Suicidal suburban housewife drifts in and out of asylums.
Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Natalie Wood | ... | Cassie Barrett | |
Perry King | ... | Dr. Edwin Alexander | |
Peter Haskell | ... | Charlie Barrett | |
Shelley Long | ... | Cara | |
Vivian Blaine | ... | Helen | |
Marian Mercer | ... | Eleanor | |
Juliet Mills | ... | Tinkerbell | |
Shane Butterworth | ... | Greg Barrett | |
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David Comfort | ... | Steven Barrett |
Tonya Crowe | ... | Jenny Barrett | |
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Robert Perault | ... | Bobby Barrett |
Art Evans | ... | Abdul | |
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Donald Hotten | ... | Ludwig |
Sydney Lassick | ... | Ernie | |
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Delia Salvi | ... | Norma |
Suicidal suburban housewife drifts in and out of asylums.
Natalie Wood in an unsung tour-de-force, playing relatively ordinary housewife and mother who has a mental collapse. Adaptation of Joyce Burditt's popular book, this TV-movie attempts to deal with touchy subject matter in a straightforward, mature, non-exploitive manner, and for the most part is quite successful. While in recovery mode, Wood is unblinking and unblushing, whether relaying her character's personal feelings or describing childhood haunts. The narrative is a bit clogged with medical minutiae (I would've preferred to see more of Wood at home with her family), however the results are relatively well-wrought and quite memorable, and Natalie's work is blessedly unaffected and heartfelt.