The Rain People

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Rain People follows Shirley Knight’s Natalie as she leaves her husband and eventually finds herself drawn to two very different men (James Caan’s Jimmy and Robert Duvall’s Gordon). There’s ultimately little doubt that The Rain People fares best within its low-key and somewhat irresistible opening stretch, as Coppola, armed with his own screenplay, does a terrific job of portraying the central character’s suburban ennui and her eventual decision to hit the open road – with the effectiveness of this stretch certainly heightened by Knight’s committed, compelling performance. (An early scene, shot in a single, unbroken take, depicting Natalie’s emotional phone call with her husband is nothing short of breathtaking, to be sure.) It’s clear, then, that The Rain People‘s overall impact is significantly diminished by a meandering, episodic midsection, which, when coupled with a decidedly anticlimactic third act, does secure the picture’s place as a decent-enough drama that feels like it could (and should) be better.

**1/2 out of ****