Curse of the Starving Class
Curse of the Starving Class is a play by Sam Shepard, considered the first of a series on family tragedies. Drama about a dirt-poor 1950's-era farm family. Dad's a foul talking drunk and Mom is desperately trying to save what's left of their family life.
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- Cast:
- James Woods , Kathy Bates , Randy Quaid , Henry Thomas , Louis Gossett Jr. , Jim Fitzpatrick , Mark Hanson
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Reviews
I wanted to but couldn't!
Admirable film.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.
I love Sam Shepard's writing no matter what the topic. He is one of the finest writers in American History, because he was so brutally honest with his depictions of real people. Sometimes, writers will avoid the hardest part of the story to tell, so they rewrite facts that soften the emotional blow to their own psycne's. Not Sam Shepard, Sam changed the reality of story telling with his 'Life-To-Page,' inflections that make most people cringe with digust. But, we've discovered as an audience, that the truth always rises to the top. Sam has just fastened the pace of revealing the truth without having to investigate the story. You were and are still the greatest ins[piration to us in the industry, Sam! Thank you for your brutal haunting honesty, with your expose styled writing.P.S. LOVED all the supporting characters as well. They were real people as well, that Sam kept stowed deep in his memory.
I'm blown away by this piece. I read the play, saw the play...and this movie is spectacular! I'm usually not a big "Downer-Movie," supporter...I like happy endings, but, with that being said...I felt that the story, the actors, the setting, the cinematography, everything about the movie was amazing.I grew-up in central Texas and this movie depicted a lot of what I saw in the state.And it looks like Barak Hussein Obama's driving us right back into the ground again.I give this movie a 10 out of 10. The acting was the best I've seen in years.
You can't improve on the casting of the leads here, nor the dialogue. So earthy, and James Woods in the field during the thunder is incredible. Cinematography holds your admiration and attention. Can't beat Sam Shepherd in the first place; Beresford's name is familiar to me.... True as I read in another viewer's observation that it was slow, but when your focus is the craft, slow is a luxury. Beautifully understated complexities that hit home with few words. I did turn away during the graphic violence; I see men outnumber women in the enjoyment of this movie, and that's likely why. The role of the daughter was the only lackluster performance. For lovers of craft, I'd recommend this movie highly.
Curse of the Starving Class showcases the fantastic acting talents of Woods, Bates, Thomas, and most notably, Randy Quaid who fits the bill of the sleazy desert-realtor to a tee. James Woods' portrayal of an alcoholic father to a farm family way, waaay down on their luck makes for great acting, but not quite good enough to make this film MOVE. I kept waiting for this story to turn around and pay off somehow, but by the end I still felt dragged down into poverty.