The Trip to Boutiful

Geraldine Page was nominated for an Oscar 8 times, and won with this, her last shot, and died shortly afterwards. The script was adapted by Horton Foote, from his own play. You may know him as one of the finest writers in Hollywood, who got his start on the stage and on TV. He won Oscars for To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies. So I hoped to like this a lot. And I did like it … but not a lot. There are some great scenes, and the writing is great, but it’s a little slow for my tastes. Did you ever sit next to a dotty old woman on a long bus trip? Well, I haven’t either, but it’s my idea of hell. Sure, she’s a nice dotty old lady, and you feel for her with her nightmare daughter-in-law … but it’s still a long bus ride.