Flesh and Bone (1993) from Johnny Web (Uncle Scoopy; Greg Wroblewski) and Tuna

I have a great ambivalence about this film. I really enjoyed the characterizations and a lot of scenes in the movie, but the plot is just downright incredible.

James Caan (as a Texan!) plays an evil and particularly violent con artist and thief who, in a flashback to 25 years ago, slaughtered an entire family in a bungled burglary. Correct that - he slaughtered an entire family except the baby girl. But, gosh darn it, he always felt that he left a job undone, so a post-it note to "kill that baby" has been sitting in his in-basket for all these years. He even has a reminder to himself on a cute Snoopy refrigerator magnet, just to keep focused on the task. Being an evil cowboy isn't as stress-free as you might think. They have a lot on their minds, and it's easy to forget to do those routine yet insanely vengeful things that can mean so much.

Dennis Quaid plays Caan's son. He was along on that murderous night 25 years ago. Although he was only a tyke at the time, his father holds him responsible for the fact that the burglary did not go as planned. Quaid is essentially a modest and honest down-home man, but because of his childhood, he is distant and lonely. He runs a multi-town vending machine route, and has never really gotten close to a woman.

Now get this. After all those years, although he's now well into his thirties and has been with zillions of women he didn't much care for, he finally falls in love for the first time with a slutty, tough-talkin' Texas gal that he helped out of some trouble. Guess who she really is?

Yup, you scored a bulls-eye if you guessed that she's the survivor whose murder is on his pappy's "to do" list. Well, of course, he can't just let ol' Sonny Bob Corleone take down the love of his life. What to do?

OK, ignore that. Don't think of it as a plot-driven film, but as a character study.

Dennis Quaid is so-o-o-o underrated, one of those guys, like Jeff Bridges, who seems to deliver consistently, but inevitably loses the awards to the British accent crowd. Quaid may seem like a handsome rake and a lightweight pretty boy, but that's just an illusion that he can turn on and off. He has both talent and a good work ethic. His performance in this film, as a laconic Texan who keeps his counsel and his integrity, is perfect. Every note he plays is clear. His mannerisms, his inflections, the way he carries himself, the way he pauses. He has a certain Texas type down pat. Of course, I can't remember a movie when I didn't like him, and he is much more versatile than people think, but I thought he did especially well here.

His then-wife Meg Ryan also did a good job, although she was playing against type. Meg as Southern white trash? Isn't she the cutesy-pie suburban chick from New England? Yup, but I think she did fine. Or I should say "she done fine".

A young Gwyneth Paltrow is also in this film as pappy's sleazy girlfriend and partner in crime, and I thought she also brought a complex credibility to her role, although she didn't have much screen time to establish character.

The Texas dialogue in the film was also quite accurate, and it could even be amusing when the scene called for it, although the movie is a generally bleak noir with an especially depressing ending. 

Author Steve Kloves has an excellent track record. Although Flesh and Bone is good in many ways, it is his worst script. He has written the three Harry Potter scripts, plus The Fabulous Baker Boys, Wonder Boys, and Racing with the Moon.