The Way We Were (1973)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writer:

Arthur Laurents (written by)

Release Date:

19 October 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Everything seemed so important then .. even love!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

College | Writing | Hollywood | Communist | Bittersweet

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Katie Morosky
Robert Redford	...	Hubbell Gardner
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

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Ballston Spa, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

When Robert Redford procrastinated about taking the role of Hubbell Gardner, producer Ray Stark approached Ryan O'Neal.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In California, Katie is holding a "hot" pot and offers it to Hubble. He takes the spoonful and notes that it is indeed hot. However, moments later, Katie is holding the bottom of the pot with her bare hands.

Quotes:

Hubbell Gardner: When you love someone, from Roosevelt to me, you go deaf, dumb and blind.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: The Way We Were (#3.23)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

In the Mood

Strangely Mesmerizing

I too watched this film because of the reference in Sex & the City, and found it strangely mesmerizing, despite its many flaws. It is an attempt to portray a grand love story in the context of serious political questions, but ultimately it ends up as just another soppy romance, pleasurable to watch, but with no real substance or depth. The character of Katie isn't coherent enough at times to make the film work, despite the fact that Striesand is perfectly cast in this role . At college she's cold and abrasive when Hubble makes overtures towards her, but when they meet again years later she acts like a giddy school girl with a crush. There are powerful moments when they argue over principles and the future of their relationship, but the problems that drive them apart aren't explored deeply enough to make it work. It's hard to believe that they could be so deliriously happy when Katie announces she's pregnant, only to have everthing fall to pieces before the baby is even born. Given the supposed depth of their love for each other, Hubble's affair is completely unconvincing, even making allowances for the volatile political situation they find themselves in.

The film had great potential to explore the pressures that outside forces can have on two people with very different views who love each other against all the odds, and how these pressures will ultimately take their toll, but it lacks the insight that could have made it a really great film. Instead it opts for the sugar-coated version that's bound to be a crowd pleaser, but leaves the more discerning viewer feeling slightly disappointed and empty.

That said, I did like the ending a lot, and believe that Robert Redford is a fine actor. The brief look of intense pain & regret in Hubble's eyes when he is confronted with everything he has lost, and everything that could have been when he meets Katie on the street in New York almost makes up for the rest of the films flaws. He took the easy way out, and is forced to admit this to himself, if only for a moment before he is swept back into his glamourous lifestyle as a screen writer. Katie, on the other hand has stayed true to her beliefs, and she summs it up the fims theme perfectly when she tells Hubble that she likes his "girl". It is a girl he has chosen over a woman that could have brought out the very best in him, and helped him to be the kind of man he yearned to be, but didn't have the determination or courage for, and this is where the great tragedy of the film lies. Definitely worth seeing.