Directed by:
Jack LucarelliScreenplay:
David SteenCinematography:
Steve YaconelliCast:
Sharon Farrell, Gigi Rice, Mark Ruffalo, Sarah Trigger, Bobbie Eakes, Nicholas Worth, David Steen, Molly McClure, Gene LythgowPlots(1)
This Southern Gothic drama of a deeply troubled family was written by leading man David Steen, who adapted the screenplay from his own play. Ma Samuals (Sharon Farrell) lives in a poor section of rural North Carolina during the 1970s. Her slightly retarded son Charlie (Steen) was the product of an incestuous relationship with her uncle, a preacher who seduced her when she was only 12; despite this experience, Ma remains a devout Fundamentalist Christian. Ma also lives with her adopted daughter, Messy (Gigi Rice), though it's obvious that Charlie is the favored child, and Messy is often the target for Ma's abuse. When Cousin Anna (Sarah Trigger) is orphaned, she comes to stay with the Samuals family, which upsets the household's already shaky emotional balance. Ma disapproves of Messy's new friendship with Anna, believing she's a poor influence on her daughter, and when Anna begins spending time with Charlie, her obsessive love for her son (which has already spilled over into incest) threatens to push her over the brink. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Sharon Farrell
USA
Best movies:
The Name of the Game (1968) (series)
Out of the Blue (1980)
The Name of the Game: LA 2017 (1971) (TV movie)
Gigi Rice
USA
Best movies:
Columbo (1971) (series)
Crossing Over (2009)
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Mark Ruffalo
USA
Best movies:
Shutter Island (2010)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Sarah Trigger
UK
Best movies:
Grand Canyon (1991)
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)
Paradise (1991)
Bobbie Eakes
USA
Best movies:
A Christmas Wedding Tail (2011) (TV movie)
Nicholas Worth
USA
Best movies:
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
Coma (1978)
David Steen
USA
Best movies:
Django Unchained (2012)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Of Mice and Men (1992)
Molly McClure
USA
Best movies:
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure (1989) (TV movie)
Pure Country (1992)
Gene Lythgow
Best movies:
The Usual Suspects (1995)
When a Stranger Calls Back (1993) (TV movie)
Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994) (TV movie)