In Sweet Bird of Youth, Paul Newman reprises his stage role in Tennessee Williams's play. If you've never seen a Tennessee Williams story, or if you're not used to play-to-movie adaptations, this isn't the best one for you to start with. It's very wordy, very slow, and very obvious it was written for the stage.
Newman plays his specialty: a bad boy who comes back to his hometown and stirs up trouble. If you're a fan, you won't be disappointed by his performance. He's been away, trying to make it as a Hollywood actor, and when he returns, he brings a has-been, booze-soaked older actress with him. Geraldine Page plays her specialty: just shy of crazy. She vacillates between losing her mind and taking the audience down with her, and realizing how pitiful she is and gaining the audience's sympathy.
A young and beautiful Shirley Knight enters the picture as the girl Paul Newman left behind. She's sweet and lovely, and ironically named Heavenly. For those of you who know Tennessee Williams, you know this story will be tragic. The dramatic setup is intense, and the title hints at sadness. It's not the best movie, and at times it's hard to watch, but if you like this genre, you'll want to add Sweet Bird of Youth to your list.
Newman plays his specialty: a bad boy who comes back to his hometown and stirs up trouble. If you're a fan, you won't be disappointed by his performance. He's been away, trying to make it as a Hollywood actor, and when he returns, he brings a has-been, booze-soaked older actress with him. Geraldine Page plays her specialty: just shy of crazy. She vacillates between losing her mind and taking the audience down with her, and realizing how pitiful she is and gaining the audience's sympathy.
A young and beautiful Shirley Knight enters the picture as the girl Paul Newman left behind. She's sweet and lovely, and ironically named Heavenly. For those of you who know Tennessee Williams, you know this story will be tragic. The dramatic setup is intense, and the title hints at sadness. It's not the best movie, and at times it's hard to watch, but if you like this genre, you'll want to add Sweet Bird of Youth to your list.