The White River Kid, 1999

Additional Captures

Director: Arne Glimcher (The Mambo Kings)

Actors: Bob Hoskins, Ellen Barkin, Beau Bridges, Swoosie Kurtz, Randy Travis, Wes Bentley, Kim Dickens

Release date: Never released in U.S.

Filmed: Hot Springs, Arkansas

Independent Film produced by Arne Glimcher and Green Moon Productions

THE WHITE RIVER KID is loosely based on a novel called The Little Brothers of St. Mortimer (1991). "Brother Edgar" (Bob Hoskins) is a con man who travels the south selling socks out of his RV, pretending to be a member of the religious order of St. Mortimer (named after Edgar Bergen's dummy, Mortimer Snerd) who raise money for children. Edgar has an assistant, Morales Pittman (Antonio), a Mexican. Morales is a ladies' man, a con man, and murderer who carries a long, pointed knife in his boot.

The story is essentially about these two characters spotting a wanted murderer, The White River Kid (Wes Bentley), in a restaurant and warning him that the police are going to shoot him as he walks out the front door. So, The Kid leaves by the back entrance and hides in the RV, along with a waitress named Apple Lisa who the Kid just met. They demand that Edgar and Morales drive them to South Arkansas to Apple Lisa's parents' because she and the Kid want to get married. Kid and Apple are both pretty slow-witted and do almost nothing but sleep and make love in the back of the RV. The White River Kid has a feature that identifies him to everyone -- a butterfly tattoo on his left cheek.

On their journey a nasty pair called the Bunn brothers try to stop their van to rob them. One of the brothers takes a swipe at Morales's head with a chain and Morales swiftly pulls the knife from his boot and slits the man's throat. The Kid shoots the other brother. Morales, Edgar and the Kid drag the bodies into the bushes to be eaten by wild hogs.

They finally reach their destination and meet the strangest family imaginable -- the Weeds, Apple Lisa's folks. Mother Weed (Swoosie Kurtz) has cancer but believes she was cured by praying to Elvis so she dresses like him (complete with painted-on sideburns) and plays his music every night while she prays to "the king".

During the journey Edgar has bonded with the Kid, who is an orphan. Edgar decides that the butterfly tattoo must be removed and takes the Kid to a nearby city. Meanwhile, Morales helps one of the Weed boys, Reggie, recover money from a local lumber yard owner where Reggie lost most of his teeth in an accident. Morales decides they make a good team. 

After eluding the police and having the tattoo removed, the White River Kid dies anyway, shot by a member of the mob who just happens to be carrying a briefcase full of cash. The mobster dies as well and Edgar finds himself a very rich man as he drives off into the sunset, with the local trollop. The last scene shows Morales squiring a rich, older woman up to the blackjack table in a Las Vegas casino. Strangely enough, Reggie is the dealer. Everyone lives happily ever after. 

Related Information

This is the second film produced by Antonio, the first being Crazy in Alabama.

Arne Glimcher gave Antonio his first big break in America, casting him in The Mambo Kings, despite the fact that Antonio barely spoke any English. 

Apparently, Glimcher was unable to find an American distributor for this film. It was released briefly in Europe in 1999 and has already gone to the video market. We know of no plans to have it released on video in the U.S.