Description

Tony Award-winning actress, Blythe Danner, portrays the sensitive spinster Alma Winemiller in Tennessee Williams' 1948 drama. Frustrated with longing for the socially prominent young doctor next door, the eccentric, highly emotional minister's daughter decides to settle for one night with him in a rented hotel room. The Washington Post wrote: "Blythe Danner's Alma is as much of a television event as Katharine Hepburn's Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Frank Langella is such a warm, dreamy-eyed Dr. Buchanan that the role is reimbursed for the loss of its cynical edge with a smooth romanticism that complements Danner's determined honesty splendidly." "How many different emotions do you expect in two hours?" --The New York Daily News. With Tim O'Connor, Louise Latham, and Neva Patterson. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Fabulous Peice of Acting
I saw this work many years ago and it has stayed with me all this time. It stands out as masterful acting by Miss Danner; her work is touching and delicate. The play is a work of genus. It is too bad that is it not known as well as some of Tennessee Williams other works.

Extremely enjoyable:)
This is a well written captivating play. I like it for several
reasons. The acting is superb. I have always been a huge
fan of Bythe Danner even though I come from her daughter's
generation. I also adore the incredibly handsome Frank
Langella--I am a huge fan of his:) Both these actors give
their characters many special emotions and by the play's
finale I felt like I knew them both or knew someone like
them:) Anyway it is so good that such theatre works are
preserved in DVD format so future generarions can appreciate the simpler and finer things of life.

Magnificent
Thank Heaven for Broadway Theatre Archive. For the past few years, the company has been releasing older television productions of great stage works, as well as a select number of theatrically staged videos (such as the Shakespeare-in-the-Park productions of "King Lear" with James Earl Jones and "The Pirates of Penzance" with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt). Some of these television productions are truly legendary: Jason Robards in "The Iceman Cometh," and Robards and Colleen Dewhurst in the landmark production of "A Moon for the Misbegotten." The present DVD edition of Tennessee Williams' "Eccentricities of a Nightingale" deserves to join their ranks.

"Nightingale" is Williams' revision of 1948's "Summer and Smoke" (my favorite Williams play, incidentally). It tells essentially the same story of the spinsterish minister's daughter whose consuming love for her next-door neighbor remains unreciprocated. "Nightingale" is less allegorical than its predecessor and more tightly focused on the fascinating central character of Alma Winemiller, who Williams once claimed was his favorite character of all those that he had written.

All the roles in this production are in eminently capable hands, with particular pride of place among the supporting players going to Louise Latham as the mentally unbalanced Mrs. Winemiller, Tim O'Connor as Alma's well-intentioned but misguided father, and Neva Patterson as the two-faced Mrs. Buchanan, oozing both Southern charm and venom. As the object of Alma's affections, Frank Langella plays the most warm and romantic John Buchanan I have ever seen. Other Johns have seemed cocky or cold, but Langella seems to genuinely care about Alma rather than merely tolerating her. Played like this, it is quite easy to see how Alma could fall in love with him.

However, this is Alma's show, and in that role Blythe Danner is a raw, exposed nerve-ending, alternating between lyric melancholy and barely concealed hysteria. It is an exquisitely shaded performance, full of rich colors and nuance, and it is on a par with the sublime Geraldine Page's performance of the same role in the film version of "Summer and Smoke." Both actresses capture the character's need to burst forth from her own skin, of being strait-jacketed by the social mores of the period, and of being on the precipice of a dangerous emotional drop-off point. If Page owned the role of Alma in "Summer and Smoke," Danner clearly owns the Alma of "Eccentricities." She is simply stunning.

Don't expect stunning picture quality -- the production was filmed in 1976 on video, so it is roughly akin to watching a mid-1970's soap opera. However, the performances are what matter here, and they truly deliver. If you love Tennessee Williams, Blythe Danner, or if you simply enjoy great drama, don't let this one pass you by. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alice is one of Woody Allen's more grounded whimsies, though viewers with a low tolerance for feyness might miss it. Here goes Mia Farrow again as a nattering Manhattanite with a girlie-girlie voice and a well-to-do husband of 16 years (a stockbroker played by William Hurt) who doesn't always notice whether she's in the room. One day a back pain sends her up a dim staircase in Chinatown to see an acupuncturist (the valedictory role of the beloved Keye Luke). He has quite a bag of tricks--including hypnosis and a versatile assortment of herbal teas--and enough insight to recognize that Alice's troubles lie somewhere other than her sacroiliac. Under Dr. Yang's ministrations, Alice goes on a Wonderland voyage through her own life, fantasizing about having an affair with a dusky stranger (Joe Mantegna), flitting about Manhattan as an invisible spirit, and--most unlikely of all--talking straight with her various relatives, past and present.

Like so many Allen films, Alice wavers between scenes imagined with deftness and precision (like Farrow and Mantegna's astonished mutual seduction) and other scenes and notions that are merely touched upon and then abandoned before they can develop any rhythm and complexity, persuade you they were worth including, and justify the presence of so many nifty performers--Judy Davis, Judith Ivey, Gwen Verdon, Robin Bartlett, Alec Baldwin, Holland Taylor, Cybill Shepherd, Blythe Danner, Julie Kavner, Caroline Aaron--who mostly wink in and out again as cameos. Nevertheless, almost all Woody's looking glasses are worth passing through at least once. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Mia Culpa
In Wonderland? This is the story of a mid-life crisis Mia Farrow, who, as Alice, the wife of a rich designer, played by William Hurt, has given up her own career and spiritual impulses a long time ago.

She now devotes herself to the frenetic passivity of her glamorous but rather humdrum Park Avenue existence - a wonderland of health fads, plastic surgery, extramarital affairs, gossip, with over-expenditure on everything from cuddly toys to personal masseuses and physical fitness trainers.

Alice soon meets the mysterious Dr Yan, and is therby introduced to a yet another wonderland of magic drugs that enable her, by turns, to don the cloak of invisibility, summon up ghosts from the past, make anyone fall in love with her, and generally see through the lies and hypocrisy of her life.

Despite these rich ingredients, the central theme of the movie owes more to the dourness of Ibsen's "A Doll's House" than to the unrestrained fantasy of Lewis Carroll's work. Allen's Alice is in fact Nora, a faithful wife and, with the help of maids, and, with the help of babysitters, a devoted mother. Beneath the surface, however, she feels stifled and deeply unhappy.

Having examined her life with the help of Dr Yan, the catalyst to changing it is Joe, a sleazy, divorced sax player, who enflames her passions, triggers off her catholic guilt feelings, and has her frantically trying to find out what her life meant, means, and will mean. She rushes around seeking answers, discovering her husband with another woman, and finding out, after a short affair, that Joe still loves his ex-wife.

All this is very entertaining, but what follows is a disappointment.

Alice decides to leave her husband, go off to Calcutta, meet Mother Teresa, and basically turn over a whole new leaf, wiping the slate clean, and living the complete antithesis to her former life by devoting herself to the poor and turning her back on all her old comforts.

This is no doubt supposed to be a warm-hearted ending with Alice "finding herself as a woman and an individual" and acting out a few other cosy, well-worn cliches that have crawled off the couches of New York analysts.

But just as her former life was perhaps too shallow, material, and hypocritical, her new life is too profound, spiritual, and sincere. There is a coldness in the emotional amnesia with which she excludes her husband from her new life, and a fleshlessness in the spirituality with which she turns her back on all men...

The character of Joe shows a more welcome attitude to life, an attitude that embraces life with all its contradictions, obligations, nostalgias, and emotion.

If there is any emotional centre to this film, it is not to be found in the main character.

Woody Allen Does "Magic Realism"
This movie was made in the 1989-1990 period. Woody Allen was already an experienced film director and actor. Stas Mia Farrow in the title role of Alice, and Joe Montegna as the lover. Woody Allen does not appear in this film as he is only a director but there is a load of cameos from stars such as Cybil Shepherd and Bernadette Peters in the comedic role of the Muse. Woody Allen's intellectual/philosophical, life affirming comedies have always been effective and successful- Annie Hall, Zellig, A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, Hannah and Her Sisters, etc. Alice is a modern day and more adult version of "Alice In Wonderland" where it gets its name. Alice is a seemingly happy, married woman living in Manhattan, New York City. The illusion of happiness soon wears off as she discovers her husband, a stockbrocker, played by William Hurt, is cheating on her. Soon enough, she is cheating on him with Joe Montegna's character, a saxophone jazz musician.

The reality of this film, which lies in the complicated adult affairs, including marital infidelity, and the urban scenes of New York City, are contrasted but mingled effectively with the "magic" that is dominant in the film. Alice is consulting a spiritual Oriental doctor who gives her all sorts of herbs and potions, including one which renders her invisable. The scene in which she and Joe Montegna are invisible in the women's clothes store is hilarious. Joe Montegna sneaks into a fitting room to spy on a model dressing. "There's a lot of heavy breathing coming from in here" says the model. Meanwhile Alice overhears her friends talking about her behind her back. Ultimately, Alice must make a choice. She has the cure for her problem. A love potion. But will she select her husband or her lover ? Her decision is unexpected and maybe even a bit off-putting to some viewers who would have preferred she remain in the realm of humans and romantic affairs and materialism. The movie had been going this way until the decision which is to reject worldliness and Mia Farrow is inspired by the humanitarian and noble work of Mother Teresa. I feel that it's at least true to Mia Farrow's real life nature. She is notorious for adopting many foreign children from war-torn and poverty stricken countries. This movie is still very good and I really enjoyed it. The witty script by Woody Allen and his position as director and Mia Farrow's husband is also very effectiive. It's a great film by a master of comedy that makes you think. If only this movie was available on DVD here.

Penguin House
Alice is a compendium of missed opportunities. Woody conjures up all sorts of angles worth exploring then drops them.

The movie is worth seeing for the stunningly crisp cinematography, odd use of color (especially in Farrow and Hurt's bizarre apartment) and unerringly apt musical choices. Woody's deep feeling for jazz is the unbilled star here, and when a lush string orchestra with muted trumpet strikes up a silvery and sensitive chorus of "I Remember You" just before Alice awakes to a visitation from her long-dead lover (Baldwin) you get a palpable sense of the heroine's pent-up longings.

Joe Mantegna is terrific. He uses those sleepy, heavy-lidded eyes of his to superb effect; those eyes tell us more than Woody's sketchy script ever will.

The film's most electrifying sequence brings the great, underutilized actress Gwen Verdon out of the shadows to play Alice's boozy mom. We've seen this boozy mom archetype in Allen films before: Maureen O'Sullivan in Hannah, Elaine Stritch in September. But none of them brought the FIRE that seethes from Verdon. Verdon conveys such waste and degradation that I felt as if I were witness to something horribly private. And there lies the movie's greatest sin: we just get this one scene and no more. What happened? Was the loaded gun triangle of Farrow, Verdon and "the accomplished sister" Blythe Danner to hot for Woody to handle???

I didn't mind the whimsy of Alice. But there was a meatier, darker story here waiting to be told, and Allen backs away from telling it. Still, given how bad, coarse, loud, vulgar and passionless nearly all of Allen's post-Mia films have been, Alice looks more and more like a gift as time goes by.

Dreamlike
Alice starts harmlessly enough as we meet her, a dissatisfied NY housewife married to a wealthy banker. The fun starts when she goes to a Chinese doctor (played by a brilliant actor, whose name I cannot remember) and he gives her various remedies to her problems. This kind of plot could easily fall into caricature and cliche but miraculously doesn't. The cast play their parts subtly and honestly, and support the movie's delicate frame. Mia is enchanting as Alice (and I don't usually feel this way about her). This quiet film is one that stays with me. Each time I see it, I enjoy it more.

A must see
A great rainy day movie. It is a rare gem of a movie.Great story. Enough said,get it watch it and tell your friends. ... Read more

Description

Revered as the author of the Declaration of Independence, the most sacred document in American history, yet condemned as a lifelong owner of slaves, Thomas Jefferson remains the enigma that is America. Part One: A young Thomas Jefferson from the Virginia wilderness is transformed by the fire of the Enlightenment into his country's most articulate voice for human liberty. Torn between serene family life at Monticello and his passion for politics, Jefferson suffers heartrending personal loss, even as he gives voice to a new era of democratic government. He then journeys to Paris as U.S. Minister to France for George Washington and supports the rising French Revolution. Part Two: Returning from France, Jefferson strives to preserve the new, fragile American government and helps create the first political party through his bitter struggles with the Federalists. As third President of the United States, he doubles the size of the county with the Louisiana Purchase, but faces controversy and scandal, finally retiring to his beloved Monticello. His last years are spent founding the University of Virginia and re-establishing his friendship with John Adams. By the end of his remarkable life, he had advanced the cause of religious, political, and intellectual freedom everywhere and had changed the course of human events. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A Good First Start
This Ken Burns film is a good introduction to Thomas Jefferson. It is a remarkable overview of one of the most controversial figures in American history, touching on most of the well known discussions about him, such as, what heretofore were thought to be Sphinx-like, enigmatic characteristics. As this was made several years ago, however, you need to be bring yourself up to date. For example, on the Sally Hemings issue, DNA first was pitched by some as evidence that Jefferson fathered Hemings' children, but currently, it has actually served as proof that he almost certainly did not father Hemings' children. And on Jefferson's enigmatic, Sphinx-like characteristics, a new work by a previously unknown author/researcher by the name of Norman Thomas Remick titled "West Point: Character Leadership Education, A Book Developed From The Readings And Writings Of Thomas Jefferson" is a completely unique approach to understanding Thomas Jefferson that dispels the prior alleged "enigma" and brings Thomas Jefferson into clear focus. It's a must read after watching Ken Burns' wonderful DVD for all who are interested in Jefferson and what it is to be an American.

Another Ken Burns' triumph...
Six years ago this three hour biography of America's third president was telecasted for the first time on PBS. It should be retelecasted annually on July 4th as part of the annual celebration of the nation's independence.

Gore Vidal and George Will, at the opposite ends of the political spectrum, are among the historians and commentators that appear, reflect and illuminate on the life and ideas of the most contradictory of America's founders.

Like most, if not all, of Ken Burns' productions, "Thomas Jefferson," the program's script/narration is its most distinctive and memorable feature.

I only wish a text of program's script accompanied the DVD.

The appearance and commentary by Black historian John Hope Franklin provides appropriate balance to the program that tends to applaud Jefferson the man, his achievements and contributions.

The fact that Jefferson didn't free his slaves, and/or regularly had sexual intercourse with one of his slaves seem to me easily understood, considering his life and times. I'm not the least bit shocked, and my admiration of Jefferson is not diminished by these facts and/or speculations.

Every American should regularly be introduced to this giant of the American Experience.

"Thomas Jefferson: A Film By Ken Burns" should be every collection of quality DVD documentaries, and shown and studied in all American History classes.

I hope that PBS continues to release all of Ken Burns' productions on DVD.

The Ken Burns PBS documentary of the great American enigma
This 1996 two-part documentary by Ken Burns provides an introduction to the man who was the third President of the United States but did not feel the position was worth mentioning on his tombstone. When he was 33 years old Thomas Jefferson wrote one of the most famous and important lines in the history of the entire world in the Declaration of Independence and over the next half-century of his life accomplished enough to warrant being on the nickel, Mt. Rushmore, and, ironically given his ability to embrace contradictory positions in his life's work, the $2 bill.

Burns begins the documentary with an anecdote which is the 19th century equivalent of JFK's quip to a 1962 dinner for 49 Nobel laureates that it was "the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House-with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." But the primary focus is on the inherent paradoxes of the man who could write the Declaration of Independence but own slaves, write about their unpleasant body odor, and avoided emancipating them. The charges continue in kind: Jefferson denounced the idea of political parties yet founded the first one, denounced the moral bankruptcy of Europe but enjoyed the gilded Paris salons, deplored a centralized government and then became the chief executive of the nation and doubled its size by buying the Louisiana Purchase.

The thesis of this documentary appears right before Jefferson's name appears at the end of the introduction: "He remained a puzzle, even to those who thought they knew him best, embodied contradictions common to the country whose independence it fell to him to proclaim in words whose precise meaning Americans have debated ever since." The key point here is not just that Jefferson is an enigmatic figure but that his paradoxes are those written in the soul of the nation. It was not until Abraham Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg in November of 1863 that America finally accepted the proposition that "all men are created equal," but it was Jefferson who wrote the proposition. The gap between his vision and his actual achievement as a human being is arguably a defining element of the American spirit.

Do I think that Jefferson fathered children by Sally Hemmings? Yes, I do; the fact that she turned out to be the half-sister of his late wife Martha, along with his promise to Martha on her deathbed that he would never remarry, seems a compelling rationale to explain his behavior, although I would never confuse seeking physical comfort with love. Why did Jefferson never free his slaves? That is the question that will never be known for sure (there is at least enough DNA evidence to show that the Hemmings children were fathered by a Jefferson, whether Thomas or one of his relatives, perhaps his brother Randolph). My best guess at this point would be that he was afraid of what would happen to his slaves if they were freed and sent off into the world out of the reach of his protection. That his economic problems were such that the slaves were sold off after his death is but another contradiction in the long line of those that defined his life.

By now we are as familiar with the method of a Ken Burns documentary the same way we know the conventions of a situation comedy, romance novel, or rock 'n' roll song. The camera studies historic engravings and paintings before shifting to contemporary film taken in all four seasons of Jefferson's Monticello home and other key places from his life. The documentary was written by Geoffrey C. Ward and Jefferson's words are spoken by actor Sam Waterston with Ossie Davis providing the narration. Blythe Danner does the voice of Martha Jefferson, whom she played in the film version of the musical "1776." Many of those who have followed Burns' work will no doubt find much of the music familiar and be reminded from time to time of "The Civil War" and "Baseball."

If there is a failing in this documentary it is that it has trouble doing full justice to Jefferson's words, which in the final analysis are his greatest legacy and testament. The problem is that Jefferson usually wrote on large pieces of paper and the camera cannot capture an entire line, forcing it to rely time and again on showing us a few choice words and phrases. Yet there is no denying the power of those words or of seeing them written in Jefferson's own hand.

A good introduction to this vital founding father
Given the amount of bashing Thomas Jefferson has taken it is hard to get people today to understand the extremely high regard in which he was held just a few decades ago. This very interesting program examines Jefferson in a way that clearly communicates his human limitations while still getting across what is so important and special about him. Of course, some of his detractors won't like the praise given here while some of those who revere Mr. Jefferson will find the criticisms at least irritating.

However, I believe these battling opinions have led to an even worse condition. Jefferson is too much ignored in our schools. I believe this series can help our children gain additional understanding and appreciation for this vital Founding Father without resorting to worship. It is worth viewing more than once.

Somewhat Inferior to the Best of Burns - Still Very Good
An excellent and informative overview of Jefferson's life, though occasionally dull and somewhat lacking the power and immediacy of 'The Civil War' and 'Baseball'. Footage is gorgeous, per the usual by the Burns team.

Reveals Jefferson as a very complex character who perhaps cannot be fully understood by history (let alone by his peers). Perhaps overly focused on the slavery issue in Jefferson's life, especially towards the end, but perhaps this is fair as the contradictory Jefferson displays both intellectual forwardness and the fixed attitudes of the plantation owner.

A small complaint, but Sam Waterston's voice as Jefferson bugs me since I believed he defined himself as Lincoln in 'The Civil War'. He does a solid job, however. Highly recommended documentary on American history. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Creepy - nobody EVER discusses anything REAL ..........
I've watched this movie several times - to see if I missed anything before, just to see it again, because it's mesmerising (for me, anyway), and because I'm secretly hoping that it wasn't really THAT sick ......... the acting, photography, direction were all superb - the message came across so very true to life in every way ........... and because of all that, I often watch it when it's re-run on the tube; Noah Wyle does an excellent job of portaying the son who suffered so pointedly, the betrayal that goes on in this family - and as in all (or most anyway) families - this one is affected via the trickle down of the tone set by the parents - the father - Roy Scheider - isn't just distant; he's downright mean and destructive - blurred from being discerned clearly, because of his eccentricities - although I did feel that he contrived all of those too. And Blythe Danner did an excellent job of portraying the mother who goes on for decades overlooking her husband's cruel streaks, his creepy deceits, his silence, anger, and his tone-setting refusal to tolerate open communication; in spite of all this unpleasantness in the household, and the effect this all has/had on the now grown children - I enjoy this movie because it all "hangs together" so real and true. It's hard to believe that in this day and age, that there surely are families like this - who simply never communicate openly atall - ever!

Excellent acting; interesting but unsatisfying movie
The acting and the beautiful cinemetography carried this movie, gave it its emotional core and made you care about the characters, whom were largely unsympathetic to begin with. The movie was lacking in a plot but was more about a series of cathartic small revelations between each of the characters which didn't reach a Hollywood type climax where everyone made peace with their pasts, but I sort of felt was appropriate in showing that not all dysfunctional families reach such a conclusion. I enjoyed the moments of silence and tension between the characters as it provided a lot of great acting, reminding me of theatre in that respect. I thought Roy was very compelling as the distant father, although I wished they'd attempted explaining why he behaved the way he did. I thought that Noah Wyle was excellent as Warren, he portrayed his hurt, vulnerability and burried resentment at his father so well that his was the most moving and convincing character, his character basically carries the movie. I also thought Julianne Moore was great in her role as the icy (albeit they never explained why she was that way also) sister, she was unlikeable and amusing in that, but interesting to watch. Varten's role was smaller, and less engaging (he was almost unnecessary), but I thought he did a good job with what he had.

If you're a fan of any of the actors, this movie should be worthwhile viewing as the performances are all top notch and the direction is wonderful in places, but I was left feeling something lacking in the overall structure of the film and its writing.

disfunctional Wyle
lots of love making in this one. Wyle gives a great role as the son of a father and their lives arent really great as Wyle comes back after he is gone for awhile. Roy Schider is great too as Wyle's dad. people will note if there Alias fans that Michael Vartan of Alias is in this movie. powerful piece with some dry emotions.

I Know Them
Loved this movie with an all-star cast playing characters who seemed too familiar. Thanksgiving in Maine was the perfect setting for the 4 adult siblings who return home to display the "matured" issues of a very messed-up childhood. Nothing resolved, nothing tied neatly in a bow at the end, just like life. I recognized pieces of me, pieces of my sibling and of course, pieces of my parents - just a little more extreme, but enlightening.

If you want a dysfunctional Thanksgiving Family movie
go with Home for the Holidays instead. I caught Myth of Fingerprints on Lifetime and fell asleep before it ended. Why was I watching? Well, it's the whole car wreck thing. Kooky kid sister was annoying and trying way too hard. But the prize for annoyance is tied between Ms. TMI (too much information), the girlfriend of one of the brothers and the bug up her butt older sister. Ms. TMI likes to announce that she's having sex as often as possible, blah blah "let it all hang out" cakes. She's like one of my mom's cousins who makes me long for old school Irish Catholic repression of my grandparents generation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Anton Chekhov's The Seagull centers around impassioned would-bewriter Konstantin (Frank Langella, Dracula), who hopes to writeplays that will shatter what he sees as the clumsy, artificial constraintsof theater. But his self-indulgent mother (Lee Grant, Shampoo), afamed actress, dismisses his efforts. Her lover (Kevin McCarthy,Invasion of the Body Snatchers), a successful novelist, patronizesKonstantin and steals away the young man's beloved Nina (Blythe Danner,Meet the Parents). Chekhov is above all a poet of love--not theraptures of consummation, but the misery of love unrequited, misdirected,spurned, and abused. His eloquent tales of heartbreak have a phenomenalcompassion for the weaknesses and flaws of human beings. This TV movie,based on the 1975 production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, isintelligent and warm, with excellent performances from Langella, Danner, and Grant in particular. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

TWO GREAT ACTORS CAN MAKE INTERESTING A CONVENTIONAL MOVIE.
"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" stars Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, playing a 1940 marriage. This is a conventional drama with excellent performances, the characters are nothing out of this world, they are a bunch of characters very similar to real life people, the story is not very original, it's just a bunch of rich people living a conventional life, but these two great actors carried on their shoulders the weight of an otherwise uninteresting movie, making "Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" an enjoyable movie.

Basically this is the story of the struggle between two generations, the iron hand discipline of a stiff father and the "rebellion" of his daughter and son who want to escape from the monotony of the life of their parents. And trapped in the middle is Mrs. Bridge, who even though she mostly obeys her husband, once in a while she likes to try new things to inject happiness to her life.

"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" is an entertaining movie thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Oh my God it's my Aunt Marjorie!
Anyone who is originally from the Midwest has a Mrs. Bridge in the family, maybe not as affluent, but just as dippy and helpless. Mrs. Bridge knows enough to resent vaguely her helplessness and the fact that Mr. Bridge makes all of her decisions for her. The viewer is sympathetic with her plight and starts to feel that Mr. Bridge is indeed being mean & unfair to her...but then Mrs. Bridge goes and does something that underscores her inability to cope for herself.

There were more scenes than I can count that just made me cringe, because I recognized my dippy Aunt Marjorie, again & again, in Mrs. Bridge. The spirit of Mrs. Bridge remains alive and well, even today.

This was a great character study of the two Bridges. The other members of the family, and some of the friends of the Bridges, are a bit fuzzier in their definition, but that is not all that important. This is a very engrossing movie in many respects.

2 thumbs up
If you are looking for violence, lots of sex and fast cars, wrong movie! But if you are looking for a thought provoking, tender, poignant and often funny story, you've hit the jackpot. I am running out of adjectives for my two favorite actors (Newman and Woodward ought to be declared America's royalty) They shine here. Much deserved Oscar nomination for Woodward and should have been one for Newman, who never ceases to amaze. Blythe Danner is a plus as well. I thouroughly enjoyed it.

A movie with memorable moments
This is one of those films with a lot of those "Memorable Moments" that you will remember years after viewing it. The scene where Mr. Bridge refuses to let a dangerous storm spoil his dinner. The hotel bedroom scene where Mr. and Mrs. Bridge find themselves sleeping akwardly in front of a mirror. The scene where Mr. Bridge takes Mrs. Bridge to a cabaret in France filled with scantily clad women doing the Can-Can and the priceless look that Mrs. Bridge has on her face.

It's about two traditional people thrust into a new world filled with free thinkers and sexual awakenings and the honest, but humerous reactions as they try to deal with it all. Everytime I watch this film I'm suprised at what I didn't catch before, and even the scenes I remember always seem to catch me off guard.

The humor comes from the humanity within the two main characters, and it's often more funny than the best comedies you will ever watch.

Highly recommended!

Newman and Woodward Equally Wonderful
I don't know why so many people always give short shrift to Paul Newman when he appears with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in a film. They are both stunning actors at the peak of their acting powers in this movie. There really is no need to compare and contrast perfection itself. Merchant-Ivory is wonderful at handling the upper classes, whether they be British or American, in London, or, in this case, Kansas City, in the 1930s and 1940s. What stands out most vividly to me is that Mr. Bridges' heart condition is really not treatable back then. We are so used to heart surgery now, that life lived with a heart condition back in the 1930s and 1940s is forgotten as being an entirely different situation. The movie is about this couple and their extended family and the crises they weather. This, however, is basically what every Merchant-Ivory film is about and this one covers every nuance within the Bridges' family's structure and behavior. I really love the beautiful body of film work by Merchant-Ivory and I'm really glad that some of it is American, set in our heartland, with the cream of our acting crop. ... Read more

Description

By Percy MacKaye. In a 17th century Massachusetts town, a scarecrow is magically transformed into a man and charged with the mission of destroying true love. Spectacular performances by two-time OscarÂn a 17th century Massachusetts town, a scarecrow is magically transformed into a man and charged with the mission of destroying true love. Spectacular performances by two-time Oscar®-nominee Gene Wilder (Young Frankenstein, The Producers)and Tony® Award-winner Blythe Danner (Butterflies Are Free). Also starring Norman Lloyd and Will Geer (The Waltons). ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful
An adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Feathertop", this play brings to life all the elements of that short-story. I performed as "Polly" (alias "Rachel" in the play) & its wonderful to see it dramatized.

Scarecrow: A welcomed gem returns after 32 years...
What a pleasure to revisit this first-rate production after its 30 years in obscurity. Funny, serious and haunting "Scarecrow" is the colorful tale of a bewitched scarecrow, falsely disguised as the image of true love, and the awakening of his heart's desire to seek and claim his soul as his own.
This production is worth viewing just to enjoy Gene Wilder's compelling and earlier performances and he is joined by an impressive cast.
Pete Duel, as the real image of true love, provides important balance as the story's sole voice of truth and reason to Blythe Danner's spellbound maiden and Wilder's beguiling scarecrow. Will Geer as the central target of Norman Lloyd's Devil and his disciple, Nina Foch, are all perfection and terrific fun.

Oh my god!
I've been looking for this for years! I'm so happy that it's finally available! I saw the Scarecrow when I was a kid and it made a tremendous impression on me (it also made me cry buckets). Can't wait to order copies for everyone. Hope it's as good as I remember! Yay! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

"Mad" about John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman!
"Mad City" focuses on John Travolta as Sam Baily, a museum security guard who loses his job due to budget cuts. Sam pretty much has a normal life, has a wife and kids, etc. Sam decides to talk to his boss Mrs. Banks (Blythe Danner) about getting his job back, but Mrs. Banks told Sam time and time again that there was nothing she could do about it. So, in one fell swoop, Sam pulls out a shotgun as a result in getting his job back. Sam not only holds Mrs. Banks hostage, but a group of schoolchildren as well. The film also focuses on Dustin Hoffman as Max Brackett, a local TV news reporter who just so happens to be inside the men's room at the museum and listening in on what is happening in the lobby between Sam and Mrs. Banks. Brackett listens to Sam's story about Sam not meaning for any of this to happen and such. And Brackett decides to give Sam's story a heroic spin as the days go by...and the film goes on from there. I own the DVD of "Mad City" and its features were all right. This is sort of a sad film for John Travolta's character because of his position in the film. "Mad City". A film that is nothing short of intense. A great film with two great powerhouse actors.

Heartfelt Drama with a Shakespeare Ending
As an audience we can not help but feel compassion for Sam Bailey (John Travolta) as he unexpectedly brings himself from one terrible situation to a worse one. Holding a museum tour hostage, he makes one thoughtless mistake after another, all the while being observed by News-Anchorman, Max Brackett (Dustin Hoffman). Through this overnight ordeal, Brackett befriends the criminal as we learn a lot about what life dumps on us and how we deal with it. A superb performance by John Travolta in which I believe to be the best of his career.

Great Suspense!
This is a great suspense movie.

Gives a realistic view of how the media circus sometimes go to far.

Hoffman and Travolta are marvelous in this film.

It's a mad, mad, mad world
This satirical movie starts innocently enough, with Dustin Hoffman (Max Brackett) doing a "controversial" story on a local criminal. Brackett has been relegated to small-town duty after embarassing the network star, Kevin Hollander (played brilliantly by Alan Alda). Sam Baily (Travolta) has been fired after working as a guard at a museum. He lives paycheck to paycheck and has a family to support.

To get his boss to listen to him, he makes the decision to take a gun with him to capture her attention...a gun and a bag full of dynamite. The movie is wonderful, not for the twists and turns, but for the performances and nuances. A number of times, Brackett could take a risk and end the situation, a situation he basically created himself out of his own greed. In the end, this movie has great commentary on how the media goes overboard in its coverage. This movie may be more relevant today than when it was made.

Excellent farce of a hold up
It epitomizes the media circus following the armed hold up of a museum with children. Certainly a comical look at terror attacks is a much needed relief in this day and age of color coded alerts. Costa Gavras of "Missing" fame sugar coats the ordeal with satirical portrayal of liberal and conservative neonazis fishing in troubled waters; while extracting a remarkable performance from Dustin Hoffman and John Travolta. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A happy family is torn apart after an act of violence. Sad.
This 2002 TV movie is based on a Joyce Carol Oates novel that won some accolades a few years ago. I usually like Joyce Carol Oates and tried to read the book. But I was bored and just couldn't get into it. I always did wonder, however, how the story turned out. And so I was glad to see it was on DVD.

Starring Blythe Danner as the mother and Beau Bridges as the father, we first meet the Mulvaneys as a happy family with four teenage children. It's storybook happiness, the kind that doesn't happen in real life and now I know why I was bored with the book. And then, when something bad happens, it tears the family apart. In a matter of weeks, all the happiness goes down the drain and each family member suffers in his or her own way. The audience suffers too as this part goes on and on and on with one misfortune leading to another until several years pass and the father is dying. By now, everyone is miserable. But this seems to lead the family to reconciliation and a new beginning.

The film is pure soap opera and rather depressing. However, it moved quickly and I got involved in the story, wanting to see how it would all turn out. Later, I wondered what it was that held my interest and I think it was the way it was paced and the excellent acting although it doesn't even make the playing field of good film drama. ... Read more

Description

15-year-old Eugene Jerome is desperately trying to uncover life's mysteries, but his family keeps hiding the clues. Even so, he manages to keep his priorities--baseball and girls--firmly in order throughout Neil Simon's hilarious adaptation of his Broadway hit about growing up in Brooklyn during the late 1930's. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Racey topics aside
This is rated PG 13 but I would advise against having your 12/13 year old daughter watch it. There is much talk of male masturbation. If you let her watch be prepared for a LONG talk afterwards! :-)

Aside from that, it is a great movie that exudes love, desire and real life. The acting is superb. This is one of the best Neal Simon movies ever, I think.

From Stag to Screen
If this was the first time I had ever seen "Brighton Beach Memoirs" I might be impressed, but it's not so I'm not. I saw the play on stag and I have to say that is so much better in real life. The movie really wasn't that bad, but the stag will always be my first love.

so good to see this back!
I have seen BOTH vhs and dvd versions of this classic and i pick the vhs version hands down. the audio on the dvd is pathetic! I bought the dvd and the color is sepia-like. Tell universal to keep vhs alive. It IS superior.

Threre's no choice better than jon silverman for eugene.
He really made it a COMEDY.

A Comedy-Drama Masterpiece
Five stars for the story; four stars for the DVD only because I cannot fathom why - with all the advancing technology and options available - any DVD theatrical release would not be offered in a wide-screen format. Otherwise this has to be the best Neil Simon work I have ever seen. Although I am from a much newer generation, I could identify easily with many of the characters, both from similar personal experiences, and from the culture within which I was raised. I would highly recommend this film, but only to true drama fans (of any age) and to older generations who have lived the times portrayed in this delightful romp. There is mild adult content, so be wary if you allow your young teens to watch. This is one of those rare classics that never received the publicity it deserved on the big screen; but then it can only appeal to a certain audience. If you feel like going out on a limb and watching something different or you want to conjure up old memories of yester-year, then by all means watch this film and enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The third film in writer-director-actor Edward Burns's "Long Island Trilogy" is in some ways the slightest of the three, and that's a blessing and a curse. By keeping things spare, Burns is able to focus on the simple, honest humanity of his story, which centers on the emotional dilemma of Claudia (Lauren Holly), a small-town waitress whose engagement to blue-collar Michael (Jon Bon Jovi) is challenged when old flame Charlie (Burns) returns after an extended absence. Their shared history includes an abortion that left Claudia feeling abandoned and resentful, and for good reason, given Charlie's reputation for self-involved aloofness.

As in his previous films, Burns demonstrates a subtle hand with actors and a keen awareness of life's authentic rhythm; this movie will strongly affect anyone who can relate to Claudia's need to find herself, independent of her tenuous relationships. The performances are uniformly superb: Holly expresses the confusion and seeking quality of her character; Burns makes Charlie both charming and bluntly self-serving; and Bon Jovi shows strong potential beyond his rock-star handsomeness. Indeed, the film's only weakness is that it's stretched too thin to be truly substantial, and Burns relies far too heavily on a soundtrack (with heavy doses of Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow) that too often substitutes for dialogue. It's as if Burns didn't trust his own material; he needn't have been so insecure. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Flawed but Fascinating Film
Fact: Michael Moriarty is simply incapable of being boring---even when miscast as he is here and saddled with an absurd New England accent that makes him sound like the Stage Manager in Our Town. In spite of these factors, I found my eyes glued on him for the length of this film---ditto for Blythe Danner, an actress of equal intelligence, sensitivity, and grace who is also miscast. These two youthful performers (the film was made 24 years ago) portray middle-aged suburbanites who, despite the presence of numerous children (one college-aged who looks older than her father)seem to have nothing better to do than ask each other questions like "Have you taken a lover?" Nevertheless, there are fascinating moments here: a couple of love scenes (too short for my money), a touching scene in which the couple announce their impending divorce to their children (if only the camera had been closer to the actors' faces) and a brief but delightful scene with Glenn Close--who looks about 18--making eyes at Mr. Moriarty.

A Tale of Woes; Will They Get Back Together Again? Hope So!!
What do you think of "Too Far To Go" that's about a 20-year marriage splitting up because of their mutual soft-spoken stupidity and cruelty to each other (mostly from her to him?)! Just "too far to go" to reach across to each other. The story held my interest. I kept hoping they would recommit to their marriage. The ending was nice; had you thinking "well maybe", if they each grew up first.

This movie was made in 1978; it's summertime; scenery pleasant. This is a marriage set in the late '50s or '60s). The story was full of "come to me" and "go away", so the viewer is always hoping and groaning for Richard and Joan. You wanted to shake them yell "wake up and be nice to each other again."

What beautiful actors these two were. Joan Maple (Blythe Danner)is so slim and pretty, but cruel in the way she casually torments her husband, Richard (37-year old actor, pretty-boyish faced, Michael Moriarty, playing a husband in his mid-40s). (Ever wish the English language had words that meant masculine beauty?) Richard needed less compulsiveness too. Michael Moriarty was so good playing this seemingly vulnerable, basically uncomplicated, "what's happening to my world" man. In the story, Richard and Joan are missing each other constantly by not tuning in to each other.

I thought it was sweet and very effective to have the flash back scenes during their marriage. Just change the actor's hair, and Richard was 20-years younger man again with that smooth face and boyish grin. In one flash back of their wedding, Joan says, "You didn't kiss me." Nice story; intersting ending! As the judge said after verifying their signatures, "Well then, good luck to you." AND then, Richard forgets "too far to go" and slowly and timidly leans toward Joan to kiss her this time. A neat place and way to end the movie. Truly makes you hope they might have a good chance to "live happily ever after ..." ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Description

Eccentricities of a Nightingale
Tony Award-winning actress, Blythe Danner, portrays the sensitive spinster Alma Winemiller in Tennessee Williams' 1948 drama. Frustrated with longing for the socially prominent young doctor next door, the eccentric, highly emotional minister's daughter decides to settle for one night with him in a rented hotel room. The Washington Post wrote: "Blythe Danner's Alma is as much of a television event as Katharine Hepburn's Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. Frank Langella is such a warm, dreamy-eyed Dr. Buchanan that the role is reimbursed for the loss of its cynical edge with a smooth romanticism that complements Danner's determined honesty splendidly." "How many different emotions do you expect in two hours?" --The New York Daily News. With Tim O'Connor, Louise Latham, and Neva Patterson.

Ten Blocks on the Camino Real
Martin Sheen stars as the eternal American G.I. Kilroy, a poetic soul condemned to spiritual death, in Tennessee Williams's allegorical one-act play. In a dreamlike fictitious Latin American country, a worn-out Casanova, a Camille living on memories, a Byron pitiful in his disillusioned pride, and others less famous live out a hopeless existence. Into this world comes Kilroy, an ex-boxer and perpetual fall guy, who asks so little and always gets short-changed, but never gives up hope. He is finally conned, or almost, into despairing subjection like the rest. "An allegory about people removed from time and geography..." --The New York Times. With Lotte Lenya, Tom Aldredge, Michael Baseleon, and Albert Dekker.

Dragon Country
This production pairs together two Tennessee Williams plays, written twenty years apart, each examining the theme of isolation with searing clarity. The joint presentation features the world premiere of "I Can't Imagine Tomorrow," starring two-time Oscar nominee Kim Stanley (The Right Stuff) and William Redfield (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), and a much earlier work, "Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen," starring Lois Smith (Five Easy Pieces)and Alan Mixon. Together, the dramas delve into "A land of endured but unendurable pain," said Williams, "where each one is so absorbed, deafened, blinded by his own journey across it, he sees, he looks for, no one else crawling across it with him." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Two great & one so-so Tennessee Williams play
If you're a fan of Tennessee Williams this triptych is a great bargain. The strongest of the three is "Eccentricities of a Nightingale" (a reworking of "Summer and Smoke" and one which Williams preferred to his earlier effort). Danner and Langella are brilliant. The sexual frankness these two characters exhibit may seem implausible for their social setting and the era being depicted, but somehow it works. It's as if Williams is presenting us with a hypothetical: "What if people could be honest with one another about their sexual desires and what if they were willing to engage one another in fulfilling these desires without burdening each other with unrealistic expectations?" Watching Danner's Alma is like seeing what might have become of Blanche DuBois if she had not lost her connection to reality and if Stanley had loved her and not just used her. "Dragon Country" is two short plays about conflicted couples. The DVD is worth the purchase price just for Kim Stanley's subtle performance in part 2, "I Can't Imagine Tomorrow." It's easy to see why she was such a major stage actor; it's a pity she didn't make more films. The only disappointment in this set was "Ten Blocks on the Camino Real," which feels like an amateurish high school production. The story is told on a mythic level which makes it difficult to take any of the characters seriously--in trying to present them archetypes Williams has created wooden stereotypes. This one will probably be of interest only to the person intent upon seeing everything Williams wrote. Even so, the cost of the set is less than buynig any two of the DVDs separately. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A pair of Jacks,a Walsh and a Byrnes
Fans of Robert DeNiro can double their viewing pleasure with this pair of films which are some of DeNiro's greatest. In MEET THE PARENTS,released in 2000 and on video in 2001,DeNiro is Jack Byrnes,a CIA worker whose daughter(Teri Polo) is the love interest of Gaylord "Greg" Focker(Ben Stiller). Greg after meeting the Fockers,ends up making trouble. Jack finds a marijuana pipe in Greg's posession. Also the Fockers' roof is accidentally set afire by burning fallen leaves. Greg,taking a cigarette break atop the roof flicked his butt inside the leaf-filled gutter. The Fockers' backyard was beautifully decorated and prepared for the wedding of another daughter of the Fockers. Greg finally received his luggage that the airline he traveled with lost. Worst of all,the family cat Jinx ran away,frightened by the fire. Greg spray-painted another black cat's tail to make it look just like Jinx. Greg,about to fly home,is evicted from the airplane after verbally abusing a flight attendant and mentioning the word "bomb". Greg was arrested and taken to jail for the disorderly conduct as well,bailed out by Jack. In 1988's MIDNIGHT RUN,DeNiro is Jack Walsh,a bounty hunter about to be paid 25 grand for bringing Jonathan Mardukas(Charles Grodin),an accountant who embezzled mobsters to the Los Angeles County Jail. Also after Jonathan is FBI agent Alonzo Moseley(Yaphet Kotto) and Jimmy Serrano(Dennis Farina),the leader of the embezzled mob. In one scene,Jack steals Alonzo's FBI badge,impersonating him. Joe Pantoliano is Eddie Moscone,the owner and operator of Moscone Bail Bonds who pays Jack to bring Jonathan to L.A.(Eddie bailed Jonathan out,not realizing who he was at the time). Jack and Jonathan travel through various parts of America,starting in New York where Jonathan was arrested by Jack. They end up in Texas,Arizona,Nevada and finally in California. Another bounty hunter named Marvin Doerfler(John Ashton) is sent to get Jonathan also. Eddie phoned Marvin at a Pittsburgh motel where Marvin was staying. Marvin found Jack and Jonathan in various places(on a train,in Texas,Arizona and Nevada where he was arrested by the FBI). Jimmy is given computer discs in place of Jonathan(the discs has the mob's account records on them). After Jack and Jonathan arrive in L.A.,Jonathan is let go. MIDNIGHT RUN is a sophomore joint project for Ashton and director Martin Brest. Ashton was Sgt. John Taggart in BEVERLY HILLS COP,one of Brest's earlier films. Jay Roach directed MEET THE PARENTS. Both films were distibuted by Universal Pictures. DeNiro made a few other films for Universal,those including the 1991 remake of CAPE FEAR with Nick Nolte and BACKDRAFT,released the same year. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great movie!
Before watching "Guilty Conscience", one must first come to terms with the DVD's technical problems. The picture is bad, it looks like a 16th generation VHS tape, not a DVD. The sound is horrid, one must crank the volume way up. It's a TV movie from 1985, so there are Princess Di haircuts, huge shoulder pads, and a rhythm to the admittedly smart dialogue that viewers used to today's television might find strange.
Okay, enough of the bad. The good news is that I liked this movie much more than I ever thought I would. Anthony Hopkins gives a wonderful and inspired performance as Arthur Jameson, a wife-beating, two timing, crooked lawyer who plots to [do away with] his black mailing wife. He is great, and it is always a joy to watch him, especially when he's so YOUNG! His character even says "Quid pro quo", which alone is worth the price of the DVD.
Sir Tony is a delight, and he looks gorgeous.
Since this is the only way I know of to see this good flick, I would recommend it.

AVOID THIS DVD!
Avoid this DVD! As another reviewer said, it's remarkable bad. I wish I'd read his comments before I bought mine. I recommend buying instead a used VHS tape from a rental store. Its quality will be far better than this DVD.

The DVD is a poor transcription of a second- or third-generation videotape. It has the tape's tracking problems. The colors are very weak. It is blurry to the degree that you want to say it has *no* resolution. The audio is terrible. Besides being blurry, we had to adjust our volume control to full volume to be able to hear much of it.

Great Movie (Guilty Conscience), Bad DVD Release
I've purchased several other budget DVDs of "Guilty Conscience" (from other companys such as Direct Video), and this double feature release has the best picture quality of all of these so far. But this isn't saying much, because the video/audio quality still leaves a lot to be desired. Worst of all, this double feature DVD has several technical problems that are very annoying. (At first I thought that I had a defective copy, so I bought another one and experienced the same problems.) What are the problems? First, after the first 20 minutes or so of "Guilty Conscience", the video "jumps" and you completely skip a scene where the Blythe Danner character is supposedly shot by her husband. For some reason, you cannot key in a reverse chapter jump or scan. Also, throughout the rest of the movie, there are occasional spots where the picture just freezes (on its own) for a few seconds. Very, very bad technical flaws in this DVD.

However, you're either going to have take it or leave this DVD, because this is the only way you can get this wonderful movie on DVD. Hopefully, a major company that cares about the products they release will reissue this movie on DVD, but since this movie is, I believe, out in the public domain, it's not very likely this will happen.

Anyway, buy this DVD at your own risk if you like this movie.

Good film wasted on a lousy DVD transfer
One of the best made-for-TV mysteries from the writing teamWilliams & Link, starring Anthony Hopkins as a doctor ponderingthe murder of his wife, is UTTERLY trashed in this atrocious DVD release. The use of a poorly-recorded source combined with a pitiful transferring effort resulting in artifacts galore, make this one of the worst DVDs I've seen.

A major technical disappointment.
I suppose it's a good vehicle for Hopkins, but the DVD version suffers terribly from technical problems. The audio track is weak and the video looks like a twice copied VHS tape. I couldn't get past the poor technical quality to really enjoy the film. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

TWO GREAT ACTORS CAN MAKE INTERESTING A CONVENTIONAL MOVIE.
"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" stars Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, playing a 1940 marriage. This is a conventional drama with excellent performances, the characters are nothing out of this world, they are a bunch of characters very similar to real life people, the story is not very original, it's just a bunch of rich people living a conventional life, but these two great actors carried on their shoulders the weight of an otherwise uninteresting movie, making "Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" an enjoyable movie.

Basically this is the story of the struggle between two generations, the iron hand discipline of a stiff father and the "rebellion" of his daughter and son who want to escape from the monotony of the life of their parents. And trapped in the middle is Mrs. Bridge, who even though she mostly obeys her husband, once in a while she likes to try new things to inject happiness to her life.

"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" is an entertaining movie thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Oh my God it's my Aunt Marjorie!
Anyone who is originally from the Midwest has a Mrs. Bridge in the family, maybe not as affluent, but just as dippy and helpless. Mrs. Bridge knows enough to resent vaguely her helplessness and the fact that Mr. Bridge makes all of her decisions for her. The viewer is sympathetic with her plight and starts to feel that Mr. Bridge is indeed being mean & unfair to her...but then Mrs. Bridge goes and does something that underscores her inability to cope for herself.

There were more scenes than I can count that just made me cringe, because I recognized my dippy Aunt Marjorie, again & again, in Mrs. Bridge. The spirit of Mrs. Bridge remains alive and well, even today.

This was a great character study of the two Bridges. The other members of the family, and some of the friends of the Bridges, are a bit fuzzier in their definition, but that is not all that important. This is a very engrossing movie in many respects.

2 thumbs up
If you are looking for violence, lots of sex and fast cars, wrong movie! But if you are looking for a thought provoking, tender, poignant and often funny story, you've hit the jackpot. I am running out of adjectives for my two favorite actors (Newman and Woodward ought to be declared America's royalty) They shine here. Much deserved Oscar nomination for Woodward and should have been one for Newman, who never ceases to amaze. Blythe Danner is a plus as well. I thouroughly enjoyed it.

A movie with memorable moments
This is one of those films with a lot of those "Memorable Moments" that you will remember years after viewing it. The scene where Mr. Bridge refuses to let a dangerous storm spoil his dinner. The hotel bedroom scene where Mr. and Mrs. Bridge find themselves sleeping akwardly in front of a mirror. The scene where Mr. Bridge takes Mrs. Bridge to a cabaret in France filled with scantil