The Grass Harp

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The Grass Harp ★★½ 1995 (PG)

Rather dull retelling (with an excellent cast) of the Truman Capote novella covering the eccentricities of small town Southern life in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Teenaged Collin Fenwick (Furlong) is sent to live with his maiden aunts, artistic, impractical Dolly (Laurie) and shrewd, hard businesswoman Verena (Spacek). Charlie Cool's (Matthau) the retired judge who's sweet on Dolly, Morris Ritz (Lemmon) is a shady Chicago entrepreneur with plans for Verena's money, and there are various opinionated townspeople with stories to tell as well. Screen nostalgia directed by Matthau's son Charles. 107m/C VHS, DVD . Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Edward Furlong, Walter Matthau, Nell Carter, Jack Lemmon, Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Joe Don Baker, Charles Durning, Sean Patrick Flanery, Mia Kirshner; D: Charles Matthau; W: Stirling Silliphant; C: John A. Alonzo; M: Patrick Williams.

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