''Waiting for the Light'' is a 1990 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and directed by

Christopher Monger Christopher Monger (born 1950, in Taffs Well, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh screenwriter, director and editor, best known for writing and directing ''The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain'' and writing the HBO biopic ''Temple G ...

and starring

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

Teri Garr Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...

Clancy Brown Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...

Vincent Schiavelli Vincent Andrew Schiavelli (; November 11, 1948 – December 26, 2005) was an American character actor noted for his work on stage, screen, and television. Described as an "instantly recognizable sad-faced actor", he was diagnosed with Marfan s ...

John Bedford Lloyd John Bedford Lloyd (born January 2, 1956) is an American character actor. Life and career Lloyd was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Ann Storrs Lloyd and Edward B. Lloyd of Southport, Connecticut. His father was an architect. He has a s ...

, Colin Baumgartner and

Hillary Wolf Hillary Jocelyn Wolf (born February 7, 1977) is an American former child actress and judoka. Career Wolf is best known for playing Megan, the sister of Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) in the ''Home Alone'' series. She also starred as the lead character ...

. It was released on November 2, 1990, by

Triumph Films Triumph Films (also known as Triumph Releasing Corporation) was a film studio division of Sony Pictures Entertainment that geared towards theatre and direct-to-video film production and distribution. History It was founded in 1982 as a joint vent ...

Plot

In the early 1960s Kay (Garr), a single mother, inherits a run-down diner in a small town in Washington State and gladly moves from Chicago to run it, taking her young son and daughter and her eccentric Aunt Zena (MacLaine), a former magician and vaudevillian who teaches the children magic tricks. Under her instruction they attempt to take revenge on the curmudgeonly neighbor (Schiavelli) who beat them with a belt for stealing his apples, by faking an apparition of an

angry ghost In mythology and folklore, a vengeful ghost or vengeful spirit is said to be the spirit of a dead person who returns from the afterlife to seek revenge for a cruel, unnatural or unjust death. In certain cultures where funeral and burial or crema ...

. The trick goes awry and he thinks he has had a vision of an angel. Influenced by the tensions of the

Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...

, crowds flock to the town, making the diner prosper. The children feel very guilty, but the international crisis, the spiritual paradox of the fake vision, and Zena's stroke are all happily resolved in the finale of the film.

Cast

as Aunt Zena *

as Kay Harris *

as Joe *

as Mullins *

as Reverend Stevens *Colin Baumgartner as Eddie *

as Emily *

Jeff McCracken Jeff McCracken (born September 12, 1952) is an American actor, director and producer. Early life and education Born in Chicago, McCracken graduated Evanston Township High School in 1970. He served in the United States Air Force during the V ...

as Charlie *William Dore as Reverend Jones *Robert Hardwick as Dr. Kelley *Robin Ginsburg as Miss Hicks / Miss Berg *Arthur H. Cahn as Mr. Patterson *Matt Magnano as Tommy *Mark Drusch as Mr. Trace *Eric Helland as Bob *

Peg Phillips Peg Phillips (born Margaret Linton, September 20, 1918 – November 7, 2002) was an American actress best known for playing storekeeper Ruth-Anne Miller on the television series ''Northern Exposure''. Early life Phillips was born Margaret L ...

as Iris *Kylee Martin as Bobby * Jack McGee as Slim Slater *Michael Marinelli as Tommy's Dad *

Don S. Davis Donald Sinclair "Don" Davis (August 4, 1942 – June 29, 2008) was an American character actor best known for playing General Hammond in the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on t ...

as Dr. Norman *Rob Keenan as Chuck *Angela DiMarco as Meg *Bob Henry as Judge Brown * Ron Lynch as Hot Dog *Jillayne Sorenson as Alice *Corey Gunnestad as Verne

Reception

The film grossed $334,748 in its opening weekend.

References

External links

* * 1990 films 1990 comedy films American comedy films 1990s English-language films Films about the Cuban Missile Crisis Films directed by Christopher Monger Films set in 1962 Films set in Washington (state) Films shot in Washington (state) Triumph Films films 1990s American films {{1990s-comedy-film-stub