Far North

Grumpy old Bertrum (Charles Durning) is in the hospital after an incident with his horse. His oldest daughter Kate (Jessica Lange) has returned home and he wants her to kill the horse for revenge. Kate is reluctant. Middle child Rita (Tess Harper) is stable. Youngest Jilly (Patricia Arquette) is a wild child. The mother (Ann Wedgeworth) is flighty and delusional. Uncle Dane (Donald Moffat) is also in the hospital and helps Bertrum run away.

Sam Shepard wrote and directed this movie. It's a bit of a mess. The dysfunctional family of crazy characters could be good building blocks for a compelling story. Shooting the horse is not the highest of stakes. There is a lot of complaining and fighting without going anywhere. The plot needs a destination. This has many great actors and they infuse their characters with life. It would be nice to have a good plot to put these character into.