Is this a great movie? No. Is it fun to relive that golden age when we all thought we were going to be bombed into oblivion during the Cuban Missile Crisis...well, actually, yes. But that's really about the extent of this film -- kinda fun, but not memorable.
Shirley MacLaine plays an old vaudeville magician with 2 grandkids and her daughter (Teri Garr). Due to poverty and the inheritance of a run-down diner, they move to the sticks, only to meet up with some rural hicks that can't quite tell the difference between carnival tricks and an angel. Quite predictably, MacLaine's character falls ill at an opportune moment, providing a little suspense to the film. The ending is a muddle: Lightning hits a jar of phosphorus setting a tree on fire, Shirley MacLaine comes out of her coma/paralysis pretty well, and the Cuban Missile Crisis is over. Huh? I like Shirley MacLain, and although this plot sort of fits her recent history, she's just middling here. Same for Garr. Vincent Schiavelli, a unique character actor, deserves the most credit here. The two child actors here -- with their key roles -- are adequate, at best.
This film barely held my attention, but I couldn't quite hit the delete button. Barely recommended.
Shirley MacLaine plays an old vaudeville magician with 2 grandkids and her daughter (Teri Garr). Due to poverty and the inheritance of a run-down diner, they move to the sticks, only to meet up with some rural hicks that can't quite tell the difference between carnival tricks and an angel. Quite predictably, MacLaine's character falls ill at an opportune moment, providing a little suspense to the film. The ending is a muddle: Lightning hits a jar of phosphorus setting a tree on fire, Shirley MacLaine comes out of her coma/paralysis pretty well, and the Cuban Missile Crisis is over. Huh? I like Shirley MacLain, and although this plot sort of fits her recent history, she's just middling here. Same for Garr. Vincent Schiavelli, a unique character actor, deserves the most credit here. The two child actors here -- with their key roles -- are adequate, at best.
This film barely held my attention, but I couldn't quite hit the delete button. Barely recommended.