Alamo Bay (1985)

In a small Texas fishing town, tensions rise as the local fisherman resent what they see as an intrusion by Vietnamese immigrants who they blame for the dropping prices and lack of work. This small little film directed by the wonderful Louise Malle is overlooked when discussing his work. While it may not rank with MURMUR OF THE HEART or ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS, it's a haunting and disturbing look at how "foreigners" are often scapegoats when Americans fall on hard times. Based on the actual conflict between local fisherman and Vietnamese refugees around Galveston Bay (Alamo Bay is fictitious) in Texas in the early 1980s. The film uses the relationship between a married local shrimper (Ed Harris) and his former girlfriend (Amy Madigan) returning to the town after a prolonged absence as the story set against the backdrop of the real story, the point of interest. Harris and Madigan are fine, they give strong performances but it gets in the way of what we want to see and know more about. Perhaps a documentary would have been the better way to go but I'm still grateful for what Malle has given us. Lovely underscore by Ry Cooder. With Ho Nguyen, Donald Moffat and Cynthia Carle.