This made-for-TV film is still quite moving 14 years later; Gena Rowlands, for me, is always an actress worth watching; her understated style can speak volumes without her saying a word (those eyes: that pinched smile!); Tyne Daly's work is never excessive either; this bag lady often speaks the truth with great wisdom, learned out in the real world. When Rowlands has to go there, her wealthy "friends" are no help at all; finally, near the film's conclusion Rowland's daughter Tina (the very under-rated Cynthia Nixon) begins to see the importance of her mother's compassion and empathy for others less fortunate. Those "Ronald Reagan Rejects" are still out there, aren't they?
Review of Face of a Stranger
Face of a Stranger
(1991 TV Movie)
A friendless, possibly schizophrenic, bag lady is befriended by a wealthy Seattle socialite
31 January 2006