Main Street

Horton Foote always had an instinct for small-town Southern drama, and Main Street is no exception.

Still, those wanting to see the late Oscar-winning screenwriter and playwright at his best should seek out his earlier works, because his final script is one of his most forgettable.

Main Street is one of the few original screenplays written by Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird), who died in 2009 at age 92 shortly after its completion. One of the others, incidentally, is Tender Mercies (1983), which won Oscars for Foote and for Robert Duvall as Best Actor.

Most likely, it was Foote’s reputation that lured such a prominent ensemble cast to a script that’s more slight than substantive. But there are hints of greatness in the dialogue, and it has a few sublime character-driven moments.

The film takes place in Durham, N.C., where Georgiana Carr (Ellen Burstyn) has squandered her savings and has two ways of securing quick cash, by selling her lavish Southern mansion and by leasing her empty downtown warehouse.

The answer to the second problem could be Gus (Colin Firth), a slick-talking Texas businessman who convinces Georgiana to rent him the warehouse after he reveals plans to city leaders about revitalizing downtown Durham. But her niece (Patricia Clarkson) becomes upset when she discovers the plans for a hazardous-waste storage facility.

A couple of other stories are weaved into the struggle between an aging city wanting to maintain its image amid the need for a makeover, and an outsider with questionable ethics wanting to aggressively expand his business.

Foote and director John Doyle, a stage veteran making his feature debut, try to examine contemporary urban decay by taking a nostalgic slant that might strike a chord with older audiences. But its idealistic outlook doesn’t really mesh with modern sensibilities.

Firth’s performance is compelling, even if he adopts one of the most bizarre Texas accents in recent memory. Clarkson and Burstyn are excellent as usual, while Orlando Bloom is wasted in a supporting role as a young cop unsure of his future.

The setting feels authentic (it was shot on location in Durham), yet the film gradually loses credibility as it meanders toward a contrived rainy-night climax. Good intentions abound, but there isn’t enough of a payoff to make the charming moments worthwhile.

Rated PG, 92 minutes.