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Most astute U.S. movie viewers have recognized the talents and skills of the excellent Stockard Channing. More gratifying than seeing her quality finally recognized with the rolls she has played in both "A Girl Thing" (TV mini series)and in the White House centered series is the appearance of the former series as an entire movie available in both VHS and DVD in video stores nationwide. As a psychiatrist whose patients are mostly women she serves as the hub through which the four different patient centered episodes revolve.

Although the first three would result in a "good" movie, we are not let off or let down by that being the case. In the forth and final episode Channing (the "doctor") figures not just peripherally as the center but is the main character around which the drama unfolds. Confronted by an intelligent and dangerously angry patient, the doctor fails to establish any healthy connection and terminates the patient. This soon results in a violent confrontation, which puts the doctor, another patient and a few others in an explosively dangerous situation in the psychiatrist's office. Channing herself is challenged to justify all that she has done, is doing and believes in concerning people in general and her professional relationships with them in particular.

Does she make a good showing for herself? Is anyone hurt, and, if so how badly?

Watch the movie and find out.

Why comment when the "reviewing" crew won't print. Why comment when the "reviewing" crew won't print. Why comment when the "reviewing" crew won't print. Why comment when the "reviewing" crew won't print. Why comment when the "reviewing" crew won't print.

It is a treat and a relief to see what can be done with a theme and an era that might seem to have been worked to death already. John Cusack has enacted a milestone in his already impressive acting career with his portrayal of a single mindedley just man in a realistically varied environment. A horse trader/rancher, he butts heads early in the film with local bully and land baron Henry Ballard (L. Q. Jones) over the issue of signing a statehood petition. The rest of the film will have Meryl Redding (Cusack) confronting and hunting Ballard against the backdrop of Wyoming's

struggle to attain statehood. His one man's justice regardless of the consequences attitude leads to his paying a terrible price. Without the depth of "Braveheart" the execution scene nevertheless captures some of the same resonance of a just man paying the price of his visions with admirable composure. John Goodman, in a small part, is commanding and excellent as a good and honest judge doing his duty in the cases of Redding vs. Ballard and the territory of Wyoming vs. Redding even though he knows that Redding is essentially honest, just and innocent. The performance of Miranda Otto and Reddings' wife is

outstanding and I hope to see her in future productions.

Just a very fine film.