Peter Bogdanovich was Blessed
...with a wonderful story (based on the novel, Addie Pray, by Joe David Brown) and an extremely talented cast as well as the sage advice from a trusted colleague and friend, Orson Welles, to shoot the film in its characteristic sepia tone. I'm not trying to take away from the man's talent. He IS that. But, to his credit, Mr. Bogdanovich knew how to surround himself with those of stellar talent in the biz. Even the title name, Paper Moon, is romantic as to the imagery it creates in one's mind whilst listening to the lyrics of the film's theme song by the same name. Blessed, I tell you! And, therefore, so are we.
I remember watching this treasure of a film on TV as a young girl (I am almost the same age as Tatum) and was just in awe over its sheer brilliance...the relationship between Addie and Moze, their incredible journey together during the Great Depression in America, and the humorous dialogue. And, who could forget Madeline Kahn as Miss Trixie Delight? Her performance was nothing but pure genius...as always with Ms. Kahn as she never failed to deliver. (LOVE her in Young Frankenstein! I often wonder what other performances of hers we could have enjoyed if she did not leave us so soon.) Although you will have to listen carefully (as the lines are often mumbled, but effectively so, as in how the character makes mention of unseemly qualities in Miss Trixe under her breath), even Imogene's character was furnished with some terrific lines of dialogue...as evidenced in her one line zingers!
Tatum O'Neal's performance, as everyone else has gushed over, was nothing short of pure brilliance for her age. Her facial expressions, her movements, the way she delivered her lines...just INCREDIBLE! Her Oscar was well-deserved, indeed. However, as others have noted, I believe she deserved her win for the LEAD ROLE...not as a supporting role. Addie's role, without a doubt, is THE LEAD.
One final short note...I did think Ryan O'Neal's performance was RIGHT ON. He, too, was simply brilliant! (OK, how many times have I used the word brilliant?) Truthfully, he was outstanding and his performance was underrated.
Paper Moon is one of my all time favorite films for so many reasons. It should stand in its rightful place in the IMDb Top 250. IMHO.