I saw this movie at about the time it was made, on PBS, and a crappy little table top television.
Others have described the plot and the nature of the character interactions in good, accurate detail, so I won't bother. I would only like to encourage others to get hold of this movie, any way they can, and to watch it, preferably with a friend, or even better, with a loved one. That will make the ultimate, and perhaps entirely expected tragedy easier to cope with, and will give you someone to talk with as your insights unsettle you, and as you are consistently impressed, sometimes in unexpected and startling ways, (which inevitably benefit by shared enthusiasm and discussion) by the actors, at least some of whom (i.e. Freddy Fender) have had very little or even absolutely no acting experience whatsoever. IMO there is not a single weakness in this movie and the movie itself is relentlessly realistic and unremittingly convincing.
The two most lasting impressions for me...A)I have never forgotten the details of this movie and it seems to have been burned indelibly onto my memory, so that even 35 years (approximately) after I saw it (once) I could give you a good summary of it, including the unexpected plot twists and turns, and B) Even though I heartily disliked Freddy Fender's music my opinion of him went "through the roof" as a result of his performance in this movie. IMO he's "da man."
I'm buying a copy of this movie (in DVD format this time) as soon as I submit this review.
Please do yourself a favour and watch it.
Douglas Coleman
