The cinema adaptation of Sam Shepard's play is set in a post-mid-century setting. James Woods plays an alcoholic farmer, whose dilapidated farm reflects his own disrepair. A lamb with maggots, cared for by the farmer, serves as a poignant contrast to the couple's neglectful and self-centered lifestyle. The family's refrigerator is personified, symbolizing the absent nurturing from Woods' wife. As their home crumbles, the couple's two children must navigate their coming of age, while their parents chase fantasies of a better life offered by Randy Quaid's crooked character.
Curse of the Starving Class
A family's struggles on a poor 1950s farm come to the forefront, as a father's tough exterior and a mother's attempts to keep the peace define their lives.
