Cookie's Fortune

If you don't like Robert Altman, read no further... Why do you think Altman has the respect that he has? No one today can handle an ensemble cast of pros and make each one look like a star. Who else could've gotten old-pro Patricia Neal out of retirement? If you don't like Altman, you're obviously missing something that the rest of us already know...he's smart! It's no secret that Mr. Altman hates pretense. "MASH", "The Player", "Gosford Park", "Nashville" and on & on...the man has fun poking fun at phonies. "Cookie's Fortune" is no different. Almost exclusively working with original screenplays, he can play his game and say his piece. Anne Rapp's screenplay must've put him in director heaven. Glenn Close is pretty much the centerpiece here, a woman sure of her position and unwilling to bend. She's marvelous and totally unlikeable. The great Ms. Neal is on screen, alas, too short a time. Like an older version of her Oscar-winning role in "Hud", she's tougher than nails, and wonderful. Julianne Moore ditches the glamour, appearing mostly without make-up, belying her well-known beauty. Charles S. Dutton is customarily confident and endearing, as are Liv Tyler & Chris O'Donnell (though a previous reviewer didn't think so). Altman likes using Lyle Lovett, and he's reliable here in a small role. Ned Beatty and, especially, the great Courtney B. Vance fill out the big name cast effectively. Like all Altman films, one must pay attention to the script, because, though leisurely paced, the dialogue flies by. To reiterate the plot would be senseless, but one of my favorite lines was, in reference to the crime scene, they said Close's character has "negative blood"; when Beatty is asked why he's so sure Dutton didn't do it, he, matter-of-factly says "I fish with him!". (This is almost a running gag...I love running gags). Again, I must say, Altman is wonderful when he works with dozens of people at once, because he gives each one a distinct character and motivation, not to take away from the screenwriter, though Altman is also known for improv. "Cookie's Fortune" is subtly funny and endearing; the craziness of human nature is given full reign. This film was recognized by the Independent Film Awards, but the Academy somehow overlooked it, released too early in the year. (Most of those old geezers don't think that far back...) Glenn Close was deserving of a nomination, as was Altman. Attention to detail is an Altman trait, too, and he doesn't disappoint. Check it out...but, as a previous reviewer also said, if you like fake effects and unbelievable stupid plots populated with idiot super-heroes, pass on this one. All "Cookie's Fortune" offers is a clever character-driven script, very fine acting, GREAT direction and a lot of fun.

Dear reader,Please see this movie.It glows with human warmth and sympathetic humor.It will definitely touch your heart if you will let it.I was raised in the south and this movie makes me weep with appreciation....Grew up surrounded by the wise innocence, requisite tolerance and careful humor ,that strange small town eccentrics require of others.It is touching to see how big city values and expectations are out of place in a small town where everyone knows everyone else quite well.There is wry depiction of the role of a certain brand of Southern Protestantism as an acceptable, necessary, but rather shallow and ridiculous source of moral values.Altman shows there is virtue in the lives of those who just live respectfully -while actually bewildered , affectionately loyal, and playful with those they find around them.It is about my favorite movie, along with LOCAL HERO.note:There was a non-racist south that is seldom talked about and largely unknown to the outside.They were not the intellectual and moral heroeswho served the underground railroad to help slaves escape.That of course was noble and great.There was also the texture of small rural outback communities where there was interbreeding of Native Americans and Afro-Americans with thevarious Europeans. A mutual understanding , shared passages, and live- and -let- live, was more the character of this phenomena.It is good to see an understated honoring of this historical fact.Okay. Thanks for listening.

I saw this movie in the theater 10 years ago, and not since (though I recently purchased it). What I remember is that from the very start, I was predicting turns in the movie that never happened:1. Charles Dutton's character Willis is drunk and stumbling down the street in a small southern town and two white cops see him. I expect an immediate arrest. It doesn't happen.2. I believe Willis steals a fifth from the liquor store so I expect an arrest. It doesn't happen.3. Willis breaks into the kitchen of a home. I expect trouble and an arrest. It doesn't happen.4. I expect a scene between Willis and "Miz" Cookie when she comes down from her room in her pajamas and robe. It doesn't happen. He calls her "Cookie" first of all, and she's offers to make him coffee.5. When Willis gets arrested for Cookie's murder, I expect the sheriff to be the stereotypical pot-bellied "boy"-calling sheriff. He isn't. He doesn't even lock Willis' cell.And the stereotypes get knocked down one after the other. Glen Close's church isn't southern Baptist. Cookie's granddaughter comes to share an unlocked cell with Willis (I believe she gets "locked up" with him).Lots of nice surprises in this unusual flick. As you can see, I remember it most for what it turned out NOT to be than what it was. Loved it for that.

The story is a wonder exploration of a small town’s understanding and tolerance of it’s inhabitants. One evaluator said “nothing happens”. They must mean there are no car chases, explosions or murders. Exactly right but still an engrossing story that should interest any Thinking Adult. Borrow a VHS and see if I’m right.

I did not pay attention to Region 2 on the ad.Wasn’t able to view on US equipment. My fault for not understanding what Region meant.

I bought this to replace a VHS and now I show it to a lot of folks who would never have considered picking this off the rack of a video store. I see myself as a champion of the notion "we are all one family", flawed though I may be. This serves as a great teaching tool. Glenn Close is brilliant as she comes apart in the movie. This is also, I think, the best performance Chris O'Donnell has done to this point in his career. And, who wouldn't want Charles S. Dutton is their family.

What I enjoyed most about this whimsical film is it's dramatic irony and care free attitude. A comedy about a murder that is not a murder. Like "Short Cuts", Altman intentionally develops characters to initially confuse the viewer, a sort of satisfying misrepresentation which, for me, leaves a smile on the face. Take the black man Willis (Charles S. Dutton) who is first seen drunk, stealing half a pint of Wild Turkey from a bar, breaking into a large house and raiding a gun cabinet. Or the obviously wealthy homeowner, an elderly white woman Cookie (Patricia Neal), who appears to be dementing and vulnerable. What ensues is funny and moving. Not least for its Southern setting whose racial harmony and community spirit is beyond reproach. There are no villains as such. The nearest would be Camille Dixon (Glen Close), a control freak who is obsessed with family reputation. Even she, however, is shocked to discover the consequences of her instinctive actions. The scene with her hand in the cookie jar was magnificent. The material is familiar but Altman's touch adds a depth of feeling rarely encountered in these types of comedy murder mysteries. For instance, Cookie's love for her departed husband is so intense and genuine that I understood why she did what she did. Similarly, Willis is a faultless character, a man who's loyalty and integrity surpass mere mortals. Even the seemingly lecherous fishmonger Manny Hood (Lyle Lovett) turns out to be as benign as the rest of the small town's inhabitants, including the police who are probably the most polite and endearing butch of cops I've ever seen.

OK, I am an Altman fan who has always wanted to see this. In my viewing, it is a complete success for all the reasons I like Altman: the plot is almost secondary to the development of the characters, who are extremely quirky in a banal yet exotic environment. The acting is superb, but none of the characters is what you would expect the same actors to be from the personas one knows from their other work. Liv Tyler is a bit of a bimbo from a chaotic family who now leads a disorganized life. Moore is her "mother", the really dumb pillar in her crazy manipulative sister's life (Close). O'Donnell is a bumbling youngster cop, also very dumb. Dutton, who is an excellent character actor as a handy man and good all round guy, is the star.The actors really display a wonderful chemistry onscreen, from the comedy of errors that Close unleashes to the family love that Tyler feels for Dutton. It makes the story hold together tightly. However, as always with ALtman, it is the detail that really makes this memorable: in every scene there was something that made me chuckle, some subtlety that is the unique synergy between directions and allowing actors to be creative that is an Altman hallmark.Warmly recommended.Unfortunately, the formatting of the DVD was lousy, on one of those framed screens. I wish I knew how to screen for such things!

Wonderful film. Makes a change from all the current "action" movies.

all good

Everybody fine! Thnks.