Melanie Daniel (Glynnis O'Connor) is poor, naive, illiterate and mother to 6 year old son Tyler in rural Jasper, Arkansas. Her husband Carl (Don Johnson) returns after two years away in the Army. She wakes up and Carl is gone with Tyler. He leaves her a note which she can't read. He's taken Tyler to California. She rides the bus to find old friend Ronda who has settled in L.A. Ronda is staying at a luxury house in the Hollywood hills with musician Rick (Burton Cummings). Walter (Paul Sorvino) is Rick's lawyer.
The movie is uneven. Sometimes it is slower than molasses. Then there are moments of emotional intensity. Her bus friend discovering her illiteracy is a wonderful scene. I wish that gal could stay in the movie. Some of it seems to be shot on the real streets and has that immediacy. O'Connor does a very nice performance and holds the screen. Cummings is surprisingly good as an actor. He's doing more than simply singing here. The movie is generally shot poorly but O'Connor is fascinating enough to keep watching. The story doesn't get the flow that well. It's a lot of starting and stopping.
The movie is uneven. Sometimes it is slower than molasses. Then there are moments of emotional intensity. Her bus friend discovering her illiteracy is a wonderful scene. I wish that gal could stay in the movie. Some of it seems to be shot on the real streets and has that immediacy. O'Connor does a very nice performance and holds the screen. Cummings is surprisingly good as an actor. He's doing more than simply singing here. The movie is generally shot poorly but O'Connor is fascinating enough to keep watching. The story doesn't get the flow that well. It's a lot of starting and stopping.