Despite Glen Pitre's reputation with the critics, he shows no distinguishing talent with story, narrative or actors with this war-and-the-homefront melodrama. The men are mostly overwrought, young Lacey Chabert is totally out of the period, and Tatum O'Neal (in the lead as a widowed mother of two under a constant cloud of suspicion) is too low-keyed and looks wrung out; she doesn't connect with the audience in a sympathetic way because she's kept so distant and dry of emotions (except in the brief scene where she laughs at Julian Sands dancing--it's like a breath of fresh air to see her genuinely smiling). Film is patchy, with a low-budget feel that isn't helped by mediocre period affects. It begins with a haunting shot, a flashback that becomes clearer as the film progresses (featuring O'Neal's strongest moments), but the rest of the movie fails to rise to that emotional level. It's so passive and dish-rag limp. One may commend hammy Tim Curry as an alcoholic priest--he does liven things up--but his comic mugging doesn't belong in a movie about U-boats and power-crazed soldiers. ** from ****
8 Reviews
Raggedy Indie
=G=6 August 2004
In "Home Front", as the DVD was entitled, WWII German U-boats are sinking American ships off the coast of Louisiana and the little Cajun backwater town Cut Off, LA is getting the backlash. The film focuses on a woman (O'Neal) with a big secret, a doctor (Sands) with a medium sized secret, a priest with a little secret, and a USCG Ensign who is the wartime town cop and wants to know everybody's secret. Trying too hard to be all things to all people while lacking in focus, purpose, center of gravity, and character depth this mediocre little indie manages nominal drama - with O'Neal looking in need of some serious direction - while missing much of the smell, sound, and scenic beauty of Cajun country. Recommended only for fans of the players or anyone interested in the location or period. The DVD I watched had no CC's and only Spanish subtitles. (C+)
Patchy but not bad
TheLittleSongbird4 April 2015
The Scoundrel's Wife did have potential to be much better than it was, the idea for the story was intriguing and there was some good talent(speaking as a fan of Tim Curry). It is certainly not a bad film, there are things to like and even the not-so-good things are not that disastrous, but at the end of the day it just felt lacking.
The scenery and locations are beautiful and there is a good amount of evocative period detail. The music is subtle and not intrusive and doesn't feel too sluggish or repetitive. There is evidence of some intelligent dialogue and scenes with heart, with a relatively sweet if brief moment between Tatum O'Neal and Julian Sands where she is amused by his dancing. And three performances are good, no bias is intended here but Tim Curry stood out here. He had the most interesting character, and he is amusing and charming but also appropriately subtle as Father Antoine without becoming eccentric or dull. Lacey Chabert brings much spirit and heart into her role and didn't seem too out of place too much, while Julian Sands is in refreshingly subdued mode and comes over as sympathetic and quietly dignified.
However, there are things that are less good. Most of the rest of the cast do come over as a little overwrought and Tatum O'Neal's performance felt too underplayed and lacking in emotion though with its moments. Glen Pitrie's direction is often so low-key that it felt like his heart wasn't properly in it, it's clear where the film is set and what the story is and effort is made in giving the film a nice bayou flavour(even if not always consistent) but there was overall a lack of intimacy and I never got really to know most of the characters. The Scoundrel's Wife is reasonably well shot and it's far from a bad-looking film, as seen in the previous paragraph, but there was at times too much of a TV film feel. The script and story have their moments, but the script does fall too often into melodramatic soap-opera that lacks flow and the story also has a good deal of melodramatic that is sometimes moving but too often ham-fisted, also feeling a little limp pace-wise. The ending to me seemed on the jumbled and far-fetched side.
In conclusion, not a bad film but a patchy one, partially recommended but not a must-see. 5/10 Bethany Cox
The scenery and locations are beautiful and there is a good amount of evocative period detail. The music is subtle and not intrusive and doesn't feel too sluggish or repetitive. There is evidence of some intelligent dialogue and scenes with heart, with a relatively sweet if brief moment between Tatum O'Neal and Julian Sands where she is amused by his dancing. And three performances are good, no bias is intended here but Tim Curry stood out here. He had the most interesting character, and he is amusing and charming but also appropriately subtle as Father Antoine without becoming eccentric or dull. Lacey Chabert brings much spirit and heart into her role and didn't seem too out of place too much, while Julian Sands is in refreshingly subdued mode and comes over as sympathetic and quietly dignified.
However, there are things that are less good. Most of the rest of the cast do come over as a little overwrought and Tatum O'Neal's performance felt too underplayed and lacking in emotion though with its moments. Glen Pitrie's direction is often so low-key that it felt like his heart wasn't properly in it, it's clear where the film is set and what the story is and effort is made in giving the film a nice bayou flavour(even if not always consistent) but there was overall a lack of intimacy and I never got really to know most of the characters. The Scoundrel's Wife is reasonably well shot and it's far from a bad-looking film, as seen in the previous paragraph, but there was at times too much of a TV film feel. The script and story have their moments, but the script does fall too often into melodramatic soap-opera that lacks flow and the story also has a good deal of melodramatic that is sometimes moving but too often ham-fisted, also feeling a little limp pace-wise. The ending to me seemed on the jumbled and far-fetched side.
In conclusion, not a bad film but a patchy one, partially recommended but not a must-see. 5/10 Bethany Cox
This film was based on real people
Ted_martin21 January 2007
This film may only have viewing value to local people from South Louisiana as one of the other reviewer's has stated, but the story line is loosely based on historic events occurring before and during World War II. My mother, who was raised in Mathews Louisiana tells stories of how one of our distant relatives kicked barrels loaded up with Chinese illegals over the side of his boat because the authorities were after him. She also told us stories of how after a German U-boat had been sunk off of the coast of Louisiana, a ticket to the local picture show was found on one of the German's bodies that washed ashore. There were also loaves of French bread from Dufrene's Bakery in Golden Meadow, LA in the debris. Food and diesel were rationed to most people, but shrimp weren't bound by the rationing rules due to the shrimp's food value. Glen Petri tells his tale in a way to tie these stories together in a very entertaining way in my opinion.
Very entertaining with beautiful scenes of the Louisiana bayous.
beaujean26 February 2003
Loved this movie and found it pleasingly fast paced. Never drags...never a dull scene. I especially liked the performances of Tim Curry as the village priest and Lacey Chabert as Florida Picou. Lacey is absolutely beautiful on the "big screen".
The scenes of south Louisiana are gorgeous with giant oaks draped with moss and beautiful bayous. I found the recreation of a bayou village of the 1940's captivating. As a history buff, I also found the little known story of German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico fascinating.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a well told story with fast action, a mystery, and a romance.
The scenes of south Louisiana are gorgeous with giant oaks draped with moss and beautiful bayous. I found the recreation of a bayou village of the 1940's captivating. As a history buff, I also found the little known story of German U-boats in the Gulf of Mexico fascinating.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys a well told story with fast action, a mystery, and a romance.
Really good movie
fanplus12 June 2004
Saw this under the title "Home Front". The scenery was obviously true to LA. The characters are recognizable to anyone who has ever lived in a small town, even if a war isn't going on.
Tim Curry is, as usual, superb. Tatum O'Neil is a breath of fresh air from the typical Hollywood fair. I recognized each character driving this film. Also wondered why I'd never heard of it before just discovering it on a video shelf at Blockbuster. Left me wondering how much was true as I was aware of U-boats off the coast of U.S. but didn't know anything about tankers being blown up. Guess I have some research to do. I am recommending it to everyone I know who enjoys real movies, not just effects disguised as a movie.
Tim Curry is, as usual, superb. Tatum O'Neil is a breath of fresh air from the typical Hollywood fair. I recognized each character driving this film. Also wondered why I'd never heard of it before just discovering it on a video shelf at Blockbuster. Left me wondering how much was true as I was aware of U-boats off the coast of U.S. but didn't know anything about tankers being blown up. Guess I have some research to do. I am recommending it to everyone I know who enjoys real movies, not just effects disguised as a movie.
The Scoundrel's Wife (or Home Front) was a nice regional drama from Louisiana filmmaker Glen Pitre
tavm21 July 2008
After checking this out of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library a couple of weeks ago, I finally watched Cut Off native Glen Pitre's The Scoundrel's Wife (or as printed in the movie proper-Home Front) with my parents. My dad was bored and left partly through but me and my mom stayed for the whole thing and both enjoyed it. Tatum O'Neal plays Camille Picou, a widow during World War II who's ostracized in her community that's the same as the director's because of something she and her late husband did during the '30s. Her teen children Florida (Lacey Chabert) and Blue (Patrick McCullough) don't find out what until the end. Meanwhile, a doctor from Germany (Julian Sands) has arrived and takes care of many other men from there as they arrive from U-boats wounded and sick. That doesn't sit will with many of the residents including a Coast Guard Ensign (Jack Burwell, played by Eion Bailey who I just found out lost the Batman role to Christian Bale for Batman Begins years ago) who is under pressure to make an arrest. I'll stop right there and mention that Pitre the director takes enough time with his and wife Michelle Benoit's screenplay to figure out who's with who and how times were in the Pelican State during the early '40s. There's also an amusing turn by Tim Curry as the local priest also originally from Germany who likes to drink. Many fine performances abound in this regional drama and besides McCullough who's from Metairie, other Louisiana natives acting in this production are Michael Arata (Coast Guard Commander) who was born in New Orleans and John McConnell (Dance Hall Owner) who was born in my now hometown of Baton Rouge and has a radio show in New Orleans. Wonderful location shots of Lafourche Parish and Lockport flow through the movie. This is the third movie written by Pitre that I've seen, the others being Belizaire the Cajun and Hurricane on the Bayou which I saw at the IMAX theatre in the Cresent City. For anyone interested in Louisiana period flavor, I highly recommend The Scoundrel's Wife (a.k.a. Home Front).
Very Entertaining
jade1-15 July 2002
This movie was filmed around the area where I live (I was almost in it but I was on vacation for callbacks). It is truly a great movie. The writing, cinematography, acting and directing were all superb. It is about a family who is the outsiders of the town of Cut Off in the 1940's because her husband threw barrels of illegal immigrants into the gulf that they were shipping to America for profit. Her husband has died and her family have to make lives for themselves but WWII hits hard on the community. The wife ends up housing a doctor who is really an illegal immigrant and they become close and a chain of events are sparked. I know a few people that were in the film. I know the girls (Britney Levron, Danielle Lagard) that are sitting at the table in the dance hall and one of the dancers (Natalie Duet). I also know the girl (Kayla Duet) that is in the crowd in the final scenes. She is the blonde that is shaking her head.All in all, A+ entertainment.
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