92 in the Shade

Adapted from his own superb, blackly comic novel of eastern seabord eccentrics, macho mythology and the ultimate Florida face-off, McGuane's sole film as director is one of the most enjoyable messes ever to be suppressed as unsaleable. His literary talent lionised and his film reputation secure on scripts for Rancho Deluxe, Missouri Breaks and Tom Horn, McGuane here exhibits a totally appealing incompetence as director: the movie's got all the coherence of an amiable narrative jam-session. Storywise, Fonda wants to set up as a Key West fishing guide; Oates claims a monopoly and threatens to kill him if he does. That's it...except for the crazy-quilt interaction of cultishly-cast fringe characters, mouthing idiosyncratically lively dialogue and obviously having a ball. Jimmy Buffet's songs might give you some hook for what's going on, but the fun's infectious anyway.