Face of a Stranger (1991)

After the death of her husband, Pat learns that he gambled away all of their savings and that she's now destitute. She may even have to leave their apartment. Much to the embarrassment of ... See full summary »

Director:

Claudia Weill

Writers:

Mary Stuart (article), Marsha Norman

Stars:

Gena Rowlands, Tyne Daly, Cynthia Nixon

Won 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gena Rowlands	...	Pat Foster
Tyne Daly	...	Dollie Madison
Cynthia Nixon	...	Tina
Kevin Tighe	...	Richard
Rae Allen	...	Ruthie
Seymour Cassel	...	Ralph
Elizabeth Franz
Harris Yulin	...	David
Armelia McQueen	...	Social Worker
Jeff Probst	...	Kevin Leeds
John Procaccino	...	Peter Cooper
Carol Appel	...	Elaine Leeds
Frank Buxton	...	Al Leeds
Henry Chu	...	Market Vendor
Clayton Corzatte	...	Professor

Storyline

After the death of her husband, Pat learns that he gambled away all of their savings and that she's now destitute. She may even have to leave their apartment. Much to the embarrassment of her daughter Tina, who wants to marry a rich snob, she helps the homeless Dollie, who lives in a cardboard box near her building, and they become friends.

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | f rated | female protagonist | homeless woman | bag lady | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

User Reviews

the amazing Tyne Daly!

Although this is Gena Rowlands' movie, and she does a beautiful job of crafting a society woman with a brave, humanitarian heart, to me the movie belonged to Tyne Daly. This woman continues to amaze me in everything she does. I found myself wondering how she so ably captured the look, posture, speech patterns and outbursts of this mentally disturbed woman. We ache for Dollie as we get some flashbacks into what caused her to lose the life she once had. She inhabits her pain like the heavy, shapeless coat she wears all through the movie. With these two strong actresses, the friendship does not seem unlikely at all. I also liked the fact that the movie did not turn into a diatribe about the plight of the homeless, but rather left one with the thought that, as Pat tells the unsympathetic doorman, "we are all just one step away."

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 December 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Shadow

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Linda Gottlieb Productions, Viacom Productions

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1