Blue Sky

REVIEW
Shot in 1990 and on the shelf for four years, Richardson's final film is an affecting melodrama of a family in crisis which is further enhanced by two exceptional performances by Lange and Jones. Set in the early 1960s, the story concerns military nuclear engineer Jones, wife Lange and their family who move to a new Army base where infidelity, betrayal and conspiracy await them. A flirtatious Southern belle in the Blanche DuBois/Scarlett O'Hara mold, Lange's Oscar-winning portrayal of Carly is a revelation of sexuality and naiveté, and as Carly is the heart of the story, Lange's smoldering portrait is very much the centerpiece of the film. As her understanding but perplexed idealistic husband, Jones gives a subtle portrayal of a man at odds with his conscience.