He's 60, and she's 15, and no, it's not creepy. I can understand a young girl infatuated with an older man, especially an esteemed artist, and it's made clear from the very beginning that she's no Lolita. Richard Burton, in the final phase of his career and life, had some weird films come out around this time, as well as some he obviously did for the paycheck, not for the challenge. This is probably both, and certainly seeing the two names above the title on the poster must have raise too many eyebrows in 1981. I've seen many May / December romances over the years that were genuinely creepy or eventually won me over, as this one surprisingly does not go down the creepy category, but it does not win me over either.
The film is directed by Jules Dassin, best known for "Never on Sunday", made 30 years before. Burton is as classy as ever, and he doesn't come off as undignified, but O'Neal seems very awkward,. Perhaps her "Little Darlings" co-star Kristy McNichol should have been offered this film instead, because she had the enthusiasm that this character required, while O'Neal is trying too hard to remain a lady and comes off forced. At least the script acknowledges the age difference ("You're robbing the grave!") and never gives any insinuation that something physical is going to happen even though a few physical touching scenes between the two and the artistic modeling seeing are eye raising.
Mostly it's about companionship, two human beings regardless of age connecting, and he sees her as a daughter that he didn't have or a student he mentors. It's unlike the 1973 Clint Eastwood movie "Breezy" in that sense, although that one wasn't all that cringy either. But the low-budget is obvious, the pacing is slow, and it seems like something that would have been made for early cable TV rather than something released theatrically.
The film is directed by Jules Dassin, best known for "Never on Sunday", made 30 years before. Burton is as classy as ever, and he doesn't come off as undignified, but O'Neal seems very awkward,. Perhaps her "Little Darlings" co-star Kristy McNichol should have been offered this film instead, because she had the enthusiasm that this character required, while O'Neal is trying too hard to remain a lady and comes off forced. At least the script acknowledges the age difference ("You're robbing the grave!") and never gives any insinuation that something physical is going to happen even though a few physical touching scenes between the two and the artistic modeling seeing are eye raising.
Mostly it's about companionship, two human beings regardless of age connecting, and he sees her as a daughter that he didn't have or a student he mentors. It's unlike the 1973 Clint Eastwood movie "Breezy" in that sense, although that one wasn't all that cringy either. But the low-budget is obvious, the pacing is slow, and it seems like something that would have been made for early cable TV rather than something released theatrically.