Falling from Grace (1992)

Rock singer John Mellencamp makes his screen and directorial debut in this story by "Lonesome Dove" author, Larry McMurtry. The story, not too separated from Mellencamp's real life, finds ... See full summary »

Director:

John Mellencamp

Writer:

Larry McMurtry

Stars:

John Mellencamp, Mariel Hemingway, Claude Akins

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Mellencamp	...	Bud Parks
Mariel Hemingway	...	Alice Parks
Claude Akins	...	Speck Parks
Dub Taylor	...	Grandpa Parks
Kay Lenz	...	P.J. Parks
Larry Crane	...	Ramey Parks
Kate Noonan	...	Linda
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Sally Cutler
John Prine	...	Mitch Cutler
Brent Huff	...	Parker Parks
Joanne Jacobson	...	Marian Parks
Tracy Cowles	...	Bobby Tucker
Melissa Ann Hackman	...	Terri Jo Parks
Mary Tom Crain	...	Grandma Parks
Sigmund Balaban	...	Country Club Manager

Storyline

Rock singer John Mellencamp makes his screen and directorial debut in this story by "Lonesome Dove" author, Larry McMurtry. The story, not too separated from Mellencamp's real life, finds him as a country music star whose meanderings and philandering has thrown his life into turmoil. Returning to his native Indiana to try to reestablish a normal life. Instead he takes up with an old lover (Lenz), ignoring his loving wife (Hemingway), and duplicating the lifestyle of his womanizing father (Akins).

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Plot Keywords:

indiana | country music | singer | song | fictional town | 

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 February 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Souvenirs

Filming Locations:

Seymour, Indiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$231,826 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Little B

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"All the Best (acoustic version)"
Written by John Prine
Performed by John Prine

User Reviews

Okay, little pink houses for you and me....

This one was OK, more on the lines of a good made for TV movie than anything else. It was great to see Dub Taylor and Claude Akins working together one last time, though I got a kick outta their being father/son, Dub was born in '07 and Sheriff Lobo there 11 years lator.

Wonder what they thought about being directed by a rock singer? Oh well.

The film is okay for what it is, Mellencamp plays himself(gone country), not too terribly but is def. no actor. He hangs around the small town homestead, gets in a bar fight with Sheriff Lobo(dad), shoots of a gun or three, messes around with old flame Kay Lenz and drives wife Mariel Hemingway nuts. He talks about coming back to stay and his cronies say 'go back, you don't belong here, you got out, we don't want you here', more or less.

And there is a stunt involving riding in a cage of sorts in the back of a truck, kicking it off the back and watching Mellencamp go richocheting around the pavement behind said truck, caught in the bashed in cage and brush. He winds up in the hospital.

Some critics loved this-Siskel and Ebert, for example, and Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. Boston Globe thought it was okay too. Lyons, Medved and Maltin all hated it.

I sorta liked it, as a big Mellencamp fan-and will give it ** for Mellencamps decent direction and seeing Akins/Dub one last time. But the rest is only so so. Okay music too.