The Whole Wide World Movie Review
Renee Zellweger and Ann Wedgeworth last worked together in Love and a.45, not exactly my favorite movie of 1994. This time, they have a better vehicle for their talents, and the Oscar-worthy Vincent D'Onofrio, one of the outstanding character stars of his generation, gets a rare chance to be front and center for the length of a movie. Fans of Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Solomon Kane, King Kull, and Black Turlough aren't going to rush out to rent The Whole Wide World simply because it describes a little-known incident in the life of their creator, pulp fiction writer Robert E. Howard. But The Whole Wide World will appeal to audiences looking for a thoughtful study of quiet passion, tentatively offered and desperately received. As usual there is a major obstacle: Howard is deeply dependent on his frail mother who, in turn, is frighteningly dependent on him. Their arrangement has worked out just fine for a long time and, as Wedge-worth makes threateningly clear to Zellweger's Novalyne Price, she will brook no interference from outsiders. But the force of Price's feelings for Howard has given her great reserves of courage. She fights for her happiness, and his, all the while knowing it's an uphill battle. Although Howard, who had lived in his own interior world most of his life, wants to love Price, he can only open his heart to her so far. The Whole Wide World will give you a lump in your throat the next time you open your beat-up collector's edition of Weird Tales. Based on the book One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price Ellis.
1996 (PG) 120m/C Renee Zellweger, Vincent D'Onofrio, Ann Wedgeworth, Harve Presnell, Helen Cates, Benjamin Mouton, Michael Corbett, Marion Eaten, Leslie Berger, Chris Shearer, Sandy Walper, Dell Aldrich, Libby Villari, Antonia Bogdanovich, Elizabeth D'Onofrio, Stephen Marshall; D: Dan Ireland; W: Michael Scott Myers, Novalyne Price Ellis; C: Claudio Rocha; M: Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams. Nominations: Independent Spirit Awards ‘97: Best Actress (Zellweger). VHS, LV, Closed Caption