Joanne Woodward as Rita plays the angst ridden whiny frosty central character in this nearly 2 hour excursion straight into dullsville which is variously identified as New York and London. Apparently part or most of her ill tempered moodiness stems from interactions with her family, which is believable, however the dysfunction is relentless. A daughter appears in a couple of scenes briefly and argues with Rita. A son appears briefly in a couple of scenes and argues with Rita. Rita's mother appears briefly early on and argues with Rita. Martin Balsam as husband Harry tries to endure churlish Rita for the duration. Being an M.D., we can only assume Harry has the convenience of self medicating. Perhaps he could also prescribe a tonic for Rita's hallucinations and dreams which are supposed to be indicative of something apparently. Much of the dramatic inertia unfolds around meals, inspiring discussions about epicurean conceits such as the preferred thickness of lemon, which in turn spawns more familial hostility. Overall, a sense of sourness pervades as excessive sniveling is on display year round with this crowd.
Review of Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams
