Cookie’s Fortune

Cookie’s Fortune takes place in one of those nice small Southern towns with one of those eccentric Southern families that only seem to exist in fiction. Cookie (Patricia Neal), the headstrong matriarch decides she has lived long enough and kills herself. Her body is discovered by her dotty niece (Glenn Close), who cannot accept a suicide in the family and tries to make it look like a robbery. Suspicion falls on Cookie’s best friend, her live-in handyman Willis (Charles Dutton) who obviously wouldn’t hurt a fly. The movie proceeds at a leisurely pace, introducing many characters while keeping the plot simple. The conclusion may come as no surprise, but the journey to it is most enjoyable.