The Waterdance (1992)

An oft overlooked film about struggling to deal with paralysis. Author Joel Garcia breaks his neck while hiking, and finds himself in a rehab center with Raymond, an exaggerating ladies man... See full summary »

Directors:

Neal Jimenez, Michael Steinberg

Writer:

Neal Jimenez

Stars:

Eric Stoltz, Helen Hunt, Wesley Snipes

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Stoltz	...	Joel Garcia
Helen Hunt	...	Anna
William Allen Young	...	Les
James Roach	...	Guy in the Electric Wheelchair
Elizabeth Peña	...	Rosa
Henry Harris	...	Mr. Gibson
Tony Genaro	...	Victor
Eva Rodriguez	...	Victor's Wife
Erick Vigil	...	Victor's Son
Edgar Rodriguez	...	Victor's Son
Angélica Castell	...	Victor's Daughter
William Forsythe	...	Bloss
Grace Zabriskie	...	Pat
Wesley Snipes	...	Raymond Hill
Kimberly Scott	...	Alice

Storyline

An oft overlooked film about struggling to deal with paralysis. Author Joel Garcia breaks his neck while hiking, and finds himself in a rehab center with Raymond, an exaggerating ladies man, and Bloss, a racist biker. Considerable tension builds as each character tries to deal with his new found handicap and the problems that go with it, especially Joel, whose lover Anna is having as difficult a time as he is. As Raymond reveals a dream about dancing on the surface of a lake to stay afloat, it becomes apparent that each of them must find his own Waterdance to survive his tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

Handicap | Handicap Sex | Full Frontal Male Nudity | Female Rear Nudity | Wheelchair | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes, life happens by accident.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Horos se taragmena nera

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,700,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,723,319 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

No Frills Film Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eric Stoltz spent three months in a wheelchair in preparation for his role in this movie, and stayed in the chair throughout filming as well.

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Quotes

[after Joel nearly crashes the van they're in]
Joel Garcia: Boy, he sure came out of nowhere, didn't he?
Sang: It's a good thing we're already paralyzed.

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Connections

Featured in Mr. Skin's Top 100 Celebrity Nude Scenes (2007)
Clip from this movie is used

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Soundtracks

"The Connection"
Written by Patrick Cicero and Maurice Garner
Performed by 'Rhyme Over Matter'

User Reviews

Excellent character study buoyed by exceptional Stoltz & Hunt

THE WATERDANCE (1992) ***1/2 Eric Stoltz, Helen Hunt, Wesley Snipes, William Forsythe, Elizabeth Pena, Grace Zibriskie. Excellent character study of a young author's freak paralyzing accident opens his eyes to the challenges life truly offers despite the limitations. Ensemble work at its finest and inspired in part autobiography of co-director Neal Jiminez' fate( he co-directed with Michael Steinberg).