United States

Lenny had only one friend in all the world.
The forces pulling at Lenny threaten to ignite the mental powder keg locked in his child-like mind. This powerful dramatic adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel focuses on the lives of two itinerant ranch hands at the turn of the century. Lenny (Randy Quaid) is physically strong but pathetically retarded; his lifelong friend, George (Robert Blake), has committed himself to protecting Lenny from his innocent but often near-tragic failings. On the run to avoid capture from one of Lenny's mishaps, the pair get a job - working for a rancher named Jackson (Pat Hingle). As well as gaining a new sense of security and new friends, the two even manage to save some money from this steady employment. But things start to go wrong. Lenny becomes the constant butt of Curley, the rancher's son (Ted Neeley), who incessantly harasses him. Then there's the attentions of Curley's wife, Mae (Cassie Yates). The forces pulling at Lenny - friends, enemies, passion. freedom - threaten to unlock the mental bomb imprisoned in Lenny's child-like mind.