A heartfelt road movie

Paper Moon  by Peter Bogdanovich     ★★★★★

Based on the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown, this 1973 masterpiece by Peter Bogdanovich follows the tragicomic adventures of a nine-year-old girl, named Addie (Tatum O'Neal in her screen debut), whose unmarried (liscencious?) mother has just died. At the funeral, a certain Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal) shows up: a selfish con man who might be Addie's father.

Tatum and Ryan O'Neal
as Addie and Moses.

Reluctantly, Moses agrees to take Addie to her aunt in Missouri. On the road, Moses turns the girl into his partner in crime. Their lucrative scams include short changing cashiers and selling deluxe Bibles to mourning widows who's husbands just died. Initially, Moses and Addie seem to hate each other. But they might have more in common than they think. As it turns out, the stubborn and wisecracking Addie (watch how she owns Moses during their hilarious standoff in a diner) is at least as cunning as Moses when it comes to survival instinct...

Delightfuly authentic

Paper Moon is probably the best road movie ever. The film is set in the American Midwest during the harsh years of the Great Depression. Filmed in Kansas and Missouri, in quiet little towns and in the countryside, the scenic locations, puffing old cars, vintage clothing and old-time tunes on the soundtrack contribute to a feeling of authenticity. The film's title refers to the delightful song It's Only a Paper Moon from 1933 in the version of Paul Whiteman, sung by Peggy Healy. The entire soundtrack is a charming, melancholic trip through memory lane. (click here to listen to it) Thus, the viewer is immersed in the era of the Great Depression, all the more because the film was shot in black and white. A choice that payed off, considering the  beautifil cinematography by the Hungarian director of photography László Kovács. On the advice of Orson Welles (who was Bogdanovich's mentor), Kovács used a deep-focus lens.

Between laughter and tears

Madeline Kahn as Miss Trixie Delight.

The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Alvin Sargent focuses primarily on the relationship between Addie and Moses. But, along the way, we also meet some other colorful characters, such as the 'exotic dancer' Miss Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn) and her 15-year-old black maid Imogene (P.J. Johnson). Together, this band of misfits is involved in funny situations and witty dialogues that constantly switch between comedy and drama. Director Peter Bogdanovich found a perfect balance between lighthearted humor and sharp social criticism of the tragedy that was the Great Depression. Through the eyes of Addie, we experience how it must have been during these tough times. Not in the least thanks to the brilliant performances of the cast.

Tatum O'Neal an P.J. Johnson.

Spontaneous

Ryan O'Neal plays his heart out as the cynical con artist Moses, whose tacky opportunism conceales more empathy than his callous attitude suggests. Madeline Kahn is perfectly cast as the cheerful, but essentially lonely Miss Trixie. And thanks to the bone-dry humor of P.J. Johnson, the unfortunate Imogene, who is wise beyond her years, is also an unforgettable character. But it is Tatum O'Neal who steals the show as the cute, boyish and cigarette smoking (!) Addie. Although this was her screen debut, O'Neal's naturalistic rendition of Addie finds its way straight to the heart of the viewer, allowing us from the outset to sympathize with the little girl and hope that all ends well with her. 

Tatum is the daughter of Ryan O'Neal. Undoubtedly, this contributed to their spontaneous on screen interaction. It earned the fledgling actress a well-deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, beating Kahn, who was also nominated for her supporting role in Paper Moon. Why Tatum didn't win an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, is a mystery to us. But she still is the youngest Oscar winner ever.

Love / hate

Despite the fact that Tatum O'Neil was a very gifted actress, she has never been able to fully capitalize on her talent after the release of Paper Moon. By then, her parents were already divorced. Her father remarried twice (with the actresses Joanna Moore and Leigh Taylor-Young) and went on to have a long-term relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett. Not unlike Addie, Tatum felt neglected. In her teens she got addicted to drugs, and the relationship with her fater went downhill. In 1986 she married tennis icon John McEnroe, but six years later they broke up and she lost custody of their three children. Ryan O'Neal is 74 by now and can look back on a successful movie career. Tatum is 51 and still looks quite young for her age. But because of her drug-fueled past, she has never been able to fully realize her potential as an actress. Although the O'Neals never stopped loving each other, at least according to their own statements in the media, they still quarrel a lot. Their love-hate relationship seems to be a fateful reflection of the volatile relationship between Addie and Moses...

Happy ending?

Paper Moon ends with a beautiful wide shot of two tiny figures on a deserted country road. It's one of the finest closing shots in movie history. In the same way as Charlie Chaplin's famous tramp walks off towards the horizon after one of his adventures, Paper Moon also ends with the bittersweet promise that the adventures of Addie and Moses have only just begun. I miss them. And often I wonder what happened to them. Let's hope they wound up in a better place than the O'Neals. They deserve a happy ending...

JN.

It's Only a Paper Moon

Say, it's only a paper moon

Sailing over a cardboard sea

But it wouldn't be make-believe

If you believed in me

Yes, it's only a canvas sky

Hanging over a cotton tree

But it wouldn't be make-believe

If you believed in me

Without your love

It's a honky tonk parade

Without your love

It's a melody played

In a penny arcade

It's a Barnum and Bailey world

Just as hollow as it can be

But it wouldn't be make-believe

If you believed in me

Paper Moon - USA - 1973. 

Cast: Tatum O'Neal, Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn and P.J. Johnson.

Genre: road movie / comedy / crime / drama