Eye of God

views updated

Eye of God ★★★ 1997 (R)

Darkly dramatic story of lonely small-town waitress Ainsley (Plimpton), who marries newly released, born-again ex-con Jack (Anderson) with whom she has been corresponding. Movie kicks off when veteran sheriff (Holbrook) questions a shaken up youth, Tommy (Stahl), who is mysteriously covered in blood but rendered mute by his experience. First-time director Nelson's spare narrative seeks to explore deep issues like faith and violence in the Bible Belt locale. Performances are universally powerful, especially Plimpton's lovable dim-bulb and Anderson's maniacal Jack, giving credence to the clever but sometimes overly flashy cinematic style. 88m/C VHS, DVD . Martha Plimpton, Kevin Anderson, Hal Holbrook, Nick Stahl, Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale, Maggie Moore, Mary Kay Place; D: Tim Blake Nelson; W: Tim Blake Nelson; C: Russell Fine; M: David Van Tiegham.