Boxing Helena
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| Boxing Helena | |
|---|---|
 original movie poster |
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| Directed by | Jennifer Lynch |
| Produced by | Philippe Caland |
| Written by | Philippe Caland (story) Jennifer Lynch |
| Starring | Sherilyn Fenn Julian Sands Bill Paxton Kurtwood Smith Art Garfunkel |
| Music by | Graeme Revell |
| Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli Frank Byers |
| Editing by | David Finfer |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures |
| Release date(s) |  June 18, 1993 August 11, 1993 September 3, 1993 October 21, 1993 April 15, 1994 |
| Running time | 107 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Boxing Helena is the 1993 debut feature film by Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lynch. The film stars Sherilyn Fenn as the titular Helena and Julian Sands.
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[edit] Tagline
"A deep, dark obsession that bares a woman's body and a man's soul."
[edit] Plot
Nick Cavanaugh (Sands) is a lonely Atlanta surgeon obsessed with Helena (Fenn). After she is injured in a grievous hit-and-run motor vehicle accident in front of his home, he kidnaps and treats her in his house surreptitiously, medically amputating both of her legs. Later, he amputates her healthy arms as well.
Though Helena is the victim of Nick's kidnapping and mutilation, she dominates the dialogue with her constant emasculating ridicule of him for all of his shortcomings.
After some time living together she becomes lonely and returns his affection.
The film finishes with Nick waking up, and realising the whole events of the film were a dream, drawing some criticism about its cliched deus ex machina ending.
[edit] Cast
- Sherilyn Fenn as Helena
- Julian Sands as Doctor Nick Cavanaugh
- Bill Paxton as Ray O'Malley
- Kurtwood Smith as Doctor Alan Palmer
- Art Garfunkel as Doctor Lawrence Augustine
- Betsy Clark as Anne Garrett
- Nicolette Scorsese as Fantasy Lover/Nurse
- Meg Register as Marion Cavanaugh
- Bryan Smith as Russell
- Marla Levine as Patricia
- Kim Lentz as Nurse Diane
- Lloyd T. Williams as Sam the Clerk
[edit] Critical reaction
The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. However, the media critically mauled it on its release. Helena is also remembered for the legal battle that ensued when first Madonna, then Kim Basinger backed out of the title role—Basinger was eventually slapped with a jury verdict for over eight million dollars.[1] [2] This caused Basinger to enter bankruptcy, although the verdict was set aside on appeal in 1994.[3]
[edit] Music
The movie appeared using different versions of the music score. Especially known is the music during the scene where Helena showers in a fountain, while a party crowd watches. The original movie-release has Graeme Revell's music in the foreground, based on the "Love Theme" used sparsely elsewhere in the movie, with vocals by Bobbi Page. It's the only appearance of this Revell composition in its entire form. When the film was released on DVD, this part of the soundtrack was replaced by "Fountain Song" performed by Wendy Levy. The reason for this change is unknown to the public.
[edit] Miscellanea
- Fenn had previously worked with Lynch's father, David Lynch, in a small role in Wild at Heart (1990) and cult-status TV series Twin Peaks (1990-91) as femme fatale Audrey Horne.
- Much of the film was filmed in the Atlanta mansion of famed defense attorney Ed Garland.
- The Misfits song "Helena" chronicles this story, and opens with the lyric "If I cut off your arms and cut off your legs, would you still love me anyway?" continuing in the same vein.[4]
