Big Bad Love (2001)

Director:

Arliss Howard

Writers:

Larry Brown (stories)
James Howard (screenplay) ...

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The staggering tale of one man's relentless pursuit of imperfection.

Plot:

Vietnam veteran Leon Barlow is struggling as a writer, and his personal life isn't much better. His...

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Arliss Howard	...	Barlow
Debra Winger	...	Marilyn
Paul Le Mat	...	Monroe
Rosanna Arquette	...	Velma
Angie Dickinson	...	Mrs. Barlow
Michael Parks	...	Mr. Aaron
Alex Van	...	Deputy
Zachary Moody	...	Alan Barlow
Olivia Kersey	...	Alisha Barlow
Kevin Mitchell	...	Twin #1
Matt Mitchell	...	Twin #2
Sue Peavey	...	Cindy
Michael Williamson	...	Young Barlow
Coleman Barks	...	Minister
Gloria Jackson Winters	...	Mrs. Shepard (as Gloria Winters)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

Canada:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA

Company:

Big Bad Love LLC

Soundtrack:

Goodbye

Excellent Piece of Cimematic Work and the trimuphant return of Debra Winger

During the entire decade of the 1980's and toward the early 1990's,Debra Winger was one of the hottest actresses working in Hollywood at the time and she had a beau of leading actors that took her to the title of the box office queen. Some of her leading men were John Travolta,Richard Gere,Marlon Brando,and Jack Nicholson as well as with actors Robert Duvall and Ed Harris. However,she would win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1983 for "Terms of Endearment",and after that she went in submission for a while.......only to resurface.

However,Debra Winger makes her return here in one of the best performances of her career. "Big Bad Love" is a film based on the writings of Mississippi author Larry Brown. She people think that she retired from the cimema in recent years(her last film was nine years ago under the direction of Bernardo Bertlucci),but takes this chance to star opposite her real-life husband Arliss Howard(who stars,directs,and wrote the script). Howard plays,Leon Barlow,a depressive,alcoholic Vietnam veteran and aspiring writer. Aside from holding a candle for hs ex-wife(Winger),most of Barlow's time focuses on daily trips to the mailbox,sending off plies of manuscripts,and following enough rejection letters to wallpaper hs bathroom. He is played as a sympathetic ne'er-do -well,lovable enough to be excused for shirking his familial responsiblities as a father(including his two precious children),until the end of the film,when tragedy strikes and Barlow is forced out of his cynical melancholy.

Strong performances from Angie Dickinson as well(in a grand return to the silver screen)as Rosanna Arquette(whom I haven't heard from since the 1990's)and Paul Le Mat. This movie had the heart,the guts and the soul that makes it a piece of grand cimematic work. A must see!

Rating: **** out of *****