Geraldine Page is most definatly one of the best actress in American film history. I this film, made just two years before she died, she plays Carrie Watts, a sixty year old living in a two room apartment with her son and daughter in law. For the past five year, Carrie has wanted only one thing, to go back to her hometown before she dies. Unfortunatly, her son and daughter-in-law think its a bad idea. Finding the right moment to escape, Carrie Watts runs away and begins The Trip To Bountiful.

A simple plot yes. But the acting is top notch. It's also kind of sad. Not just becuase of its bittersweet plot, but because of the timing. This film was first screened in early 1985 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it recieved great reviews. Released theatrically in the fall of 1985, it did well for an independant film and in March 1986, Page recieved her first Oscar on her 8th nomination, which was accompined by a standing ovation. Hollywood insiders said that Page's carrer would flourish again, and an adaptation of "The Glass Managerie" went into development, with Page to co-star with Paul Newman and Meryl Streep. 15 months after the Oscars, Page was dead, A heart attack claimed her life. She won an Oscar for her last leading role.

Film performances do not get much better than this one.

An aging woman, who uncomfortably shares the Houston home of her son and daughter in law, yearns to make one last trip to her childhood home in the fast-disappearing town of Bountiful. The gentle tale of the woman's wily escape from her family is told in a simple straightforward style that does nothing to detract from the glory of Geraldine Page's career-topping performance as Carrie Watts.

There are no histrionic scenes in the film of the type that generally capture Oscar attention. Page's performance, however, has such depth and heartfelt, yet subtle, emotion, that the viewer is immersed in her quest to return home, and only the hardest stoic will be dry eyed when she sits on the porch of her parents' derelict house and says that she almost expected her father and mother to greet her at the door. Obviously Oscar voters in 1985 left tear stains on their ballots.

Carrie's journey from Houston to Bountiful is filled with memories as she relates pieces of her past to a young woman en route, to the night clerk at a bus station, and to a local sheriff. The people she meets share more of her past than her dull son or shrewish daughter in law. Although the supporting cast, which includes John Heard, Rebecca De Mornay, and Richard Bradford, is fine, each member underplays his or her part in such a way that they enhance and do not detract from Geraldine Page's work. Carlin Glynn's selfish daughter in law is the only character that tries to compete with Page.

When Carrie hears that the last friend she had in Bountiful has died, one can feel the empty hollowness and loneliness that such loss brings through Page's eyes and body language. Hers is a performance that commands attention from the first scene without flamboyance or mannerisms. She captures and holds the viewer with her soul and her deep understanding of the character and the character's need and yearning to return to the last place where she was loved. "The Trip to Bountiful" is haunting, heartbreaking, and yet ultimately uplifting.

Back in the 1950s, "The Trip to Bountiful" was a very successful stage play. I mention this because the film is a bit slower than many movies and it's easy to imagine it being performed live...much of it because the film has quite a few monologues. This is NOT a complaint....and I really enjoyed the picture...even if it's a bit of a downer at times.

When the film begins, Mrs. Watts (Geraldine Page) is living with her adult son (John Heard) and his god-awful wife, Jessie Mae (Carlin Glynn). Jessie Mae is a very controlling and nasty lady and she seems to go out of her way to make Mrs. Watts feel like she isn't wanted. Oddly, she also doesn't necessarily want her to leave, either! In fact, Jessie Mae just seems to like complaining and making everyone miserable. As for her husband, Ludie is a wimp who wants everyone to get along but allows his wife to make the household tense.

Within this atmosphere, Mrs. Watts has a strong desire to leave...not permanently, but to visit her old home town of Bountiful. While this seems like a reasonable thing, especially since Mrs. Watts is elderly and has a heart condition, Jessie Mae insists that she is not ALLOWED to make the trip...and that is that! Well, Mrs. Watts knows the only way to make this one last trip is to sneak off on her own...and she does.

What follows is a long and leisurely film where Mrs. Watts meets several nice folks...nice folks who take the time to listen to her prattle on and on. It's obvious that no one has been listening to her...and she is making up for lost time! So what happens? See the film.

The reason to see this film is the acting. Geraldine Page is delightful and I can see why she earned the Oscar for Best Actress. But I also thought that Carlin Glynn was also terrific. After all, I really, really wanted to throttle her...and she and the director did a great job in creating a strong emotional reaction in viewers. A nice character study and a film that might just make you shed a few tears...so have some Kleenex handy.