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May 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 1988
Plank Road School |
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The action
takes place in the small Texas town of McCarthy in 1975. Inside of a
five-and-dime store, a reunion is planned for the members of a local
1950s James Dean fan club. An odd assortment of women arrive,
revealing hidden secrets, the action flashes back, showing the women as
young James Dean fans, and then jumps forward to present day to reveal
the ravages of time and lost innocence. Among the women returning for
the reunion is Mona, a disturbed woman who, in the '50s, got a job as an
extra on the Giant shoot and nine months later gave birth to a son, who
she claims is James Dean's child.#There is Sissy, a wisecracking
waitress – her first ‘serious’ film role, and also Joanne, who holds a
shocking secret that is revealed at the reunion. Besides the three main
players, a collection of supporting characters maneuver around the
periphery. They are Stella Mae, the wife of a rich petroleum executive;
Edna Louise, a shy, withdrawn woman with numerous children; Juanita, the
manager of the five-and-dime store; and Joe Qualley, a young man who
likes to dress up in women's clothing. |
