Sissy Spacek, in her first movie after her triumphant, Oscar-winning turn as Loretta Lynn in "Coal Miner's Daughter", excels once again as a single mother with two small boys working out of her home as a telephone operator in WWII America. Eric Roberts (in surely his best performance ever) is gentle and appealing as a sailor who takes a shine to Spacek and her kids, which causes gossipy tongues to wag back in town; Sam Shepherd is the mysterious title character who lives across the street and harbors a dark secret. Fine-looking movie has a strong sense of time and place, a fairly solid script and terrific players, but the tone of the film shifts in the melodramatic final act and the narrative gets all fouled up. This portion of the picture almost feels tacked-on, and as a result the conclusion is somewhat limp. Still a pretty good entertainment, and Spacek never hits a false note. *** from ****
Raggedy Man
1981
Action / Drama
Raggedy Man
1981
Action / Drama
Plot summary
In 1944, divorcee Nita Longley has been brought into the small town of Gregory, Texas by the telephone company to work as its switchboard operator, a job which requires her to be at the switchboard day and night. Her boss Mr. Rigby tells her that the job would only be a stepping-stone to a more-lucrative job with regular working hours, but then he tells her that the war has frozen her position. Now Nita feels trapped, living in the telephone-switchboard office building with her two songs, adolescent Harry and infant Henry. Her divorcee status makes many of the townsfolk, especially the men, view her with contempt or She was originally told by her boss Mr. Rigby that this job would only be a stepping-stone to a more lucrative job with regular working hours, which Mr. Rigby seems to be reneging on since he has now told her that her position is frozen due to the war. As such, Nita feels trapped by this situation. Nita lives in the telephone switchboard office building with her two sons, adolescent Harry and infant Henry. Because of her marital status, many of the townsfolk, especially the men, scorn her as a loose woman. One evening, Teddy Roebuck, a sailor on a four-day furlough who is hitchhiking back to his home in Ardmore, Oklahoma, stops by to make a telephone call. When he learns that the reason for his trip home no longer exists, Teddy decides to stay in Gregory instead and befriends Nita and her boys; eventually Nita and Teddy fall in love. The stranger's arrival annoys locals Calvin and Arnold, who have been pursuing Nita, who has rebuffed their advances. The town's unidentified disfigured man, whom Nita fears, may ultimately provide her with the ability to move on with her life.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
"Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola..."
Sissy is a delight, as always.
Sissy Spacek followed up her Oscar-winning performance in "Coal Miner's Daughter" with this similarly affecting work in this small-scale film. It's set in a small Texas town called Gregory in 1944. While the Second World War is going on, Nita (Spacek) is working hard to raise two young boys by herself. A divorced woman, Nita has a job as a telephone operator, but yearns for something more. A potential romance with nice-guy sailor Teddy (Eric Roberts),who currently is on a few days leave, takes things out of the ordinary for her. But the ultra-creepy redneck brothers Calvin and Arnold (top character actors William Sanderson ('Deadwood') and Tracey Walter ("Repo Man")) are determined to have their way with her, and since Teddy is not going to be around for long...
"Raggedy Man" is an utterly absorbing, if not great, slice of rural American life circa the 1940s. Debuting director Jack Fisk (Spacek's real-life husband) gives the proceedings some real heart and sensitivity as well as an authentic look. (Fisk is normally an art director and production designer for the movies.) Admittedly, the finale does get melodramatic and a little ugly, but overall the film does have some charm going for it. The characters hold your attention - protagonists and antagonists alike. There is some humour as well as drama, and a lovely Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack to add to the basic effectiveness of the presentation.
Sissy is the glue to hold all of this together, as she plays a strong and independent-minded woman with the guts to stand up to her cranky boss (who's played by the always amusing R.G. Armstrong, another top character actor). Roberts is extremely likeable, delivering one of his best performances. It really is too bad he never became a true A-list star. Henry Thomas of "E.T." fame and Carey Hollis Jr. make their film debuts as Nita's two boys. At first, the film would seem to be a real waste of writer / filmmaker / actor Sam Shepard (who plays mysterious, scar-faced character Bailey),but the part is paid off in the final portion of the picture. Adding flavour to the supporting cast are such familiar faces as Bill Thurman ("The Last Picture Show") as the Sheriff, Jessie Lee Fulton ("Don't Look in the Basement") as Miss Pud, and James N. Harrell ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2") as the ticket taker.
Overall, "Raggedy Man" is well worth seeing for any fan of the various cast members.
Seven out of 10.
Time And Place
It's 1944; WWII is in progress; times are tough all over. A divorced mom who's trying to raise two young boys, Nita (Sissy Spacek) works in her home as a switchboard operator. She lives in a dilapidated wood frame house with paint severely peeling. Nobody in this small Texas town has much money, and few have any education. They're all kind of ... trapped.
Into Nita's dreary life comes a sailor on-leave, named Teddy (Eric Roberts). Cautiously, over time, Nita and Teddy become more than friends; Nita's two boys take a liking to Teddy. Undeterred by local gossip, Nita and Teddy continue their relationship.
The best element by far is the sense of time and place we get from this film. Production design is superlative. From the dank wallpaper to the Lux detergent box in the kitchen, to the tinny radio music of "Rum and Coca-Cola", to those old fashioned gas pumps, to slamming screen doors, the viewer really feels like he or she is back in the 1940s. Cheap era clothes amplify the sense of time. And the blackness of night scenes with the chirp of crickets and streets devoid of street lights scream small, country town.
I am ambivalent about the subplot of the two local louts. It seems highly contrived. Yet, without it the overall story would be almost stagnant. This subplot eventually takes on some importance, and leads to a surprise final Act, with a sudden infusion of tension and suspense.
Casting and acting are fine. Sissy Spacek has been effective in every role I have seen her play. Color cinematography is well done. Background music is intermittent; scenes that lack it amplify a sense of realism.
A less than perfect script combined with an abrupt tonal shift toward the end notwithstanding, "Raggedy Man" conveys a marvelous sense of time and place.