Two for the Road (1967)

A couple in the south of France non-sequentially spin down the highways of infidelity in their troubled ten-year marriage.

Director:

Stanley Donen

Writer:

Frederic Raphael

Stars:

Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, Eleanor Bron

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Audrey Hepburn	...	Joanna Wallace
Albert Finney	...	Mark Wallace
Eleanor Bron	...	Cathy Manchester
William Daniels	...	Howard Manchester
Gabrielle Middleton	...	Ruth Manchester
Claude Dauphin	...	Maurice Dalbret
Nadia Gray	...	Francoise Dalbret
Georges Descrières	...	David (as Georges Descrieres)
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Jackie
Judy Cornwell	...	Pat
Irène Hilda	...	Yvonne de Florac (as Irene Hilda)
Dominique Joos	...	Sylvia

Storyline

Joanna is in a touring girl's choir and Mark is a struggling architect. when they first meet on the road in Europe. The film follows their life together --- through courtship and marriage, infidelity and parenthood --- all on the road in a variety of cars through a score of time-shifting vignettes.

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | infidelity | europe | on the road | france | 

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Taglines:

They make something wonderful out of being alive!

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Genres:

Drama | Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 April 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un camino para dos

Filming Locations:

Beauvallon, Drôme, France

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stanley Donen Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally slated to be produced by Universal. Taken over by Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown from 20th Century Fox.

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Goofs

When Mark and Joanna are riding away in the concrete pipe, you can clearly see that the truck carrying them has a large set of wheels as the furthest back portion of the truck, which would make it difficult for them to just jump out. But when they cut to the scene where they are jumping out, the large set of wheels is gone.

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Quotes

Mark Wallace: What kind of people just sit like that without a word to say to each other?
Joanna Wallace: Married people?

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Connections

Referenced in Cuatro estaciones (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Two for the Road"
(uncredited)
Music by Henry Mancini

User Reviews

Beautifully Rendered Postcards With a Peerless Audrey

I read in Danny Peary's "A Guide for the Film Fanatic" that some people have formed a strong emotional attachment to this 1967 film. I am one of them. From the opening notes of Henry Mancini's evocative score (personally I think it's his best work) to the end where the main characters drive off into Italy after some verbal sparring, this movie still provides the same pleasure it did when I first saw it on TV in the early seventies. "Two for the Road" is a time capsule of Carnaby Street fashion and French new wave scene juxtaposition, but it remains timeless in its emotionally piercing view of marriage and in the beguiling presence of Audrey Hepburn. There will unlikely be an actress with more style or grace on screen, and never has she seemed more sexy, playful or innately human. It's a shame she never played a role as rich in texture as Frederic Raphael's script provides here. His dialogue is sharp and insightful, as he has the main characters often repeat one another for the sake of getting a different meaning from the same line of dialogue.

As Joanna and Mark Wallace, Hepburn and Albert Finney get to live out more than a decade in their characters' lives from initial meeting to near-divorce. What makes the evolution more impressive is that the story is not a linear narrative but rather a series of five road trips that volley the viewer back and forth in the relationship. Finney provides a formidable match for Hepburn, and he plays with the right mix of roguish insouciance and insecure ambition that doesn't make his character always likable but certainly believable. Their chemistry is palpable, especially in the early days of their courtship as the movie makes hitchhiking the most romantic of adventures with the couple cutting through the entirety of France in various vehicles in record time. Only in the movies. The episode with the pretentious American tourist couple and their bratty daughter provides some biting and funny moments...ironically, the actress portraying the wife, Eleanor Bron, is British. Not surprising that this movie was not such a huge hit stateside since the four Americans in the movie are portrayed in such an unflattering light.

Regardless, credit needs to go to director Stanley Donen (himself an American), who somehow pulls all these disparate elements together and uses his extensive Hollywood experience to bring a nice glossy sheen to the whole film. His third collaboration with Hepburn (after "Funny Face" and "Charade") really turns into a tribute to her as she makes a remarkable transformation from naïve choirgirl to jaded jet-set housewife that goes well beyond the changing hairstyles and clothing. This is one to treasure.

This wondrous film has been lovingly restored for its much-delayed DVD release. The print quality has been significantly improved over the VHS tape I've had for over a decade. A nice bonus feature is a split-screen before-and-after short that shows the visual improvement. Best of all, there is finally an audio commentary track to accompany the film, and Donen provides illuminating insight on the elliptical narrative structure and the non-chronological juxtaposition of the scenes. He explains that the characters are reliving their memories by association with the feelings they are having in the present. His adoration of Hepburn is pervasive and understandable, as he claims rightfully that this was her best performance (they worked together three times). I just wish Finney was available to add his perspective. Moreover, if you ever wondered why the young Jacqueline Bisset's voice doesn't sound like her at all, he admits she was re-dubbed by another actress due to the blaring noise of generators during the location shooting. She apparently had already moved on to shoot her first Hollywood film. For those like me who adore this film, the DVD is a must-buy.