RAGGEDY MAN
US, 1981, 94 minutes, Colour.
Sissy Spacek, Eric Roberts, Sam Shepard, Henry Thomas.
Directed by Jack Fisk.
Raggedy Man is a pleasing modest drama about a divorced woman and her children during World War Two in a small Texas town. The film, written by William Wittliff (Barbarossa and other westerns) has the western theme of the woman with her children needing the support of the passing stranger in confronting the town. The film is an interesting variation, making a 20th. century western.
Sissy Spacek is effective in the central role and has good support from the children. (Henry Thomas, who plays the older boy, was chosen for E.T. on the basis of his performance here.) Eric Roberts (stage actor, King of the Gypsies) is the passing sailor and playwright-actor Sam Shepard (Frances, Days of Heaven) has a small but effective role as the raggedy man. The film has sentiment, human drama, humour, violence and a Gothic confrontation when the raggedy man attacks the would-be rapists and saves his wife and children. Direction is by Jack Fisk, Sissy Spacek's husband. A modest and entertaining film.
1. An entertaining film? A picture of American society, nostalgia for the past, memories of World War Two gears? Family, the small town, relationships, violence? A satisfying piece of Americana?
2. The picture of Texas, the small towns, the life in the town? The special effects for the raggedy man and the final confrontation? Musical score, moody and melodramatic aspects of the score? The use of Andrews Sisters and Benny Goodman songs?
3. The focus of the title? The mystery of the raggedy man and his scarecrow look? His being real, symbolic? The protector? The man atoning for his wrongs? The victim of World War Two? The prologue and the glimpse of the husband, the dance, his dancing with other women - and the reaction of Nita? His disappearance? The raggedy man wandering the town, shambling along the road? The sheriff explaining his presence in the town and his war-wounding? The audience glimpsing his face? His saving Nita from the rapists by blowing the horn? The final attack and his killing the assailants, his own death? His proving his love for the family he had wronged?
4. The prologue and the establishing of the situation between Nita and her husband, the children? Texas and the '40s? Nita at home, watching her husband, the separation and divorce? The Texas location, remoteness, the country town, the pressures of the war?
5. Nita and her work for the phone company? Her status as a divorcee and public opinion? Her working at home, the continually ringing telephone? Her relationship with the boys and their playing in the yard? Bumping into Rigby? Their love for their mother, her care for them? Her fright when they were attacked by the men? Her severity to protect them and their reaction against her? The phone ringing and its presence in the house? Her having to cope, her wanting to move, appeal to Rigby, hopes? The chance meeting with Teddy and his- phone call, her hearing the message, inviting him to coffee, letting him stay? Giving rise to gossip (and actually justifying the gossip)? Enjoying his day of playing with the children, the outing to Corpus Christi, the return and the present, her cleaning the house, getting the special dress, the sequence where she sang 'Rum and Coca Cola'? The evening with Teddy, the night with him? His indiscretion the next day? The bashing and her wanting him to leave? Her anger with the children? His farewell? The decision to confront Rigby, buy the bus ticket, take the children away after their reaction against her (though her love for them, seeing them in bed later that evening)?
6. Rigby and the phone company, his saying she was frozen in the town, his lies? The shops and the men teasing the boys? The two men and their lusting after Nita, prying on her, looking through the window? Being warned off by the raggedy man? The sheriff's visit and his comments on her? The shops, the bar and the attack on the boys, the proprietor pulling his rifle? The gossips and the ladies of the town? Corpus Christi and the picture show, the fairground?
7. Nita and her fears alone in the house, the sheriff not being helpful? Her tension, the attack and the melodramatic pursuing of her around the house, Harry locked in the toilet? Her fear, her pleas to the assailants? The impact of the raggedy man and his killing the attackers? The understated comments in the bus about the identity of the raggedy man and his love for his wife and children?
8. Teddy as the ordinary young sailor, the comments made by the visitor paying his bill, about warfare and being involved? The phone call and his disappointment? Staying, the cup of coffee, sleeping the night on the porch, playing with the children and their enjoying it, talking with Nita, the outing to Corpus Christi? The night together? The fight in the bar and his protecting the children? His being urged to leave - and his story about the two shoes with the boys' names? The point of the John Wayne film and the heroism and his admiration of it? Nita and the boys hoping to meet him again?
9. The sketch of the children - their relationship with each other, the older boy rather quiet and protective, the younger boy assertive? Banging into Rigby, playing around the house? Enjoying the company of Teddy? Calling him 'Dad'? Their anger against their mother at the meal? The need for a father's love? Their supporting their mother at the end? Their future together?
10. The crisis, Nita's giving notice to Rigby and his having to man the phone by himself, buying the bus ticket, the fright in the night, the moving away to a new future?
11. The film as a piece of entertaining Americana? The small town, the isolation, victimisation? Marriage, love and disappointments? The portrait of a woman as wife, alone, mother? The point of the film as a reminiscence of 40 years earlier?
