Off the Minnesota Strip

I was 15 years old when I "accidentally" saw this movie. As I recall, my boyfriend decided to go out with his buddies that night (a Friday), leaving me home alone with nothing to do. Well, fate knew what it was doing, because "Off the Minnesota Strip" was such a great movie that I've remembered it ever since. It was also the 1st time I'd heard of Mare Winningham, and thought she did an excellent job in her role. Like the other people who posted comments, I'm wondering why I've never seen this film again? For years after it's premiere I scanned the TV Guide, hoping to find it being re-run, but to no avail. Unfortunately, it's way too easy to find stupid movies that received horrible reviews being shown over and over....but why not this one? Who do we have to contact to convince them to air it again???

This is one of the best made for TV movies I have ever seen. It could very easily have been an exploitation flick and come across as cheap and tawdry, but it doesn't

It treats its characters, including the black pimp with respect and creates an image of a world in which all the characters are struggling with their inner demons. It is a movie which I have not seen for 20 years, and I wish that I could get to see it again.

Micki (Mare Winningham) plays a 15 year-old who ran from home and spent months in New York City prostituting herself. The police have found her, beaten by her pimp and ready to come home. But this won't be a happy reunion and you have a general idea why she ran when you see her parents' reaction...no crying, no hugs, nothing! The father (Hal Holbrook) often deals with things by NOT dealing with things and the mother (Michael Learned) is just angry. Obviously the homecoming is going to be a bumpy ride! As for Micki, she isn't completely committed to being home either...and she drinks and is a mess. As for her classmates in her high school, she is NOT made particularly welcome--and most of the guys just see her as a chance for an easy trick. In light of all of this, does Micki stand a chance?! And, why did she leave in the first place?!

For 1980, this is pretty intense stuff...very adult for a made for TV film. I am NOT complaining or saying it's inappropriate...just a bit unexpected. The acting is excellent, the story filled with twists and surprises and it seems very sad but very real as well. A good film, available on YouTube if you're looking to see it...and one with no magical happy endings.

There are a hand full of TV movies from the 1970's, that are truly outstanding. This is one of them. "Off the Minnesota Strip" steers clear of exploitation by starting this sordid tale of a teenage prostitute, at the point there she has just quit the business, and has returned home to her rural town. Many people see this movie as some kind of unofficial sequel to "Taxi Driver," this story following the prostitute Iris as she goes home to her family in the Mid West. But Mare Winningham is playing Micki Johansen, a girl hardened to life on the streets of New York, as well as some things from her past, (some kind of shocking) that have robbed her of her innocence.

This is a hard film, that pulls no punches. The mother growls at her daughter like an animal, while her father tries to make up for past mistakes, everybody smokes cigarettes, which is something you would NEVER see today, and we have the mother, the father smoking with their 15 year old daughter, who is also puffing away, and NOBODY acknowledges anything unusual about that. I love this film and it's certain 70's atmosphere. The parents are played so realistically with no sugar coating, that their behavior was more shocking than their daughters'actions. We even have Leon Isaac Kennedy as the angry pimp who hunts down the girl and tries to take her back to New York. This was directed by Lamant Johnson, so it has a professional, theater film quality, rather than like a TV movie. Johnson also directed "Lipstick" starring Margeaux Hemmingway, another seedy, sexually potent drama about rape. Finally, this movie does NOT have some predictable, happy ending, and that is what makes this special. Another teen drama from this time. "Born Innocent," also chose to end on a dark note, as did the brilliant "Death of Ritchie" with Ben Gazarra, which ended in horrible tragedy. The films that wrap everything up nicely, have no power, and are forgotten today. Definitely worth tracking down if you are a fan of any of the other movies I mentioned; this is up there with the best of them..

When I saw this, I was deeply impressed with the young actress, Mare Winningham. Everything she did (as an actress) was brilliant -- even when she smoked (blowing smoke from the side of her mouth).

If I'm correct, she had been sexually abused by her father (Hal Holbrook) when she was a little girl, but didn't hold it against him after she became a teenager. Yes, she was troubled, but I think her biggest headache was a very critical mother (Michael Learned), who, obviously put up with the abuse.

When Mare comes back from her New York jaunt as a prostitute, she bravely goes back to high school. She even dabbles in a little hooking upon her return. Boys, of course, are "after" her sexually, and then she has to deal with her NY pimp, who arrives to take her back to the street. Leon Isaac Kennedy as the pimp gave a marvelous performance.

Funny, why a great film like this is allowed to get lost in the shuffle. This should be restored and put on DVD. I'd love to hear comments from Miss Winningham and the other living cast members about their experience while making the picture.

I have seen Winningham in many TV movies since, including the wonderful, "Amber Waves," and felt that she could be the next Bette Davis or Shirley Booth. What an actress! "Off The Minnesota Strip" was certainly Mare Winningham's finest hour.