Chattahoochee (1989)

• Year: 1989
• Released: 20 Apr 1990
• Country: United States
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099242/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chattahoochee
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English
• MPA Rating: R
• Genre: Biography, Drama
• Runtime: 98 min
• Writer: James Cresson
• Director: Mick Jackson
• Cast: Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Frances McDormand

	6.3/10
	13% – Critics
	52% – Audience

Chattahoochee Storyline

Emmet Foley, a decorated but troubled Korean War vet suffering from PTSS and impotence, has a breakdown and goes on a shooting spree in his neighborhood, subliminally hoping to commit “suicide by cop.” Failing that, he shoots himself in the chest but survives to be sentenced to a “maximum security” mental health facility in 1955 Florida. While recovering, he begins to feel a sense of rage over the mistreatment and open abuse of his fellow inmates, whose needs are ignored in an atmosphere of neglect and filth. With the help of another inmate and his faithful sister, he begins a campaign against the entrenched bureaucracy to improve conditions for his fellow patients.

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Chattahoochee Movie Reviews

It Wasn’t As Powerful As I Thought It Would Be

In 1955, Korean War veteran Emmett Foley had a breakdown and shot up his neighbourhood, apparently in the hopes that the police would kill him and his wife would get insurance money. Instead, the police captured him and he ended up being committed to a mental institution with deplorable conditions where the inmates were routinely mistreated. I realize that this is supposedly based on a true story (I always wonder how accurate a movie is when it’s “based” on a true story. How many liberties are taken in the telling?) and yet, this somehow seemed stale to me. It was predictable; it lacked power. Mental institutions of that day were horrible places. 1948’s “The Snake Pit” (although set a bit earlier) packs a better punch than this, quite frankly, if you want an account of what conditions were like – even though it wasn’t “based on a true story.”

Gary Oldman’s performance as Emmett was a good one. He was clearly the highlight of the movie. There are a lot of other familiar faces in this, but it’s Oldman’s movie. I appreciated his take on Emmett – who was really quite clear-headed in most respects. Once he’s incarcerated, Emmett becomes an advocate for the prisoners being abused, writing letters to their families to tell them what’s happening, and, with the help of his sister (played by Pamela Reed) getting state officials involved in the case. That’s where the movie really let me down. It just fizzled out. The Governor learns about the situation and establishes a committee that Emmett testifies in front of – and then it’s over. Just the captions telling us about some reforms that were made to the system. Surely it wasn’t that easy? One piece of testimony in front of a committee and the problem is solved? It was just too easy. I was left thinking that there should have been more – not wanting more in a positive sense, but thinking that there should have been more as in “that’s it?” Oldman gets points for a good performance. The movie itself disappoints.

some good acting work

It’s 1955 Florida. Disturbed Korean war hero Emmett Foley (Gary Oldman) has a mental breakdown and starts shooting randomly. It’s a case of suicide by police but they keep missing. It’s more life insurance money for a non-suicide. He shoots himself but fails to die. Mae (Frances McDormand) is his wife. Earlene (Pamela Reed) is his sister. He is locked up in a mental hospital in Chattahoochee. It’s a crowded inhumane place full of abuse and disturbed people. Walker Benson (Dennis Hopper), Morris (M. Emmet Walsh), and Lonny (Matt Craven) are some of his more sane fellow prisoners.

This is based on a real person suffering under the real system. I have never heard of this movie before this. There is some good acting going on here starting with Gary Oldman. The plot does need some beefing up. Mostly, it needs to give more time with Pamela Reed to emphasize the drive to get him released. It would drive the plot a lot better. Emmett is basically an object being kicked around and around. That can feel repetitive. All in all, I love the actors and their work in this despite the limited plot.

The Flaws Fight With The Performances

It’s 1955. Korean War veteran Gary Oldman has a violent breakdown and is incarcerated in a mental health prison.

It’s a compelling movie, and it’s powered by some fine performances, including Oldman, Pamela Reed as his sister, Frances MacDormand is his wife, Dennis Hopper as a fellow patient, and Ned Beatty as the head of the institution. For those of you used to seeing Beatty in comic or bizarre roles, this movie may be a revelation. He’s smart, smug, and utterly despicable.

Were those the totality of the movie, it would be a fine one. However, the film makers have made an error common to this sort of crusading movie. They have stretched it out too long, letting the dull oppression of Oldman’s long captivity seep into the audience, relieved only occasionally by something actually happening, like Miss Reed storming into the place. The intent of this pace is doubtless to let the audience understand the situation from the inmates’ perspective. I found that it just makes the movie long and dull, and the ending abrupt. It’s a common mistake, confusing sheer size for importance, and sloth for thoughtfulness. The result is a movie worth watching, but badly in need of a lot of trimming.