Wade Whitehouse (Nolte) is a deeply troubled small town New Hampshire sheriff. His ex-wife Lillian (Hurt) and daughter Jill both feel he hasn't amounted to anything (though his girlfriend Margie, played by Spacek, accepts him as he is), and he's haunted by the fear that he could turn out like his alcoholic, abusive father Glen (Coburn). Wade starts to investigate a suspicious hunting accident fatality at about the same time as his younger brother Rolfe (Dafoe), who used to watch from the sidelines as Wade and his mother were beaten by their father and husband, starts needling him about setting things right. Pressures build on Wade from every direction as he attempts to solve the case and work up the courage to confront his father. This 1997 film, written and directed by Paul Schrader and based on the autobiographical novel by Russell Banks, has more atmosphere and good acting than coherent plot; it's not something to watch if you're in a delicate mood. At the age of 70, Coburn took home a supporting actor Oscar for his performance in this movie.
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The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus
