The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991)

Director:

Simon Callow

Writers:

Edward Albee (play)
Michael Hirst (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

June 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A tangled triangle. In the rural South of the early 20th century, Miss Amelia is the town eccentric...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Play | Based On Novel | Independent Film

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Vanessa Redgrave	...	Miss Amelia
Keith Carradine	...	Marvin Macy
Cork Hubbert	...	Cousin Lymon
Rod Steiger	...	Rev. Willin
Austin Pendleton	...	Lawyer Taylor
Beth Dixon	...	Mary Hale
Lanny Flaherty	...	Merlie Ryan
Mert Hatfield	...	Stumpy McPhail
Earl Hindman	...	Henry Macy
Anne Pitoniak	...	Mrs. McPhail
Frederick Johnson	...	Jeff
Lauri Raymond	...	Sadie Ricketts
Joe Stevens	...	Henry Ford Crimp (as Joe Stephens)
Keith Wommack	...	Tom Rainey
Kevin Wommack	...	George Rainey
Laura Burns	...	Molly Kelly
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Megan Bowman	...	Townspeople
Fred Brumfield	...	Townspeople
Mary Brumfield	...	Townspeople
Pam Christian	...	Townspeople
Jack Colby	...	Townspeople
Ted J. Crum	...	Townspeople (as Ted Crum)
Candi Duke	...	Townspeople
Gayle Epperson	...	Townspeople
Anne Greenwood-Milzman	...	Townspeople
Margaret Hoard	...	Townspeople
Trula Hoosier	...	Townspeople
Robert Jones	...	Townspeople
Kyle Kennedy	...	Townspeople
Harry Jay Knowles	...	Fat Boy
Bill Kreger	...	Townspeople
Dorothy Layne	...	Townspeople
J.W. McCrary	...	Townspeople
C.K. McFarland	...	Townspeople
Misty McNeely	...	Townspeople
Bucky Meadows	...	Townspeople
Terry Mross	...	Townspeople
Nan Norvell	...	Townspeople
Eric Paul	...	Townspeople
Scott Payne	...	Townspeople
Bill Polk	...	Townspeople
Douglas Pope	...	Townspeople
Virginia Pratt	...	Townspeople
Zane Rockenbaugh	...	Townspeople
Elisabeth Ryall	...	Townspeople
Mandy Steckelberg	...	Townspeople
Don Stroud	...	Townspeople
Kalab Tye	...	Townspeople
Mac Williams	...	Townspeople
Taylor Williams	...	Townspeople
Christopher Woods	...	Townspeople
Paul Wright	...	Richard Carpenter
Gwen Wunneburger	...	Townspeople (as Gwendolyn Wunneburger)
Gayland Williams	...	Gossip (uncredited)

Directed by
Simon Callow

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward Albee		play
Michael Hirst		writer
Carson McCullers		novel

Produced by
Paul Bradley	....	executive producer
Ismail Merchant	....	producer
Donald Rosenfeld	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Richard Robbins

Cinematography by
Walter Lassally

Film Editing by
Andrew Marcus

Casting by
Shirley Rich

Production Design by
Bruno Santini

Art Direction by
Michael T. Roberts

Set Decoration by
Scott Hale

Costume Design by
Marianna Elliott

Makeup Department
Tivice Davenport	....	hair stylist
Sylvie Herrou	....	assistant makeup artist
Sheila Walker	....	makeup artist
Janet Tallent-Dickson	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Mary Church	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stuart Brown	....	third assistant director
Nayeem Hafizka	....	second assistant director
Trula Hoosier	....	third assistant director
Gary Marcus	....	assistant director
Amelia Villero	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Joe Cooper	....	painter
Ryan Davis	....	swing gang
Tom Dreesen	....	construction coordinator
Charles Elson	....	on-set carpenter
Janice Janacek	....	property master
Burton Knight	....	swing gang
Karen Luzius	....	scenic artist
Craig Mooney	....	swing gang
John Patterson	....	lead carpenter
Michael Peal	....	storyboard artist
Kaya Schlagintweit	....	assistant art director
Andrew Wood	....	on-set carpenter
J.M. Logan	....	art department (uncredited)
Martha Waters	....	art department intern (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Anderson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Chandler	....	cable person
John Foster	....	sound editor
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Hicks	....	cable person (as Rob Hicks)
Drew Kunin	....	sound mixer
Richard Lewis	....	cable person
Sarah Morton	....	dialogue editor
Kate O'Neill	....	first assistant sound editor
David Platt	....	boom operator
Kevin Tayler	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jenny Walker	....	assistant dialogue editor
Sandy Buchanan	....	post-production sound assistant (uncredited)
Philip Meehan	....	additional adr editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Richard Lee Jones	....	special effects (as Richard Jones)
Jesse P. Miranda	....	special effects (as Jessie Miranda)
Randy E. Moore	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Aaron Anawalt	....	third grip
Steve Belsky	....	electrician (as Stephen Belsky)
Marcos E. González	....	assistant camera
Carlos Omar Guerra	....	second assistant camera (as Carlos Guerra)
John Knight	....	key grip
John Lacy	....	electrician
Briggs Palmer	....	assistant camera
Scott H. Ramsey	....	gaffer
Derrick Santini	....	still photographer
Angelo Louis Suasnovar Jr.	....	best boy grip (as Angelo Suasnovar)
Mike Swenson	....	best boy electric
Ralph Watson	....	Steadicam operator

Animation Department
Michelle Houston	....	assistant animator

Casting Department
Jackie Powell-Coffey	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julie O'Rourke	....	wardrobe supervisor
Kari Perkins	....	wardrobe supervisor
Christopher Woods	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Mark Ginsberg	....	color timer
David Lane	....	apprentice editor
Kathryn Martin	....	post-production assistant
Kate McDonald Roth	....	assistant editor
Tom San Martin	....	negative cutter
Arnold Shuster	....	negative cutter (as Arnold Schuster)

Music Department
Keith Carradine	....	composer: song "Sweet Peaches"
James Marsh	....	music editor
Harry Rabinowitz	....	conductor
Bill Sommerville-Large	....	music engineer
Robert Stewart	....	music associate

Transportation Department
Don Breneman	....	production driver
Lonnie Nelson	....	production driver

Other crew
Christena Alcorn	....	script supervisor (as Christina Alcorn)
Chris Allies	....	title designer
Dan Best	....	unspecified assistant
Robert A. Burns	....	dialect coach
Joe Dujka	....	unspecified assistant
Lisa Germany	....	production coordinator
James Alan Hensz	....	production assistant
Patty Herring	....	assistant craft service
Lauri Hoese	....	unspecified assistant
Kim Horridge	....	extras coordinator
Virginia Jenkins	....	unspecified assistant
David Kaplan	....	production assistant
Sunil Kirparam	....	production auditor
David Knott	....	location manager (as David A. Knott)
Randy Kovitz	....	fight director
Thomas Lemman	....	unspecified assistant
Lance Mathis	....	unspecified assistant
Tony Mathis	....	unspecified assistant
Andrew Mayer-Oakes	....	unspecified assistant (as Drew Mayer-Oakes)
Elizabeth McBee	....	unspecified assistant
Shisha McKee	....	unspecified assistant
Kelly Nelson	....	unspecified assistant
D.R. Patrick	....	head framer
Nicole Ruffine	....	dailies sync
Debbie Sharp	....	unspecified assistant
Sol Sussman	....	unspecified assistant
Cory Van Dyke	....	unspecified assistant
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor
Gaylene West	....	key assistant accountant
Margaret Winters	....	production coordinator: New York

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films
• Merchant Ivory Productions

Distributors

• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (Canada) (DVD)
• Angelika Films
• Criterion Collection, The (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Odyssey Video (2004) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)

Other Companies

• Sapex Scripts  post-production services

Runtime:

Germany:100 min | USA:101 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Australia:M | Germany:12 (bw) | USA:PG-13 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

Michael Dunn was nominated for the 1964 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Drama for "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" for the role of Cousin Lyman.

Goofs:

Continuity: Several times earlier in the film, we are shown how the only way to arrive at Miss Amelia's secret still is by wading - neck-deep - through a muddy swamp. Yet late in the film when Marvin Macy and Cousin Lymon are shown at Miss Amelia's still, their clothes are clean and dry.

Quotes:

Mary Hale: Marvin changed himself. That time he loved Miss Amelia. Well, it seemed like he changed completely -- he was -- he was good to me, and to Henry... You remember that, doncha'?
Rev. Willin: I remember that.
Mary Hale: Why'd she throw him out? Why'd she marry him and then throw him out? Why?
Rev. Willin: I don't know. All I know is... that it takes two people to be in love. It takes the... lover... and the beloved. But these two, they come from... diff'rent countries. And sometimes, the... the belove is the cause for all the, all the stored-up love that's lain in the heart of the lover for such... a looong time, and every lover knows that... deep... deep in his soul, he knows that his love is a lonely and solitary thing --
[...]

Movie Connections:

Features New York Nights (1929)

Ford should change their motto to - "Built Redgrave Tough"

"The Ballad of the Sad Café" worked hard at its image, but when it came down to crunch-time, it was left standing in its own self-created dust.

One cannot image saying this out loud, but if Vanessa Redgrave's Amelia were to fight John Wayne or even Clint Eastwood, my hard-earned dollars would have to go to Redgrave. Her portrayal of Amelia was as close to perfection and consumed with more detailed dedication than most actors are willing to give to any multi-million dollar contracted persona. Redgrave gave Amelia this soulful drawl that was a blend of her own unique voice and a hard-earned woman from the south. To the average viewer, this could be construed as annoying, but as the film progressed it became her – Miss Amelia transforming this stage beauty into a roughneck. It was Redgrave's performance, as well as her interaction with the other characters, that made this film stand tall – but not the tallest. The others following her performance were needed, but not stellar. As we moved past the murky cliché image passed on by every set designer hired for the post-Depression South job, the minor characters felt like poster board. The image was needed to set the scene, but the characters of the town had no other purpose. Take for example Rod Steiger's vision of some old, wild spoken preacher. His scenes alone will make any viewer question the validity of this off-the-beaten-path town. The main two players who surrounded Amelia battled with charm for the admirable top scene-stealing moment, but due to the lacking direction – it just seemed faded. The most absurd of the two (albeit both rank high among the questionable sanity line) is Cork Hubbard who plays Amelia's "cousin" who shows up randomly one night. His character is never quite defined, he lacks true motive, and his loyalties remain uncertain. He plays no vital role in this film outside of forcing us, the viewers, to question his sanity and honesty. Can you create a character simply by sticking out your tongue, flicking your ears, and punching your chest and head? Finally, there is the other end of the absurd – Keith Carradine. Callow's close-ups of this tormented man build character, but our lack of understanding between him and Amelia causes his purpose to flounder. These were the characters, as cliché Southern as they were – some stood forward and attempted to create an absurdist period piece, and I cannot argue that they failed.

Where "Ballad of the Sad Café" failed to rise above mediocrity was in the cinematography and narrative. This film was about Amelia, and her need for other souls in her life. The audience's level of comfort with the arrival of her midget cousin was entertaining – one couldn't help but wonder if he was honest or merely a confidence man attempt to leech off a warm heart. Cork Hubbard's character is never quite understood, but we do accept him with brief shots of him and Amelia doing small things together. It is his idea that transforms from a recluse businesswoman to a bona-fide café owner. The problem is that director Callow never quite takes us to that dramatic take level between Cork and Redgrave – is the man crazy or does he represent all of Amelia's family? I needed something from Callow that brought these two out of the David Lynch-esquire relationship that they had. Then our pool gets even deeper with the addition of Carradine as Amelia's "love interest". Using the technique of a flashback within a flashback, we see the two wed, but never consummate their love – which Amelia's anger against their love drawing him into the world of madness. Why was Amelia so angry? Why was there no connection between Carradine and Redgrave? Why was this even in the film? With the lack of focus towards these characters's connection, the eventual scenes between the two made no sense – throw in Cork's choice and it just gets completely discombobulated. While there were a few beautiful choreographed scenes that Callow created, the inability to transfer his characters from point A to point B. I lost focus, interest, and my care for the characters plummeted when I didn't understand the ultimate question – "why"?

Overall, "The Ballad of the Sad Café" began with a bang, but ended with a very small crack of a firecracker. My emotional feel of this film swung up and down, up and down, and eventually stayed further down mainly due to the lack of understanding of the motives of the characters. Redgrave did a phenomenal job as Amelia, and while the other characters (outside of the random Steiger) tried their best, I just didn't quite understand who they were. Their motives were so muddled that when the emotional ending finally occurred, I was apathetic. Director Callow seemed to have been lacking importing connecting scenes that would allow us to understand the dynamic relationship between all of our main players. Callow created some beautiful scenes where faces seemed to overlap the scenery, which allowed us to focus on Amelia – or Carradine, but nothing was explained or developed. The film played out with anger, discover, happiness, flashback, anger, anger, anger, fade out. Without the comparative connectors, this transformed from distinguished period film to actors playing parts in front of camera. It was a shame, because "Sad Café" had the promise, it just couldn't deliver.

Grade: ** ½ out of *****