Chattahoochee (1989)
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17% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
51% of users liked it
(1,496 ratings)
Since Chattahoochee is a story based on true events, it may seem absurd to suggest that the actual events of Chattahoochee are pirated from other true-life tales like Gideon's Trumpet. But it certainly seems as if true stories are just as derivative as any fictional narrative coming out of… More Since Chattahoochee is a story based on true events, it may seem absurd to suggest that the actual events of Chattahoochee are pirated from other true-life tales like Gideon's Trumpet. But it certainly seems as if true stories are just as derivative as any fictional narrative coming out of Hollywood. The Chattahoochee saga details the Emmett Foley (Gary Oldman) story. The film takes place in 1955, when Foley, a Korean war veteran depressed and shattered by continual unemployment, snaps and shoots up his neighborhood, hoping that the police will come and shoot him down like a crazed dog so that his wife Mae (Frances McDormand) can collect on the insurance money. Instead of being gunned down by the law enforcement officers, he is sent to Chattahoochee, a notorious prison for the mentally ill which makes The Snake Pit look like a vacation in Bermuda. The gruesome conditions in the jail send Foley into listlessness. But then his anger gets the better of him and, encouraged by a friend, Walker Benson (Dennis Hopper), he begins sending letters to the authorities protesting the sub-human conditions in the mental facility. Due to his efforts, a state commission is formed to investigate conditions in Chattahoochee, and Foley has a chance to tell the world of the horrible conditions. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Directed By
- Mick Jackson
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Jun 1, 1989 Wide
- Studio
- HBO Video
Critic Reviews
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Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
This fact based story from the mid 50s American penal system is a sobering and dramatic reminder of how many states treated mentally ill patients, criminal or otherwise
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Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Off the beaten track, but too bleak to merit the detour.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Gary Oldman
as Emmett Foley
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Dennis Hopper
as Walker Benson
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Frances McDormand
as Mae Foley
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Pamela Reed
as Earlene
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Ned Beatty
as Dr. Harwood
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M. Emmet Walsh
as Morris
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Raul Apartella
as First Man at Investigation
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Shane Baily
as Orell
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Kevin Barber
as Upside-down Inmate
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Don Wayne Bass
as First Guard
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Suzi Bass
as Harwood's Secretary
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Peggy Beasley
as Mae's Mother
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John Brasington
as Dr. Towney
- F. Drucilla Brookshire
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Gary Bullock
as Sadistic Attendant
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Traber Burns
as Miami Cop
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Jerry Campbell
as Inmate in Tunnel
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Kevin Campbell
as Inmate in Cesspool
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Marc Clement
as Theo
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Kathryn Cobb
as Miami Nurse
- Bill Collins
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Matt Craven
as Lonny
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James "Fred" Culclasure
as Hymn-singing Inmate
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William De Acutis
as Missy
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Michael Easler
as Attendant
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Wilbur Fitzgerald
as Duane
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David Fitzsimmons
as Ambulance Driver
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Kristi Frankenheimer
as Weather Girl
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Jim Gloster
as Miami Attendant
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Ed Grady
as Stream of Conciousness Man
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Robert Gravel
as Lucas
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Dorothy L. Grissom Hardin
as Women on Street
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E. Pat Hall
as Inmate in Movie Theater
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Bob Hannah
as Karl
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Whitey Hughes
as Mr. Johnson
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Roger Jackson
as Inmate
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Gary Howard Klar
as Clarence
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B.J. Koonce
as Woman at Investigation
- Charles Lawler
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Joe Loy
as Quincy Cop
- Wesley Mann
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Mykel Mariette
as Male Nurse
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Yvonne Denise Mason
as Ella
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Douglas F. McDaniel
as Jimbob
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Wallace Merck
as Patrolman
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Tim Monich
as Cop
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Laurens Moore
as Pa Foley
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George Nannerello
as Patient Without Shoes
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William Newman
as Jonathan
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Ralph Pace
as Leonard
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Richard Portnow
as Dr. Debner
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Jim E. Quick
as Dr. Everly
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Randy Randolph
as Miami Guard
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Jill Rankin
as Governor's Secretary
- Chris Robertson
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Timothy Scott
as Harley
- Perry Simpson
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Lee Wilkof
as Vernon
- Bud Davis
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David Dwyer
as Goading Attendant
- Mindy Marin
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C.K. Bibby
as Baker
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Mary Tyler Moore
as Ma Foley
