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The Way We Were

  • 19731973
  • PGPG
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
25K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,858
335
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Way We Were (1973)
Watch {VideoTitle}
Play trailer2:25
5 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance

During pre-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beli... Read allDuring pre-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.During pre-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.

IMDb RATING
7.0/10
25K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,858
335
  • Director
    • Sydney Pollack
  • Writers
    • Arthur Laurents
    • Francis Ford Coppola(uncredited)
    • Paddy Chayefsky(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Barbra Streisand
    • Robert Redford
    • Bradford Dillman
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sydney Pollack
  • Writers
    • Arthur Laurents
    • Francis Ford Coppola(uncredited)
    • Paddy Chayefsky(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Barbra Streisand
    • Robert Redford
    • Bradford Dillman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 132User reviews
    • 55Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 6 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos5

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:25
    Official Trailer
    The Way We Were
    Trailer 1:26
    The Way We Were
    Robert Redford: The Con With Conviction & the End of a Legendary Screen Persona
    Clip 5:10
    Robert Redford: The Con With Conviction & the End of a Legendary Screen Persona
    Jurnee Smollett's Valentine's Day Watchlist
    Full Episode 3:40
    Jurnee Smollett's Valentine's Day Watchlist
    Clip
    Video 1:38
    Clip

    Photos156

    Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (1973)
    Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (1973)
    Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (1973)
    Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (1973)
    "The Way We Were" Robert Redford 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Robert Redford 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Robert Redford 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Barbra Streisand 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Barbra Streisand 1973 Columbia
    "The Way We Were" Barbra Streisand 1973 Columbia

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barbra Streisand
    Barbra Streisand
    • Katie Moroskyas Katie Morosky
    Robert Redford
    Robert Redford
    • Hubbell Gardineras Hubbell Gardiner
    Bradford Dillman
    Bradford Dillman
    • J. J.as J. J.
    Lois Chiles
    Lois Chiles
    • Carol Annas Carol Ann
    Patrick O'Neal
    Patrick O'Neal
    • George Bissingeras George Bissinger
    Viveca Lindfors
    Viveca Lindfors
    • Paula Reisneras Paula Reisner
    Allyn Ann McLerie
    Allyn Ann McLerie
    • Rhea Edwardsas Rhea Edwards
    Murray Hamilton
    Murray Hamilton
    • Brooks Carpenteras Brooks Carpenter
    Herb Edelman
    Herb Edelman
    • Bill Versoas Bill Verso
    Diana Ewing
    Diana Ewing
    • Vicki Bissingeras Vicki Bissinger
    Sally Kirkland
    Sally Kirkland
    • Pony Dunbaras Pony Dunbar
    Marcia Mae Jones
    Marcia Mae Jones
    • Peggy Vanderbiltas Peggy Vanderbilt
    Don Keefer
    Don Keefer
    • Actoras Actor
    George Gaynes
    George Gaynes
    • El Morocco Captainas El Morocco Captain
    Eric Boles
    • Army Corporalas Army Corporal
    Barbara Peterson
    • Ashe Blondeas Ashe Blonde
    Roy Jenson
    Roy Jenson
    • Army Captainas Army Captain
    Brendan Kelly
    • Rally Speakeras Rally Speaker
    • Director
      • Sydney Pollack
    • Writers
      • Arthur Laurents
      • Francis Ford Coppola(uncredited)
      • Paddy Chayefsky(uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The often unlikely joint lives of Katie Morosky and Hubbell Gardiner from the late 1930s to the late 1950s is presented, over which time, they are, in no particular order, strangers, acquaintances, friends, best friends, lovers and adversaries. The unlikely nature of their relationship is due to their fundamental differences, where she is Jewish and passionate about her political activism both in political freedoms and Marxism to an extreme where she takes life a little too seriously, while he is the golden boy WASP, being afforded the privileges in life because of his background but who on the most part is able to capitalize on those privileges. Their lives are shown in four general time periods, in chronological order when they attend the same college, their time in New York City during WWII, his life as a Hollywood screenwriter post-war, and his life as a writer for a New York based live television show. It is during college that Hubbell finds his voice in life as a writer, and that Katie sees beyond his good looks to find a person with substance who realizes his position in a life as something that does not give him an inherent right to those opportunities. External world events, such as the Spanish Civil War, WWII and the House Un-American Activities investigation, do affect their lives directly, but it is how they deal with these effects personally, largely in relation to personal relationships - such as with Hubbell's long term friends J.J. and Carol Ann, the latter his college girlfriend - that may dictate if Katie and Hubbell are able to make it in the long term as a couple. —Huggo
    • new york city
    • unfaithfulness
    • infidelity
    • year 1933
    • year 1944
    • 307 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Everything seemed so important then .. even love!
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • PG
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert Redford was unhappy with cuts made to the film following a preview. He said, "I think we'd both have preferred a more political Dalton Trumbo -type script, but finally Sydney came down on the side of the love story. He said, 'This is first and foremost a love affair,' and we conceded that. We trusted his instincts, and he was right."
    • Goofs
      In California, Katie is holding a "hot" pot and offers it to Hubbell. He takes a 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: People are more important than their principles.

      Katie Morosky Gardner: People ARE their principles.

    • Connections
      Featured in Film Extra: Sydney Pollock (1973)
    • Soundtracks
      The Way We Were
      Composed by Marvin Hamlisch

      Lyrics by Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman

      Sung by Barbra Streisand before the opening credits and during the end credits.

      Music played often in the score

    User reviews132

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Despite some faults, it's still pretty good
    The theme of a golden boy falling for a girl from "another world", be it social class, the "wrong side of the tracks" or fill in your cliché here, is one that goes back to the silent film era. One of the most famous examples is Sydney Pollack's 1973 film "The Way We Were". Set from the 1930's through the 1950's, Barbra Streisand plays Katie, an outspoken member of the Communist party and campus activist who does not have anything handed to her; she works two and sometimes three jobs in order to pay for her living and college tuition. Hubble (Redford) is your typical aforementioned golden boy, a "big man on campus" who indulges in sports, debutantes and all-around good times. The two know each other from the diner Katie works at (he being the patron) and at one point before graduation, briefly bond over their shared passion for writing. Cut to a few years in the future and Katie encounters Hubble at a bar. Hubble is in the armed forces and Katie is characteristically working a couple of jobs while volunteering for various social causes. After a night of drunken sex (Hubble being the drunken one) they embark on an unlikely relationship that spans over a decade and includes a move to California (when Hubble becomes a screenwriter in Hollywood) and the conception of one child. They are happy, but realize that regardless of their desire, they can't completely cross social lines and certainly can't change one another, particularly Katie's ever-ferocious dedication to social causes; a fight that becomes exponentially heated during McCarthy's Red Scare. The two have to decide whether they can sustain enough raw emotion for one another to persevere over everything else that is stacked up against them.

    There are several things about "The Way We Were" that require suspension of disbelief (the fact that despite never having had much contact with one another that after one night of drunken lust and an awkward "morning after" being enough to kick start a relationship the magnitude of theirs is the first thing that comes to mind) but the bottom line is that it really is a well-written, well-directed and well-acted film. The two principal characters are full and complex, regardless of whether we are talking about the socially conscience Katie or the socially acceptable Hubble. I suspect they somewhat were written with the intent of familiarity for the purpose of effectiveness, and if this is true, it worked on me. The era in which these two characters were set was a very interesting time in American history, and the characters' actions during these times created some compelling cinema, particularly when it touched on the Red Scare.

    But who am I fooling? The main reason people watch this movie, whether for the first time or for the fiftieth is for the doomed romance, and Streisand and Redford deliver in spades. "The Way We Were" was written for Streisand, (something that cause Redford to turn down the part at first, because he knew the film was going to be hers) and her portrayal of Katie is excellent. There are so many perceptions of Streisand nowadays (some of them correct, to be sure) that it's easy to forget that she really does have some serious acting chops, and she exhibits them to full effect here. I also happened to learn that the soft filtered lens thing with her didn't just start with her later movies, for whatever reason she was filmed with that lens more often than not here, but that didn't do anything more than slightly distract me because I couldn't help but chuckle. Redford gives a typical solid performance as well, though his initial doubts about taking the role turned out to be valid; he is not the dynamic figure in the film. However, his character is a strong one and Redford does a good job.

    I don't know if Pollack knew he was creating a screen classic when he directed "The Way We Were" but he did make a very good film. If you can make it past some major melodrama and some plot holes (what was the deal with their child?) watch this film, and just sit back and appreciate it for what it is – a chick flick that guys don't have to feel ashamed watching. 7/10 --Shelly
    helpful•48
    19
    • FilmOtaku
    • Jul 19, 2005

    FAQ15

    • What is 'The Way We Were' about?
    • Is 'The Way We Were' based on a book?
    • When does the story take place?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 19, 1973 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Cherie Bitter
    • Filming locations
      • Union College, Schenectady, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Rastar Productions
      • Tom Ward Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $45,000,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $45,000,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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