Paper Moon

Composer Harold Arlen wrote over 500 songs in his illustrious career. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz is probably his most famous song. But a few years earlier he and lyricist Yip Harburg teamed up to write another classic called “It’s Only a Paper Moon.” And in 1973, that song became the theme and title for the movie Paper Moon, a wonderful film about a con man and a little girl who journey across the lonesome back roads of depression-era America.

The movie begins with a forlorn, nine-year old girl named Addie Loggins standing at the grave of her mother, who has died in a car accident. Two mourners stand with her in a windswept, middle-of-nowhere Kansas graveyard. Suddenly a man named Moses Pray shows up. When the mourners remark how much he looks like the little girl, “Moze”—as he's called—denies being any relation to her. Suddenly, he’s anxious to leave. But the mourners beg and persuade him to take the sad little girl with him and drop her off in a town where her only known relative lives. And, thus, we’re off on a road movie with terrific promise, and Paper Moon delivers with a stylish blend of comedy, drama, period music, production design and black and white photography that vividly brings the great depression to life.

In true “road movie” tradition, Moze and Addie bicker from the moment they get in his car. Their banter is funny and priceless. Who knows if they are really father and daughter. The stronger bond between them is their resentment of each other.  While Moze is self-absorbed and wants to be alone, Addie is fiercely independent, ready to stand her ground in any argument.

The longer the two are together, the more the wall between them chips away.

As you might guess, the longer the two are together, the more the wall between them chips away. When Addie discovers that Moze is really a con man who fleeces anyone with a dollar, she turns out to be an effective, willing accomplice. Before long, Moze discovers that he’s making more money with Addie than when working solo, and the odd couple become a perfect match.  But as their profits multiply, so do the risks they take. And, before long, danger follows.

Watching the Addie-Moze relationship deepen is pure movie gold, especially since actor Ryan O’Neal is Moze and his real-life daughter Tatum plays Addie.  She’s so genuinely good in the role that she deservedly won the best supporting actress Oscar that year. Also in the cast is the brilliantly hilarious Madeline Kahn as carnival dancer Trixie Delight.

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, with a vibrant, quotable screenplay by Alvin Sergeant, the movie aims for poignance over sentiment, genuine emotion instead of plot contrivance, and it scores with exquisite storytelling magic. Paper Moon is a heartfelt four-out-of-four-stars gem.