NOBODY'S FOOL

US, 1986, 107 minutes, Colour.
Rosanna Arquette, Eric Roberts, Mare Winningham, Louise Fletcher, Gwen Welles.
Directed by Evelyn Purcell.

Nobody's Fool was written by Beth Handley, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for Crimes of the Heart (filmed by Bruce Beresford). This film is directed by Australian-born Evelyn Purcell, the producer of small-budget features.

The film portrays an interesting gallery of characters, albeit eccentric characters. So is the situation in the American South-West?, a small American town having its 150th anniversary of Wayne Buckeye, the man who said 'To be or not to be, that's not much of a choice!'

Rosanna Arquette is the forlorn heroine. Eric Roberts is the theatre special effects man who offers her a way out of the town. Louise Fletcher is her offhand mother. The film depends for its success on the audience's entering into the spirit of life in the town and the dilemmas of the characters. This may be easy for an American audience - less easy for overseas audiences. However, it is a pleasant eccentric comedy.

1. A piece of Americana? Comic, humane, serious?

2. The writing of Beth Handley? her knowledge of the American South-West? Her eye for eccentric characters, situation and dialogue? The cast -convincing as eccentric characters?

3. The use of Arizona locations, the city, the festival, the tradition of Wayne Buckeye? Homes, bars, outdoor theatre? The lakes and mountains? Musical score?

4. The title and its relationship to Cassie? How true? Ironic?

5. Cassie's story: Rosanna Arquette and her waif-life presence and appearance? Talk, clothes? The drab fashion? In town, listen to the old people singing, her mother and her fat brother, Pat and work, their talking together, the attitude of the boss? A setting for Cassie's story?

6. The insertion of the flashbacks: Billy Ray and his visit to the bar, Cassie telling him of the pregnancy his offhand manner, her shouting and attack with the fork? Her memories of their relationship, the love, sexuality? Her memories of the family attitudes? Of her pregnancy, at the home for unmarried mothers? The people there? The experience of adopting out the baby?

7. Cassie and her place in the town, emotions? Going to the play and enjoying Shakespeare? The chance meeting with Riley? His attention to her and their frequent meetings, her awkwardness? Her relationship with Pat and talking things over? Her place in the family - and her mother's offhanded attitudes? Her fat brother and his antagonism? The joining the drama group, giving her reasons? Learning? The sequence of her going to the albino girl's wedding? Visiting her cousin in hospital and bringing the gift? Riley and her relating to him, talking, driving? The encounters with Billy Ray? Her going to the theatre, watching the play with Riley, helping with the lighting effects? Staying the night with him? Problems and decisions? Getting ready for her Juliet performance, her performance and tentativeness, her self-assertion and applause? Her going back to work, seeing Billy Ray, his wife pregnant? The insight that she should leave? The hurried packing, her mother's offhand remarks in bed, almost missing Riley? Going off? A future?

8. Riley and his work, attracted towards Cassie, meeting her on and off, their talking, going out, sharing, Billy Ray? Watching the plays? Staying the night with him? The clash? His meeting Shirley, going home with her? His advice to her to have more respect for herself? Cassie's performance, the applause? The showdown in the hallway? His walking out after telling her the plain truth? The happy ending? Hopes?

9. Cassie's mother, offhanded manner, place in the town, watching the play, waking up and giving advice as Cassie left? The brother, his aggressiveness? His offering her the money at the end?

10. Pat at work, with Frank, going to the play,. listening to Cassie? Her remarks about the perfect match and her discovering her mistake?

11. Billy Ray, his place in the town, attraction towards Cassie, sex, the pregnancy, her attack on him, seeing her around, his engagement and wedding, his keeping an eye on her, the advances, her telling him off, in the bar and his pregnant wife? The lack of relationship between the two?

12. Shirley and her work in the group, her reasons for joining it, at work, going home with Riley? Her MC-ing the theatre event?

13. The use of theatre: reality and unreality? Shakespeare: The Tempest, Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth? The physical framework of the outdoor theatre? Props, effects, lighting? The comedienne who didn't make the people laugh? The audience laughing at Macbeth? The attitude towards Romeo and Juliet, her winning over the audience? The women's group inviting her to perform again?

14. The people in the town: the old ladies singing in the square, the Buckeye philosophy, the theatre, the bar, carnival, the theatre audience, the women’s groups etc.?

15. Offbeat comedy and insight into human nature?