Rachel, Rachel (1968)

Director:

Paul Newman

Writers:

Margaret Laurence (novel)
Stewart Stern (writer)

Release Date:

26 August 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Who was she? Sometimes she was a child skipping rope. Sometimes she was a woman with a passionate hunger. And one day the woman and the child came together...

Plot:

Rachel is a 35 year old school teacher who has no man in her life and lives with her mother. When a man from the big city returns and asks her out...

Plot Keywords:

Teacher | School | Surrealism | Self Discovery | Lesbianism

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Joanne Woodward	...	Rachel Cameron
James Olson	...	Nick Kazlik
Kate Harrington	...	Mrs. Cameron
Estelle Parsons	...	Calla Mackie
Donald Moffat	...	Niall Cameron
Terry Kiser	...	Preacher
Frank Corsaro	...	Hector Jonas
Bernard Barrow	...	Leighton Siddley
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Rev. Wood
Nell Potts	...	Rachel as a child
Shawn Campbell	...	James
Violet Dunn	...	Verla
Beatrice Pons
Dortha Duckworth		(as Dorothea Duckworth)
Simm Landres

Also Known As:

A Jest of God (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:X (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bethel, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Kayos Productions

Trivia:

Terry Kiser's film debut.

Quotes:

Rachel Cameron: Back to our respective cages.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stella (1990)

An underrated classic; Joanne Woodward gives brilliant performance

This film is one my all time favorites. It's a strong story about a school teacher who lives with her cranky, dominating mother and who hasn't had (or used!) the chance to take responsibility for her own life. Rachel is a woman of many fears; fears that may seem insignificant and vain from an outsiders point of view but that are everything to her, that actually define the framework for her life. In a little town of conservative values it is hard to take a turn and find the courage to become something you weren't before. Joanne Woodward gives a masterful performance and is the heart and soul of this film. She does the most incredible things with just her eyes and her face, and her voice. She makes Rachel so real it hurts to watch. That's acting. Estelle Parsons as Calla is fantastic, too. This is a beautiful, sensitive movie, highly underrated and way too unknown to most people. For me, it's a classic. Go find it and see it!