FALLING FROM GRACE

FALLING FROM GRACE meanders through a series of betrayals and confrontations within a dysfunctional family. It begins with Bud Parks (musician John Mellencamp), a highly successful country singer who returns home for a family reunion. Nearly all his relatives resent his wealth, want some of it, or are just plain evil. Bud’s father, Speck, is a wealthy rancher with an insatiable desire for sex. He forces himself on his daughter-in-law B.J., who was Bud’s high school sweetheart. In turn, B.J. seduces Bud. Bud’s wife Alice, the only decent person, is aggravated about her husband’s philandering and father-in-law’s advances. She responds to Speck’s harassment with a frying pan across the chops and demands that Bud shape up. He refuses, so she leaves for California with her daughter. Bud nearly self-destructs. The movie ends at the hospital with Bud receiving undeserved attention from Alice. Regrettably, there is no sign of repentance.

With so much pain and suffering on display, the film could have had a more redemptive conclusion. Instead, we are left with cautionary messages: infidelity extracts a heavy toll, and money doesn’t buy good relationships.