Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990)

A small town prepares for the homecoming of superstar Roxy Carmichael, as does a young outsider, who believes Roxy is her mother.

Director:

Jim Abrahams

Writer:

Karen Leigh Hopkins

Stars:

Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, Laila Robins

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Winona Ryder	...	Dinky Bossetti
Jeff Daniels	...	Denton Webb
Laila Robins	...	Elizabeth Zaks
Thomas Wilson Brown	...	Gerald Howells
Joan McMurtrey	...	Barbara 'Barbie' Webb
Graham Beckel	...	Les Bossetti
Frances Fisher	...	Rochelle Bossetti
Robby Kiger	...	Beannie Billings
Dinah Manoff	...	Evelyn Whittacher
Sachi Parker	...	Libby Ohiemacher
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Mayor Bill Klepler (as Stephen Tobolowski)
Micole Mercurio	...	Louise Garweski
John Short	...	Ronald Reems
Robin Thomas	...	Scotty Sandholtzer
Valerie Landsburg	...	Miss Day Ashburn (as Valerie Landsberg)

Storyline

Although Roxy left town more than fifteen years ago, her memory has never faded. Her expected return starts to impact a number of lives, including that of her former partner Denton Webb. But it is Dinky, the adopted daughter of the Bossettis and ignored by most of her classmates as a strange loner, who may be most changed. She is convinced she is Roxie's secret child.

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Plot Keywords:

outsider | homecoming | small town | worship | misfit | 

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Taglines:

She doesn't want much. Just a whole new life.

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 October 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Roxy

Filming Locations:

Clyde High School - 1015 Race Street, Clyde, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$3,989,297 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Incorporated Television Company (ITC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Elizabeth Zaks: I don't think I understand, Dinky.
Dinky Bosseti: It's not for you to understand, really.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Cave Dwellers (1991)

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Soundtracks

"Don't Look At Me"
Written and Performed by Melissa Etheridge
Courtesy of Island Records, Inc.

User Reviews

A comedy for 'kooks', using its protagonist as a martyr...

Adorable Winona Ryder may have become the '90s equivalent of Molly Ringwald had it not been for a succession of poor movie choices that failed to expand on her range (or her appealing post-beatnik persona). As Dinky Bosetti, small town outcast who would like to believe that hometown celebrity Roxy Carmichael is really her long-lost biological mother, Ryder's allure here is reduced to that of a messy, misfit tomboy dressed in black. The script alternately pities and martyrs her, while the sitcom shenanigans happening on the sidelines are never very funny (particularly a lesbian-issue sub-plot which is half-baked and left unresolved). Adopted Dinky loves animals and is picked on at school, though that isn't much to build a character on, and Ryder ends up making faces and acting in a vacuum. The pacing is self-consciously erratic, the editing is sloppy, and too much of the dialogue is knowingly facetious. Still, there are some funny moments and excellent soundtrack choices. A sharper screenplay and a more focused direction would have helped. ** from ****