Grand Canyon (1991)

With a cast including Kevin Kline, Mary McDonnell, Steve Martin, Alfre Woodard, and Danny Glover, my interest was piqued regarding this film. Set in Los Angeles, the film follows a somewhat interconnected cast of characters living and working in a city that is apparently under siege. There are almost car jackings, abandoned babies, and characters getting shot over a wristwatch. In between all the violence is heavy-handed dialogue philosophizing about all these experiences. The connection between the characters is so tenuous that I wasn’t even sure why Alfre and her friend Mary-Louise Parker were even in the movie until over halfway through. The one bright spot was the relationship developing between Woodard and Glover. There was a natural, sweetness as the two got to know each other.

Oscar Nominee: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen