The Subject Was Roses (1968)

Director:

Ulu Grosbard

Writer:

Frank D. Gilroy (play)

Release Date:

12 February 1970 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

"Deeply moving film!"

Plot:

When Timmy Cleary (Sheen), comes home from soldiering, he's greeted by the open but strained arms of his two parents...

Plot Keywords:

Rose | Mother Son Relationship | Lake | Regret | Bickering

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Patricia Neal	...	Nettie Cleary
Jack Albertson	...	John Cleary
Martin Sheen	...	Timmy Cleary
Don Saxon	...	The Master of Ceremonies
Elaine Williams	...	The Woman in Club

Runtime:

USA:107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PA (Ontario) | USA:G

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Delos Productions Inc.

Trivia:

Jack Albertson won the 1965 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Drama for "The Subject was Roses" and recreated the role in this production.

Quotes:

Nettie Cleary: I never doubted he'd do as well as anyone else.
John Cleary: Where he's concerned, you never doubted, period. If he came in right now and said he could fly, you'd help him out the window.

Movie Connections:

References Gilda (1946)

Soundtrack:

Who Knows Where the Time Goes?

Intense Character Study.

Parents Patricia Neal (Oscar-nominated) and Jack Albertson (Oscar-winning) welcome back son Martin Sheen from World War II and the event leads to emotional fireworks for all involved in this intense and sometimes difficult-to-sit-through drama from 1968. Albertson has ruled with an iron-fist for years and basically done whatever he has wanted to do, while Neal has been stuck in a loveless and heartless marriage. Sheen has always been somewhat unaware of all that had transpired due to being physically sick for much of his youth. Sheen brings roses to his mother and say they are from Albertson and this small, kind gesture starts an almost unending string of events that will affect all three of the key players and in the end happiness is not a certainty by a long-shot. The film is an intense character study in the tradition of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". Albertson, known for comedy and sometimes uninspired performances, gives the performance of his lifetime and easily one of the best performances of the 1960s. 4 stars out of 5.