It's WWII. Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) is a Jewish girl working in New York radio pumping out patriotic programming among her many activist jobs. In a nightclub, she runs into former crush and Naval officer Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford). In college, she was a communist student leader struggling to rally against Franco with Frankie McVeigh (James Woods). He was the WASP star athlete, the man around campus, and outwardly lived a carefree life. He's taken with her tenacity and she admires his writing. In the post war years, they are married in Hollywood where he writes for the studio and she fights against Mcarthyism.
She has the better part. He's playing the trophy wife. His hemming and hawing with his writing is a bit infuriating. He's too cool for school except for a few emotional outbursts. Those are great for showing some depth in his character although the couple seems to have only two polar opposite gears. As for her, Streisand gives it her all. There is a grating edge to her character which is not that appealing. I do like that these two flawed characters struggle with their undeniable connection until I can't take their unending fight about politics. Another issue is the unchanging Grecian God beauty of Redford's look. This movie takes place over decades. He needs to change. Maybe give him a buzz cut during the war years. There is the famous song which I wouldn't diss or praise. Pollack delivers a solid melodrama although the relationship gets too melodramatic at times.
