What makes a man tingle in regards to women? It certainly isn't a 70 something year old widow, but it certainly is the woman he's been married to for ten years and the only one he's been with. Now the life, Lea Thompson, is dying, and she wants to find someone to take care of her husband, Peter Weller, and their children. It's the old west in the 1870's presumably and widows quickly remarry out of necessity and widowers with children all seem to be looking for a replacement spouse and mother as well. There's no hesitation for Thompson to go farm to farm, but every presumably eligible widow is already spoken for, even those who are going through their spouses funeral. Thompson heads to the local small city and finds that the only available women are those who sell favors to men. That's where aging beauty Farrah Fawcett comes in, and she's most agreeable, mainly a rest but partly out of curiosity.
The usage of ironic humor has Thompson delightfully blunt, even going out of her way to have her husband and Fawcett make love. The relationship between the three people creates a bond, especially between the two women. Thompson gets the best material because of her determination and steals every moment. Weller is understated and gentlemanly while Fawcett begins to see the genuine love that Thompson and Weller has. But there seems to be a delay in her dying day and the growing affection between Weller and Fawcett has Thompson proposing a different approach since she still believes that her days are numbered. So the film mixes subtle pathos with humor and it's hard not to feel for these three decent people of different backgrounds. It's a no nonsense story of the necessity in tying up lose ends for a loving wife and mother who finds a real sweet friendship with the woman who is going to at some point take over where she left off.
The usage of ironic humor has Thompson delightfully blunt, even going out of her way to have her husband and Fawcett make love. The relationship between the three people creates a bond, especially between the two women. Thompson gets the best material because of her determination and steals every moment. Weller is understated and gentlemanly while Fawcett begins to see the genuine love that Thompson and Weller has. But there seems to be a delay in her dying day and the growing affection between Weller and Fawcett has Thompson proposing a different approach since she still believes that her days are numbered. So the film mixes subtle pathos with humor and it's hard not to feel for these three decent people of different backgrounds. It's a no nonsense story of the necessity in tying up lose ends for a loving wife and mother who finds a real sweet friendship with the woman who is going to at some point take over where she left off.