Bagdad Cafe (1987)

Jasmine (Marianne Sagebrecht) is a German tourist abandoned by her husband on a dusty, forgotten road in the middle of the Mojave Desert. She finds her way to a dilapidated diner/motel run by Brenda (CCH Pounder), who’s life has been to this point rather bleak, as she tries to keep her head above water, and exasperating, as she deals with family members in various states of function/dysfunction. Other residents add a hint of color: Rudy (Jack Palance) a retired Hollywood reject, and Debby (Christine Kaufman) the tattoo artist. But for the most part, their lives are mundane, predictable, and as slow and oppressive as their surroundings. Jasmine’s sudden appearance seems less than welcome, and she is ‘poked and prodded’ by the residents, who are at the same time both curious, and suspicious. Eventually Jasmine’s staid German demeanor fades, as she begins to make lemonade from the lemons life has dealt her, with results that are contagious, and magical for all around her.