Passion Fish (1992)

May-Alice Culhane was a successful soap opera star, but a car accident has left her bound to a wheelchair. She returns to her now-empty family home in the bayous of Louisiana which she had ... See full summary »

Director:

John Sayles

Writer:

John Sayles

Stars:

Mary McDonnell, Angela Bassett, Lenore Banks

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mary McDonnell	...	May-Alice Culhane
Angela Bassett	...	Rhonda / Dawn
Lenore Banks	...	Nurse Quick
Will Mahoney	...	Max
Nelle Stokes	...	Therapist #1
Brett Ardoin	...	Therapist #2
Michael Mantell	...	Dr. Kline
Daniel Dupont	...	Therapist #3
Chuck Cain	...	Attendant
Shana Ledet Qualls	...	Fan #1
Paula Lafleur	...	Fan #2
Maggie Renzi	...	Louise
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Drushka
Victoria Edwards	...	Jessica
Amanda Carlin	...	Perky

Storyline

May-Alice Culhane was a successful soap opera star, but a car accident has left her bound to a wheelchair. She returns to her now-empty family home in the bayous of Louisiana which she had eagerly left years before. She drinks heavily and vents her bitterness on the succession of nurses who are hired to take care of her and immediately quit because she is so unbearable. Chantelle is the latest of these nurses, and May-Alice is told that Chantelle is the last nurse she'll get. Chantelle for reasons of her own, is also in a position where she badly needs the job to work out. The movie focuses on how these two women become friends and help each other heal emotionally.

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Plot Keywords:

accident | louisiana | bayou | actress | wheelchair | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 December 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Louisiana Project

Filming Locations:

Elton, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,330,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$5,414,619 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atchafalaya

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (DuArt)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'Mary McDonnell' prepared for her role as the wheelchair-bound May-Alice by attending physical training and hospital sessions with counselors and real paraplegics. She had to do this while she was concurrently filming Sneakers.

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Goofs

Rennie's bass turned into a catfish when he opened it up for the passion fish.

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Quotes

Nina: I didn't ask for the anal probe.

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Connections

Referenced in Grosse Pointe: Passion Fish (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Oh, Negresse"
Written by John Delafose
Tradition Music Co.(BMI
Performed by John Delafose and The Eunice Playboys

User Reviews

Kudos to McDonnell, Woodward, and cast

This film surprised me a lot. I liked it very much. It was well-written, acted, and worth watching Mary McDonnell who received her second Oscar nomination for this performance. Alfre Woodard should be nominated for best supporting actress. I was surprised to find two equally challenging roles for women in an almost extinct era. The relationship between the two women grows slowly. It is nice to see friendship between these two very different characters. May Alice becomes a likable person after awhile. Angela Bassett has a small role as her friend from New York City. David Straitharn plays an old flame who has since married and remain local in the Louisiana swamps of their hometown. It's a great story overall with characters that you grow to like over the time we spend with them.