The Del Shores Oscar-worthy film "Blues for Willadean" (2012), which is available on DelShores.com. awesomely channels "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." This shouldbeena classic strikes a "just-right" balance between the pathos of "Southern Baptist Sissies" with the more "Mama's Family" sensibility of Shores' better-known "Sordid Lives" franchise.
A warning as to "Sissies" is that it WILL make your eyes leak through at least five viewings; they will get misty even thinking about that film.
A note as to "Sordid" is that the trailer where most of the "Willadean" action occurs and the dive where most of the swilling of Pabst Blue Ribbon in that universe takes place will look very familiar to "Sordid" fans. Shores proves that you can go home again.
We also get the same attention to detail that Shores brings to all of his work. The "Willadean" sets are perfect; the kicking of the feet after the falling off the stool near the end of the famous "$32.09" scene in "Sordid Lives" is sublime.
The big picture this time is that "Willadean" is the epitome of the work of a Southern gay playwright that son of a preacher man Shores supports through The Del Shores Foundation. That non-profit issues grants to produce works by good ole boys who like the all-American boy next door.
The dirt-street cred of "Willadean" stems from the strong neo-modern Tennessee Williams vibe of this tale of this real battered housewife of a trailer park in the white-trash community of Mesquite, Texas.
The associated exceptional live-stage feel of the production is attributable to Shores basing the production on his deservedly awards-laden play "The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife." Those accolades contribute to the WTF response to the lack of any Oscar love for the film and even more glaring as to Beth "Sissy" Grant, who reprises her role as the titular not-so-happy homemaker. Shores and Grant truly waz robbed.
Our story begins with scenes of a honky tonk performance of the titular tune interspersed with Willadean scurrying like a petrified bunny to have things in order before her Ralph Kramden from Hell husband JD gets home. All this gets put on hold to call over neighbor Lasagna (nee LaSonia) (Oscar winner and "Trials" cast member Octavia Spencer) to watch one of their favorite low-brow talk shows that make Willadean and Lassgna look like members of the Algonquin Round Table.
Shores uses this scene to convey three primary themes of "Willadean." Our Alice and Trixie delight in trash-talking about new trailer-park neighbor/bar waitress Rayleen Hobbs (Dale "Glyndora" Dickey) and being cruel without any kindness as the mother-daughter strippers/evangelists on the TV show. This demonstrates the delight that most of us enjoy as to feeling superior to those whom we consider to be beneath us.
Willadean becoming frantic on the television dying illustrates two other central concepts. The first is terror as to the anticipated beating by JD on his coming home to learn that he cannot watch his game. The broader message is the example of blue-collar life. Speaking as one who did not give much thought to going to spending a few hundred dollars at Best Buy twice on two televisions breaking within nine months of each other, many of us do not think about the working stiffs who cannot make such a purchase every few years.
Shores, Grant and JD portrayer David Steen truly bring on the Williams in the first simmering scene between our spouses. Willadean and the audience equally anticipate a smackdown any second. Shores and Steen particularly shine as to a monologue in which we learn the trials and tribulations of a trailer trash husband. These include kicking his still-estranged gay 16 year-old son out of the double-wide years ago. Another touch of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" comes later when we learn the fate of the namesake of our villain.
Shores especially shines as to a monologue in which Rayleen provides graphic details about her first lesbian encounter. This reminiscence shows that John Bon Jovi knows about what he speaks.
Our tale of woe progresses to the expected blackening of the eye and then apologizing and related rationalization regarding that brutal abusing that Willadean has down pat. The better news this time is that Willadean acts on an exit strategy with a real chance of success after hearing the gospel truth. The audience will think that Willadean now is a thoroughly modern Millie who will make it after all.
The range and related brilliance of Shores comes through in a climax that is a much darker version of a pivotal scene in "Sordid." The awful truth here is that JD has fully hulked out and is no taking any prisoners. The one sure thing is that at least one character either is going to end up in the free clinic on the wrong side of the tracks or in a cardboard coffin. It is equally guaranteed that the audience will feel the same shock and awe as the survivors.
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