{"id":2907,"date":"2007-04-04T11:47:20","date_gmt":"2007-04-04T18:47:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2907"},"modified":"2021-01-26T17:27:26","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T00:27:26","slug":"true-stories-1986","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2907","title":{"rendered":"True Stories (1986)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;When I see a place for the first time, I notice everything.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Poster-197x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"197\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-23557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Poster-197x300.jpg 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Poster.jpg 496w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA visitor (David Byrne) to a small Texan town tells stories about its strange citizens &#8212; including a lonely bachelor (John Goodman), a compulsive liar (Jo Harvey Allen), and a woman who never gets out of bed (Swoosie Kurtz).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ensemble Cast<\/li>\n<li>Musicals<\/li>\n<li>Satires and Spoofs<\/li>\n<li>Small Town America<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis directorial debut by Scottish musician David Byrne has &#8220;eccentric&#8221; written all over it, in bold strokes. Unfortunately, it tries so hard to convey the zaniness of its &#8220;average&#8221; small town characters that it falls flat again and again. Byrne apparently based his ensemble tale on oddballs he read about in tabloid magazines &#8212; but their inherent quirkiness doesn&#8217;t necessarily lead to amusement, and we don&#8217;t spend nearly enough time with any of them to begin to care about their lives. The most interesting characters in the movie &#8212; John Goodman as a lonely bachelor, and Swoosie Kurtz as a woman who never gets out of bed &#8212; could have been the basis for a more interesting comedy, but this opportunity was lost. The soundtrack by the Talking Heads is what would ostensibly draw one to this film; however, for some reason, their songs are almost always sung by <em>actors<\/em> rather than the band itself. The most enjoyable musical number in the movie occurs when Kurtz is lying in bed watching television, and a Talking Heads music video comes on the screen &#8212; <em>this<\/em> is when we finally understand the zaniness underlying Byrne&#8217;s sensibility as a musician, and we immediately want to hear more. The one exception to this rule is when Goodman sings &#8220;People Like Us&#8221; during the town&#8217;s sesquicentennial celebration; he&#8217;s got a surprisingly fine voice, and is a joy to listen to. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>John Goodman as lonely Louis Fyne<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Louis.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Louis.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Louis.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Louis-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Louis-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Louis-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Swoosie Kurtz as Miss Rollings, &#8220;the laziest woman on Earth&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Kurtz.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Kurtz.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Kurtz.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Kurtz-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Kurtz-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Kurtz-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The Talking Heads performing &#8220;Love for Sale&#8221; as a music video<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Byrne.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Byrne.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Byrne.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Byrne-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Byrne-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Byrne-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Goodman singing &#8220;People Like Us&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Goodman.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Goodman.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-66203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Goodman.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Goodman-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Goodman-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/04\/True-Stories-Goodman-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, simply for its status as a cult favorite. However, I can&#8217;t <em>really <\/em>recommend this film for anyone other than Talking Heads fans. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cult Movie<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0092117\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1986\/10\/04\/movies\/david-byrne-in-true-stories.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/truestoriespgkempley_a0cae3.htm\">Washington Post Review (Rita Kempley)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/truestoriespgattanasio_a0ad6c.htm\">Washington Post Review (Paul Attanasio)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/true-stories-1986\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/79836.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;When I see a place for the first time, I notice everything.&#8221; Synopsis: A visitor (David Byrne) to a small Texan town tells stories about its strange citizens &#8212; including a lonely bachelor (John Goodman), a compulsive liar (Jo Harvey Allen), and a woman who never gets out of bed (Swoosie Kurtz). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Ensemble Cast Musicals Satires and Spoofs Small Town America Review: This directorial debut by Scottish musician David Byrne has &#8220;eccentric&#8221; written all over&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=2907\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2907"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66205,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2907\/revisions\/66205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}