Carrie Watts (Oscar winning Geraldine Page) has been cooped up in a 2 room Houston apartment with her meek son and her outspoken daughter-in-law for twenty years. Getting on in her years, and equipped with a bad heart, her only wish is to see her home on the southern coast of Texas (Bountiful) before she dies. She has often attempted to go there, but always seems to get caught before she can even get on the bus. But one glorious day, she does manage to escape the confines of the apartment and her critical daughter-in-law, and thus, her adventure does begin. Mrs. Watts encounters a delightful young lady (Rebecca de Mornay)and relates her life story, sings hymns to her heart's content, and finally, through sheer will and perseverance, does make it to Bountiful, where she discovers that her one time home is now a timeworn shell. Here, she rediscovers her past, and all of the emotions she experiences and shares with us are to be treasured for generations to come. Geraldine Page is so masterful and in every frame of this monumental film, that we tend to forget that she is even acting. Her character could be our grandmother, our mother, and we come to love this eccentric character as though she were family. One of the most charming movies ever made!
Review of The Trip to Bountiful
