One From Mare's Heart

I didn't catch much of David E. Kelley's new "Brotherhood of Poland, N.H." (I love the tagline I read somewhere, about the three hefty leads: "They're large and in charge"), but let's just say it was on in our house, and I was wrenched from whatever I was doing by the sound of a familiar song at about the 40-minute mark. I walked in to the TV room see the incomparable Mare Winningham accompanying herself at the piano in a heartfelt rendition of "Take Me Home," playing it for her on-screen husband, played by Randy Quaid. This was a first-class TV moment on many levels: It's a neglected gem of a song from Tom Waits' score for Coppola's misbegotten "One From the Heart," and Winningham -- whose singing talent was also on display in "Georgia" -- appeared to be performing it live on camera, without playback, as she acted the yearning, gently chiding words of the song: "Take me home, you silly boy / 'Cause I'm still in love with you." I have a strong hunch the song was Winningham's choice. Either way, that moment of primetime was all hers.