The Waterdance

Paralyzed in a 1984 accident, writer/director Neal Jimenez (of River's Edge fame) channelled his own experiences and emotions into his 1991 film Waterdance. Eric Stoltz stars as a young writer left incapacitated by a hiking accident. He is placed in a paraplegic ward, peopled by patients of all ...more

A terrific example of how to tell a sentimental tale without being mawkish, this impressive first film by Neal Jimenez and Michael Steinberg avoids all the standard-issue nonsense about physical therapy and recovery that has been explored in many movies to create a refreshingly perceptive view of the subject that refuses to take the easy way out. Sexual dysfunction and internalized anger are just two subjects the film brings into the light with refreshing candor.The acting is uniformly superb, ...more