Release

Twentieth Century Fox and Penta Pictures were scheduled to release the film in March 1992, but after a year-long delay, the film premiered without a distributor as the closing night film of the 1993 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 1993.^[6][2] Miramax acquired distribution rights at Sundance and gave the film a limited release on June 25, 1993.^[2] The film also screened at the Houston International Film Festival and the LA Film Festival.^[2]

Critical response

Robert Faires of The Austin Chronicle gave a positive review, writing "Lessac and his company have created and sustained such honest, yearning individuals that when the story reaches its wholly predictable and sentimental finale, its people are not diminished at all. Their pain and love are no less real and they no less worthy of our affection."^[7]

Critic Roger Ebert awarded the film one out of four stars, describing it as "all but inexplicable. It is not interesting, intelligent, plausible, thought-provoking, entertaining or necessary. The synopsis is so absurd it would also seem to be unproduceable."^[8] He concluded his review with, "If you want to see acting in a void, watch Tommy Lee Jones' scenes very closely. Here is one of the most interesting actors around. He has been given a ridiculous character, whose dramatic connection to the rest of the film is a mystery. Yet he exudes intensity and concern, and is somehow able to convince us something is happening with his character, even when, in retrospect, it is clear Jones must have been as puzzled as the rest of us."^[8]