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Cookie’s Fortune

Rating

Director

Robert Altman

Screenplay

Anne Rapp

Length

1h 58m

Starring

Glenn Close, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler, Chris O’Donnell, Charles S. Dutton, Patricia Neal, Ned Beatty, Courtney B. Vance, Donald Moffat, Lyle Lovett

MPAA Rating

PG-13

Review

Oscar ® nominees Glenn Close, Julianne Moore and Ned Beatty join Oscar ® winner Patricia Neal in Robert Altman’s latest ensemble piece, “Cookie’s Fortune.”

Jewel Mae “Cookie” Orcutt (Neal) is an aging woman who spends most of her days tending to her gardens and talking to her handy man, Willis (Dutton). Every day, he comes by and cleans her guns and trade barbs. They keep tally with Cookie always ahead.

One day, Cookie decides she has nothing left in life and wants to join her husband in the great beyond. She shoots herself in her bed and doesn’t think twice. Not long after, her niece Camille (Close) comes over to return a crystal bowl. She finds Cookie’s body and panics because she thinks that if anyone should find out, she would be forever shamed that Cookie committed such a grievous sin of taking her own life.

Camille is a very religious person, if you hadn’t guessed, and goes to quite a bit of trouble to cover up the truth. Her dim-witted sister, Cora (Moore), comes up while she’s working and Camille makes her swear to never tell what really happened.

When Willis arrives home and finds her body, the real trouble begins. He grieves her passing, but when the police decide that Willis is the one who must have done it (his fingerprints are on the gun and on a window leading into the kitchen). An outsider comes in to investigate and gets the brush off by most of the townsfolk, simply because he doesn’t know Willis at all and no one believes that he could have done it.

As with most Altman films, the cast of characters is extensive. There’s Cora’s daughter, Emma (Liv Tyler), the simple-minded, yet lovable sheriff Lester (Ned Beatty) and the sheriff’s handsome, yet naïve deputy Jason (Chris O’Donnell).

Emma delivers fish for a living, but after Willis’ arrest, spends most of her time sitting with him in his prison cell which Lester leaves open for the most part and falls in love with deputy Jason. If that weren’t enough for you, there’s Emma’s boss, Manny (Lyle Lovett) who secretly longs after Emma.

When Camille decides to break into Cookie’s house because she thinks it will be left to her when all is said and done, there are arguments left and right about her not being in the house, but she stays there anyway. All the while, she’s planning the Easter play at her church.

Altman has a way of making every character a lead, yet supporting at the same time. He brings out the best in the entire cast, even the usually annoying O’Donnell and Tyler. Neal is wonderful, as are Close and Moore. Dutton is quiet and understated while Beatty is over-the-top and trusting. All of them work together to form one of the best ensembles this year.

As for the story, it works. There is rarely a moment when anything falls out of place. The plot weaves simply through the story and while the end is somewhat surprising, it remains faithful to the simplicity of the film.

“Cookie’s Fortune” is an enjoyable movie-going experience that will leave most adult audiences feeling quite entertained. It’s funny and sad at the right moments with great performances, Altman’s specialty.

Awards Prospects

In a weaker year (which this is starting out as), this film would probably score nods for Screenplay and Actress for Glenn Close and Supporting Actress for Julianne Moore.

Review Written

August 27, 1999