Tagline: Hard times and Good times. Francis and Helen.
Genre: Drama
Director: Héctor Babenco
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Fred Gwynne, Margaret Whitton, Tom Waits, Jake Dengel, Nathan Lane, James Gammon, Laura Esterman, Will Zahrn, Joe Grifasi, Hy Anzell, Bethel Leslie, Richard Hamilton, Black-Eyed Susan, Louise Phillips, Marjorie Slocum, Lena Spencer, Lola Pashalinski, Paul A. DiCocco Jr., Priscilla Smith, James Dukas, Jared Swartout, Ted Levine, Martin Patterson, Terry O'Reilly, Michael O'Gorman, Frank Whaley, Jordan Valdina, Louis St. Louis, John Wright, Robin Wood-Chappelle, Nicole Weden, Peter Pryor, Duane Scholz, Matt McGrath, Lois Barden Stilley, Cori Irwin, Pamela Payton-Wright, Boris McGiver, Phyllis Gottung, James Yoham, Ean Egas, Nebraska Brace, Jeff Morris, William Duell, George Rafferty, Robert Manion, Pat Devane
Release: 1987-12-18
Runtime: 143
Plot: Albany, New York, Halloween, 1938. Francis Phelan and Helen Archer are bums, back in their birth city. She was a singer on the radio, he a major league pitcher. Death surrounds them: she's sick, a pal has cancer, he digs graves at the cemetery and visits the grave of his infant son whom he dropped; visions of his past haunt him, including ghosts of two men he killed. That night, out drinking, Helen tries to sing at a bar. Next day, Fran visits his wife and children and meets a grandson. He could stay, but decides it's not for him. Helen gets their things out of storage and finds a hotel. Amidst their mistakes and dereliction, the film explores their code of fairness and loyalty.