A Dangerous Woman (1993)

Martha Horgan, a naive woman with an intellectual impairment who lives with her aunt Frances in a small town, is known for always telling the truth. She works at a dry cleaner, where her ... See full summary »

Director:

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Writers:

Mary McGarry Morris (novel), Naomi Foner (screenplay)

Stars:

Debra Winger, Barbara Hershey, Gabriel Byrne

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurie Metcalf	...	Anita
Debra Winger	...	Martha
John Terry	...	Steve
Barbara Hershey	...	Frances
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Patsy
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Edward (as Jacob Gyllenhaal)
Myles Sheridan	...	Paul
Chloe Webb	...	Birdy
Richard Riehle	...	John
Viveka Davis	...	Mercy
Gabriel Byrne	...	Mackey
Paul Dooley	...	Tupperware Salesman
David Strathairn	...	Getso
Brad Blaisdell	...	Wesley
Warren Munson	...	Gately

Storyline

Martha Horgan, a naive woman with an intellectual impairment who lives with her aunt Frances in a small town, is known for always telling the truth. She works at a dry cleaner, where her compulsive truth-telling leads her to report to the boss that another employee has been stealing from the cash register. The thief, in turn, accuses Martha, and she loses her job. In the mean time, a mysterious stranger named Mackey appears at Martha's residence after learning that Aunt Frances needs her porch repaired. Mackey is hired and becomes intimately involved with Martha... which only leads to tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | unplanned pregnancy | unwilling to lie | asperger's syndrome | stabbed to death | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some graphic sexuality, strong language and a scene of violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Includes sequences filmed in the towns of Piru - Frances' house, and Santa Paula - the location of the dry cleaner where Martha works, both within Ventura County, California.

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Quotes

Mackey: If there's a God out there he's gotta be laughing.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: A Perfect World/We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story/Mrs. Doubtfire/The Nutcracker/A Dangerous Woman (1993)

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Soundtracks

La Negrita Del Can
Written by Francisco De La Cruz
Performed by Feliz Cumbe
Courtesy of Kubaney Publishing Corp.

User Reviews

An unexpected surprise

Never saw the film when it was released, but it was a surprise when it was shown on cable recently. Stephen Gyllenhaal directs with great style. He is helped by the adaptation Naomi Foner crafted out of the Mary McGarry Morris' novel. This is a story about the cruelty inflicted to an innocent woman who is mentally retarded.

The film is set in California. Martha, the troubled soul at the center of the story has mental problems. She is an honest woman who tells it like it is, but because of her condition, people will always try to take advantage of her. Martha probably doesn't know what's happening with her own sexuality, yet we witness a night when she is engaging in satisfying herself in the only way she knows how.

"A Dangerous Woman" is an engrossing tale that involve us from the beginning. Martha is a complex character that in Debra Winger's interpretation shows she is a woman that has been dealt a bad hand by life. Yet, Martha is able to function by herself without any supervision. This is a confused woman that will win the viewer's heart.

Debra Winger doesn't appear often in movies these days. It's our loss! Ms. Winger projects such intelligence as she approaches her role of Martha that suddenly, the actress and the part she is playing become one.

The rest of the cast is excellent. Barbara Hershey is always a welcome addition to any film. Gabriel Byrne is credible as the handy man. David Strathairn plays a pivotal role that brings the film to an unexpected conclusion. Laurie Metcalf is only seen in a couple of scenes.

Mr. Gyllenhaal and Ms. Foner should team up more often because they work well together as proved by this film and the previous ones.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Uma Mulher Perigosa

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$680,441, 5 December 1993

Gross USA:

$1,497,222

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,497,222

Company Credits

Production Co:

Island World, Gramercy Pictures (I), Rollercoaster Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1