16 February 2021"Sayles interlocks the two protagonists' lives with several themes in parallel, like their individual detox processes (Mary-Alice's bibulous addiction is a mote in Chantelle's eyes), and the romantic males (both women have dreams or reveries of carnal knowledge) to whom they act against their best judgement, Mary-Alice's feeling for Rennie (Strathairn), a quondam classmate, is border on limerence and vice versa; whereas a virile Ulysses LeDoux (Curtis-Hall) is clearly a pickup artist, and Chantelle's involvement is a self-revealing act of her vulnerability rather than sexual attraction. However, they are only sideshows, and Sayles is sensible enough to not make heavy weather of them."
read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks -
jt4logos6 January 2007I finally bought this film because I kept renting it. The slow pace is just right, never boring, and puts one endearing and individual character after another before us. Sugar is one of my favorites. David Straitharn is a brilliant actor and his characterization of Rennie has not one false note. I have lived in South Louisiana for 30 years and this movie made the area another character; the sense of place is flawless. The two leading ladies never upstage either each other or any of the other actors; this movie is a true ensemble piece. All of this keeps me coming back to this very redemptive film, a real work of art. Particularly well done is the contrast between the artificial world of New York theater, and the real world of ordinary people facing very difficult problems. The viewer is deliberately made comfortable in that real world, with no sense of being patronized. This reviewer gave up a professional theater career for "the real world", and I am very glad to see a film that doesn't just tell the truth but shows it in every nuance, in every note of music, and in the wonderful pauses between scenes. May-Alice gives me a jolt of hope and humor every time I see this film. Bravo.
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=G=18 November 2002Apparently Sayles never sat around a table with a bunch of women gabbing. In "Passion Fish", which tells of a NYC soap opera actress who becomes a paraplegic and begins a long rehab in her Louisiana home town, the women at the table never talk over each other and only one talks at a time. Such histrionics are an example of the good and the bad of this very palatable, spoon fed Sayles product which strikes a nice safe middle ground on all the issues it plumbs. If good films follow the rules and great films break the rules, this flick is dead on good. Not risky fare but very well received, "Passion Fish" is one for the masses....especially the distaff. (B)
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tolerford5 May 2006For people dealing with a sudden life change, this portrayal is eloquent. Not only is every facet of human adaptability explored, but common hurdles in major adjustments seethe. The casting was perfect, the perspective well-rounded, and the satire in the writing was classic. Both women were so comfortable in their roles that everything they did seemed natural. David Strathairn was equally good. The music was impossible for sitting still, and the overall feeling when it ended was a warmth hard to find.
This is a movie easily warranting recommendation as an exemplar for audiences facing a rough road. The outrage of starting over and sacrificing is beautifully shown by both women. The adjustments they are both making together are formidable, and as they clench down on where they find themselves, your admiration for how they handle the grim circumstances steadily grows. -
jordondave-2808522 March 20231992) Passion Fish DRAMA
Written and directed by John Sayles with the theme is somewhat similar to "Driving Miss Daisy", which centers on the unlikely relationship between an African American maid, Chantelle and an egocentric soap opera actress, May-Alice Culhane whose confined to a wheel chair. The film carries itself by it's two star performances of Mary McDonald and Alfre Woodard- do not expect anything else, for it's reminiscent of a play in which the two leads play off one another. Nominated for two Oscars including Best Original Screenplay for John Sayles and Best actress for Mary McDonald. -
lee_eisenberg8 November 2006John Sayles never disappoints as a director, and "Passion Fish" affirms that. After a car accident paralyzes soap opera star May-Alice Culhane (Mary McDonnell), she returns to her childhood home in Louisiana, bitter about everything. After rejecting several caretakers, she befriends Chantelle (Alfre Woodard, happy birthday!). From there, we see how their lives and experiences help them form a bond.
I know that it sounds like the average Hollywood crap, but remember, this is John Sayles so he knows how to do it right. The title refers to a legend told to May by local man Rennie (David Strathairn). The legend is likely to blow your mind. With zydeco music to keep things going, this is definitely a movie that I recommend. Also starring Vondie Curtis-Hall and Angela Bassett. -
John Sayles works so independently of the Hollywood mainstream and follows his own voice so meticulously that he often leaves his fans just a little short-changed with each successive work. As brilliant a filmmaker as he remains, every one of his films has its own shortcomings that leave it in the "near-perfect" category. In a way it feels as though he purposely leaves something unnecessary in each time out. For this reason among others, Sayles' films are an acquired taste. His 1992 film "Passion Fish" struts along at a very self-assured, yet slow paced gait, much like the population of its Southern Gothic location.
The main focus of the film is put on two women, one who returns to the place she left to dwell upon her current challenges and another who comes there for refuge from her troubles elsewhere. The women's paths intersect at a precarious point in their lives, leading to some very interesting results. Mary McDonnell stars as May-Alice, a feisty, soap actress forced into early retirement by a car accident. It's a challenging role and she brings a certain bravado that hasn't been shown by her previously. Alfre Woodard gives a highly nuanced performance as the nurse who has been hired to help the reluctant May-Alice.
Like in many of Sayles' films, given his immense prowess as a writer, the true pleasure comes not from watching the main storyline but the local and supporting flavor chewing up scenery throughout. One such gem involves an outdoor luncheon with McDonnell's character attempting to keep her composure and a tactful face with two Southern Belle types she hates. It's moments like this that add texture to Sayles' films, but also tend to keep them loosely edited and occasionally overwrought.