Ironweed 36 years old
Hard times and Good times. Francis and Helen.
Albany, New York, Halloween, 1938. Francis Phelan and Helen Archer are bums, back in their birth city. She was a singer on the radio, he a major league pitcher. Death surrounds them: she's sick, a pal has cancer, he digs graves at the cemetery and visits the grave of his infant son whom he dropped; visions of his past haunt him, including ghosts of two men he killed. That night, out drinking, Helen tries to sing at a bar. Next day, Fran visits his wife and children and meets a grandson. He could stay, but decides it's not for him. Helen gets their things out of storage and finds a hotel. Amidst their mistakes and dereliction, the film explores their code of fairness and loyalty.
Credits
Ironweed Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Tom Waits He was 38, now 74 years old | as Rudy |
| Meryl Streep She was 38, now 75 years old | as Helen Archer |
| Nathan Lane He was 31, now 68 years old | as Harold Allen |
| Jack Nicholson He was 50, now 87 years old | as Francis Phelan |
| Ted Levine He was 30, now 67 years old | as Pocono Pete |
| Michael O'Keefe He was 32, now 69 years old | as Billy |
| Diane Venora She was 35, now 72 years old | as Peg |
| James Gammon He was 47, 70 years old when he died | as Reverend Chester |
| Margaret Whitton She was 37, 66 years old when she died | as Katrina |
| Carroll Baker She was 56, now 93 years old | as Annie Phelan |
| Fred Gwynne He was 61, 66 years old when he died | as Oscar Reo |
| Frank Whaley He was 24, now 61 years old | as Young Francis |
| Laura Esterman She was 42, now 79 years old |
Ironweed Crew
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Bonnie Timmermann as Casting. | Production |
| Anne Goursaud as Editor. She was 44 (now 80) years old | Editing |
| Robert Guerra as Art Direction. He was 34 (now 71) years old | Art |
| Steven Kirshoff as Special Effects Coordinator. | Crew |
| Leslie A. Pope as Set Decoration. | Art |
| William Kennedy as Writer. He was 59 (now 96) years old | Writing |
| J. Roy Helland as Hairstylist. He was 44 (now 81) years old | Costume & Make-Up |
| Joseph G. Aulisi as Costume Design. | Costume & Make-Up |
| Jeannine Oppewall as Production Design. She was 41 (now 77) years old | Art |
| Dorothy J. Pearl as Makeup Artist. | Costume & Make-Up |
| Lauro Escorel as Director of Photography. He was 37 (now 74) years old | Camera |
| Keith Barish as Producer. He was 43 (now 80) years old | Production |
| Héctor Babenco as Director. He was 41 (70) years old when He died | Directing |
Ironweed (36 years)
Hard times and Good times. Francis and Helen.
- Release day: Friday, December 18, 1987
- Runtime: 143 minutes