ironweed novel vs. movie

IRONWEED is the story of Francis Phelan's return to Albany, New York. In 1901, Phelan was a trolley car worker for the Albany Traction Company. During a strike, Phelan throws a rock and kills a scab conductor. To escape prosecution, he leaves Albany for a year. After he returns, he attempts to build a life with his wife and children. But he drops his 13-day-old son Gerald on the floor, killing him. Phelan splits for good. …

…I was concerned about this, as Archer plays only a minor role in the novel. But again, Kennedy has changed the novel into the screenplay with amazing skill and taste. And Meryl Streep, as Archer, shows the stuff that pros are made of. You won't forget her performance for a long time. When she belts out a tune in "The Gilded Cage" nightclub, the audience on the screen and in the theater are both moved.