Crazy from the Heart

This was a really sweet movie about life in a small Texas town. While it might stretch your imagination to believe that a high school principal could find true love with the school janitor, it isn't hard to believe what happens when the town folks find out about it. Bigotry is still alive and well in the good old USA. I found myself rooting for true love.

This simple little film may have been made for TV, but I continue to be amazed by the quality of the cast even though I've watched it a dozen times.

I was especially amazed when I realized the irony of casting decisions...especially with Belita Moreno (Robie Stiles' mother). This character exudes the venomous bigotry of Tidewater -- white trash feeling superiority to Mexican-Americans for no other reason than race -- and for this role to be performed convincingly by a latina is extraordinary. A quick comparison between Bebe Stiles and Benny Lopez (George's mother on the George Lopez show) shows an incredible range. This was also the first film in which I saw Brent Spiner and forgot just for a moment that he might be an android.

Many IMDB users rated this movie 10 out of 10, and I can see why. The two main actors do a super job and there is a fine script. Well OK, look, this is no Academy Award winner, and it is a 'made-for-TV' film. However it is still worth renting it on video or catching it on TV. Just sit back and ENJOY the light-hearted romance. My wife and I laughed and cheered along with the events on screen that unfold in the small Texan town. I suppose if it were analyzed by a New York or Chicago film critic it would be torn to bits, especially due to the many cliches portrayed. I don't care. It is a great film and we both thoroughly liked it. Right from the very first minute we knew that we chose a good video. BTW, the Hispanic grandfather is wonderful - you cannot help loving this guy. Have fun watching this one!

I recently watched this again after over 10 years, a friend had it at her house. I must get one! This is where I first fell in love with Reuben Blades...ah, Ernesto, Ernesto, Ernesto..a man to melt your heart with those beautiful eyes, sincere demeanor. I could listen to him talk all day. His warmth just comes right out at you. Lahti's performance was thoughtful and touching, but did not convince me of her position. Perhaps I am only jealous. Nice sentiment of not so much love conquers all, but more that life is rough to everyone, we all have barricades, maybe we need to hold on to someone who loves us. I am a cynic about love, and I have to say that I have never seen ANY movie that made me reconsider my options the way this one does. It touches something inside. I actually cried. It makes one believe in falling in love once more. THAT is a good, good thing.

I saw Crazy from the Heart when it came out, so this was rerun time nine years later. And the movie was better the second time around!! Christine Lahti cannot make a bad film; I think she's one of the most underrated actresses of our time (though she does have an Academy Award nomination). What makes "Crazy" sing is the performance by Ruben Blades (and doing love scenes with the director's wife had to be a daunting task) and the unique, small-town setting and approach. This story gently touched on the racism so common in our society, but it did so in an educational and positive way instead of the in-your-face style that gets so old. This movie took you to Tidelands, took you back to high school, took you into middle age, made you think and feel, presented real people in a very real story and made it fun. If the industry put more of this in the theater, more us of plus-40s would go more than once a year.