The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

John Nichols (novel) and
Alvin Sargent (writer)

Release Date:

22 October 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

First love is beautiful hurt....if it happens to you once, you're lucky.

Plot:

Two students from neighboring colleges in upstate New York are swept up in a tragic romantic interlude...

Plot Keywords:

College | Break Up | Breakdown | Party | Broken Heart

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Liza Minnelli	...	'Pookie' (Mary Ann) Adams
Wendell Burton	...	Jerry Payne
Tim McIntire	...	Charlie Schumacher

Also Known As:

Pookie (UK)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG (re-rating) (1972) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Clinton, New York, USA

Company:

Boardwalk Productions

Trivia:

In the original novel, the story takes place over three years. This was shortened to a single school year for the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Takes place in Upstate New York over the course of an entire school year, yet the location is never snowy, even in December, when all the deciduous trees still have their leaves.

Quotes:

Charlie Schumacher: [privately debunking his ladies-man reputation to Jerry] I'll bet you and me are the only two guys in the dorm who've never been laid.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "L.A. Law: The Unsterile Cuckoo (#4.1)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

House of The Rising Sun

Terrific, one of Liza's best

Liza Minnelli...That name conjures up so many images: Her mother, Judy, elegance, beauty, humor, and sometimes pain. Well, she sheds all of them except the last 2. In this role as the odd Pookie Adams, a girl who is afraid of "weirdos" but who in a sense really is, Liza Minnelli has to pull together a wonderful (Academy Award Nominating) part that will tug at your heart and look at the world through HER eyes. Pookie meets Jerry Payne (Wendell Burton) and goes through a couple of sly tricks to make sure that he never forgets her. Jerry falls in love with this strange but lovable girl. That is until her fear of him leaving makes her over-protective and a little pushy. It begins to drive him away. But what movie on teenage lovers is really convincing? Well, these two sure are convincing. Sometimes you just want to strangle Pookie and other times you just want to jump into the screen and hold her close and say "It's gonna be all right". I rated this a 7 because there was something missing and I felt it. But otherwise, Liza Minnelli fans, this is way worth it!