The Whole Wide World

Small town Texas in the mid-'30s. Robert Howard lives with his parents - clinging mother, remote father - spending his time banging out a series of fantasy yarns for the pulps, many featuring a warrior super-hero named Conan. A schoolteacher, Novalyne Price, tries with fluctuating degrees of resolve, to turn this intriguing but unpromising case into conventional boyfriend material. Conan buffs will already know how it all comes out. Somewhat repetitive, though declining any temptations to melodrama or overt psychoanalysis, it's an insightful two-hander, beautifully played by D'Onofrio and Zellweger. Based on a memoir by Ms Price.