Flesh and Bone (1993)

3 Stars (out of 4)

On the Right Snack

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

On the basis of only five scripts, Steven Kloves has proven himself one of the cleverest and most subtle writers working in an increasingly unpleasant business. His directorial debut The Fabulous Baker Boys and his adaptation of Wonder Boys were rich in character-based humor and contained a desperate searching to find some meaning in a middle-aged life. This chilling, slowly building thriller once again establishes its characters -- a vending machine man (Dennis Quaid), his sinister father (James Caan) and an uppity Texas girl (Meg Ryan) -- well before it reveals their dark secrets. Gwyneth Paltrow co-stars in one of her first standout roles. The DVD contains no extras.