Review of The Whole Wide World (1996) by Jesse B — 16 Apr 2018

This is a frustrating romantic drama, that retells real life events from the life of Robert E Howard, talented fiction writer and creator of Conan the Barbarian. This guy was basically the father of the sword and sorcery sub genre.

Anyway this movie depicts the tragic relationship of him and a simple school teacher of the south back in the 1930s . I can't say how accurate it is, but it portrays Howard as a hard headed, brash and insensitive man that isolated himself from reality and society.

The story unfolds through the perspective of a woman that was smitten with him in a very odd sense of the word. Their tumultuous relationship just doesn't seem to work. The drama of this movie is really quite absurd and foolish but Renee Zellweger is just so quirky and sweet that you almost can't help but stick with the film just out of empathy or fondness for her.

As if she was standing up for something, except the film doesn't quite tell you what. The whole thing just feels empty overall as if there was supposed to message or moral to learn, but instead things just turn out lopsided.

It's a hard pill to swallow. Just reminds us how difficult and stubborn people can be and although you might have sympathy for them, they still manage to hurt others and themselves. It is not one of those feel good, whirlwind romances or even a heart wrenching drama / tragedy, instead it is just an odds and ends piece of basic human plight.

The acting is the only exceptional part of this otherwise turbulent story. I guess you can say it's an interesting look a legend of the comic book industry and his inner turmoil but for the most part that is covered up by an abrasive unrewarding romance.