THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD
US, 1996, 115 minutes, Colour.
Vincent D'Onofrio, Renee Zellweger, Anne Wedgworth, Harve Presnell.
Directed by Dan Ireland.
The Whole Wide World is based on a memoir by Novalyne Price Ellis, portrays in the film by Renee Zellweger. It is a memoir of her friendship with the writer Robert E. Howard, creator of such stories as Conan the Barbarian and other tales. Howard, who describes himself in the film as a morose overweight misfit, committed suicide in 1936 at the age of thirty.
Renee Zellweger portrays Novalyn Price as a young girl, her encounter with Robert Howard and infatuation with him, their long discussions, their clashes. She becomes a schoolteacher. Howard lives at home with his parents, his dying mother (Anne Wedgworth) and his father, a doctor with whom he is not close (Harve Presnell). Vincent D'Onofrio gives an excellent performance as Howard, gauche, awkward, intense with his "yarns", creating an imaginary world in different centuries, so distant from the plains of his native Texas. The film suggests his intensity and even madness with the sound engineering, sounds and ominous music as he tells his stories.
The film also raises themes of the popularity of this kind of storytelling, tribal memories, the emphasis on violence - with Howard saying that, like the Roman Empire, the world of the 20th century would become permeated by an interest in sex and sexuality.
The film is a tour de force for the two stars, Renee Zellweger making this film the same year as her striking performance in Jerry Maguire.
1. Audience interest in the writer who created the Conan stories? This film as a memoir by his friend Novalyne Price?
2. The period, 1933-36, costumes and décor? The towns of Texas, their remoteness, their lifestyle, the homes, the cafes, the cinemas? The schools? An authentic re-creation of the period? The atmospheric score? The sound engineering for Howard's mental condition?
3. The title, the narrow world of Texas, the whole wide world where H.P. Lovecraft said that Howard was the king of pulp fiction? The world of Texas, the plains, the water, the sunrises and sunsets?
4. The focus on Novalyne: Renee Zellweger's performance? As young, her friends, her mother and grandmother, at home, her friend Clyde, the introduction to Bob Howard? His awkwardness, her going out to the car? Further meetings, the girl saying that he was mad, her phoning him? The range of their meetings, his taking her for drives, their going to the films? Their long discussions, her listening to his yarns, his ambitions, his difficult world? Her own ambitions as a writer, his listening and laughing at her stories? Her lack of success? Her decision to commit herself to teaching, training, her comments on the students? His criticism of literature, especially the story of the Vicar of Wakefield? Her clashes with him, her love of being in his presence, the sunrises and the sunsets? The alienation, his going away to look after his mother? Her anger with him, her anger with her? Phone calls, reconciliations? Her decision to go to Louisiana to study, the farewell, her apology? The final date, the final discussions, her not loving him any more? His expressing his needs to her? Her receiving the news of his death and starting to write a letter to him? The return, the wise woman asking was she better for having known him? The aftermath and her marriage, career, writings? The film dedicated to her?
5. The portrait of Bob Howard, a Texan writer, ungainly, morose, misfit? At home with his parents? His father feeling that he had no contact with his son? The mother, her illness and supporting her son? His constant attention to her? His imaginary world, the violence, human nature, the tribal memories? His success and sales? The demand for his stories? The contrast between Texas and the world of Conan? His friendship with Novalyne, their outings, discussions, his being able to express himself? The films? His friend taking Novalyne to see Captain Blood, his being in the audience, his jealousy? The clashes with Novalyne, mocking her work? Her anger with him and his assertions? His being away, ringing her, taking her out in the morning, the talk about her being Indian, the explanation of his beliefs? The final discussion, his needs? His killing himself?
6. The portrait of his sick mother, her love for her son, his dependence on her, her dependence on him? His father, distant, talking to Novalyne, grateful that she was a friend of his son?
7. Novalyne's family, their support? Her girlfriends and their criticism? Clyde and his friendship? The friend who came to visit, understanding Howard, their going to the film? Causing Howard to be jealous? The old woman at the end and her words of wisdom?
8. Portrait of an American writer, his imagination, the reality of his life, depression and death?
