Square Dance *** (1987, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Winona Ryder, Rob Lowe) – Classic Movie Review 12,090

Director Daniel Petrie’s 1987 bittersweet American coming-of-age drama film Square Dance [Home Is Where the Heart Is] is based on the novel by Alan Hines, and stars Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Winona Ryder and Rob Lowe.

Winona Ryder plays a Texan teen, 13-year-old country girl Gemma Dillard, who leaves her grumpy grandpappy (Jason Robards) to visit her irresponsible hair stylist mom (Jane Alexander), in this well-played, sympathetic family tale highlighting a girl’s rites of passage.

Alexander is the show’s hit, but everybody is good, including Rob Lowe cast against type as 21-year-old Rory Torrance, a disturbed violinist Ryder falls for, and especially Robards as granddad.

It is co-produced by star Alexander, director Petrie and former Monkees pop group member Michael Nesmith.

It was shown at Sundance on 16 January 1987 and released on 20 February 1987 in the US. It was a box office bomb, costing $4 million and earning only $225,358.

The film was shown on NBC on 17 April 1988 as Home Is Where the Heart Is.

It was released on 20 February 1987 by Island Pictures and earned Lowe his only Golden Globe Award nomination for a film role: he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture.

Robert Hepler Lowe was born on 17 March 1964. He came to fame as a teen idol and Brat Pack member in The Outsiders (1983), Class (1983), The Hotel New Hampshire (1984), Oxford Blues (1984), St Elmo’s Fire (1985), About Last Night… (1986), and Square Dance (1987).

Robert Michael Nesmith (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021).  He was also an executive producer of Repo Man (1984).

The cast are Winona Ryder as Gemma Dillard, Jason Robards as Grandpa Dillard, Jane Alexander as Juanelle King, Rob Lowe as Rory, Guich Koock as Frank, Deborah Richter as Gwen, Elbert Lewis, Charlotte Stanton, J David Moeller, Irma P Hall, Dixie Taylor, Barbara Britt, Brad Leland, Dee Pyland, Gwen Little, Jim Bynum, Linda Nye, Newt Davis, Harlan Jordan, and Dennis Letts.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,090

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