Flesh and Bone

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152 windows into your sou l It’s not often you see a real life husband and wife play lead roles in a film as in ‘Flesh and Bone’. Chemistry between two actors in a relationship, first needs to be established to make their performances convincing, but in this movie the passion between Arlis Sweeney (Dennis Quaid) and Kay Davies (Meg Ryan) was undeniable from the start. Add a supporting cast of Roy Sweeney (James Caan) and Ginnie – with a ‘G’ (Gwyneth Paltrow) both ‘fueled’ by whiskey, the story instantly becomes a contrast of good and evil. The dialog contains many well written lines and fills out the characters in a way that you could actually feel the compassion and the darkness. The relationship between Kay and Ginnie, while in no way compatible, you get a sense of trust albeit fragile, as opposed to Roy and Arlis (father and son) feelings of lifelong contempt. Without giving the story away – the one scene I found to be especially touching and at the same time heart wrenching, when Kay and Arlis go for a ride on horseback – Arlis pulls up and watches in amazement as Kay effortlessly rides off into the woods – Arlis eventually catching up to find her swimming naked in a pond. Arlis asks Kay where she learned to ride. It was Kay’s response – ‘there was a cowboy (presumably Dennis) that once showed me a thing or two’ (knowing of their real life struggles – just ripped my heart out) It’s so sad to hear that line as the two of them were so obviously in love at that time. Back to the movie – I thought the story while dark at times, was well written and the acting couldn’t have been more convincing – with Gwyneth Paltrow turning in an excellent performance very early in her acting career. Surprisingly, with such a great cast this movie didn’t do that well at the box office, but in my opinion is well worth a look. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/04/25 Full Review KB B It was pretty good but the dialogue and plot could have been better. I wouldn't want to watch it again. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/07/23 Full Review Steve D The melodrama really doesn't work. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Great cast. These 4 actors fit their characters quite well. The main plot points and character beats are pretty strong but there is a lot of boredom in between those stirring passages. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review ronald h It's interesting to watch this 1993 film in 2021. Movies have changed since the 90's, but more to the point, I've changed, too. I'm more critical. Watching this one recently, I immediately saw the contrivance in the performances. Dennis Quaid is so deadpan, it's unbelievable. I don't think he smiles once in the entire film. Meg Ryan, who's playing a rough and cynical Texas girl, can't shed her uber-cuteness no matter how hard she tries. And she tries very hard. James Caan is a cinematic stereotype, an amoral man who sees no good in the world. As much of a pro as he is, he doesn't seem particularly invested in this role. Gwyneth Paltrow is the most interesting character, mainly because this was, I believe, her American film debut and she didn't have a reputation that set up any expectations. The contrivance, of course, also extends to the plot, which relies on unbelievable coincidences. It's light and mindless, but worth a skeptical watch. Any philosophical implications in this movie about the nature of evil and whether or not it's genetic can be dismissed. It's not thought-provoking. It's just Hollywood's idea of entertainment--amusing, but as disposable as a fast food wrapper. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Rich S It's not a great movie, but Flesh and Bone is an interesting film that gives an honest portrayal of four people's lives being blown around in the hot Texas wind. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/21 Full Review Read all reviews

Flesh and Bone

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