Screen legends Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep star with Fred Gwynn and Tom Waits in this bittersweet story of haunting memories and the harsh realities of life on the streets. It's winter, 1938 in Albany, New York. The soup kitchens and flophouses are overflowing with homeless start people seeking food and refuge from the unforgiving cold. Francis Phelan (Nicholson) wanders the streets, back in his hometown after 22 years, an aimless vagabond ready to confront the family he abandoned long ago. While sharing his whiskey with longtime "pal" Helen (Streep), Francis reveals the dark secrets of his past, the painful memories from which he once tried to escape. but now must reconcile. The stellar cast includes Carroll Baker, Michael O'Keefe, Diane Venora, Margret Whitton, Ted Levine, James Gammon, Frank Whaley and Nathan Lane. Directed by Hector Babenco (Kiss of the Spider Woman). Ironweed netted Oscarr nominations for Nicholson and Streep.