(There are Spoilers) Things haven't been going too well with Episcopal Minister T. Lawrence-known to his parishioners as "Crackpot Larry"-Shannon since he was exposed,or exposed himself, in his private office to a cute and innocent elementary school teacher who was there to seek his help. As it turned out the "innocent" young woman actually wanted to have an affair with the startled man of the cloth who was then, as an act of revenge, accused by the teacher of trying to have his way with her when he in fact refused her advances!
At his next Sundy sermon Shannon completely cracked up driving everyone in attendance to flee the church with him ending up in a mental institution for his own good and, in order to keep from harming himself, safety. Out of the church and having a Job as a tour guide for the bottom of the barrel sightseeing outfit Baxter Tours Shannon again gets involved with a young girl-Charlotte Goodall- who's among the group of religious women he's showing the sights, of old Mexico, to.
Like with the young school teacher Shannon is totally innocent of any inappropriate advances towards the sexy and hot to trot Charlotte even going as far as locking himself in his hotel room in order to keep her from throwing herself, sexually, on him. It turns out that Charlotte's chaperon the, what's obvious to Shannon, bull-dike Judith Fellows feels differently about Shannon's relations, which is totally platonic, with Charlotte. Fellows who seems to be a bit too protective of Charlotte, by wanting to keep her away from men and have her all for herself, is now determined to have Shannon fired from his job which caused him to suffer another nervous breakdown!
Hijacking the bus-load of women Shannon drives into the jungles of Costa Verde where he ditches the bus and goes to stay at the dilapidate hotel of his lady friend, her husband Fred had died just three weeks ago, Maxine Faulk. Maxine who's looking for the company of a man since her husband, who was 28 years older then her, passed away spends most of her time partying with two Mexican beach-boys, who are constantly playing their maracas, who have become a bit of a drag to her. Seeing the handsome and a bit nutty Shannon Maxine, who also seems to be a bit nuts herself, feels that he'll be perfect in running her place, as the in house spiritual adviser, with her. It's later in the film when the prudish spinster Hannah Jelkes and her 97 year-old wheel-chair bound grandfather and poet Nonno shows up at Maxine's place that the confused about man's, as well as his, place in the world Shannon finally sees the light. But only after he, in fear of being defrocked and also losing his job, attempted to kill himself by, as he said, swimming to China: or better yet drowning himself in the Pacific Ocean.
Deep and thought provoking film about life death and the what it's, existence, all about with Richard Burton giving one of his most penetrating performances as the mentally unstable and suicidal Rev. Lawrence T. Shannon. Shannon who was on the brink of killing himself but saved from drowning by Maxine's Mexican beach-boys, Pepe & Pedro, finally got it right from the just about gone, on his death wheelchair, Grandpa Nonno.
In what has to be the highlight of the movie Nonno who was comatose during almost the entire film regained consciousness just in time to recite a poem he wrote which, in the minds of everyone listening, brought the house down. It was Nonno's heart wrenching and at the same time simple poem that brought Shannon, in not being able to fathom whats been happening to him, back to sanity. It's the simple things in life that Shannon had been ignoring that were, according to Nonno's poem, by far the most important things in his life. Far more important then the mindless and unexplained questions, like why are all these crazy and terrible things happening to me, that has been driving Shannon nuts all these years. With having that knowledge and wisdom to clear and straighten out his confused and troubled mind Shannon finally broke the chains that have kept him from living a full and normal life together with him, and Hannah, cutting loose and setting free Maxine's pet iguana who was, by being tied up, as helpless and miserable as he was!
At his next Sundy sermon Shannon completely cracked up driving everyone in attendance to flee the church with him ending up in a mental institution for his own good and, in order to keep from harming himself, safety. Out of the church and having a Job as a tour guide for the bottom of the barrel sightseeing outfit Baxter Tours Shannon again gets involved with a young girl-Charlotte Goodall- who's among the group of religious women he's showing the sights, of old Mexico, to.
Like with the young school teacher Shannon is totally innocent of any inappropriate advances towards the sexy and hot to trot Charlotte even going as far as locking himself in his hotel room in order to keep her from throwing herself, sexually, on him. It turns out that Charlotte's chaperon the, what's obvious to Shannon, bull-dike Judith Fellows feels differently about Shannon's relations, which is totally platonic, with Charlotte. Fellows who seems to be a bit too protective of Charlotte, by wanting to keep her away from men and have her all for herself, is now determined to have Shannon fired from his job which caused him to suffer another nervous breakdown!
Hijacking the bus-load of women Shannon drives into the jungles of Costa Verde where he ditches the bus and goes to stay at the dilapidate hotel of his lady friend, her husband Fred had died just three weeks ago, Maxine Faulk. Maxine who's looking for the company of a man since her husband, who was 28 years older then her, passed away spends most of her time partying with two Mexican beach-boys, who are constantly playing their maracas, who have become a bit of a drag to her. Seeing the handsome and a bit nutty Shannon Maxine, who also seems to be a bit nuts herself, feels that he'll be perfect in running her place, as the in house spiritual adviser, with her. It's later in the film when the prudish spinster Hannah Jelkes and her 97 year-old wheel-chair bound grandfather and poet Nonno shows up at Maxine's place that the confused about man's, as well as his, place in the world Shannon finally sees the light. But only after he, in fear of being defrocked and also losing his job, attempted to kill himself by, as he said, swimming to China: or better yet drowning himself in the Pacific Ocean.
Deep and thought provoking film about life death and the what it's, existence, all about with Richard Burton giving one of his most penetrating performances as the mentally unstable and suicidal Rev. Lawrence T. Shannon. Shannon who was on the brink of killing himself but saved from drowning by Maxine's Mexican beach-boys, Pepe & Pedro, finally got it right from the just about gone, on his death wheelchair, Grandpa Nonno.
In what has to be the highlight of the movie Nonno who was comatose during almost the entire film regained consciousness just in time to recite a poem he wrote which, in the minds of everyone listening, brought the house down. It was Nonno's heart wrenching and at the same time simple poem that brought Shannon, in not being able to fathom whats been happening to him, back to sanity. It's the simple things in life that Shannon had been ignoring that were, according to Nonno's poem, by far the most important things in his life. Far more important then the mindless and unexplained questions, like why are all these crazy and terrible things happening to me, that has been driving Shannon nuts all these years. With having that knowledge and wisdom to clear and straighten out his confused and troubled mind Shannon finally broke the chains that have kept him from living a full and normal life together with him, and Hannah, cutting loose and setting free Maxine's pet iguana who was, by being tied up, as helpless and miserable as he was!