After soap opera actress May-Alice has a car accident, she is paralyzed waist-down. She retreats to her family's home in Louisiana and indulges in alcohol while suffering dejection and unleashing her anger on her nursing aides, prompting each to quit. No one wants to help May-Alice anymore, but Chantelle, who once suffered from drug addiction, applies to be her aide. Chantelle is the last chance for May-Alice, who desperately needs help due to mobility difficulties. The movie is not about a kind nurse and a recovering patient, or a giver and a taker. Chantelle also has some pain and is as unstable as May-Alice. Chantelle has lost custody of her daughter due to her drug abuse history. May-Alice’s journey of physical and mental recovery helps Chantelle overcome her own past wounds as well. Director Sayles, who also plays a part in the movie, applies his warm and meditative perspective and naturally portrays the two women becoming friends and helping each other without applying dramatic elements.

1993 Academy Awards
1993 Golden Globe Awards

John SAYLES

Beginning with ///Return of the Secaucus 7/// (1979) the films of John Sayles have been integral to the development of Independent Film in the United States. His films depict a world very different from the version offered by Hollywood. Sayles career as a storyteller began with his fiction which brought Sayles to the attention of legendary Director/Producer Roger Corman. One of his films ///Passion Fish/// (1992) won Sayles his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Sayles continues to work for hire on features and television series.