CITY OF HOPE, 1991, MGM repertory, 129 min. Director John Sayles’ ambitious ensemble piece stars Vincent Spano as the son of a contractor involved in a property dispute that threatens to tear apart their New Jersey city, while Joe Morton plays an idealistic city councilman. Their stories extend into dozens of supporting characters’ lives across race and class lines.
BABY IT'S YOU, 1983, Paramount, 105 min. Dir. John Sayles. In 1960’s New Jersey, Jill (Rosanna Arquette) is a high schooler who loves her greaser boyfriend “Sheik” (Vincent Spano), until she gets to college and suddenly discovers that the world offers her a lot more options. With heartbreaking honesty and genuine affection for his characters, Sayles perfectly captures the transition into adulthood.