Falling from Grace (film)

This article is about the 1992 film. For other uses, see Falling from Grace.

Falling from Grace
Directed by	John Mellencamp
Written by	Larry McMurtry
Produced by	Harry Sandler
Starring	John Mellencamp Mariel Hemingway Claude Akins Dub Taylor
Cinematography	Victor Hammer
Edited by	Dennis Virkler
Music by	John Mellencamp
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	February 21, 1992
Running time	100 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Falling from Grace is a 1992 drama film, produced by Little B and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Rock singer John Mellencamp makes his acting and directorial debut in this story by Lonesome Dove author, Larry McMurtry. The story contains many similarities to Mellencamp's real life. It is Mellencamp's sole directing credit.

Cast

• John Mellencamp (Bud Parks)
• Mariel Hemingway (Alice Parks)
• Claude Akins (Speck Parks)
• Dub Taylor (Grandpa Parks)
• Kay Lenz (P.J. Parks)
• Larry Crane (Ramey Parks)
• Kate Noonan (Linda)
• Deirdre O'Connell (Sally Cutler)
• John Prine (Mitch Cutler)
• Brent Huff (Parker Parks)
• Joanne Jacobson (Marian Parks)
• Tracy Cowles (Bobby Tucker)
• Melissa Ann Hackman (Terri Jo Parks)
• Mary Tom Crain (Grandma Parks)
• Sigmund Balaban (Country Club Manager)
• Brage Benjamin (Goofy Dancing Man) (Uncredited)

Plot

Music superstar Bud Parks (played by John Mellencamp), along with his modelesque wife, Alice (Mariel Hemingway) and their approximately eight-year old daughter, Terri Jo (Melissa Ann Hackman), returns to his small hometown, fictional Doak City, Indiana, for his paternal grandfather's (Dub Taylor) 80th birthday. Initially, the visit is mostly light hearted and Bud receives a hero's welcome from many of his relatives and fans. But what is supposed to be a three day visit of fun quickly turns into much more.

At the birthday party, Bud's high school sweetheart and now sister-in-law, P.J. (Kay Lenz), invites Bud out for a walk, which is met with curious suspicion by Bud's father, Speck (Claude Aikins). During the walk, P.J. says that she has sex with Speck, which is met with shock and disapproval by Bud.

Speck, a successful poultry farmer, is shown early on to be a chauvinistic and dominating womanizer. He fathered an illegitimate son but his wife, Marian (Joanne Jacobson), stayed with him. Speck refers to himself as a sire and the women who bore his children as fillies. And as the movie progresses, he's continually revealed to be even more dominating, violent, exploitive and shameless.

Bud and Alice seem to have a good marriage and she is clearly very devoted to him. But shortly after learning of P.J.'s affair with Speck, Bud has sex with her, too. P.J. seems to view her sexual encounters as conquests and take pride in simultaneously having three Parks men as lovers. She also seems to view her promiscuity, and the need to keep it secret, as a source of excitement for a housewife and mother who resides in what she considers to be a boring town.

Soon, the three days turn into several weeks. Bud's feelings of both love and lust for P.J. are rekindled and he neglects Alice. And, already disillusioned by the music business and thinking about leaving it, he realizes that he's a small town man at heart and wants to stay in Doak City, where many of his relatives still reside. His anger toward his father – over Speck's affair with P.J., sexual advance at Alice and lack of fatherly support over the years - also escalates.

Meanwhile, California bred Alice continues to love her husband but quickly becomes tired of small town life and his neglect. She accuses him of committing adultery. He doesn't deny it and she returns to California with Terri Jo.

Shortly after Alice leaves, Bud tries to get P.J. back as the woman of his life. She reveals that she wanted that many years earlier but that he wouldn't make a commitment and it's too late now. Frustrated and angry, Bud confronts Speck in a restaurant. Speck shows no interest or sympathy in his son's problems but expresses displeasure in having received none of the millions of dollars Bud has made in music. On the basis that he "sired" Bud, Speck claims to be entitled to some of Bud's money. Bud warns Speck to make no further sexual advances and, in a rage, knock the food and tableware off the table. As Bud gets up to leave, he is viciously beaten by Speck.

Feeling like he's hit rock bottom, Bud gets drunk, and performs a stunt from his wild youth. He lies in a cage in the back of a pick up truck and has one of his friends push the cage onto the road while the truck is moving. He wakes up lying in a hospital bed wearing a brace on his neck and a cast on his right arm. Standing beside his bed are P.J., his sister, Sally Cutler (Dierdre O'Connell) and his paternal grandmother (Mary Tom Crain). A few minutes later, Alice arrives and talks alone with Bud. Alice seems willing to take Bud back if he will be honest to her. Having been rejected by P.J. and humbled by his father and the accident, Bud now realizes what's most important in his life. He and Alice reconcile.

Soundtrack

Untitled

Track listing

1. "Bud's Theme" (Instrumental) - Lisa Germano
2. "Cradle of the Interstate" - Nanci Griffith
3. "Whiskey Burnin'" - Larry Crane
4. "Common Day Man" - Dwight Yoakam
5. "It Don't Scare Me None" - John Mellencamp
6. "Searchin' for the Perfect Girl" - Pure Jam
7. "All the Best" - John Prine
8. "Hold Me Like You Used to Do" - Qkumbrz
9. "Sweet Suzanne" - Buzzin' Cousins (John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakam, John Prine, Joe Ely, James McMurtry)
10. "Nothing's for Free" - John Mellencamp
11. "Little Children" (Instrumental) - Lisa Germano
12. "Days Like These" - Janis Ian
13. "Falling from Grace" - Larry Rollins

External links

• Entertainment Weekly review
• Falling from Grace at IMDb
• Falling from Grace at AllMovie