The Grass Harp (1995)

Based on one of Truman Capote’s semi-autobiographical works, this follows the coming of age experiences of Edward Furlong after he is sent to live with two maiden cousins, Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, following the deaths of his parents. Along for the ride are a whole bevy of eccentric townsfolk including Walter Matthau, Nell Carter, and Roddy McDowall. Not being a huge fan of Capote’s work, I wasn’t enthralled with the film as a whole, though it is somewhat sold on its incredible cast, barring Furlong’s stilted performance. The shoehorning in of Mary Steenburgen as a sexy, travel evangelist with fifteen children is weird as many of her scenes don’t even involve the main characters and isn’t necessary to further the narrative.