Affliction (1998)

the audience applauded

Better Late Then Never

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

In a small New Hampshire town Wade (Nick Nolte), a middle-aged man, is unable to gain much purchase on life. Twice divorced from the same woman he is unable to connect with his daughter, at those times that he has parental rights to see her. As the town cop he is hardly a notch above Barney Fife, drinking and smoking pot on the job and beholden to the town mayor. Most everything Wade tries to do turns sour. A central event in the movie is a hunting accident involving the death of a wealthy out-of-state union man who had been accompanied by a young local guide. Wade suspects that the death may have been a murder and his investigation stirs up conflicts with the local power structure. Wade had some theories about the shooting but he did not even conduct a thorough investigation of the crime scene, like the position of the body, the angle of the entry wound, the consistency of the story from the hunter's guide--things thatwould have gone a long way in solving some of the event's mysteries. Even more to the point, there was no search for the bullet that killed the hunter-- that would at least have proved whether the bullet came from the hunter's own gun, and thus have ruled out the theory of an independent shooter. When we meet Wade's father Glenn (James Coburn) we understand a lot about why Wade is the way he is. Glenn is a man who takes out his life's frustrations and failures by drinking and dominating those around him. Coburn gives a remarkable performance--he is physically and emotionally intimidating. My anxiety levels went up every time he was on the screen, and even when not on screen he cast a shadow over the proceedings. My reactions to him were probably similar to Wade's and I could feel what it might be like to live in the shadow of such a man. The score accentuated my anxiety levels. Actors are interesting--how could James Coburn get himself to play such a despicable character so convincingly? I do have to admire his acting here. Willem Defoe turns up as Wade's more stable brother Rolfe. Rolfe had the good sense to escape the toxic family environment of his youth. Unfortunately Wade did not have the spine to stand up to the withering force of his father's personality. Whenever Wade was around his father he reacted to him like he was dealing with a vicious feral animal.Pretty far from the end I had to think that things were not going to end well. The only spark in Wade's life was a relation with a local waitress (Sissy Spacek), but the humiliations Wade had suffered finally culminated in uncontrolled self-destructive behavior.There is an epilogue that wraps things up a bit, but I am not sure of the truth of the comment made there that Wade is an example of someone who broke the chain of abuse; I think his daughter was pretty scared of him. Growing up in such a household as Wade would indeed make future relationships difficult, particularly living in the same small town with such a father.

All along the movie. you know there is some mystery, something unexplained.. but you are still surprised at the end.. But that is only a part of the story.. the movie shows so truly some of the human emotions and sufferings, you feel it could be you in place of Wade.. Any of us could have done exactly what Wade did in his life.. any of us could be subject to the reactions Wade was subject to..from a wife, from a daughter, from a brother.. even from a lover.. emotions can run deeper , deeper and deeper.. The excellent photography of the forest, the snow, the snowfall is beautiful and bleak at the same time.. The movie once again shows that the anguish and angst of man can be same in a cool environs of a small town as it can be in a restless and explosive metropolis.. Nick Nolte is one those fine actors, who really gets into the skin of the character.. there are unforgettable scenes (like the tooth..ex..) Unfortunate that he did not win the Oscar.

I went to a video store and bought Affliction for $10. I bought it home and I watched it with my grandmother. My grandmother did not like it, nor did I that much. But there were some good elements The acting was tops. James Coburn completely deserved his Oscar, Nick Nolte also deserved the nomination. In fact, the whole cast was brilliant. But, they were all unlikeable characters. There was a well written screenplay, but what was the point of it? The world wasn't depressing enough? I did not like Affliction and I was surprised to see how many on this website did. So I file this title under "Not For Every Taste".Affliction: ** out of ****. Rated R for Extremely Depressing Subject Matter & Language.

With a cast headed by James Coburn, Nick Nolte, Willem Dafoe & Sissy Spacek, you might expect a tour-de-force in screen drama. Well; you'll be disappointed.This item was pulled from the bran-tub. Suspiciously, it came in one of those very thin plastic cases which usually betoken a crap movie, but for £1 it seemed worth a try. The case didn't deceive.Set in small town New Hampshire, USA, during the winter, we are treated to a dismal and rather confusing drama. Once more, the lighting crew appear to have gone on strike and even the interiors of buildings are places of unremitting gloom. The script may be 'realistic' but it is largely boring. Most of the dialogue is spoken in a hushed and hurried way that is frequently unintelligible. You strain to hear a clue that was never there, or a snippet of conversation that wasn't worth your attention. Nick Nolte's character has family problems. Yes; he's a dead-beat dad. Aren't they all? His own father (played by Coburn) was himself a violent man and - well; the abused eventually turns abuser.Partway through, a homicide bi-line appears in the form of a suspicious shooting. Is it an accident, or is it murder? It begins to look as though the movie will finally develop into something. 'A Perfect Plan' comes to mind, or even 'Fargo'. But not so. This issue just limps confusedly along with the dead-beat dad plot to no particular outcome whatsoever. It's also rather curious how many movies depict small-town America as cultural black-holes riven by disillusion, drink, and unhappiness. Can't humans ever be comfortable together? Just occasionally there are moments - all too brief - of tension, drama and tenderness, but for the very most part it's just a 109 minute dirge.The movie begins with a long-winded and convoluted intro narrated by Willem Dafoe (who plays Nolte's little brother) and ends in a similar way, but this time with a reproval of universal male domestic-violence that is as heavy-handed as it is plain wrong. It's a piece that might have been written by the most embittered, self-righteous feminist. And it absolutely stinks.The politically-correct with no discernment will love this crap. Those with a more balanced outlook will see it for what it is.