US (1980): Drama/Fantasy
In this film, written by Lewis John Carlino and directed by Daniel Petrie, Ellen Burstyn plays the wife of a man (Jeffrey DeMunn) who is killed in an auto crash. Burstyn herself survives, but not before enduring an "out of body" experience. Crippled in the accident, Burstyn heads to her home town in Kansas to recuperate. Here she discovers that she has the power to heal people, presumably a by-product of her brief trip into the Beyond. She accepts her gift, but resists the notion that she has been blessed with Divine powers. On the other hand, itinerant preacher Sam Shepard believes that Burstyn is the embodiment of Jesus Christ. It is his method of proving his hypothesis that brings the film to its startling conclusion. Both Burstyn and Eva LeGallienne (as Burstyn's grandmother) were nominated for Academy Awards. (Universal) (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide)
2 nominations
· Actress 1980: Ellen Burstyn
· Supporting Actress 1980: Eva LeGallienne
