I realize Hollywood and movie audiences were only happy when Gregory Peck played a version of Atticus Finch, but I loved him best when he strayed from the straight and narrow. I Walk the Line bombed at the box office, but the Hot Toasty Rags rewarded Greg with a nomination for Best Actor.
He starts off the movie walking the straight and narrow, as the title suggests. He's the sheriff in a small Tennessee town, respectable, and married to Estelle Parsons. However, he goes through a midlife crisis and finds himself irresistibly attracted to teenage waif Tuesday Weld. Tuesday is a backwater, barefoot hick whose brothers and father operate an illegal still in their backyard. Every step of the way, the audience can smell trouble, but apparently Greg has a head cold.
Full of sex, violence, and characters who make mistakes, this movie exposes a new side of Gregory Peck. If you liked him in Duel in the Sun but wished he weren't such a villain, you'll love him in this. I loved seeing his vulnerability, which wasn't usually showcased in roles like Atticus Finch and Philip Green. When he embraces Tuesday, he knows she's too young for him, but he's taking advantage of hope, love, and excitement that has passed him by.
This movie won't be for everyone, and the last thing I want to do is recommend a film that will topple Mr. Finch from his pedestal. So stick with Gentleman's Agreement if you want to; you'll also get to skip over Johnny Cash singing during nearly every scene change.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.
He starts off the movie walking the straight and narrow, as the title suggests. He's the sheriff in a small Tennessee town, respectable, and married to Estelle Parsons. However, he goes through a midlife crisis and finds himself irresistibly attracted to teenage waif Tuesday Weld. Tuesday is a backwater, barefoot hick whose brothers and father operate an illegal still in their backyard. Every step of the way, the audience can smell trouble, but apparently Greg has a head cold.
Full of sex, violence, and characters who make mistakes, this movie exposes a new side of Gregory Peck. If you liked him in Duel in the Sun but wished he weren't such a villain, you'll love him in this. I loved seeing his vulnerability, which wasn't usually showcased in roles like Atticus Finch and Philip Green. When he embraces Tuesday, he knows she's too young for him, but he's taking advantage of hope, love, and excitement that has passed him by.
This movie won't be for everyone, and the last thing I want to do is recommend a film that will topple Mr. Finch from his pedestal. So stick with Gentleman's Agreement if you want to; you'll also get to skip over Johnny Cash singing during nearly every scene change.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to violence, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.