Fool for Love (1985)

May is waiting for her boyfriend in a run-down American motel, when an old flame turns up and threatens to undermine her efforts and drag her back into the life that she was running away from. The situation soon turns complicated.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Sam Shepard (play), Sam Shepard (screenplay)

Stars:

Sam Shepard, Kim Basinger, Harry Dean Stanton

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Sam Shepard	...	Eddie / May's half-brother
Kim Basinger	...	May / Eddie's half-sister
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Old Man
Randy Quaid	...	Martin
Martha Crawford	...	May's Mother
Louise Egolf	...	Eddie's Mother
Sura Cox	...	May / Teenage
Jonathan Skinner	...	Eddie / Teenage
April Russell	...	May / Young
Deborah McNaughton	...	The Countess
Lon Hill	...	Mr. Valdes

Storyline

May is hiding out at an old motel in the Southwest. Eddie, her half-brother, also an old flame shows up. He threatens her metaphorically and, at times, literally drags her back into the life she had fled from. The film focuses on the couple's fluctuating past and present relationships, and the dark secrets hidden within, including one from an old man who lives near the motel (Harry Dean Stanton).

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Plot Keywords:

based on play | half brother half sister relationship | father son relationship | old flame | boyfriend girlfriend relationship | 

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Taglines:

Desire beyond the edge of passion.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to 'The Cambridge Companion to Sam Shepard' by Matthew Roudané (2002), some critics consider the film's source "Fool for Love" play by Sam Shepard as being part of a quintet of plays by Shepard. These include all three plays from Shepard's Family Trilogy, Curse of the Starving Class (1976), Buried Child (1979), and True West (1980), as well as Fool for Love (1983) and A Lie of the Mind (1985). Moreover, director Robert Altman actually once made a movie called Quintet (1979).

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Quotes

Eddie: I hope this man comes over here. I really hope he does. I want to see him walk through that door.
May: What are you gonna do?
Eddie: I'm gonna nail his ass to the floor - directly.

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Robert Altman (2001)

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Soundtracks

You Lied Your Way
Written and Performed by Sandy Rogers
Produced by Jim Gaines

User Reviews

Pay Close Attention

Two (or three?) intertwined stories superimposed on eachother. Intrguing challenge to sort them out. Extremely well portrayed anguish by Shepard and Basinger. A fun mystery to try to solve.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1986 (France)

Also Known As:

Fool for Love

Filming Locations:

El Dorado, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$55,637, 8 December 1985

Gross USA:

$836,156

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$836,156

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema '84, The Cannon Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1