It's not TV, it's HBO (Films)
I finally got around to watching this made-for-HBO movie last week, about a month after it initially aired. The reason I hadn't watched it for so long was most likely the same reason I still haven't watched The Laramie Project--it's sometimes difficult to get yourself in the right frame of mind to watch a serious, dramatic and seemingly depressing film. Thes best examples of this genre make your effort well worth the while. This film does the same, to a certain extent, but ultimately it's more bleak than redemptive.
The impressive cast (Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Lewis, the inimitable Ben Gazzara) does an unbelievable job of portraying these desperate people in a desolate situation. Uma Thurman is especially outstanding in portraying the awkward and insecure Debby with enough credibility and accuracy to make you as uncomfortable as she is. Debby's world is filled with despair and disappointment, especially in her relations with men. The cinematography, set and costume design effectively recreates the 80s, small town, "white trash" feel that the characters wallow in.
The weakest part of the film is that the message is somewhat transparent and the main character's physical ailment is too convenient of a metaphor for the problems of her life. The result is a film with a powerful presentation and the potential to be moving but that is ultimately unsatisfying because the reward is too easy to obtain.
Bottom line: Worth seeing just for the unbelievable job that Uma Thurman does. The film is well made but the message lacks the strength it deserves.