The Way We Were (1973)

Two desperate people have a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writer:

Arthur Laurents

Stars:

Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman

Won 2 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Barbra Streisand	...	Katie
Robert Redford	...	Hubbell
Bradford Dillman	...	J.J.
Lois Chiles	...	Carol Ann
Patrick O'Neal	...	George Bissinger
Viveca Lindfors	...	Paula Reisner
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Rhea Edwards
Murray Hamilton	...	Brooks Carpenter
Herb Edelman	...	Bill Verso
Diana Ewing	...	Vicki Bissinger
Sally Kirkland	...	Pony Dunbar
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Peggy Vanderbilt
Don Keefer	...	Actor
George Gaynes	...	El Morocco Captain
Eric Boles	...	Army Corporal

Storyline

The movie begins with the Katie (Barbra Streisand) running into Hubbell Gardner, an All-American popular jock she went to college with, some time after World War II. Though some other summaries claim it's been about 20 years, that is not really the case. It's probably been more like 10 years since college and Hubbell has written his first novel and later joined the navy while Katie continues to work hard and remains very much involved in the grassroots level of politics. Katie who had a crush on Hubbell back in college is still very attracted to him and soon the two start an "on again off again" relationship. Eventually Katie ends up giving up her voice and her interest in politics in order to hold on to Hubbell and they get married. However when Hubbell begins to compromise his literary talent by abandoning his novel writing for writing Screenplays for Hollywood their marriage begins its downfall. When the government begins its witch-hunt for communists among Hollywood writers and ...

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Plot Keywords:

college | friend | writer | writing | activist | 

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Taglines:

Some memories last forever.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 October 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nuestros años felices

Filming Locations:

Ballston Spa, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Rastar Productions, Tom Ward Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Woods' first film (although not the first to be released).

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Goofs

At the beginning of the movie, Katie walks into a bar with Bill. They agree that Katie will have her usual, Dubonnet on the rocks. Bill disappears for a moment, then returns with Katie's drink, which has absolutely no ice.

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Quotes

Katie Morosky Gardner: Your girl is lovely, Hubbell.

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Connections

Referenced in Modern Family: Fifteen Percent (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)"
(1931) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Barris
Played as dance music at the El Morocco

User Reviews

Hollywood schmaltz or deeply felt love story?

Actually, "The Way We Were" is both, and happily so. It's a classy romantic period drama about a 1940s wallflower in New York who blooms in love with her ex-jock boyfriend (an old acquaintance from their college days), and the movie overflows with star-power. None of today's celebrities have the kind of chemistry Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford bring to the screen, and Streisand in particular is so deeply into this character that the herky-jerky editing and breathless writing don't harm her or get in the way (the faults can easily be overlooked). When writer Redford adapts his novel into a screenplay and the couple marries and moves to Hollywood in the McCarthy-Blacklist era, her passion for politics gets them both in hot water; that's where this script hits a snag, with increasingly melodramatic plotting (Redford's affair with a former flame) and confusion in the character motivations (this primarily due to hasty, eleventh-hour editing). Still, it is a handsomely-produced movie with a great tearjerker ending and two fine stars who plow right through the nonsense and bumpy continuity. They transcend the make-believe surroundings, turning the picture into something really special, something to remember. ***1/2 from ****