The Ballad of the Sad Café is a 1991 Southern Gothic drama film directed by Simon Callow in his directorial debut, and starring Vanessa Redgrave, Keith Carradine, and Rod Steiger. Its plot follows Amelia, a moonshiner in rural 1930s Georgia whose lonely life is interrupted by the arrival of two men: First, her long-lost cousin, and later, her former husband recently released from prison.
A co-production between the United States and Canada, the film's screenplay was written by Michael Hirst, adapted from the Edward Albee play, which in turn was based on a novella in a collection of short stories of the same title by American writer Carson McCullers. The film was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival.
Plot
In 1930s Georgia, Miss Amelia is a lonely, eccentric moonshiner who dominates her small farming community, selling moonshine to locals and acting as the town's makeshift doctor. While she is liked by some, others find her brusque nature unbecoming. Late one night, a hunchbacked dwarf named Lymon arrives at Amelia's mercantile, claiming to be her long-lost cousin. Amelia is skeptical of Lymon's claim, but comes to believe him when he presents a tattered photograph of them together as children. Amelia invites Lymon to stay with her indefinitely. Locals in town swiftly begin rumors that Amelia has boarded the stranger and subsequently murdered him. The charismatic Lymon invites the locals into Amelia's mercantile and entertains them, assuaging their fears.
Amelia welcomes Lymon's company, and quickly grows fond of him. Lymon convinces Amelia to turn her business operation into a café for the locals, ingratiating both him and Amelia into the community. One night, Lymon interrupts a Ku Klux Klan meeting and is threatened by the members. Later, Amelia is unnerved by the news that her ex-husband Marvin Macy has been released from the state penitentiary and is returning to town, but she does not elucidate the details of his wrongdoings to Lymon.
Marvin arrives in town and meets with the Reverend Willin for advice before going at Amelia's café and asking to remarry her. Amelia defiantly accepts the marriage as well as Marvin's numerous advances to win her over, including his bestowing her his plot of land, but remains staunchly emotionally uninvested in him and throws him out of her home. Marvin angrily breaks into Amelia's café one night armed with a shotgun, and the two get into an argument. Amelia grabs the gun, throwing it and causing it to discharge on the floor.
Meanwhile, Lymon grows fascinated by Marvin and emulates him, while Marvin and Amelia continue to quibble with one another. Marvin is insouciant and demeaning to Lymon, though their interactions with one another breed jealousy in Amelia. Amelia attempts to poison Marvin by serving him poisoned grits in her café, but Marvin refuses to eat the food. The rest of the patrons look on as Amelia accidentally eats a portion of the poisoned food herself, making herself ill.
With the townspeople having grown weary of Amelia and Marvin's ongoing feud, they stage a public fight between the two in the café. Amelia and Marvin violently punch one another repeatedly as the townspeople observe the spectacle in varying states of awe and horror. The lengthy fight ends in Marvin defeating Amelia, leaving both bloodied and battered, and Amelia exits the café, sobbing. That night, Marvin returns to the café and vandalizes it, with Lymon joining in.
Cast
Production
Development
Actress Vanessa Redgrave championed screenwriter Michael Hirst's adaptation of the Edward Albee play (which itself was based on the novella by Carson McCullers), and her involvement in the project was integral to it receiving funding. Director Simon Callow found Albee's original play "too talkative" for the medium of film, and as a result, Hirst's screen adaptation features less dialogue.
Casting
Redgrave was cast in the role of Amelia from the production's outset. In preparing for the part, Redgrave made certain alterations to the character's appearance and manner:
Willem Dafoe was considered for the part of Marvin, but demanded a salary too high for the film's budget. Keith Carradine was cast in the role instead.