The Waterdance

This 1992 drama written by Neal Jimenez and codirected by him and Michael Steinberg (the two worked together on the underrated Bodies, Rest, and Motion) stars Eric Stoltz as a successful novelist who becomes paraplegic following a hiking accident. Jimenez, who personally lives with the same condition, gives us an insider's point-of-view on the first terrible days, weeks, and months of adjusting to paralysis, and its effect upon relationships, work, and sex. But the film is also about other kinds of unexpected turns in a life, in this case Stoltz's immersion in an instant community of fellow paraplegics, as well as his reevaluation of an affair with a married editor (Helen Hunt). Stoltz is in great company: besides Hunt's thoughtful, sensual presence, the cast includes Wesley Snipes as another patient, Elizabeth Peña as a sympathetic nurse, and William Forsythe (Palookaville, Raising Arizona) in an outstanding performance that encourages one to reconsider his often one-dimensional career. Despite the bleak subject, The Waterdance is an enormously entertaining and often funny movie that keeps a lid on pity and explores the rediscovery of life, self-respect, and honesty following a disaster. --Tom Keogh