Olive Ann Burns wrote only one complete novel in her life, Cold Sassy Tree, published in 1984, but one was enough to make her beloved to readers everywhere. The novel became an instant hit and Faye Dunaway saw herself in the role of Love Simpson, a woman who comes to the town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, to work in the shop of Enoch Rucker Blakeslee, a man very much her senior who, nonetheless, wishes to marry Love after his wife passes on. Dunaway worked hard to bring the movie to the screen and surrounded herself with talented people who brought the same devotion to the project as she.
The story of Cold Sassy Tree is told through the eyes of young Will Tweedy (Neil Patrick Harris) as he reflects on growing up in Cold Sassy. After Enoch Rucker Blakeslee (Richard Widmark) loses his wife, he enters into an agreement with Love Simpson that he will marry her and she will become his housekeeper and in return he will deed his house and belongings to her when he dies. The townspeople realize the marriage is a sham but Rucker doesn't care and Love feels secure for the first time in her life. Will doesn't understand what the marriage is about but wonders if it could turn into a real marriage at some point. Eventually, Rucker and Love begin to fall in love but when Rucker wants the marriage to finally become real, Love refuses. She has a secret and believes that once that secret is revealed, Rucker will no longer love her.
Cold Sassy Tree brought together generations of actors, some on their way into show business and others on their way out. Richard Widmark, that legendary actor who electrified so many Hollywood classics over the years, was just three years away from retirement when he played Rucker Blakeslee and gave as good a performance as he'd ever given. Neil Patrick Harris, on the other hand, was just starting his career and showed how good he was by easily holding his own against the two towering talents of Dunaway and Widmark. The movie also saw some of the earliest work from Samantha Mathis as well as fine work from eighties and nineties staples Frances Fisher and Jay O. Sanders.
Cold Sassy Tree is the kind of gentle yet powerful story that works perfectly for television. Done today, it might be turned into a longer, eight episode series on cable but one has no complaints for how it was done originally. With fine unobtrusive direction from Joan Tewkesbury, who also adapted the teleplay, and an intimate, personal feel, Cold Sassy Tree might even qualify as the oft touted, rarely seen "kind of a movie they just don't make any more." Only they did make it and they even managed to include an entire song belted out by Faye Dunaway while boisterously playing the piano. That alone may be reason enough to give it a look but the story and the actors are the reason to stay.
Producers: Karen Danaher-Dorr, Faye Dunaway, Don Ohlmeyer, Barry Rosenbush Director: Joan Tewkesbury Writers: Joan Tewkesbury Original Music: Brad Fiedel Cinematography: Michael Watkins Film Editing: Robert Seppey Production Design: Peter Jamison Art Direction: Rick Frisch Costume Design: Jane Robinson Cast: Faye Dunaway (Love Simpson Blakeslee), Richard Widmark (Enoch Rucker Blakeslee), Frances Fisher (Loma Williams), Lee Garlington (Mary Willis), John M. Jackson (Hoyt), Jay O. Sanders (Clayton McAllister), Jo Harvey Allen (Effie Belle Tate), Ken Strong (Camp), Samantha Mathis (Lightfoot McClendon), Neil Patrick Harris (Will Tweedy)
By Greg Ferrara
