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Actors: Nick Nolte, James Coburn, Sissy Spacek, Willem Dafoe, Mary Beth Hurt
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Affliction |
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Wade Whitehouse (Nolte) is a deeply troubled small town New Hampshire sheriff. His ex-wife Lillian (Hurt) and daughter Jill both feel he hasn't amounted to anything (though his girlfriend Margie, played by Spacek, accepts him as he is), and he's haunted by the fear that he could turn out like his alcoholic, abusive father Glen (Coburn). Wade starts to investigate a suspicious hunting accident fatality at about the same time as his younger brother Rolfe (Dafoe), who used to watch from the sidelines as Wade and his mother were beaten by their father and husband, starts needling him about setting things right. Pressures build on Wade from every direction as he attempts to solve the case and work up the courage to confront his father. This 1997 film, written and directed by Paul Schrader and based on the autobiographical novel by Russell Banks, has more atmosphere and good acting than coherent plot; it's not something to watch if you're in a delicate mood. At the age of 70, Coburn took home a supporting actor Oscar for his performance in this movie.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Affliction |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Family, struggling with
Yes
Struggle with:
- Father
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Struggle with
- midlife crisis
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Druggie/Wino problems?
- alcohol
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) muscular
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 40%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 60's-90's
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Body type
- (man) muscular
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Forest?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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