"You already got bone structure. When I was your age I didn't have no bone structure. Took me years to get bone structure. And don't think bone structure's not important. People didn't decide to call me "Mademoiselle" until I was seventeen and getting a little bone structure."
The relationship between father and daughter is beautiful thing. Although, it’s sad to see that nowadays more men are afraid to be fathers to their young children due to immaturity and selfishness. Peter Bogdanovich’s attempt to adapt the novel “Addie Pray” by Joe David Brown, with the help of Alvin Sargent, was a success. Paper Moon is filled with different shots and angles that say much more than any of the dialog could about the relationship between Moses (Ryan O’Neal) and Addie (Tatum O’Neal). The father-daughter collaboration is main focus of the film and the fact that the two are actually related in real life, make the performances much more convincing and real. We don’t come to realizations until we’re put through a series of experiments that open our eyes to what’s actually important in life. Moses shares this feeling throughout the film and Addie is there push him towards that state of realization.
Paper Moon revolves around Moses, a cheap con man, who one day arrives at a funeral to pay his respects towards a woman he once knew. The woman is the mother of the now motherless tomboy Addie, who is thought to resemble Moses. Friends of Addie’s mother suggest that Moses should take Addie to her aunts house now that she has no one to stay with here. At first, Moses is hesitant to the idea but eventually gives in and agrees to take Addie with her. While on the trip, Moses is able to con the man who killed Addie’s mother with his car for $200 dollars; claiming that the money is for Addie, which is true. Addie overhears the conversation and forces Moses to hand over the money. This would be the first time the two clash heads but certainly isn’t the last. Throughout the trip, the relationship of the two becomes stronger and a sense of mutual respect for one another. Moses continues to deny that he is indeed Addie’s father but he becomes more protective of her and is willing to include her in his attempted robberies. The two travel around the Midwest pretending to sell bibles to deceased men, in hope of having their widows pay for the bibles that their husbands never even ordered. Addie and Moses seem to finally get closer until Moses lets his guard down around a deceitful beauty named Miss Trixie Delight. She takes advantage of Moses’ wealth and forces him to give all of his attention to her, neglecting Addie in the process. Yet, the two end up reconnecting after Addie comes up with a cynical plan to help Moses realize how fake Miss Trixie really is. The film then comes to its final act when Addie and Moses are arrested for trying to steal wine from a crooked sheriffs brother. The two escape and are on the run, and for a short time are in the clear, until the cops finally catch Moses and give him a beating since they aren’t allowed to arrest him in St. Louis. This propels Moses to take Addie to her Aunts home instead of keeping her with him on the road.
This film does an incredible job at painting a picture of the struggle that a father goes through at times when attempting to bring himself to accept the responsibilities that he perhaps did not ask for. It’s truly a coming of age story as well as a comedy (the fights that Addie and Moses have will most definitely put a smile on your face). Paper Moon teaches you a lesson: even though you’re given something you never wanted, perhaps what is given to you will help you become a better person in the long run.
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