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Subject:  I Never Sang for My Father- 1970 |
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Author: Judith | [ Next Thread |
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] Date Posted: 14:36:10 06/18/08 Wed In reply to: Conrad 's message, "Older Actors" on 16:25:18 05/25/08 Sun Conrad, this brings to mind a great film that Dad and I watched, on Father's Day. Actually, it probably wasn't the best choice for that occasion, especially for those who've had a difficult relationship with their dads...but to quote someone on Amazon, the acting, the synergy (that's my word!) between Melvyn Douglas and Gene Hackman, was astonishing! I had known Melvyn from his films as a rather large, handsome, younger man...and whata surprise to see that he was still working in 1970! I guess he was one of those who was able to make the transition from good-looking, leading man, to a thinner, older, character actor. I missed the very beginning, but from what I saw, he was a well-to-do,driven man, who had no compassion or sensitivity towards his son and daughter. Estelle Parsons played the daughter, and apparantly he had kicked her out of the family home, when she was younger...that part I missed. Gene Hackman, his son, became a teacher...he was a sensitive, loving man...and his father never really accepted that he didn't become a high-powered businessman like he had been. He never told his son he was proud of him, and always made his career choice seem trite. We are seeing Melvyn's character as an old man who has just lost his wife, and he also has a bit of dementia setting in. The kids come home to see what living situation they can figure out, to give dad some help. Estelle (I forget the character names, so I'll use the actor's names) is beyond really caring, because of the extreme loveless way in which he had treated his only daughter. She wants to get dad live-in help, or send him to a home. Gene, on the other hand, is feeling lost at the death of his mother, and is determined to salvage some small thread of love, between them...he needs to break through to his dad, to see if he can find any little shred of feeling, of a father's love for his son. What ensues, is a dramatic 'dance', with Melvyn, amazing with some one-man dialogues, and then the two of them, playing off of one another, in a dynamic and very believeable, performance. We see how the sins of the father, truly do hurt more than just one generation. Now, the subject of the older female actor, is even more frought with pressures to look young...but that's for another post! [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| [> Subject: Your reminds me of two other films with older actors, in which their age is vital to the film. One was "On Golden Pond" with Henry Fonda and Katerine Hepburn as the older couple, the other was "Ghost Story" with Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. | |
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Author: Conrad [Edit] |
Date Posted: 19:37:29 06/22/08 Sun [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
[> [> Subject:  I saw On Golden Pond at a little hometown theatre, which they tore down, now. Loved it! I haven't seen the other, but from the actor line-up, I have to check it out, soon. How about the Sunshine Boys! Dick Smith did the make-up for that one. Of course, Bette Davis was a brave soul, unafraid to work in her older years...so many stars, esp. women, wouldn't ever be seen looking old and wrinkled. Gotta hand it to her!
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Author: Judith [Edit] |
Date Posted: 21:16:59 07/03/08 Thu [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
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