Ash Wednesday (1973)

Barbara Sawyer (Dame Elizabeth Taylor) gets secret plastic surgery in Switzerland in an attempt to save her marriage to Mark Sawyer (Henry Fonda), but he doesn't seem interested in meeting ... See full summary »

Director:

Larry Peerce

Writer:

Jean-Claude Tramont

Stars:

Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Fonda, Helmut Berger

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Barbara Sawyer
Henry Fonda	...	Mark Sawyer
Helmut Berger	...	Erich
Keith Baxter	...	David
Maurice Teynac	...	Doctor Lambert
Margaret Blye	...	Kate Sawyer
Monique van Vooren	...	German Woman
Henning Schlüter	...	Bridge Player
Dino Mele	...	Mario
Kathy Van Lypps	...	Mandy
Dina Sassoli	...	Nurse Ilse
Carlo Puri	...	Paolo
Andrea Esterhazy	...	Comte d'Arnoud
Jill Pratt	...	Simone
Irina Wassilchikoff	...	Silvano del Campo

Storyline

Barbara Sawyer (Dame Elizabeth Taylor) gets secret plastic surgery in Switzerland in an attempt to save her marriage to Mark Sawyer (Henry Fonda), but he doesn't seem interested in meeting her. She checks in to a ski resort to wait for Mark, and begins getting attention from young men. Her daughter tries to warn her that even though she has had the surgery it might be too late for her marriage, but she clings to the hope that Mark will come back once he sees her new look. Meanwhile, she must decide whether or not have an affair with a young man she's met.

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Plot Keywords:

cigar smoking | surgery | ski resort | plastic surgery | white wine | 

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Taglines:

Surgery took years off her face. But can it save her marriage?

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The device in this movie, having to do with aging, is that Dame Elizabeth Taylor plays a much older woman than she was during filming, and then gets surgery to make her look like, basically, Dame Elizabeth from 1973. So in effect, the surgery makes her look beautiful and young, like herself, who was, ironically, an aged, former ingenue.

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Connections

Featured in AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978)

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Soundtracks

Snow Rock
Written by Shire

User Reviews

Elizabeth Taylor is stunning

Elizabeth Taylor is truly stunningly beautiful in Ash Wednesday. Her character Barbara Sawyer goes through the sheer hell of plastic surgery in an effort to win back her philandering rotten husband Mark, played by Henry Fonda. I must admit I didn't realise what a terrible actor Henry Fonda was until I saw him up against the magnificent Elizabeth Taylor. Helmut Berger puts in an appearance as Barbara's young lover. The scenery around Cortina is absolutely exquisite and Elizabeth Taylor's costumes and hair styling are superb. This film is entertaining as it exposes the dangers of thinking that surgery will right problems that no knife can successfully cut away. This film is pure escapism. Enjoy it for what it is. It is an interesting look at lifestyles of the rich in the early 1970s in Europe. Elizabeth Taylor has some great lines.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Rivalin

Filming Locations:

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Veneto, Italy

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,027,170

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Gold Entertainment, Sagittarius Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1