Directed by Gilbert Cates. Starring Gene Hackman, Melvyn Douglas, Estelle Parsons, Elizabeth Hubbard, Dorothy Stickney, Lovelady Powell. (PG)
Poignant but platitudinous father-son-relationship drama driven by perceptive performances from the two leads. Gene (Hackman) wants to move out to California and marry his girlfriend (Stickney), but feels guilty about leaving his aging father Tom (Douglas) all by himself, especially since they have plenty of unresolved issues that the elder would prefer to bury and ignore, even while stubbornly sticking to his ways. Adapted by Robert Anderson from his own autobiographical play, the script has its share of affecting exchanges and conversations, but the mindset, emotions, and even the characters themselves are dowdily shallow--at one point, Gene's sister describes it as "a lot of sentimental crap," which isn't such an unreasonable sentiment (there are, certainly, moments of truth, but they swim in bathos). Uninspired direction and a disagreeably trilling music score don't help. The viewer's personal history will likely determine whether the ending is registered as a tearjerker or a yawner.
66/100
Poignant but platitudinous father-son-relationship drama driven by perceptive performances from the two leads. Gene (Hackman) wants to move out to California and marry his girlfriend (Stickney), but feels guilty about leaving his aging father Tom (Douglas) all by himself, especially since they have plenty of unresolved issues that the elder would prefer to bury and ignore, even while stubbornly sticking to his ways. Adapted by Robert Anderson from his own autobiographical play, the script has its share of affecting exchanges and conversations, but the mindset, emotions, and even the characters themselves are dowdily shallow--at one point, Gene's sister describes it as "a lot of sentimental crap," which isn't such an unreasonable sentiment (there are, certainly, moments of truth, but they swim in bathos). Uninspired direction and a disagreeably trilling music score don't help. The viewer's personal history will likely determine whether the ending is registered as a tearjerker or a yawner.
66/100