Pregnant and unmarried city woman returns home to her family's Minnesota farm after her father has been thrown off his carriage by his dreaded-favorite horse; she reunites with her squabbling sister and niece, her dotty mother, her wily uncle (who plays the ponies), and her 99-year-old grandmother. Having recently worked on Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart" (with Jessica Lange and Tess Harper, who appear here as the sisters), it's almost impossible not to believe that writer Sam Shepherd wasn't inspired by Henley's eccentric, noodling style. "Far North" sounds theatrical, like a failed play--and it looks that way too, since first-time director Shepherd hasn't any idea how to stage this menagerie. There are, on the other hand, some stray funny moments between Lange, Harper, and Patricia Arquette, and some of the cinematography is striking. The other cast members haven't much to work with (all Charles Durning does is yell after an amusing early hospital-bed scene), while the narrative moseys along, occasionally trading quirks with tics. A peculiar, scrappy little picture that just doesn't work. *1/2 from ****
Review of Far North
