Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973)

American Walter Elbertson, in his late teens, is feeling lost within his family of overachievers. Thirty-something Englishwoman Lila Fisher is emotionally repressed. The two meet on their ... See full summary »

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writer:

Alvin Sargent

Stars:

Maggie Smith, Timothy Bottoms, Don Jaime de Mora y Aragón

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Maggie Smith	...	Lila Fisher
Timothy Bottoms	...	Walter Elbertson
Don Jaime de Mora y Aragón	...	The Duke (as Don Jaime de Mora y)
Emiliano Redondo	...	The Spanish Gentleman
Charles Baxter	...	Dr. Elbertson
Margaret Modlin	...	Mrs. Elbertson
May Heatherly	...	Melanie Elbertson (as May Heatherley)
Lloyd Brimhall	...	Carl
Elmer Modling	...	Dr. Edelheidt
Andrés Monreal	...	Tourist Guide

Storyline

American Walter Elbertson, in his late teens, is feeling lost within his family of overachievers. Thirty-something Englishwoman Lila Fisher is emotionally repressed. The two meet on their respective vacations in Spain, when, on the spur of the moment, Walter decides to ditch his overly regimented cycling tour group and join the bus tour group of which Lila is a part. They hardly speak to each other during the first few days, and when they do, they make each other nervous since each is scared of life. In spite of their fear of life or largely because of it, they enter into a friendship that blossoms into a romance, however rocky the road to that romance is. Out of circumstance, they abandon the bus tour and travel together through Spain on their own. Their relationship is put to the test of outside scrutiny when they meet and have an extended stay with a Spanish Duke.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 April 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Widower

Filming Locations:

Estudios Verona, Madrid, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The verses Lila twice repeats aloud to herself, beginning "How beautifully blue the sky", are from the lyrics of the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, by Gilbert and Sullivan.

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Goofs

When Walter and Lila park the caravan trailer for the night, it is pouring down rain, and the ground outside the trailer is saturated with mud and puddles. Yet early the next morning, as Walter emerges from the caravan, it is sunny out and the ground is completely dry, no sign whatsoever of mud or puddles from the previous night's deluge.

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Quotes

Walter Elbertson: I love you, Lila. I really love you. You're a pain in the ass but I love you.

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Connections

References King of Kings (1961)

User Reviews

The test of time!

After viewing Love and Pain nearly thirty years after it's initial release, I felt that this film had certainly passed the test of time. This sometimes overlooked film is an excellent vehicle for Maggie Smith in a dramatic role; even more believable than her classic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Initially the film appears to be a very clever, dry comedy, accented by Maggie Smith's prim and proper British morals pitted against Timothy Bottom's portrayal of a rich, but socially awkward American student. From the hysterically funny camping-trailer scene to the bitter-sweet twist at the end, Love and Pain is a timeless treasure worthy of a place on your video shelf!