This film surprised me a lot. I liked it very much. It was well-written, acted, and worth watching Mary McDonnell who received her second Oscar nomination for this performance. Alfre Woodard should be nominated for best supporting actress. I was surprised to find two equally challenging roles for women in an almost extinct era. The relationship between the two women grows slowly. It is nice to see friendship between these two very different characters. May Alice becomes a likable person after awhile. Angela Bassett has a small role as her friend from New York City. David Straitharn plays an old flame who has since married and remain local in the Louisiana swamps of their hometown. It's a great story overall with characters that you grow to like over the time we spend with them.

John Sayles never disappoints as a director, and "Passion Fish" affirms that. After a car accident paralyzes soap opera star May-Alice Culhane (Mary McDonnell),she returns to her childhood home in Louisiana, bitter about everything. After rejecting several caretakers, she befriends Chantelle (Alfre Woodard, happy birthday!). From there, we see how their lives and experiences help them form a bond.

I know that it sounds like the average Hollywood crap, but remember, this is John Sayles so he knows how to do it right. The title refers to a legend told to May by local man Rennie (David Strathairn). The legend is likely to blow your mind. With zydeco music to keep things going, this is definitely a movie that I recommend. Also starring Vondie Curtis-Hall and Angela Bassett.

May-Alice Culhane was a successful soap opera star, but a car accident has left her bound to a wheelchair. She returns to her now-empty family home in the bayous of Louisiana which she had eagerly left years before. She drinks heavily and vents her bitterness on the succession of nurses who are hired to take care of her and immediately quit because she is so unbearable.

I write "more than a chick flick" because that's what you might assume from a film about two women bonding. But that just is not a fair summary, because this is really about character. The plot is thin, but the characters are deep. Even the secondary characters, like Sugar and "Bad News", are interesting. Oh, and the anal probe joke is priceless.

If there was one big negative, though, it tends to run a bit long at well over two hours. If you don't mind a slow burn, you probably won't mind, because it's an interesting two hours. But for those who like their movies to be 90 minutes and not a second more, this will try your patience.