Passion Fish
Encyclopedia
Passion Fish is a 1992 American film written and directed by John Sayles
. The film stars Mary McDonnell
, Alfre Woodard
, Vondie Curtis-Hall
, David Strathairn
, Leo Burmester
, and Angela Bassett
.
It tells the story of a soap opera
star, paralyzed after being struck by a taxi, who is forced to return to her family home and rely upon a series of nurses, forcing each of them to leave her employ until one shows up guaranteed to stay.
actress, is left paralyzed after an accident on her way to getting her legs waxed, which she finds ironic. As the film opens, she lies in a hospital bed, confused and scared, watching her own show on TV and shrieking, "That was supposed to be my close-up!"
With no other options, she returns to her family's old and empty home in Louisiana, where she drinks hard, offends every caregiver and wallows in self-pity.
Her outlook begins to change with the arrival of Chantelle, a nurse with her own life problems. The two gradually find a heartfelt connection with each other, and as a result, their lives subtly change.
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
. The film stars Mary McDonnell
Mary McDonnell
Mary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
, Alfre Woodard
Alfre Woodard
Alfre Ette Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Grammy Awards, 17 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss...
, Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Vondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
, David Strathairn
David Strathairn
David Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...
, Leo Burmester
Leo Burmester
Leo Burmester was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in Passion Fish and Lone Star , and also for directors such as John Schlesinger and Sidney Lumet, and as the Apostle Nathaniel in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ...
, and Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
.
It tells the story of a soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
star, paralyzed after being struck by a taxi, who is forced to return to her family home and rely upon a series of nurses, forcing each of them to leave her employ until one shows up guaranteed to stay.
Plot
May-Alice Culhane, a New York daytime soap operaSoap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
actress, is left paralyzed after an accident on her way to getting her legs waxed, which she finds ironic. As the film opens, she lies in a hospital bed, confused and scared, watching her own show on TV and shrieking, "That was supposed to be my close-up!"
With no other options, she returns to her family's old and empty home in Louisiana, where she drinks hard, offends every caregiver and wallows in self-pity.
Her outlook begins to change with the arrival of Chantelle, a nurse with her own life problems. The two gradually find a heartfelt connection with each other, and as a result, their lives subtly change.
Cast
- Mary McDonnellMary McDonnellMary Eileen McDonnell is an American film, stage, and television actress. She received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Stands With A Fist in Dances with Wolves, and she is also very well known for her performance as President Laura Roslin in Battlestar Galactica, the President's wife...
as May-Alice Culhane - Alfre WoodardAlfre WoodardAlfre Ette Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award and Grammy Awards, 17 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss...
as Chantelle - Lenore Banks as Nurse Quick
- Vondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-HallVondie Curtis-Hall is an American actor and film director.As an actor, he is best known for his role as Dr. Dennis Hancock on the CBS medical drama Chicago Hope created by David E. Kelley.-Early life:...
as Sugar LeDoux - William Mahoney as Max
- David StrathairnDavid StrathairnDavid Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...
as Rennie - Leo BurmesterLeo BurmesterLeo Burmester was an American actor. Burmester worked for director John Sayles several times, including in Passion Fish and Lone Star , and also for directors such as John Schlesinger and Sidney Lumet, and as the Apostle Nathaniel in Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ...
as Reeves - Nelle Stokes as Therapist #1
- Brett Ardoin as Therapist #2
- Nora DunnNora DunnNora Eloise Dunn is an American actress and comedian, perhaps best known for her work on NBC's Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
as Ti-Marie - Michael Mantell as Dr. Kline
- Mary Portser as Precious
- Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
as Dawn/Rhonda - Daniel Dupont as Therapist #3
- Chuck Cain as Attendant
Release
Passion Fish was limitedly released on December 9, 1992, running for one week, the minimum required to make it eligible for consideration at the next year's Academy Awards. The film earned $36,332 (14,385 of that in the weekend) in the week from showings in two theaters. After receiving Academy Award nominations in February 1993, the film was released to 191 theaters, where it earned over 99% of its gross of $4.8 million.Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65th Academy Awards 65th Academy Awards The 65th Academy Awards were presented March 29, 1993 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. This was the fourth consecutive show hosted by Billy Crystal.Unforgiven won four Oscars out of nine nominations including Best Picture.-Awards:... |
Best Actress in a Leading Role Academy Award for Best Actress Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... |
Mary McDonnell | |
| Best Original Screenplay Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. Before 1940, there was an Academy Award for Best Story for writing. For 1940, it and the award in this article were separated into two awards. Beginning with the... |
John Sayles | ||
| 1993 Flanders International Film Festival | Grand Prix | John Sayles | |
| 50th Golden Globe Awards 50th Golden Globe Awards The 50th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1992, were held on Saturday January 23, 1993.-Best Actor - Drama: Al Pacino - Scent of a Woman*Tom Cruise - A Few Good Men*Robert Downey, Jr... |
Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama | Mary McDonnell | |
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Alfre Woodard | ||
| 1992 Independent Spirit Awards Independent Spirit Awards The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit... |
Best Supporting Male | David Strathairn | |
| Best Supporting Female | Alfre Woodard | ||
| 1992 Writers Guild of America Award Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949... s |
Best Original Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay is one of the three film writing awards given by the Writers Guild of America Award.... |
John Sayles | |
External links
- Passion Fish at David StrathairnDavid StrathairnDavid Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck...
web site