Countdown to 5K! – #51 – Rambling Rose (1991)

This is my 4976th Review

Original Rating prediction – 8/10

“Life ain’t a picnic for nobody” – Rose

Number of Times Seen – 1 (12 Feb 2019)

Brief Synopsis – A troubled young women is brought to a rural farm to be brought up properly but she constantly seems to get in trouble where ever she goes.

My Take on it – This is a film that I had heard about decades ago but had very little desire to see and therefore it was a perfect choice for this series.

The story is quite interesting story and that shows how life was lived in rural areas during the Depression and how people dealt with various problems along the way.

The biggest problem that this film needs to deal with is the fact that none of the characters are likeable enough and it’s a bit hard to care about what happens to them.

The cast is superb and Laura Dern really stands out in the lead role.

She is helped by Robert Duvall, Diane Ladd (her real life mother) and Lukas Haas.

Unfortunately something constantly feels off with the story and performances that would have made things even more interesting to watch unfold.

Both Dern and Ladd were nominated for Oscars for their performances which is quite impressive since this was the very first time that a mother-daughter team were nominated in the same year (see Trivia Section below).

The choice to tell this story in flashback works well because it allows the story to be seen as a fable of youth and allows both the characters and the viewer to reflect on different times and see how things have both changed and stayed the same.

Bottom Line – Interesting film that just doesn’t work as well as it could to make the characters likable enough. The cast is superb and they all do what they can with these characters even if something feels off throughout. The story is told quite well and gives a nice impression of what life must have been like for people in rural communities during the Depression. Dern truly stands out among the cast, but Ladd, Duvall and even Haas all show much promise with these roles. Dern and Ladd both were deserving of Oscar nominations for their performances here. Liked the way it is told in flashback because it allows the story to be seen as a fable of youth that can easily be reflected upon. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Laura Dern and Diane Ladd’s Oscar nominations mark the first time a mother and daughter ever received such an accolade for appearing in the same film. The only other time that a parent and child received acting nominations for the same film was when Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda were both nominated for On Golden Pond (1981). (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)