SHY PEOPLE
US, 1987, 113 minutes, Colour.
Jill Clayburgh, Barbara Hershey, Martha Plimpton, Don Swayze, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Mare Winningham.
Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky.
Shy People is an offbeat drama about an isolated family living in the Louisiana swamps. Barbara Hershey, playing the mother of several sons, won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Jill Clayburgh portrays a fashionable New York journalist for Cosmopolitan, related to the Louisiana family, who goes down to interview them and to write a story. She takes her precocious daughter, Grace, played by Martha Plimpton, to get her away from a lover and from the drug world.
The film contrasts the two classes and styles of living. The portrayal of the sons and the memory of their dead father is quite striking.
Originally written with a European setting by writer-director Andrei Konchalovsky (Maria's Lovers, Runaway Train, Duet for One) with Polanski's co-writer Gerard Brach, the film was transferred to New York and to Louisiana.
It had mixed critical reactions, some fascinated by the characters and the worlds explored, others put off by the strangeness of the whole proceedings.
1. A piece of Americana? European origins and sensibility? interpretation of America, lifestyles, people?
2. The New York opening, the contrast with the bayous of Louisiana? The Sullivans' home and the town? The city and the topless bar? A strange mixture of worlds? The musical score, songs?
3. The title and Ruth's explanation of shy people? People who are hot or cold? And the final quotation from the Book of Revelation?
4. Diana, as a photographer, following Grace and learning about her at school, her lover, the drugs? The discussion about going to Louisiana? The flight? her sophistication, fussiness? Interest in her family? The arrival, hiring the boat? The clash with the poacher? Her experiencing the strangeness of the place, the initial encounter with Ruth? Having to prove herself? The beginnings of communication, hearing the story, sharing the meal, the portrait of Joe Sullivan? Looking at the photo album and puzzle about the effaced character in the photos? Going on to the bayou with Ruth to take photos? Ruth's story, that Joe was alive? Her reaction to Grace, trying to get her to have a sense of responsibility? Helping with the sewing, going to the police, the snake in the boat? Going to the sheriff? To the television shop for Candy? Going to the bar, seeing Ruth in her violence? The return home and Ruth telling the true story of Joe and his cruelty, of saving them from the flood? The crisis, the search for Grace, the boat overturning, the ghostly presence of Joe helping her? The listening to Ruth about her whole life? Leaving? Taking a stance with Grace on the plane, their reconciliation?
5. The portrait of Ruth: initial indifference, the washing, wary, the identity of Diana, her own identity in this family, wanting people who were hot or cold, her hard life? Marrying Joe at 12, the fire, the shooting? His disappearance, visiting him on the bayou? Knowing that he was there? Stopping going? Her home? The place of Joe at the table, his portrait? How he would do things? Her relationship with each of the boys? Tommy and his being put behind the bars? Paulie and his not being quite right? Mark and Candy? Ignoring Michael? Candy and her boredom, pregnant? Ruth's control of the whole household? Waking in the night, sewing Mark's wounds? Going to the sheriff with Diana, picking up the snake in the boat and throwing it out? Seeing the city through her eyes, industry, the song about freedom? Going to the sheriff, lack of satisfaction? Going to the bar to kill Jake? In the bar, the shooting of his hand? Quoting Scripture as she destroyed all the drinks? Her anger and Michael's appearance? The arrest? The journey home (with the TV gospel program)? Her stubbornness, telling Diana the whole story? The crisis and Grace's disappearance, confronting the boys? Telling the truth about Joe, hating him yet his saving them?
6. Grace and her age, school, relationship with her mother, the lover, drugs? Deciding to go, fascinated by the mouth organ player, the crabs in the boat, Jake? her disgust at the place, having to stay, the turtle soup? With each of the boys, the Walkman and lending it to Paulie, to Candy? Freeing Tommy, staying at home while Ruth was away? With the boys, the sex, Mark attempting to rape her, drugs, the flirting with Joe running away, the boat, the waters, lost? Her mother rescuing her? Going away, the drugs in the plane, the clash with her mother, crying, her mother taking a stance? Reconciliation?
7. Mark and his work, the clash with Jake, relationship with Candy, her pregnancy, the fog in the night, the wound, the stitches? At home with Grace, the drugs, the sex magazine, going amok, trying to rape Grace? Paulie and his not being quite right, the two-headed turtle, the Walkman, drugs, plane, his apprehension for Grace? Tommy locked up, getting out, attracted towards Grace, flirting, sex and drugs, urging Grace to run away, telling his mother the truth about Joe? His being beaten? Michael and his absence, running the topless bar, seeing his mother's behaviour, his returning home, smashing the television, the true story about Joe, taking his place?
8. Candy, her presence, bored, wife, pregnant, sitting around, the Walkman, arguing, wanting the television? Ruth's hold on her? Buying the television, watching it? The crisis, the breaking of the set, her puzzle?
9. The glimpse of the city and industry, the cottage from the boat, seeing it from Ruth's eyes - yet her flint-like face?
10. The sheriff, listening? Unable to help? Jake at the bar, his hand being shot?
11. The family reunited, Ruth saying that the boys could be free, Michael returning home, the reconciliation, taking Joe's place? Their future?
12. A portrait of a different group of people? Human nature? The protective mother? The visitors from the city trying to interpret this way of life? Audiences sharing this?
