Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

This is the type of movie that has 'cult movie' written all over it. To say that I truly love this movie is a HUGE understatement. I first caught it on cable in the late 80s and instantly fell in love with it. This is such a bizarre, but well-written, acted and directed film that it couldn't help but become a favorite of cult movie fans. Everyone in the movie gives a great performance and I'm surprised that this movie didn't any Academy Award nominations. Members of a James Dean fan club in McCarthy, Texas reunite on September 30, 1975 for the 20th anniversary of his death. There's Cissy (a WONDERFUL performance by Cher), the town sexpot who has always bragged about her big boobs, but is hiding the secret that she lost them to cancer and now wears falsies. Mona (the unique and always worth watching Sandy Dennis), the shy, strange girl who claims James Dean fathered her son when she was an extra in Giant, and finally Joanne (played to perfection by Karen Black), who left town years ago as Joe and has undergone quite a change - a sex change! Other members of the club are Stella Mae (Marta Heflin) and Edna Louise (played by future Oscar winner Kathy Bates). Juanita (Sudie Bond) is the owner and manager of the town's Woolworth's 5 and Dime. Mona's son is referred to several times but is never seen. The women talk about their lives and reminisce about James Dean. Several scenes are shown in flashback, but the odd thing is that in the flashback scenes, the actors look exactly the same and the scenes in the present. But somehow it works. The dialog is so good in this movie, some of it I actually have used in my life. At one point, Mona tells Cissy that she feels something for James Dean so deep inside of her that can't get the words to come out that express how she feels. I know I feel that way a lot, about various things in my life. My love of movies like this being one! There's practically no action, but a lot of interesting, meaningful conversation in this great movie. By the end of the movie, I think a lot of viewers will feel kind of tired because some of the scenes are so emotionally wrenching. I can honestly say that is one of my favorite films of all-time, and I could watch it over and over. I do know that I have probably watched this movie over 100 times. The final few seconds of the movie (which I won't reveal) are just so poignant. I think the theme of this movie may be that some things that happen in life are so meaningful, there should be a way to keep them with us forever. But, alas, there isn't. Please, if you love movies, and especially if you love cult movies, go rent this and watch it. It's an absolutely wonderful example of film-making at its best.