Melanie

– A backwoods, illiterate young woman from Arkansas battles to regain custody of her son from her estr..

Type:
Movie
Rating:
7.00 / 10
Duration:
One Hour and 35 Minutes
Release Year:
1982
Melanie (1982)

A backwoods, illiterate young woman from Arkansas battles to regain custody of her son from her estranged husband who feels she is an unfit mother. In the process, she falls in love with a struggling musician who helps her cause.

Producing Country:
Filming Locations:
Genre:
Release Date:

12 Feb 1982

Language:

English

MPAA Content-Rating:
PG – Parental Guidance Suggested

Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.

Director:

Rex Bromfield

Writer:

Michael Green (story), Richard Paluck (screenplay), Robert Guza Jr. (screenplay)

Main Actors:

Glynnis O'Connor, Paul Sorvino, Burton Cummings, Trudy Young

Plot:

Melanie Daniel lives in a run down shack with her six-year old son Tyler in the rural community of Jasper, Arkansas, where she has lived all her life. Being illiterate, Melanie, in order to survive, depends on the money coming into the household from her husband, Carl, who is away in the military in California, who she hasn't seen in two years, and who she believes only married her because he got her pregnant. Believing that Tyler's life with Melanie is a dead end and that he potentially could end up illiterate like her, Carl, on his latest visit home, absconds with Tyler back to California. Melanie's motherly instinct kicks in and despite never having left Jasper and being ill-equipped to do so because of her illiteracy which she tries to hide from everyone, she takes a cross-country bus trip to get Tyler back. She arrives unannounced at the doorstep of her childhood friend Ronda. Ronda shares a house in the Hollywood hills with a musician named Rick, who is facing his own issues concerning dealing with his stalled career. Ronda, Rick and Rick's health conscious lawyer friend Walter all try to help Melanie, and believe the best way for her to get Tyler back and rid herself of her dependency on Carl is to take control of her own life, starting by learning how to read and write. In the process of Melanie trying to regain her and Tyler's collective lives, she may find some romantic happiness which has so far eluded her in her life with Carl. But Carl will not give Tyler up without a fight, even if it means killing Melanie.

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Ratings:
Internet Movie Database:
7.0/10