Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Buttercup Chain

  • 19701970
  • RR
  • 1h 35m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
147
YOUR RATING
The Buttercup Chain (1970)
  • Drama
  • Romance
Born to twin sisters on the same day in London, France and Margaret are more like brother and sister than cousins. The close relationship between the cousins is suspended when Margaret is se... Read allBorn to twin sisters on the same day in London, France and Margaret are more like brother and sister than cousins. The close relationship between the cousins is suspended when Margaret is sent abroad for schooling. Now a young woman, Margaret returns to London and resumes her int... Read allBorn to twin sisters on the same day in London, France and Margaret are more like brother and sister than cousins. The close relationship between the cousins is suspended when Margaret is sent abroad for schooling. Now a young woman, Margaret returns to London and resumes her intimate connection with France. Fearing that their relationship could become incestuous, Fra... Read all
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
147
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Ellis Miller
  • Writers
    • Peter Draper(screenplay)
    • Janice Elliott(novel)
  • Stars
    • Hywel Bennett
    • Leigh Taylor-Young
    • Jane Asher
Top credits
  • Director
    • Robert Ellis Miller
  • Writers
    • Peter Draper(screenplay)
    • Janice Elliott(novel)
  • Stars
    • Hywel Bennett
    • Leigh Taylor-Young
    • Jane Asher
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos15

    Jane Asher, Hywel Bennett, and Sven-Bertil Taube in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Leigh Taylor-Young in The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    The Buttercup Chain (1970)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Hywel Bennett
    Hywel Bennett
    • Franceas France
    Leigh Taylor-Young
    Leigh Taylor-Young
    • Mannyas Manny
    Jane Asher
    Jane Asher
    • Margaretas Margaret
    Sven-Bertil Taube
    Sven-Bertil Taube
    • Fredas Fred
    Clive Revill
    Clive Revill
    • Georgeas George
    Roy Dotrice
    Roy Dotrice
    • Martin Carr-Gibbonsas Martin Carr-Gibbons
    Michael Elphick
    Michael Elphick
    • The Driveras The Driver
    Jonathan Burn
    Jonathan Burn
    • Albertoas Alberto
    Yutte Stensgaard
    Yutte Stensgaard
    • Ullahas Ullah
    Susan Baker
    • Kateas Kate
    Jennifer Baker
    • Ursulaas Ursula
    • Director
      • Robert Ellis Miller
    • Writers
      • Peter Draper(screenplay)
      • Janice Elliott(novel)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Big Bounce
    5.4
    The Big Bounce
    The Adventurers
    5.4
    The Adventurers
    The Virgin Soldiers
    6.1
    The Virgin Soldiers
    Percy
    4.4
    Percy
    The Games
    6.1
    The Games
    The Love Factor
    3.8
    The Love Factor
    Deep End
    7.2
    Deep End
    The Girl from Petrovka
    5.2
    The Girl from Petrovka
    The Hanging Woman
    5.7
    The Hanging Woman
    The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
    7.6
    The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
    Twisted Nerve
    7.0
    Twisted Nerve
    I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!
    6.2
    I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This was considered a major prestige counterculture movie for Columbia, and their first choice for director was the young Michael Reeves, hot from the success of his horror pic, Witchfinder General (1968). However, his sudden death at age 25 ended that possibility.
    • Soundtracks
      The Picnic Theme
      by Pat Ryan, Jacky Taylor and John A. Coleman (as John Coleman)

      Arranged and conducted by John A. Coleman as (John Coleman)

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    Somewhat less than compelling
    I'm generally a sucker for British swinging 60's movies like "Blow Up", "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" or "Goodbye Gemini". Even some of the ones that aren't very good have their charms. There's nothing especially "swinging 60's" about this movie though--the kind of "free love", swapping relationship between the four ridiculously attractive characters could really have occurred in about any era (in fact, if it happened in the 90's, when I was this age, or today, it might even have had a bisexual element to it). This movie is light and airy like a lot of late 60's/early 70's film and definitely somewhat removed from reality (i.e. these characters have plenty of money but seemingly no jobs): however, it also eventually turns into a kind of leaden melodrama.

    The story involves a pair of male and female cousins (whose mothers were identical twins) played by Hywel Bennet and Jane Asher. They are very much in love with each other, and if they had simply acted on it a lot of tragedy (and no small amount of boredom) would have been averted. But instead they decide to find each other lovers--a blonde Swedish hunk (Sven Bertil Taube) and a ditzy American bimbo (Leigh Taylor-Young). Of course, the two lovers eventually fall for each other as well, and there is also a much older English man, who is in love with Taylor-Young's character, thrown into the mix . A pregnancy and a subsequent tragedy complicate matters.

    The problem with this movie is that, while the two lead characters are by far the more interesting and are played by the two better actors (Hywell Bennet was in both "Twisted Nerve" and "Endless Night" with Haley Mills, while Jane Asher, a former girlfriend of Paul McCartney's, was in the excellent British cult film "Deep End"), WAY too much of the story really revolves around Leigh Taylor-Young's character. Taylor-Young was VERY attractive,of course, which might be why no one ever realized she couldn't act worth spit (She was kind of the female equivalent of Ryan O'Neal, who ironically she would later marry). Even if she were a far better actress though, her character is simply too ditzy and shallow to care much about, and her male partner Taube is simply too bland. Taylor-Young does have a nice topless dancing scene after she freaks out at a disco, but it still doesn't begin to redeem her generally wretched performance.

    This movie simply gives too much screen time to the less interesting characters and less talented actors and never really develops and utilizes the more interesting and more talented ones. The four leads and the scenery (shot in England, Spain, and Sweden) all look very nice, but the movie overall is somewhat less than compelling.
    helpful•9
    6
    • lazarillo
    • Jun 13, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 12, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Aşk Kelebekleri
    • Filming locations
      • Luton Airport, Luton, Bedfordshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Columbia British Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 35 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Buttercup Chain (1970)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for The Buttercup Chain (1970)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    2022 TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:02
    LGBTQIA+ Movies and Shows to Watch This Summer
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.