Rock singer John Mellencamp as a country music star whose meanderings and philandering has thrown his life into turmoil. Returning to his native Indiana to try to reestablish a normal life. Instead he takes up with an old lover (Lenz), ignoring his loving wife (Hemingway), and duplicating the lifestyle of his womanizing father (Akins).
Director: John Mellencamp
Writer: Larry McMurtry
Stars: John Mellencamp, Mariel Hemingway, Claude Akins, Kay Lenz.
Watched on AmazonPrime.
1 song in the Soundtracks, but I saw seemingly dozens scroll by in the end credits.
So JM had an unhappy childhood, but got out of town with his talent and made a big success. Clearly his father dislikes the sons he had with this wife, but maybe likes the illegitimate one.
I didn't catch that JM had been womanizing before returning to town, but he didn't hesitate to bed his brother's wife (his own ex-girlfriend from hs). He does seem generally unhappy. His excuse for returning home is the birthday of his grandfather. The visit was supposed to last 3 days, but he doesn't want to leave. When his wife accuses him of having an affair (but not guessing with whom), she leaves with their daughter.
The father is still philandering, including making a pass at JM's wife. They have a confrontation, and CA gets the upper hand in the fight.
JM decides to engage in an old self-destructive thrill-seek that I'd never heard of, and wish I still hadn't. I don't want to write about it, but it's probably wishful thinking to believe I'll forget it. His injuries bring his wife back, and we get The End onscreen.
The acting and story were pretty engaging until this extra component was fulfilled (it was set up in the opening, but since it was unfamiliar, I didn't know where it was going.) I do not understand why this was something LM wanted to write and JM wanted to star & direct. It's really repulsive to me.
BTW, 463 IMDb raters give this 5.7.
BTW, 463 IMDb raters give this 5.7.
distr. Columbia, dir. Mellencamp; 5
