Falling From Grace
Bud Parks, a country music star, returns home to his roots in rural Indiana bringing with him Alice, his beautiful California wife, and their young daughter Terri Jo. Although they are only there for a brief vacation and to celebrate Grandpa's 80th birthday, Bud has strong emotional attachments to the people and farm land and keeps postponing their departure. Part of that attachment is due to P.J., Bud's first love who married Bud's older brother after Bud left town to seek his fame and fortune. Alice has the well-founded suspicion that P.J. and Bud are having an affair. Bud also has some unresolved conflicts with his father Speck, a wealthy chicken farmer, who is also a large scale womanizer. When Speck finds Alice at home alone he makes a play for her and she fends him off with a frying pan. Alice begs Bud to leave, but when he refuses, she returns to California with Terri Jo and leaves Bud to resolve his feelings and relationships on his own.
- Starring: John Mellencamp and Mariel Hemmingway
- Director(s): John Mellencamp
- Producer(s): Columbia Pictures
- Screenwriter(s): Larry McMurtry
- Animal Coordinator: Unknown
- Release Date: Thursday, July 18, 1991
Featured Animal Action
Animal action is mostly atmospheric such as horses in a pasture or goldfish in an aquarium. The German Shepherd present in several scenes is the personal pet of the film star and director, John Mellencamp. A trainer taught the dog to growl at Speck after he makes a play for Alice. A scene where Bud meets with his half brother, Ramey, on Speck's poultry farm while Ramey is vaccinating chickens against disease, was filmed on an actual poultry farm. No actual vaccination is seen but only referred to in the dialogue while the actor picks up two chickens. Hundreds of chickens are seen in the background. Fish strung on a line after a character has returned from fishing were purchased from a commercial fishery and frozen until ready to film.