Resurrection

Ellen Burstyn is one of my favorite actresses, and this is the film that did it for me. The simplicity and power of her performance is staggering.

I was a little disappointed to see this had been remade - I didn't watch it - and even more disappointed to read that it is not yet out on DVD. This movie is a must-see.

Burstyn plays Edna McCauley, an ordinary woman who is clinically dead for several minutes after a horrific auto accident that kills her husband. Crippled, she returns to the home where she was born with her nearly silent, cold father. During a family picnic, a hemophiliac starts to bleed and Edna is able to stop the bleeding. Her grandmother (the great Eva LaGalliene) recognizes that Edna now has the power to heal. Edna is then able to heal herself. Not being a very religious person, she tells her grandmother that she doesn't know much about God, but if the power she has comes from love, that's good enough for her. Unfortunately, it's not enough for one of the townsman, who believes her healing power comes from the devil. His son (Sam Shepard), with whom Edna becomes romantically involved, has more and more trouble coping with her gift as time goes on, and it can't heal the rift between her and her father, the reason for which is not revealed until nearly the end of the film.

My favorite part is the ending - it might be my favorite ending of any film. It is there that Burstyn shows how she becomes a character - she doesn't act, she just IS this woman. She takes the character through the journey of learning how best to deal with her life and power as only she can. It's one of the most mesmerizing moments in cinema.

Made in 1980, today "Resurrection" looks like one of the many independent films being made now - small in scope and a little off-beat. It holds up magnificently as the story and performances are timeless.

There are some roles that I think are perfect fits for their portrayers - Robert Preston in Music Man, Katharine Hepburn in Lion in Winter - and Ellen Burstyn in Resurrection. A beautiful film, a great cast, see it! You'll never forget it.

A woman suffers a nearly fatal automobile accident and loses her husband. In her recovery, she discovers miraculous healing powers. "Resurrection" does not directly address the scientific or the spiritual explanations of faith healing. Rather, it focuses on the healing properties of love.

While there is much to say about the powerful message of "Resurrection," this review will focus primarily on the acting. The entire cast effortlessly and perfectly portray their characters even in the smaller roles. Ellen Burstyn, Sam Shepard, Richard Farnsworth, Roberts Blossom, and Eva Le Gallienne evoke especially memorable performances that ring true emotionally with many layers of raw feeling exposed.

Twenty-five years have passed since the release of "Resurrection." It is especially instructive to compare this film with movies in the twenty-first century that are action-intensive with sound tracks that overwhelm both the drama and the spoken word. In "Resurrection," it is refreshing to hear every word and syllable articulated so clearly by the performers. Eva Le Gallienne, a luminary of the American theatre, is a revelation in her small role, with beautiful, crisp speech along with powerful emotional nuances.

The healing scenes in the film were sensitively portrayed. Director Daniel Petrie and screenwriter Lewis John Carlino deserve kudos for this work. However, their contributions would not be realized without the incandescent performance of Ellen Burstyn. Again, it was her sensitive vocal characterization that was so effective in the powerful moments of healing. Her character Edna Mae was able to reach out to people and to make deep personal connections primary through her vocal inflections and her powerful aura of love.

When this film first appeared on the big screen in 1980, it did not receive much acclaim. And through the years, it has been difficult even to locate a copy on video. But "Resurrection" is a minor masterpiece and in its message of love, it is a film for the ages.

And that's saying a lot since I adore Ellen Burstyn and her work but I was deeply moved by her extraordinary performance in 1981's Resurrection, based on the true story of Edna Mae McCauley, a woman who gets into a horrific car accident which she barely survives (a journey which includes an out of body experience to the white light), but upon her return to the living, she is shocked to discover she has the ability to heal people with terminal illnesses and handicaps. Burstyn manages to imbue Edna with this lovely humanity which never allows her to exploit or take advantage of her special gift. Burstyn is so special in this film, she gives the character so much heart and makes her achingly real, despite her special gift. There is one amazing scene, which is burned in my memory forever, where she heals someone of a disfiguring illness and allows the illness to enter her own body and temporarily inhabit her own body. Burstyn commits so completely to this scene and it's harrowing to watch. Resurrection is a very special movie experience.

Like numerous stories dealing with the (supposedly) supernatural, this one requires the audience to take on faith that which cannot be justified "scientifically." So there are loose ends, and matters that will leave some of us asking, "How could that happen - even in this story?" But to accept the premise and the events on their own terms is to provide oneself with a powerful emotional experience of the sort that few pictures even try to create.

Especially effective was the Ellen Burstyn character remaining her low-key, unassuming self even after she becomes aware of her power. Along the same lines is her admission that she fails about a third of the time, and her altogether plausible attempt to explain it.

Less convincing was her inability to resist romance with someone obviously unsuitable. Was this to show us that she was, after all, only human? That she would want a man in her life we can easily accept. But him? She turns away repeatedly until his sheer persistence overcomes her better judgment. It doesn't ring true.

The performances are excellent throughout. And could anyone have come up with a more appropriate, satisfying ending?

This movie has been a favorite of mine since it came out. I find it very moving, and inspirational, and I am such a SUCKER for movies that have an ending where the last two minutes hit you right in the heart, or the head, or both. (RE: Shawshank Redemption and Working Girl as two examples)

See this movie! I am sure it will hold different pleasures and bring different insights for different people, but no one will NOT feel something. Wonderful performances by all, and sadly this is truly an underrated and little known film. I hope this will come out on DVD someday.

I think I am going to go hunt up my nearly worn out VHS version and watch it again today. Oh, and when you do get a chance to see it, make sure you share it with a friend. This is a great movie for discussion after. I think you, like me, will want to see it again.