Try as some of us might to keep hard truths permanently buried, those revelations almost always manage to find a way to surface, often in painful ways that can leave us seriously hurt, stunned or embarrassed. What’s more, those disclosures often emerge long after the incidents that led to these cover-ups, materializing at a time when we may have thought we were safely in the clear. But, when these secrets at last come out, we may unexpectedly find ourselves devastated beyond belief. And these exposés frequently occur at events like reunions, when entirely new perceptions about us arise in the minds of others, including longtime associates, friends and companions. That’s precisely what happens in director Robert Altman’s 1982 screen adaptation of the hit Broadway play he staged, the engaging comedy-drama, “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.” Set in 1975 in the sleepy small west Texas town of McCarthy, the film tells the engrossing story of a reunion of members of a James Dean fan club held on the 20th anniversary of his tragic death in a car accident. The event is held in the local Woolworth’s, a 5 & dine that’s seen better days but that was once home for the club’s meetings. However, as the reunion unfolds, it becomes more about the club members than the steamy teen idol who provided the focus for this gathering, and it ends up unearthing secrets that his devotees had long hoped to keep quiet about themselves. Their stories are told through a series of dialogues among the club members at the reunion that are intercut with flashbacks to 1955, right before Dean’s death. This mix of present and past segments gradually brings to light the truth behind these revelations and how the characters deal with secrets that have remained concealed for 20 years. The flashbacks, ingeniously depicted through images that appear as reflections on a wall of mirrors along one side of the store’s interior, metaphorically illustrate how the present is indeed an echo of the past, no matter how uncomfortable that may be for those who view that time of their lives as it’s now being faithfully portrayed to them. This includes the recollections of two club members who were employed by the store (Sandy Dennis, Cher), the 5 & dime’s holy roller manager (Sudie Bond), two out-of-towners who once belonged to the club and have made the journey back to their hometown (Kathy Bates, Marta Heflin) and a mysterious stranger who seems oddly and inexplicably familiar to everyone (Karen Black), a superb ensemble of performers, all of whom were in the original Broadway production. The result is a highly entertaining, if at times somewhat unsettling, watch that has become one of the filmmaker’s best works, an admirable accomplishment for a picture that successfully made the transition from stage to screen without becoming forced, stilted or stagey. It also proves that “the truth will out,” no matter how much we might try to hide it – and the consequences that can come from futilely trying to do so. Those who are unfamiliar with Altman’s filmography should seriously consider placing this release near the top of your watch list, a picture well worth your time.
