Duvall as Mr. Hillyer Lukas Haas as Willcox "Buddy" Hillyer John Heard as adult Buddy Hillyer Lisa Jakub as Frances "Dolly" Hillyer Evan Lockwood as Warren "Waski" Hillyer Kevin Conway as Dr. Martinson Robert John Burke as Dave Wilkie, Rose's first husband Production In reference to the bed scene between Laura Dern and Lukas Haas, director Martha Coolidge said Lukas was sort of the perfect age to play the part of Buddy. "It was important not to have a child, because the scene would have been unpleasant. It was also important not to have a man, because the scene would have meant something else." Capitalizing on the actor's curiosity about sex, Coolidge said, "Lukas knows that acting is living. He has made 25 movies. His great gift in Rambling Rose is that he shared something important, his first experience with sex, with the audience. Yet the whole scene is an illusion, except when he touches Laura's breasts." Reception The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 100% approval rating, based on 20 reviews. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised the storytelling and performances, summarizing the film as a "beauty." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, saying "The movie is all character and situation, and contains some of the best performances of the year, especially in the ensemble acting of the four main characters." On his TV program with Gene Siskel, both critics gave it a thumbs up. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B, extolling the performances, particularly Dern. He wrote that, "No young actress today can play emotionally hungry postadolescents with such purity and yearning." Awards and nominations Notes References External links 1991 films 1991 drama films American drama films Carolco Pictures films 1990s English-language films Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Films about sexuality Films based on American novels Films directed by Martha Coolidge Films set in Georgia (U.S. state) Films set in the 1930s Films set in 1971 Films shot in North Carolina Independent Spirit Award for Best Film winners 1991 independent films Films set in the 1970s Films about puberty 1990s coming-of-age drama films 1990s American films