Der Feind im eigenen Haus

John Mellencamp debuts as star and director in this feature about a country-western star who returns to his home in Indiana. He's tired of the grind of performing, tired of Los Angeles, and hopes to reconnect with roots, but discovers that you can't go home again.

It's a decent little movie, low-key in its performances, with Mellencamp working off a script by Larry McMurtry, and with a good cast that includes Mariel Hemingway, Dub Taylor, Kay Lenz and Claude Akins. Mellencamp doesn't sing, but he gives a solid performance.

This was a po' boys "Pure Country". Looks like Mellencamp decided to make a movie around the time his buddy George Strait did. The result, unfortunately, was a boring look at small town America where the folks act a lot like their big city brethren. It was just a big yawn concerning husband and wife problems, with Mellencamp continually pushing his lank hair off his rather apish forehead. The boy needs to stick with what he is good at, whatever that is - it sure isn't singing.

Celebrity singers have always had a tough time breaking into the movies (the cinema is littered with failed attempts), and one can go on and on speculating as to why John Mellencamp never made it as an actor (to say nothing of his skills as a novice filmmaker). Instead of taking small parts in heartfelt projects, Mellencamp dives right in playing the lead in "Falling From Grace", which he also directed, and the awkward results are as unbecoming as the film's title. Story of a famous singer returning to his hometown in the sticks, opening up old family wounds, boasts a screenplay by Larry McMurtry, but the meandering drama goes nowhere slowly. The decent supporting cast includes quirky Kay Lenz (always a welcome sight), Mariel Hemingway and Claude Akins, and yet there's only one well-directed scene in the movie (when Akins attempts to force himself on Hemingway in the kitchen). John's performance is a mixed bag; he doesn't look particularly comfortable in front of the camera--despite the apparent effort to make him feel at home--and he never makes a direct connection with the audience. Still, this was a bold move for the performer, and the ballsy effort alone results in a bit of admiration. *1/2 from ****

This is a reasonably strong directorial debut for rocker Mellencamp, who also gives a good lead performance. In fact, the whole cast is quite effective, and the story moves along at an appropriate pace. Personally, I found the final scenes to be rather weak compared to the rest of the film, but even with the poor ending, I still found this to be a solid effort and a generally good movie.

...that's what "Falling from Grace" is about. Released in 1992, John (Cougar) Mellencamp plays a country star, Bud, who tries to come home to Indiana, bringing his tall blond wife (Mariel Hemingway) and daughter. Unfortunately, his dad's a total jerk (Claude Akins) and his high school sweetheart (Kay Lenz) is married to his brother and having an affair with someone linked to both. It seems like the star just wants to take a break from the show business and hang with his buds and family, like in the old days, but melancholy settles in and temptation strikes.

Wow, after seeing this my wife and I gave thanks for our dysfunctional families -- we never knew we had it so good!

This is a solid drama by first-and-only-time director Mellencamp. All the main players noted above do fine in their roles, but some of the side players are flat and unconvincing, like the bearded guy who works for Bud.

The first time I saw this movie I thought it was an okay drama, but I felt it was dragged down by the country star's mopiness, which is fundamental to the story -- I understand -- but it's still frustrating for the viewer. A couple of the key characters are a turn-off as well, but isn't this the way it is in real life? Noted critic Roger Ebert gave "Falling from Grace" his top rating and Gene Siskel also praised it, but Leonard Martin rated it a BOMB in his guide. The critics on Sneak Previews also dogged it. This just goes to show that "Falling from Grace" is a love-or-hate-it piece.

While I'm somewhere in the middle, I enjoyed it a lot more on my second viewing and therefore lean toward the 'love it' side. It's a low-budget film that is better on repeat viewings. I Like the Seymour, Indiana, locations, which is John's actual hometown. The situations reflect real-life and there are some thematic gems to mine, like "the sins of the father" and the negative domino effect of unfaithfulness. I also like the way the movie ends.

Speaking of which, Bud's wife, Alice, shares a great line: "You can't have some secret world in your mind and another one on the street." Chew on that.

The film runs 100 minutes.

GRADE: B