Out of the Rain (1991) User Reviews

Forgettable. (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 4/10 · 3 April 2006]

Out of the Rain (aka End of Innocence) is at least by executional elements, a somewhat offbeat murder mystery. Although, the story itself is nothing new (once again). Michael O'Keefe plays the moody Frank Reade, summoned back to a small Canadian town to arrange for his brother's funeral after he was found dead. Expecting a short visit, he instead becomes involved in an investigation into his brothers death. Increasingly, it does not seem, as had originally been decided, that his death was the result of suicide. The event implicates his father, a friend, a drug operation, a crooked cop, and a deceptive girlfriend. In situations like these, one should expect motives of greed and double cross even from the most seemingly innocuous.

Viewers who prefer plenty of action and fast pacing to their action films may grow weary within minutes of this picture. It takes long to get moving and never really does approach a severe climax. Although, viewers in the mood for something that might at one time have wound up on cable networks running low-budget b-grade late night fare, might give this a try.

A Rather Mundane Mystery-Drama

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 12 August 2021]

After his brother's apparent suicide a young man by the name of "Frank Reade" (Michael O'Keefe) returns to his old home town to attend the funeral. Although he doesn't get along well with his father "Nat Reade" (John Seitz) he stops by the tannery where he works as a courteous gesture but is rebuffed for it all the same. That being said, the next person he visits is a night club owner named "Drew Smith" (Al Shannon) to try to find some answers as to why his brother killed himself. Not satisfied he then goes back to his younger brother's mobile home and gets some sleep. Immediately after the funeral the next day he is picked up by the police where he is given his brother's personal effects by "Sheriff Bill Neff" (John O'Keefe) but is once again dissatisfied with the reasons for his brother's suicide. Things change, however, when he meets his brother's girlfriend "Jo" (Bridget Fonda) who seems to have acquired an immediate fondness for him for reasons he doesn't quite understand. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather mundane mystery-drama which didn't quite have the passion or suspense necessary for a film of this type. In addition to that, I didn't particularly care for the performance of Bridget Fonda who played her part in a less than convincing manner as well. In any case, while this wasn't necessarily a bad film by any means, it wasn't anything special and I have rated it accordingly.

Garbage.

[kcrgyf · 1/10 · 23 March 2024]

My wife made me watch this because it was filmed in her hometown. It's garbage. Utter garbage. There is nothing good. The acting is awful. The director clearly had his training in the adult film industry. I really feel bad for the people invested their time and money into this. Brigette Fonda is awful. Michael O'Keefe is about as awful as he gets, that's worse than his characters on MASH. I can't believe O'Keefe got steady work on a network television show after this. Whoever made this also had a clear obsession with Twin Peaks as it is a terrible, terrible, terrible piece of trash ripoff. Don't even bother watching or wasting your time. If your wife makes you watch it, file for divorce.

Hidden Treasure

[abooboo-2 · 7/10 · 15 January 2001]

I saw this film over 5 years ago so I can't provide too much detail, but it has always stuck with me. It's sort of a semi-Gothic mood piece, extremely somber (like O'Keefe's character) and fragile (Fonda's). The film-makers exquisitely capture the feelings of resentment and bitterness that permeate a dying town where corruption casts a dark shadow over everything that goes on. O'Keefe has returned to the town after a long absence to attend, if memory serves, the funeral of his brother. He strikes up an ill-advised relationship with the brother's former girlfriend, who knows more than she's letting on about the mysterious circumstances surrounding the brother's death. In the process they both run afoul of the town's disturbingly ever-present police chief (played seedily and sadistically by an actor whose name I can't recall.)

For the most part, an achingly rendered tragedy with some remarkably vivid imagery, until it climaxes with an incongruously bloody and violent finale. Still, some of O'Keefe's (almost a grown-up version of his character in "The Great Santini") and Fonda's best, if little-seen and un-commented upon, work.

Quite a pleasant surprise: atmospheric, well-acted thriller

[floydianer · 8/10 · 22 July 2006]

This 1991 film seems to have been completely forgotten, and I've never even heard it mentioned when people talk about Fonda's filmography. The fact that it's so unknown shouldn't be understood as lack of quality.

Director Winick presents a vivid, moody, more-dimensional portrait of a lifeless city, with fleshed-out characters played by very talented actors. The film is quiet, and takes a long time before slowly opening up the mystery behind it all. Naturally the story itself isn't new or original (man finds brother dead, returns to hometown, doesn't believe in suicide). While the actual resolution of this story isn't a masterstroke, the characterization of the sadistic police officer seemed original and compelling in comparison.

O'Keefe is more than capable to carry a picture as a lead. Fonda is an even better actress: I could advice you to watch, for example, Cameron Crowe's SINGLES from around this time, and compare the two performances. She's really versatile. Not to mention the fact that Fonda at 27 (and beyond) must have been one of the most beautiful Hollywood actresses of the last twenty years. Imagine that: a famous name, heart-breaker looks and talent.

If it's on: watch it. An interesting nicely filmed thriller with a lot of atmosphere, melancholia and good acting.

Cleanly Assembled Melodrama Of A Young Man Coming To Grips With Tall Odds.

[rsoonsa · 9/10 · 18 August 2009]

This undervalued film is consistently interesting, and benefits from solid production values and able performances by cast members, as well as a felicitous score by composer/pianist Cingiz Yaltkaya that matches the work's melancholy tone, and excellent design that adds to the effectively directed pacing of the narrative. It is a tale that relates of a vagabond who decides to investigate the ostensible suicide of his younger brother despite having to deal with rude demeanor from a community that avoids giving answers to his probing queries. Frank Reade (Michael O'Keefe), an aimless rover of sorts, returns to his home town in order to attend funeral services for his younger brother Jimmy, apparently a suicide. His incidental attempts to learn what was behind Jimmy's passing are obstructed by his friends and by his own father (John Seitz), all while Jimmy's somewhat emotionally disturbed girl friend Jolene (Bridget Fonda) attaches herself to an initially resistant Frank; however, her enigmatic remarks to him eventually contain a special significance that lead him to believe that his brother's death may have been a homicide. When Frank delves into possible causes of the fatal event, he unsheathes a tangle of illicit activity involving narcotics that has engaged both Jimmy and his father, in addition to discovering an incestuous relationship that has snared Jolene and, largely as a result of a corrupt local sheriff, it becomes quite plain that Frank Reade's stay in the town will be for a much longer period than was anticipated by him. Most of the film's players are at least competent, with O'Keefe gathering in the acting honours with an intense performance as a loner who finds himself over his head in a struggle with townspeople who are not inclined to wish the best for him. Fonda creates her role of Jolene with skill despite its being a rather underwritten part. Although the scenario hastens to a maladroit conclusion, director Winick and those others responsible for post-production editing have united to establish the work's noteworthy pacing, and the camera skills of Makato Watanabe visually the captures the enervated character of an industrial community in decline. Scoring by Yaltkaya, albeit deceptively modest, has received first class sound editing to match the film's moody temper. Shot in upstate New York's Fulton County, largely in the small cities of Johnstown and Gloversville, this film can be recommended to those viewers interested in independent cinema, principally for its mood projection, as well as for its smooth narrative flow, until its rickety final scenes. It has not been released in a DVD format but is worth one's effort to locate as a VHS tape.

Still Haunts Me

[echapman7 · 9/10 · 27 January 2024]

I first saw this movie in the early '90s, probably on Cinemax, shortly after I turned 20 with dreams of becoming an actor. Everything about it hit me hard. I treasured it. On the strength of his performance in this and The Great Santini, I counted Michael O'Keefe among my acting idols at the time along with Mickey Rourke, Pacino, De Niro and Chris Walken. Yes, I thought he was that good. And Bridget Fonda stole my heart.

I was curious to see how it held up 30-plus years later. My feelings haven't changed. It rocked me again. It's a beautiful, poetic small-town noir, a more subdued Red Rock West, unusually melancholic in tone. And achingly personal. The dead-end town O'Keefe returns to is so real. We all know towns like that. Some of us grew up in one. And the resentment it engenders in O'Keefe's is so palpable.

Love the way O'Keefe carries himself throughout the film. As if to say, "Yeah. I'm here, but I'm not here. I escaped this hellhole. I'm here for my brother's funeral. And that's it." It's a sublimely restrained performance. You can tell he's burning up on the inside.

Fonda is phenomenal. Fragile like a bird and vulnerable yet full of charm. And secrets. Their chemistry is both touching and explosive. There's nothing forced about their relationship. We really pull for them to make it out of there. But we sense the town has too strong a hold on her.

Director Wynick, no longer with us, gets so much right here, but never more so than the unforgettable shot of a hard rain falling on O'Keefe's's dead brother's mini camper with Fonda inside, as the town's evil sheriff, and Fonda's tormentor, looks on with malice. It's iconic.

The incestuous sheriff is played well by John O'Keefe, who surprisingly only appeared in one other film. Is he related to Michael?

I incorrectly stated in my review from 30 years ago that the violent ending is at odds with the mostly quiet rest of the film. No, it's not. That violence has been bubbling beneath the surface the whole time. Once revealed, Fonda's secret is too big to end any other way. O'Keefe's final line "No!" rips your heart out.

I don't know what's more incredible, the film's low 4.7 score here, or how few votes it has. It's so obscure it almost seems to barely exist. If someone ever writes a book about Lost Films of the '90s, this needs to be in there.

Downbeat, minor drama

[lor_ · 30 June 2023]

My review was written in October 1991 after watching the film on Live video cassette.

An early Bridget Fonda assignment pops up in this unexciting direct-to-video release, a drama too glum and hop;eless to arouse much interest.

Based on an obscure play by Shem Bitterman, who also scripted, "Out of the Rain" was filmed on locations in upstate New York but remains uncinematic. Michae O'Keefe gives an uncharacteristically flat performance as a man who returns home in time for his brother's funeral.

Naturally he tries to find out what happened but is faced with a corrupt, closed society. After endless fumbling around, he discovers his brother was a drug dealer, his dad is being forced to take orders from thelocal mob kingpin and the evil sheriff (John E. O'Keefe) has niece Fonda trapped in an incestuous relationship.

Weak production values, poor storytelling by director Gary Winnick and a monotonous score add to pic's enervating mood. Bitterman fails to create any sympathy for the main characters, most of whom are killed off in a null finale. Complete absence of any redeeming uplift at the fadeout is a drag.

Fonda, looking young and waif-like here (feature's production date is unknown), is stuck with a gimmicky role, and supporting cast is nondescript.