Mary McDonnell stars as May-Alice Culhane, a New York-based soap opera star who is paralyzed in a road accident. She returns to the Louisiana bayou where she grew up and becomes the patient from hell, discharging one caretaker after another. Then along comes Chantelle (Alfre Woodard), a take-no-sass nurse with her own issues to deal with. Together the women rediscover themselves and what it means to live within limitations.
PASSION FISH comes after three "guy" films in a row for director John Sayles. His wife and longtime producer, Maggie Renzi, encouraged him to develop a script with female leads. Drawing upon his work as a hospital orderly in high school and college as well as Ingmar Bergman's seminal 1966 film PERSONA, Sayles created this script about the complexities of the caretaker-patient relationship--a relationship that has all the intimacy of a married couple and yet is motivated more by mutual need rather than love. PASSION FISH is languorously paced but pays dividends in many beautiful shots of the bayou, excellent zydeco music, and thoughtful insights into the intricacies of an evolving friendship.
When a speeding taxi knocks May-Alice and her soap opera career for a loop, she's left paralyzed from the waist down. She returns to the bayou country she thought she left forever and quickly becomes a difficult patient--until she meets her match with caretaker Chantelle. Then the power of the bayou begins to work its magic on this discordant duo as they find friendship.
Theatrical release: January 29, 1993.
Shown at the Toronto Festival of Festivals on September 19, 1992.
Shot on location in Louisiana.
While working as a hospital orderly, John Sayles heard stories of women who moonlighted as caretakers. He became intrigued by these people who spend more time together than married couples and know each other intimately yet are often strangers.
The legend which explains the film's title is entirely made up.
"The only difference with a movie like this is you spend a lot more time waiting for hair and make-up than something like EIGHT MEN OUT--a bunch of white guys with short haircuts, you stick baseball caps on 'em and throw 'em out on the field, you're ready to go."--Sayles, in interview with Mondofausto.
The soundtrack includes several zydeco songs that enhance the Cajun feel of the film. The performers include Duke Levin, John Delafose and the Evince Playboys, the Balfa Brothers, Stuart Schulman, Willis Prudhommer and the Zydeco Express, John Hart, and Loup Garou.
Mary McDonnell and Alfre Woodard also both appear in Lawrence Kasdan's GRAND CANYON.
Excerpt: "Bird eggs. Fish. Everything out here that flies, walks, hops, or crawls got a use. It's all good eatin'."--Rennie (David Strathairn)
"I didn't ask for the anal probe."--Nina (Nancy Mette), explaining what her first big break in acting was to the other women
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Letterbox - 1.85
Director of Photography
Roger Deakins: Director of Photography
Review 1:
"...McDonnell and Woodard, exceptional actresses, do their best screen work yet..."
Source: USA Today
p.4D 12/11/1992
Review 2:
"...An acutely funny and affecting duel of wits....Woodward is superb..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.55 01/21/1993
Review 3:
"...This is a tough, muscular story about a headstrong woman who wants things to go her way....Direct and original..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.38 01/29/1993
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