So Bad it’s Good
#16 : Peggy Sue Got Married (1987)

Guilty Pleasures that we enjoyed – even though we don’t quite know why.

Movie Title : Peggy Sue Got Married
Released 1986
Starring Kathleen Turner, Nicolas Cage, Barry Miller, Catherine Hicks, Joan Allen, Kevin J. O'Connor, Jim Carrey, Lisa Jane Persky
Directed By Francis Ford Coppola

What is it? : A movie that seems to sour even more as each year passes. Loved the film as a kid, thought it was super-sweet and rather imaginative – back then I didn’t care so much for good performances or well-rounded and structurally-sound stories though, did I?. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, “Peggy Sue got Married” is a twist on the Rip van Winkle fairy tale, that tells the story of Peggy Sue Bodell (Kathleen Turner, stepping in for Debra Winger, who hurt her back and was forced to pull out at the last minute), a 43-year-old wife and mother who, while attending her high school reunion, faints and wakes up back in 1960. It’s there that she decides to change her future and not marry the man she ends up in divorcing in the future (played by Nicolas Cage). Meantime, a nerdy high-school buddy Richard (Barry Miller) attempts to find a way to help Peggy Sue return back to her own time.

According to Turner, writing in her recent novel, the film was a torturous experience – largely because of co-star Cage. “Oh, that stupid voice of his and the fake teeth! Honestly, I cringe to think about it”, Turner says in “Send Yourself Roses”. “He caused so many problems. He was arrested twice for drunk driving and, I think, once for stealing a dog. He'd come across a Chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket." (Cage has since bitten back by suing his former on-screen love interest)

What’s wrong with it? : Honestly, if I had to name one thing, it’d be… Nicolas Cage. He is fuckin’ terrible in this movie. The lad obviously only got the job because his uncle – yes, Nic’s real surname is Coppola – was directing the movie and more so, Francis didn’t insist on his nephew getting acting lessons. But it isn’t so much Cage’s performance that annoys, but his voice! For some reason he talks in this irritatingly ‘squeaky’ voice – like a twelve-year old whose voice is about to break any day – for all the scenes set back in 50s. He doesn’t look like an 18-year-old, so why even bother trying to sound like one!? In my opinion, he near ruined the movie with his amateur turn. (Of course, and as I mentioned, I never had a problem with any part of the film as a youngster, including Cage, but revisiting it for the sake of this column it’s all too clear that something’s not right here.) And though the story itself is fun, the screenplay’s about as water tight as a punctured tube. When Penny Marshall departed the film, and Coppola took over, it’s rumoured he reworked most of the script – man, that original draft must have been a stinker, because the one they ended up with is barely workable. The main problem with it is its lack of reason, justification and believability…. Unlike the similar-themed “Back to the Future” (1985), the filmmakers spare all scientific explanation as to why – some may even see it all as a dream, since there’s no real corroboration to insist our lead has travelled back in time – and how Peggy Sue has been able to travel back in time. We are just supposed to go with it. A bit sloppy, me thinks – especially for Coppola.

What’s right about it? : Kathleen Turner. She owns this movie. She’s funny, sweet, adorable, and most of all, takes what’s largely an underwritten character and through expression and manner, adds flesh, bone and credibility to Peggy Sue. She, like her co-star Cage, is a little over-the-top at times, but unlike him, she chooses to downplay Peggy at most moments. Some of the supporting cast are also great – Catherine Hicks (who went on to star in TVs “Seventh Heaven”), Joan Allen (barely recognizable thanks to a curly brown hair-do and spectacles), and Kevin J. O’Connor (in a role ‘hunk’ part), being the principal stand-outs. (Also look for Jim Carrey, in an earlier performance, as Walter, the steady of Hicks’ character).
And though the script itself needed some work, it’s still a fun ride – the tale is infectious. You might not believe everything that’s going on in Peggy Sue’s life, but you do believe that she’s back in the 50s (points to the production designer too – great job on re-creating 50s America).
One of my favourite moments from the film, and the sweetest, is a scene where Peggy Sue meets her beloved, long-dead grandfather (Leon Ames) and grandmother (Maureen O'Sullivan) again. In fact, the first time Peggy Sue hears her late grandmother’s voice on the phone almost brings tears to the eyes – it’s a great scene. There should have been more of them.

Why is it so bad it’s good? : Because it’s a sloppily-made film, with a couple of woeful performances, that somehow still manages to entertain and warrant repeat viewings. For all its injustices, “Peggy Sue got Married” delivers real human pleasure.

- CLINT MORRIS

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