The Member of the Wedding (TV 1997)

Director:

Fielder Cook

Writers:

Carson McCullers (novel), David W. Rintels

Stars:

Anna Paquin, Alfre Woodard, Corey Dunn

3 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anna Paquin	...	Frankie Addams
Alfre Woodard	...	Berenice Sadie Brown
Corey Dunn	...	John Henry
Enrico Colantoni	...	Mr. Addams
Anne Tremko	...	Janice
Matt McGrath	...	Jarvis
Pat Hingle	...	Officer Wylie
Jack Landry	...	Red-Haired Soldier
Maggie Marshall	...	Emmaline Williams / Voice of Carson McCullers
Andy Stahl	...	Mr. Williams (as Andrew Stahl)
Joanne Pankow	...	Mrs. Wray
Lou Criscuolo	...	Blue Moon Owner
Stephanie Denise Griffin	...	Winnie (as Stephanie Griffin)
James J. Pence Jr.	...	Minister
Al Wiggins	...	T.T. Williams (as Alfred Wiggins)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

teenager | barefoot | american south | southern accent | melancholy | 

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Taglines:

There's a time in a young girl's life when nothing's right...but everything's possible.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 January 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Member of the Family

Filming Locations:

Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gideon Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Berenice Sadie Brown: You're jealous of your brother.
Frankie Addams: I couldn't be jealous of one of them without being jealous of both of them.

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Connections

Version of The Member of the Wedding (1952)

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Soundtracks

"His Eye is on the Sparrow"
Lyrics by Civilla D. Martin
Performed by Alfre Woodard and Anna Paquin

User Reviews

Carson McCullers is turning over in her grave

Paquin's accent isn't great, although she is a reasonably affecting Frankie. Julie Harris she is not, but she has her moments. Woodard is terrific as Berenice, as far as she was allowed to go.

But the novel, which is a dreamy, exquisite book, has been eviscerated. Not only did the writer (or more likely, the producer or the director or Hallmark) simply lop off the rest of the story, but Berenice's big scene, wherein she tells of Ludie's death and her subsequent, hopeless search for "pieces" (as she says) of him, has been eliminated, except for a fragment plopped (why?!) at the beginning of the movie.

Really, I think there should be a law against hacks putting their hands on art. Everything Mrs. McCullers created -- the characters, the pathos, the heat and boredom of that summer, the depth of their sorrow, longing, restlessness, disappointment... oh! and the plot -- has been diluted for easy consumption by the public, most of whom, alas, will not even know the difference. Which, I suppose, is why, and how, the perpetrators of this pale fraud justified this sorry mess. Shame on them.

Read the book and then (and only then) see the original movie. Please.