GUNCRAZY
(1992; d. Tamra Davis, w. Matthew Bright)

Creating feminine identity in masculine-dominated society (snake-handling Christian cult [as huge Pope portrait on hospital wall] whose venom will only turn on self, as when supposedly harmless rattler strikes preacher Hank) can only result in perverted or distorted ("outlaw") i.d.; w/o mother to provide 16-yr-old Anita w/ adult self-image, must rely on boys’ + men’s desire to shape femininity/i.d., resulting in title malady (i.e., penis envy).

Correspondence w/ inmate Howard (own regressive masculinity, or intuition of "masculine" power in girl’s past, his impotence her inability to enact own agency in prison of patriarchy; cf Mrs Soffel) developing masc potential (face never seen till paroled/"born"): dsn’t want her for sex, like others (letter-origin + deferment of pleasure courtly love, final consummation resolution of his character, after which he dies).

Abusing real phallus (guardian’s sexual exploitation + schoolmates’ gang-rape [their confrontation w/ Howard as Hank’s w/ snake: mess w/ rattler + you’ll get bit]) leads to adoption of not-the-phallus firearm (title "affliction") + relegates woman-victim to dreamworld status, Howard her phallus (as many girls similarly give birth for same purpose), striking back + helping her refuse unwelcome advances (as all pwr-abuses lead to underclass violence: calling Darryl Gates + Geo Bush, who Just Didn’t Get It), he only properly able to "shoot" when they flee mobile-home origins + bed down in upper middle-class home (shooing dog he originally i.d.’d w/ off bed bringing cops to door quid pro quo for former underdog).

Dir Davis diverts Bright’s secondhand script ironies (via River’s Edge + Blue Velvet) back twd characters + relationships at true heart of drama, girl summoning male à la dir/scrw, using him/script as similar template from which to realize "outlaw" potential.