This could've gone wrong so easily - Texasville gives some indication how - but this just works. Every decision: location work, black and white, being set twenty years ago, a 1971 view of 1951 meaning sex and violence could be shown but it was still in present memory, the casting.
It meanders on a bit but always with point. At times I was thinking this is a four star or four and a half star film but the ending walloped me: the shocking death of Billy (Sam Bottoms) and Sonny (Tim Bottoms) going to see Cloris Leachman who goes him. Stunning.
Although specific to time and place it is universal - leaving school, falling in love, regret, the death of an old man. It focuses on two boys but the women all get a turn: Jacey is a vixen but a three dimensional one, motivated by her mother who gets a terrific monologue, Eileen Brennan the waitress gets a great monologue and Leachman's speech is divine. I love the matter of fact acceptance by Ellen Burstyn of Bottoms having a fling with Leachman ("it's a scratchy age").
So much great stuff: the plot about a preacher's son being a pedophile and the way it's dealt with (I forgot that whole storyline but it's well done), the second-rate-ness of the football team, the matter of fact nudity, John Hillerman trying to engage his school class.
Better writers have written about this movie but it is just damn good. Why didn't Bogdanovich make more dramas?
All the actors are perfect: both Bottoms, Ben Johnson, Cybil Shepherd, the old faces, etc.
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