American Strays
Encyclopedia
American Strays is a 1996
American
Comedy
-Drama
film
which follows three interwoven stories of desert travelers as they converge on a small diner.
), a homicidal vacuum cleaner salesman, may have met his match in Patty Mae (Tilly
), a woman with an impressive collection of sweepers. The second story follows Johnny (Perry
), a suicidal man who hires a sadistic hitman (Jones
) to end his life. The third story follows an unemployed man (Roberts
) and his family, two mobsters (Viterelli
and Russo
), and others as they travel across the emptiness of the American Southwest.
1996 in film
Major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.-Events:...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
Comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
-Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
which follows three interwoven stories of desert travelers as they converge on a small diner.
Synopsis
Red's Desert Diner Oasis, a dive in the middle of nowhere, becomes the focal point of three separate storylines. In the first, Dwayne (SavageJohn Savage (actor)
John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
), a homicidal vacuum cleaner salesman, may have met his match in Patty Mae (Tilly
Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:...
), a woman with an impressive collection of sweepers. The second story follows Johnny (Perry
Luke Perry
Luke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
), a suicidal man who hires a sadistic hitman (Jones
Sam J. Jones
Sam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
) to end his life. The third story follows an unemployed man (Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
) and his family, two mobsters (Viterelli
Joe Viterelli
Joseph "Joe" Viterelli was an Italian American actor known for his mafioso-orientated personality endorsements....
and Russo
James Russo
James Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 90 films in three decades.-Early life:...
), and others as they travel across the emptiness of the American Southwest.
Cast
- Scott PlankScott PlankScott Plank was an American film and television actor, best known for playing Nick Reardon on Melrose Place, and as Wiley Farrell on Air America.-Life & acting career:...
as Sonny - Melora WaltersMelora WaltersMelora Walters is an American actress.-Personal life:Walters was born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia to American parents. She was partly raised there and in Holland. Walters attended high school at Lake Forest Academy-Ferry Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois...
as Cindy - John SavageJohn Savage (actor)John Savage is an American film actor, producer, production manager, and composer.- Acting career :...
as Dwayne - Brion JamesBrion JamesBrion Howard James was an American character actor. Known for playing the character of Leon Kowalski in the movie Blade Runner, James portrayed a variety of colorful roles in well-known films such as 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hours, Tango & Cash, Silverado, Red Heat, The Player and The Fifth Element...
as Oris - Joe ViterelliJoe ViterelliJoseph "Joe" Viterelli was an Italian American actor known for his mafioso-orientated personality endorsements....
as Gene - James RussoJames RussoJames Vincent Russo is an American film and television actor. He has starred in over 90 films in three decades.-Early life:...
as Eddie - Luke PerryLuke PerryLuke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
as Johnny - Will RothhaarWill RothhaarWill Rothhaar is an American actor.Rothhaar was born in New York City, New York, the son of Michael Rothhaar and Nancy Linehan Charles, both of whom are playwrights, actors and directors....
as Jordan - Jessica Lerelman as Daphne
- Toni KalemToni KalemToni Kalem is an American actress, screenwriter and director. Kalem is best known for her portrayal of Angie Bonpensiero on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Alice - Eric RobertsEric RobertsEric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
as Martin - Vonte Sweet as Mondo
- Anthony LeeAnthony Dwain LeeAnthony Dwain Lee was an African-American actor. His acting career spanned from the 1980s up to his death in 2000. His killing garnered significant national and international media attention...
as Omar - Stephanie Cushna as Johnny's Girlfriend
- Sam J. JonesSam J. JonesSam J. Jones is the stage name of Samuel Gerald Jones , an American actor also credited as Sam Jones.-Early life:Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
as Exterminator - Stace Williamson as Johnny's Brother
- Carol KaneCarol KaneCarolyn Laurie "Carol" Kane is an American actress. Kane has worked on the stage, on the screen and in television. She appeared on the television series Taxi in the early 1980s, as the wife of the character played by Andy Kaufman. She received two Emmy Awards for her work...
as Helen - Luana AndersLuana AndersLuana Anders was an American film and television actress.-Career:Anders, born Luana Margo Anderson, began her career appearing in several supporting roles in low budget B-movies for American International Pictures, quite a few of them directed by Roger Corman. She was part of a group of well known...
as Martha - Jack KehlerJack KehlerJack Kehler is an actor. He is sometimes credited as Jack Keeler.Jack has appeared in over 60 feature films, including Men in Black II. One of his most memorable performances was in film Love Liza as Denny, an energetic radio control hobbyist trying to help Philip Seymour Hoffman's character come...
as Walker - Robert FieldsRobert FieldsRobert Fields is an actor who has appeared frequently on film and television.He is perhaps best known for his role as Susannah York’s dance partner Joel Girard in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. He also appeared in The Blob, The Incident, Looking for Mr Goodbar and The Stepford Wives...
as Harry - Charles Bailey-Gates as Bobby
- Thomas Elliott as Timmy
- Jennifer TillyJennifer TillyJennifer Tilly is an American actress and poker player. She is an Academy Award nominee, and a World Series of Poker Ladies' Event bracelet winner. She is the older sister of actress Meg Tilly.-Early life:...
as Patty Mae - Michael HorseMichael HorseMichael Heinrich Horse is an American actor, jeweler, and ledger painter.-Early life:Michael Horse was born in a Yaqui Native American reserve near Tucson, Arizona, and is of Yaqui, Mescalero Apache, Zuni, European and Latino descent...
as Lead Cop - Leland CrookeLeland CrookeLeland Crooke is an American actor from stage and film. He is known from several stage plays and films by David Beaird.-Career:In February 1980 Crooke gave his stage debut in the play Bal which was staged at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago...
as Cop #2 - Michael Kaliski as Cop #3
- Patrick WarburtonPatrick WarburtonPatrick John Warburton is an American actor of television, film, and voice. He is best known for his several TV roles, including the title role of The Tick, David Puddy on Seinfeld, the evil Johnny Johnson on NewsRadio, and anchorman Jeb Denton on Less Than Perfect...
as Rookie Cop