Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)

Review by All Movie Guide
Call it a guilty treasure or a triumph of good filmmaking over weak material, but Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean is an entertaining movie despite its flaws. Screenwriter Ed Graczyk, who adapted his own play, has admitted the influence of William Inge and Tennessee Williams on his work; unfortunately, his writing doesn't transcend these influences. His ideas aren't very original and his dialogue isn't particularly witty or incisive; also, the screenplay's theatrical origins are evident in the archetypal characters, fixed setting, and excessive overuse of dialogue for exposition. But the director of Nashville and Three Women seems well-suited to a film about pop celebrityhood in which female characters rattle each other's nerves. Robert Altman, who helmed this film after directing several performances of the play, has a strong feel for both the characters and the setting. Altman, cinematographer Pierre Mignot, and the rest of the crew do a fine job of conveying the textures of the room and emotional states of the characters through camera placement and lighting (e.g., the way sunlight shines through the store front's window and muscles tense in the women's faces), avoiding a claustrophobic feel by using a mirrored wall to create the illusion of space, and providing further insight into the characters by showing how they position themselves in relation to each other. Furthermore, Sandy Dennis, Cher, and Karen Black all provide fine performances in their respective roles. Dennis manages to bring humanity to her portrayal of Mona instead of making her seem like nothing more than a pathetic madwoman; Black gives a relatively subdued performance that lends dignity to her character; and Cher's convincing portrayal of Sissy was a major step in her career transformation into a respected actress. The other performances vary in quality -- unfortunately, Kathy Bates and Sudie Bond seem like they hadn't fully adapted to the transition from the stage to the screen -- but this is still a strong enough acting ensemble to make the film worth seeing. ~ Todd Kristel, All Movie Guide