Chattahoochee (1989)

In 1955 Florida, a Korean vet has a breakdown and is incarcerated in a "maximum security" mental health prison, where patients are abused.

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writer:

James Hicks

Stars:

Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Frances McDormand

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Oldman	...	Emmett Foley
Dennis Hopper	...	Walker Benson
Frances McDormand	...	Mae Foley
Pamela Reed	...	Earlene
Ned Beatty	...	Dr. Harwood
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Morris
William De Acutis	...	Missy
Lee Wilkof	...	Vernon
Matt Craven	...	Lonny
Gary Howard Klar	...	Clarence (as Gary Klar)
Timothy Scott	...	Harley
Richard Portnow	...	Dr. Debner
William Newman	...	Jonathan
Whitey Hughes	...	Mr. Johnson
Wilbur Fitzgerald	...	Duane

Storyline

An American war hero attempts suicide and ends up in Chattahoochee State Mental Hospital. But he realizes that the doctors in the hospital are humiliating patients, and staff are murdering them.

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Plot Keywords:

patient | maximum security | florida | inmate | mental health | 

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Taglines:

At the edge of insanity lies hope.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

A téboly börtöne

Filming Locations:

Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$259,486 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 94 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The "Emmet Fowley" character is based on real life Christopher Calhoun, who moved to Los Angeles after his release and wrote about and became an activist for similarly abused people.

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Quotes

[last lines, from off]
Emmett Foley: Well, I don't reckon I'm a hero. Sure don't feel like one. I just did what I could. One thing at a time. Step by step.

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Crazy Credits

The producers would like to thank the people of Columbia and Newberry, South Carolina for their generosity and support during the making of this film.

User Reviews

Very Good But Had More Potential

This might have been a masterwork. Acting, editing, photography and many other aspects of this film are excellent. Mike Jackson the director of many films surpassed even that work here, but the script is more than a bit heavy handed and clichéd. The writer James Hicks is also an actor—maybe that is one reason the script works well in details. It is less successful in scope and range.

Still Frances McDormand reveals her immense potential. Gary Oldman is a genius in all of his film work. Ned Betty and Dennis Hopper do their masterwork. The opening brought back memories for me of Southern summer mornings. Attention to historical detail is terrific.

I wish the entire film were as good as the opening sequence is. After that brilliant beginning, the rest of the film seems like too many other films about exploitation. I agree with the reviewer that the director ought to have brought us more into the interior life of the protagonist. Oldman has even more potential than Mr. Jackson used.