Playlist: The Rain People

Francis Ford Coppola's little known fourth film turns out to be quite a cinematic accomplishment. "Turns out" to me, of course; it's been that way for 41 years. It's another + in his Distillation (yes, I had to fire up Big D during the holiday weekend and, yes, I have the psychological scars to prove it) and raises FFC's score to a robust 60. Still, second place, but Finch is on notice.

The acting of the three leads--Shirley Knight, whose cross country flight from her marriage drives the story in more ways than one, Robert Duvall, of course, and Jimmy Caan, who looks more than a little like Edward Burns--is the centerpiece of a creatively and excitingly shot film. Seeing Caan here makes me wish someone would find a role for him other than the same old Sonny Corleone tough guy. He's earned a late career reanimation.

My only complaint is that the music used to emphasize some of the key emotional scenes only adds a distracting layer of melodrama. Just not a good fit. Still, one of Coppola's best.