The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe is a 1991 mystery drama directed by Simon Callow, starring Vanessa Redgrave as Miss Amelia, Cork Hubbert and Keith Carradine. It runs 1 hour 41 minutes and earned $184,890 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 41m (101 min)
- Director
- Simon Callow
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Merchant Ivory Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Ballad of the Sad Cafe About?
The premise of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A Love Story Unlike Any You’ve Ever Seen A small-town eccentric opens a café in her decaying home.
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- ex convict
- f rated
- fight
- corn liquor
- wedding
- wedding night
- brokeback
- bug net
- water
- arm wrestling
- mill
- whistle
+38 more Show fewer
- peaches
- water pump
- kidney stone
- alligator
- pig
- acorn
- buzzard
- baby
- eating
- food
- drunkenness
- swimming
- wading
- spiderweb
- train
- preacher
- horse and wagon
- sewing machine
- garden
- lawyer
- punching bag
- pocket watch
- gas station
- penitentiary
- letter
- arson
- explosion
- fire
- hammock
- sugarcane
- black american slur
- african american slur
- burning cross
- cross
- hymn
- flashback within a flashback
- love
- vandalism
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Cast & Characters
Vanessa Redgrave leads the cast as Miss Amelia, with Cork Hubbert as Cousin Lymon and Keith Carradine as Marvin Macy. Directed by Simon Callow; 55 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Simon Callow
-
Vanessa Redgrave as Miss Amelia -
Cork Hubbert as Cousin Lymon -
Keith Carradine as Marvin Macy - Earl Hindman as Henry Macy
Also Starring in The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
· 51 more- Rod Steiger Rev. Willin
- Don Stroud Townsperson
- Austin Pendleton Lawyer Taylor
- Joe Stevens Henry Ford Crimp (as Joe Stephens)
- Mert Hatfield Stumpy McPhail
- Anne Pitoniak Mrs. McPhail
- Harry Jay Knowles Fay Boy
- C.K. McFarland Townsperson
- Lanny Flaherty Merlie Ryan
- Robert Jones Townsperson
- Beth Dixon Mary Hale
- Gayland Williams Gossip (uncredited)
- Ted J. Crum Townsperson
- Paul Wright Richard Carpenter
- Dorothy Layne Townsperson
- Terry Mross Townsperson
Show all 55 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Ingo Neuhaus Chaingang (uncredited)
- Eric Paul Townsperson
- Mandy Fabian Townsperson
- Christopher Woods Townsperson
- Jack Colby Townsperson
- Mac Williams Townsperson
- Trula Hoosier Townsperson
- Virginia Pratt Townsperson
- Zane Rockenbaugh Townsperson
- Taylor Williams Townsperson
- Gwen Wunneburger Townsperson
- Frederick Johnson Jeff
- Lauri Raymond Sadie Ricketts
- Keith Wommack Tom Rainey
- Kevin Wommack George Rainey
- Laura Burns Molly Kelly
- Megan Bowman Townsperson
- Fred Brumfield Townsperson
- Mary Brumfield Townsperson
- Pam Christian Townsperson
- Candi Duke Townsperson
- Gayle Epperson Townsperson
- Anne Greenwood-Milzman Townsperson
- Margaret Hoard Townsperson
- Kyle Kennedy Townsperson
- Bill Kreger Townsperson
- J.W. McCrary Townsperson
- Misty McNeely Townsperson
- Bucky Meadows Townsperson
- Nan Norvell Townsperson
- Scott Payne Townsperson
- Bill Polk Townsperson
- Douglas Pope Townsperson
- Elisabeth Ryall Townsperson
- Kalab Tye Townsperson
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Plot Summary
What happens in The Ballad of the Sad Cafe from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the 1930s Georgia landscape, Miss Amelia, Vanessa Redgrave, is a lonely, eccentric moonshiner who dominates her small farming community, selling moonshine to locals and acting as the town’s makeshift doctor. While she is liked by some, others find her brusque manner unbecoming.
Late one night, a hunchbacked dwarf named Lymon, Cork Hubbert, arrives at Amelia’s mercantile, claiming to be her long-lost cousin. Amelia is skeptical, but the claim grows more plausible when he presents a tattered photograph of them together as children. She invites Lymon to stay with her indefinitely, and the town begins to whisper about the strange pair.
Full summary
The whole story of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, scene by scene
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Box Office
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe grossed $184,890 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$184.9K
- US & Canada
- $184.9K
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer UK Blu-Ray Trailer
How Well Do You Know The Ballad of the Sad Cafe?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actress portrays Miss Amelia in the film?
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Also Known As
3 alternative titles, including “La ballata del caffè triste” and “Paixão Selvagem”.
- Also known as
-
- La ballata del caffè triste
- Paixão Selvagem
- 伤心咖啡馆之歌
Seen The Ballad of the Sad Cafe?
Movies Like The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Ballroom of Romance, The Ballad of Jack and Rose and The Ballad of Tam Lin.
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The Ballroom of Romance 1982 -
The Ballad of Jack and Rose 2005 -
The Ballad of Tam Lin 1970 -
Tumbledown 2016 -
The Ballad of Carl-Henning 1969 -
Sad Movie 2005 -
All the Fine Young Cannibals 1960 -
Bread, Love and Dreams 1953 -
The Ballad Of Billy McCrae 2021 -
Romance on the Menu 2020 -
Lonely Hearts 1982 -
The Heartbreak Club 2021
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe FAQ: Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Ballad of the Sad Cafe?
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe runs 1 hour 41 minutes (101 minutes).
When was The Ballad of the Sad Cafe released?
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe was released on March 28, 1991.
Who directed The Ballad of the Sad Cafe?
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe was directed by Simon Callow.
More films by Simon Callow Who is in the cast of The Ballad of the Sad Cafe?
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe stars Vanessa Redgrave as Miss Amelia, Cork Hubbert as Cousin Lymon and Keith Carradine as Marvin Macy, among 55 credited actors.
How much did The Ballad of the Sad Cafe make at the box office?
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe grossed $184,890 worldwide.
Does The Ballad of the Sad Cafe have a post-credit scene?
No. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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