Walking Across Egypt


Walking Across Egypt is a 1999 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman and written by Paul Tamasy, based on Clyde Edgerton's novel of the same name. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Mark Hamill, Gail O'Grady, Judge Reinhold, and Pat Corley.

Plot

The film follows the life of Mattie Rigsbee, an elderly woman who believes in strong religious convictions. The film explores the lonely qualities of life for senior citizens after their children leave as adults. Reinhold and O'Grady play Mattie's children, who live in a deep southern town.
Mattie soon finds a likable friend in the local dogcatcher, Lamar Benfield. Through this relationship, she meets the dogcatcher's nephew, a troubled juvenile delinquent orphan, Wesley, currently serving time in juvenile detention for a recent car theft. Mattie finds that this young man is missing direction and believes that with a little insight on Christianity, he can straighten up and fly right.

Cast

Walking Across Egypt was filmed in the Florida cities of: Ocoee, Clermont, Windermere, Orlando, and St. Cloud.

Reception

Robert Koehler from Variety said of the film, "The best in forgiving Christian values is at the heart of well-intentioned but weakly conceived Walking Across Egypt. By far, the most distinguishing factor is Ellen Burstyn's independent-minded Southern widower Mattie, but that won't be enough to stop this from going directly to family-oriented cable." Despite this, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes has given it an 89% according to audience ratings.