Rambling Rose

Sexcapades in the Deep South during the Depression

In 1935, a young woman with a dubious past (Laura Dern) moves in with a family in a small town in Georgia, but her extraordinary sexuality causes complications for the patriarch (Robert Duvall) and his precocious 13 years-old son (Lukas Haas). Dern’s mother, Diane Ladd, is on hand as the Columbia-educated matriarch.

“Rambling Rose” (1991) is an adult-oriented period drama with coming-of-age elements similar to the later “The Cider House Rules,” the contemporaneous “The Man in the Moon” and the earlier “Ode to Billy Joe,” not to mention "The Great Santini.” While it’s the least of these, it’s not far off and worth checking out for those interested, but some might be turned off by the risqué bits. Duvall is always entertaining while Haas is outstanding.

The book and script writer, Calder Willingham, wanted Tatum O’Neal to play the part of Rose. The role was reportedly also offered to Jodie Foster, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep, but they declined for obvious reasons. Laura does a fine job in the challenging role, but she wasn't the stunning beauty that the story required. For instance, when she's walking down the street and literally every guy's jaw drops. Why Sure! Don’t get me wrong, she could’ve better fit the role if she were 7-8 years younger, like in “Grizzly II: Revenge.”

The flick runs 1 hour, 52 minutes, and was shot in Ivanhoe, North Carolina, and EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, which is 30 miles southeast of Ivanhoe on the coast.

GRADE: B-