Rambling Rose

Some 17 years after Calder Willingham wrote the screenplay based on his novel, this powerful human comedy finally got made. Directed by Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl, The Joy of Sex, Real Genius), Rambling Rose has the look of a big-budget Hollywood film, and big-name cast (Laura Dern, Robert Duvall, Diane Ladd, Lukas Haas, and John Heard), but it also has intelligence, compassion, and warmth, as opposed to car crashes, terminal illness, or loads of gratuitous sex and violence. The story is seen through the eyes of Buddy Hillyer (Haas), a teenager living in a nice house in the South, with his parents, and little brother and sister. Mother (Ladd) is independently wealthy, and working on a master's degree in American history, while Father (Duvall) runs the local hotel. When Rose (Dern) is hired as a housekeeper/babysitter, all hell breaks loose. Rose, who comes from a checkered poor-farmer background craves love in the worst way, and she thinks sex is the first step in that direction. Her initial attack is on Father, who nearly succumbs, but hangs tough, and harangues Rose about decency. Buddy, the curious adolescent, gets his introduction to some of the mysteries of sex by Rose, and then is sworn to absolute secrecy by her (she regrets her actions and fears she will be fired). Eventually, local boys are fighting in the front yard, and Father decides that having a "nymphomaniac" around the house is not the best thing for the family. But then Rose contracts double pneumonia...and the decision waits. The performances of Dern, Duvall, Ladd, and Haas are all outstanding, with Dern's portrayal of the title character worthy of an Oscar nomination. And, most importantly, given the sensitivity of the subject matter, the film never panders to the audience (but neither does it shrink from its theme). An exceptional film, Rambling Rose offers new hope that big-budget "small" pictures an continue to be made in Tinseltown. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)