The Waterdance (1992)

A film about struggling to deal with paralysis. Author Joel Garcia breaks his neck while hiking, and finds himself in a rehabilitation centre with Raymond, an exaggerating ladies' man, and ... See full summary »

Directors:

Neal Jimenez, Michael Steinberg

Writer:

Neal Jimenez

Stars:

Eric Stoltz, Helen Hunt, Wesley Snipes

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Stoltz	...	Joel Garcia
Helen Hunt	...	Anna
William Allen Young	...	Les
James Roach	...	Guy in the Electric Wheelchair
Elizabeth Peña	...	Rosa
Henry Harris	...	Mr. Gibson
Tony Genaro	...	Victor
Eva Rodriguez	...	Victor's Wife
Erick Vigil	...	Victor's Son
Edgar Rodriguez	...	Victor's Son
Angélica Castell	...	Victor's Daughter
William Forsythe	...	Bloss
Grace Zabriskie	...	Pat
Wesley Snipes	...	Raymond Hill
Kimberly Scott	...	Alice

Storyline

A film about struggling to deal with paralysis. Author Joel Garcia breaks his neck while hiking, and finds himself in a rehabilitation centre with Raymond, an exaggerating ladies' man, and Bloss, a racist biker. Considerable tension builds as each character tries to deal with his new found handicap and the problems that go with it, especially Joel, whose lover Anna is having as difficult a time as he is. As Raymond reveals a dream about dancing on the surface of a lake to stay afloat, it becomes apparent that each of them must find his own Waterdance to survive his tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

fingering vagina | interrupted sex | caught having sex | full frontal male nudity | female star appears nude | 

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Taglines:

Imagine being trapped inside your own body. Imagine being set free.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is a semi-autobiographical film for co-director Neal Jimenez who became a paraplegic after a hiking accident.

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Quotes

Raymond Hill: If a man's got a problem with race, it means he's ignorant and fearful. Right? You're a writer, tell him!
Joel Garcia: Could just be a zinc deficiency.

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Connections

References Ordinary People (1980)

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Soundtracks

All Is Said and Done Dub
Performed by Mike Irwin

User Reviews

A sensitive eye-opener

This was one of those films I probably never would have picked off the shelf , but it came on IFC one day and I said - Eric Stolz, William Forsythe...why not? If I'd changed the channel, I would have really missed a treasure.

The subject is depressing - young author paralyzed in climbing accident convalesces in lower-class rehabilitation center. It would have been so easy and tempting to make this a manipulative tear-jerker. But, that doesn't happen because it was written by Neal Jimenez, after he himself was accidently paralyzed. No Hollywood happiness here. All of the patients in the ward come from wildly different backgrounds, but they share a feeling of helplessness, of being at the mercy of others. Stolz is very good as a "lone wolf" type, forced into embarrassing dependence on his girlfriend (Helen Hunt); Wesley Snipes is fine as a former ladies' man whose family is falling apart; but William Forsythe takes the cake as a tough guy determined to make someone pay for taking away his independence.

See this film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Waterdance

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$138,313, 17 May 1992

Gross USA:

$1,723,319

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,723,319

Company Credits

Production Co:

No Frills Film Production, RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1