Tom Robbins Movies
Mimi George and Rick Kent direct this social documentary about exhibits of primitive urges in materialistic America. Disenfranchised by organized religion, capitalism, and the general malaise of modern life, many people turn to ancient rituals. The first part of the film discusses the modern primitives movement with body piercer Fakir Musafar, an ad executive turned mystic, who explains how painful transformations are a path to enlightenment. The filmmakers then investigate the primal desire to watch fire at the Burning Man Festival, held every Labor Day in Nevada. Then they go to a family festival to witness the annual burning of Zozobra, the ritual destruction of a symbol of evil. Commentary and insight is provided by author Tom Robbins (Even Cowgirls Get the Blues), Burning Man founder Larry Harvey, and medicine man Malidoma Some from West Africa. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Robbins, Malidoma Patrice Some, (more)
Writer/director Gus Van Sant's early bid for big-time commercial success -- a success he didn't manage to achieve until Good Will Hunting -- is based on Tom Robbins' 1976 feminist bestseller. Uma Thurman plays Sissy Hankshaw, a woman born with very large thumbs. After her parents (Grace Zabriskie and Ken Kesey) take her to a doctor (Buck Henry), who offers her parents no remedy for their daughter's condition, the film races ahead to the 1970s. Sissy is now a popular feminine hygiene spray model for a product called Yoni Yum, the product of a company owned by The Countess (John Hurt in drag). Sissy travels to the Rubber Rose beauty ranch, also owned by The Countess, to shoot a Yoni Yum commercial. At the ranch, she makes the acquaintance of the inscrutable Chink (Pat Morita) and Bonanza Jellybean (Rain Phoenix). But under the nose of The Countess, the cowgirls on the ranch are talking mutiny, with the women trying to liberate the Rubber Rose Ranch from the chains of patriarchal oppression. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Uma Thurman, John Hurt, (more)
- 1987
- PG
Alan Rudolph directed this offbeat, boy-meets-girl romance in which boy dies, dead boy meets dead girl, dead boy loses dead girl, and dead boy tries to find dead girl again. The tale begins is a small Pennsylvania town, where Mike Shea (Timothy Hutton) dreams of escaping small town life and moving to California with his girlfriend Brenda (Mare Winningham). But Brenda leaves him with his motor running and Mike takes off alone. On the way, he rescues a woman and her children from an icy river but perishes himself. He finds himself in Heaven, where he is greeted by Aunt Lisa (Maureen Stapleton), who explains the rules and regulations. Once in the ethereal realm, Mike falls in love with a heavenly lass with flaxen locks named Annie (Kelly McGillis). But their love is torn asunder because Annie has not yet earned her wings on Earth; she must leave on a tour of duty and put in time inhabiting a human body. Mike is beside himself in despair, but the heavenly powers, in the form of Emmett (Debra Winger), chain-smoking and sporting an orange crewcut like a ghostly Laurie Anderson, offer him a deal. Mike can return to Earth, but only on the stipulation that neither he nor Annie will remember each other. They then have thirty years in which to find one another again. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Hutton, Kelly McGillis, (more)
- 1986
In this light-hearted entry from the American Playhouse series, a remarkable young man really believes he can fly without the aid of machines. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
